Cougar Allen
Buccaneer (ret.)
- Joined
- Oct 9, 1998
- Messages
- 73,087
Tactical Opinel
First pull off the locking collar and grind or file one of the heads off the rivet (easy; it's aluminum). Now you can push the rivet out and remove the blade. Widen the slot in the handle so the blade doesn't fit it so tightly. Keep replacing the blade and pivot to try it so you don't remove too much wood and make it loose.
I think I used emery cloth glued to a strip of sheet metal to widen the slot. I seem to recall using a fingernail file on it, too.
There's a real trick to flipping open an Opinel even after you've loosened it up. If you flip it too hard the blade will bounce back and could cut your fingers. If you cut your fingers off don't bother to sue me -- I have no money anyway.
I eventually got so I can flip it open and lock it very quickly and reliably, and unlock it and flip it closed one-handed, too. It takes practice. The joint is still absolutely rigid when locked.
The wood swells and shrinks with changes in the weather. My next step was to scorch the handle black (I use a propane torch but any heat source will do) and soak it in boiled linseed oil -- soak it overnight the first time or two for full penetration, then apply many more coats of oil. Warming the oil helps and it's easy with a microwave oven. Eventually the wood becomes totally moistureproof. A scorched oil finish is beautiful -- you'd never guess that was birch. Rub it with a cloth between coats -- lots of rubbing, lots of coats -- a really great oil finish is a lot of work but it's worth it. One of the penetrating plastic finishes would make it waterproof with less work but wouldn't look as wonderful IMHO.
Then I applied a mottled finish to the blade with Formula 44/40 gun blue -- I did that one with dots so it looks similar to cable damascus.
The hardest part was blackening the locking ring -- I ground off the plating and blued the steel under it with a mottled finish to match the blade. Black paint would be easier.
I never got around to making a new rivet, just pushed the original one back in. The joint would be stronger with a rivet that has a head on each end, though.
It's occurred to me it ought to be easy to make an Opinel into an auto but I haven't tried it. My idea is to reshape the back of the blade a bit so you can lock it closed with the rotating ring too. Then install a flat spring that'll kick it open when you turn the ring, and then you'll turn the ring some more to lock it open. Closing will have to be manual, of course. Don't use too strong a spring or it'll bounce.
-Cougar Allen :{)
First pull off the locking collar and grind or file one of the heads off the rivet (easy; it's aluminum). Now you can push the rivet out and remove the blade. Widen the slot in the handle so the blade doesn't fit it so tightly. Keep replacing the blade and pivot to try it so you don't remove too much wood and make it loose.
I think I used emery cloth glued to a strip of sheet metal to widen the slot. I seem to recall using a fingernail file on it, too.
There's a real trick to flipping open an Opinel even after you've loosened it up. If you flip it too hard the blade will bounce back and could cut your fingers. If you cut your fingers off don't bother to sue me -- I have no money anyway.
I eventually got so I can flip it open and lock it very quickly and reliably, and unlock it and flip it closed one-handed, too. It takes practice. The joint is still absolutely rigid when locked.
The wood swells and shrinks with changes in the weather. My next step was to scorch the handle black (I use a propane torch but any heat source will do) and soak it in boiled linseed oil -- soak it overnight the first time or two for full penetration, then apply many more coats of oil. Warming the oil helps and it's easy with a microwave oven. Eventually the wood becomes totally moistureproof. A scorched oil finish is beautiful -- you'd never guess that was birch. Rub it with a cloth between coats -- lots of rubbing, lots of coats -- a really great oil finish is a lot of work but it's worth it. One of the penetrating plastic finishes would make it waterproof with less work but wouldn't look as wonderful IMHO.
Then I applied a mottled finish to the blade with Formula 44/40 gun blue -- I did that one with dots so it looks similar to cable damascus.
The hardest part was blackening the locking ring -- I ground off the plating and blued the steel under it with a mottled finish to match the blade. Black paint would be easier.
I never got around to making a new rivet, just pushed the original one back in. The joint would be stronger with a rivet that has a head on each end, though.
It's occurred to me it ought to be easy to make an Opinel into an auto but I haven't tried it. My idea is to reshape the back of the blade a bit so you can lock it closed with the rotating ring too. Then install a flat spring that'll kick it open when you turn the ring, and then you'll turn the ring some more to lock it open. Closing will have to be manual, of course. Don't use too strong a spring or it'll bounce.
-Cougar Allen :{)