The 'new' Opinel's locking ring that is.
When Opinel changed the design of the locking ring, I hated it. I was ready for a jihad. a lifetime and then some boycott. I called down curses on the Opinel in charges and his family all the way back to the era of Charlemagne. I was ready to storm the Bastille. Off with their heads! But then, I don't like change. I hate change.
When Volkswagen stopped making the old air cooled bug, I cursed the ruling heads at Volkswagen all the back to Doctor Porsche and the birth of the 'Peoples Wagon'.
Way back in 1972ish when Ruger changed the design of their single action revolvers, to the 'new' design that let you carry all six chambers loaded, I hated Ruger. That lasted a few years until I relented and bought a "new' model super single six, that led to the new model convertible .357/9mm Blackhawk. I ended up back with Ruger and to this day have a Ruger revolver that is a regular carry gun. I stayed with a Zippo lighter for decades in spite of it running out of fuel at inopportune times, burning my leg with fluid over flow in a warm pocket, and being a PITA. It wasn't until I was darn near social security age that I deserted the fold and went with the reliable Bic lighter. It took a guide named Jose in the middle of some Costa Rican jungle to convince me that the Bic was a better deal.
Sooooo, for the last few months I've been fooling with a fairly new number 6 Opinel. I was looking for something more compact than my old well used number 8, and a little bigger than my non locking number 5. I did some initial cursing, but after a few months of semi regular use, its been growing on me. I still think its a PITA that the locking ring is a one way affair, and if I wan't so stubborn and had a dremal tool I would be tempted to do some grinding. But in real world actually use, since I very rarely use the lock, it hasn't been too bad on my stubborn psyche. It's still an Opinel, and they still cut like the dickens. And they still have that weird old world charm like a Citroen 2VC. Funky in a cool old way.
I guess this my be a long winded way of apology to the ancestors of whatever Opinel is sitting at the head of the table at the Opinel head shed over in France. I still like my old number 8 way better, but the new stuff ain't bad for something a lawyer had meddled in. And it still does cut like the dickens.
When Opinel changed the design of the locking ring, I hated it. I was ready for a jihad. a lifetime and then some boycott. I called down curses on the Opinel in charges and his family all the way back to the era of Charlemagne. I was ready to storm the Bastille. Off with their heads! But then, I don't like change. I hate change.
When Volkswagen stopped making the old air cooled bug, I cursed the ruling heads at Volkswagen all the back to Doctor Porsche and the birth of the 'Peoples Wagon'.
Way back in 1972ish when Ruger changed the design of their single action revolvers, to the 'new' design that let you carry all six chambers loaded, I hated Ruger. That lasted a few years until I relented and bought a "new' model super single six, that led to the new model convertible .357/9mm Blackhawk. I ended up back with Ruger and to this day have a Ruger revolver that is a regular carry gun. I stayed with a Zippo lighter for decades in spite of it running out of fuel at inopportune times, burning my leg with fluid over flow in a warm pocket, and being a PITA. It wasn't until I was darn near social security age that I deserted the fold and went with the reliable Bic lighter. It took a guide named Jose in the middle of some Costa Rican jungle to convince me that the Bic was a better deal.
Sooooo, for the last few months I've been fooling with a fairly new number 6 Opinel. I was looking for something more compact than my old well used number 8, and a little bigger than my non locking number 5. I did some initial cursing, but after a few months of semi regular use, its been growing on me. I still think its a PITA that the locking ring is a one way affair, and if I wan't so stubborn and had a dremal tool I would be tempted to do some grinding. But in real world actually use, since I very rarely use the lock, it hasn't been too bad on my stubborn psyche. It's still an Opinel, and they still cut like the dickens. And they still have that weird old world charm like a Citroen 2VC. Funky in a cool old way.
I guess this my be a long winded way of apology to the ancestors of whatever Opinel is sitting at the head of the table at the Opinel head shed over in France. I still like my old number 8 way better, but the new stuff ain't bad for something a lawyer had meddled in. And it still does cut like the dickens.
