MY OPINEL likes to "swim" in water ... and opens like a flipper !!!

O

Old Boy

Joined
Dec 12, 2012
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165
Since more than 50 years, i'm totin' an Opinel. No, not always the same. As a jounger man, i preferred a No. 09. When i was 40, i changed to the No. 08 and since some years now, i'm 65 and (maybe) a little "wiser", it's a No. 07, what is in one of my pockets every time and everywhere! A knife must not be BIG... but it must be SHARP!
There may be many knives, that are more "sexy", but i don't know a knife, what's a better slicer than my OPIs :)

The one and only problem of all the Opinel knives... they hate water :( Only a few drops of water on the handle... and it's sometimes nearly impossible, to close the blade. But you know that all, if you are owners of this little cheap french old-timers.

But since last year, the things have changed... for me.

My new Opinel No. 8 is a real "swimmer"! No matter, how much water, my Opinel slips open and close like a "flipper" with integrated ballbearings. Why that???
It's a special limited edition, that came out during the 100th anniversary of the Galeries Lafayette in Paris. I'm so glad, that i have ONE.
If i could get 10 more, i would take and put them in my drawer, for later times... you never know!

The handle is a pice of synthetic material, looks like carbon but is no carbon i think, but that doesn't matter... as long, as it does NOT soak one drop of water and my Opinel opens and closes like "in butter". My dream has come true and it' not a fake... it's an OPINEL :):):)

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Together with two elder sisters No. 09 and No. 07

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Together with an old friend in new clothes (Svörd Peasant blade with Cuscadi carbon scales)
 
Very nice, I've not seen one like that!
As an aside, to waterproof your wooden ones, I just melted some paraffin wax with a heat gun into the wood at the pivot end and blade groove. I left it in water for a few minutes to test and it was unaffected, still opens nice and smoothly.
 
Way cool! A decidedly modern take on a most traditional pattern; I like it! Thanks for sharing.
 
Wow I wish I could get one of those with the Carbone blade steel! Very cool thank you for sharing.
 
puukkoman said:
Way cool! A decidedly modern take on a most traditional pattern; I like it!
Click to expand...

Agreed. Usually, a modern take on something traditional turns me off. But this is quite sweet!

By the way, welcome to the forum, Old Boy. Pull up a chair. You'll fit in just fine around here. :)

-- Mark
 
Hackerverse said:
Very nice, I've not seen one like that!
As an aside, to waterproof your wooden ones, I just melted some paraffin wax with a heat gun into the wood at the pivot end and blade groove. I left it in water for a few minutes to test and it was unaffected, still opens nice and smoothly.
Click to expand...

I've done the same with some Vasoline and the better half's blow drier. Just for the sake of experiment, I put my number 8 Opinel pivot down in a glass of water for over a half hour. I had meant to just do 10 minutes, but I got side tracked and lost track of time. When I was passing through the kitchen over 30 minutes late and saw the Opinel in a glass of water I thought no way was it going to open. I was surprised that it opened with not much more stiffness than normal.

Opinel's can be made pretty darn water resistant with a little preparation.

Carl.
 
I've also solved the water trouble on my Opinel knives with paraffin/vaseline. Your knife looks nice though.
Personally, if I was concerned about this issue with an Opinel, I would go for the horn handled one. I know it's not too popular but...
It is more expensive compared to the wooden versions, yet I think it's a fair price for a knife of that quality. And even though these knives were born with wooden handles, if I wanted to drift a bit (to solve the water issue), I'd prefer horn to the version posted here. Taste is taste though :D and thank you showing this version (I had never heard of it).

Fausto
:cool:
 
They've made plastic handled models in the past, but I like that one better. Very elegant looking.

Maybe a younger gentleman's version of an already gentlemanly knife.

I still take mine in "carbone" though. ;)


For reference -

8993.jpg


I don't much like the look of the blades, don't need the built in whistle either.

Yup, I MUCH prefer yours. ;)
 
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Thanks for the paraffin wax idea for waterproofing. I have a #9 Slim on the way with the horn handle though I do not think that horn likes excessive water too much either based on a kitchen knife I picked up used with a very abused horn handle. It looks like someone ran it through a dishwasher multiple times.

I like the look of the OPs synthetic material handle knife. Finished like CF even if it is not. Wish that the current plastic handled camping knives were available with a plain blade rather than the combo blades.
 
Do you mean something like IKBS by Ball Bearing ? That's too odd because IKBS requires a much stronger detent than usual and if not that could be very very dangerous.

But the knife looks great!
 
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Ladies and Gents, please watch your language.
 
jackknife said:
I've done the same with some Vasoline and the better half's blow drier. Just for the sake of experiment, I put my number 8 Opinel pivot down in a glass of water for over a half hour. I had meant to just do 10 minutes, but I got side tracked and lost track of time. When I was passing through the kitchen over 30 minutes late and saw the Opinel in a glass of water I thought no way was it going to open. I was surprised that it opened with not much more stiffness than normal.

Opinel's can be made pretty darn water resistant with a little preparation.

Carl.
Click to expand...

Yes sir, I agree completely. My cherry wood version now seems impervious to water and water vapor. I put it to the test too :)

Kevin

ETA, to the OP that carbon fiber opinel IS cool!
 
Thanks to all of you for your kind words and the tricky tips to protect the wooden handles of my elder Opinel knives ... i will give it a try :)
 
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