My Opinel.

Edm1

Edm1

Joined
Jul 27, 2013
Messages
359
So... I won an Opinel about a month ago in a GAW on here. I opened it looked at it and set it aside. Not that I was uninterested, just very busy. Well I had a business meeting all week in Ft Lauderdale and was traveling Delta. I am so used to my Charlow and Bark River fixed blades that it really put me in a quandary. I refuse to fly with a nice knife ever since I had one stolen out of my bag. So looking at what I had I decided this was the perfect time to try the opinel. So into the suitcase it went. I'll tell you I used it for a lot. Eating, opening boxes, cutting fish, steak, salad, bagels etc. and it exceeded my expectations. When I took it out at dinner ( because restaurant knives stink) it was not looked at oddly, and cut like a laser. It felt good in my pocket and is still sharp. This is important to me as it is better to have a knife that will hold an edge when i travel, so i dont have to worry about sharpening on the road. So...I have found a good traveling knife. I'm not against carrying it at home either but for what I needed, it was perfect. I can't think of a lot of inexpensive knives that would work as well in terms of looks and utility.
 
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Opies get scary sharp. On the road the unglazed rim on the bottom of a coffee cup is a great sharpener, also the upper edge of a car side window.;-)

Best regards

Robin
 
You've just discovered the real world beauty of the Opinel; it works. No hype, just an outstanding blade that does what a blade is meant to do, very well. After a while, an Opinel makes you wonder why you bother to have other knives. Need small for office? Number 6 and 7 are great. Need bigger for the weekend? Number 8 and 9 are great yard and garden knives. Going camping? Number 12 makes a good camp kitchen knife as well as small folding machete capable of much more than you think from the light weight. Carving dinner for guests? Number 12 slim in olive wood or Bubinga is elegant as well as very effective carving a roast or turkey. Don't like the look of the handle? A little sandpaper and stain and you get a true customized for you knife that you did yourself.

Opinel, the knife where the only limit is your own imagination.

Carl.
 
jackknife said:
After a while, an Opinel makes you wonder why you bother to have other knives.
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Bwahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good one Carl!!!!! :D
 
As Carl said, Opies are endless fun to modify. Great blades. Here are two I modified that I've posted in the past.

Best regards

Robin

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I finally got over my made in France phobia & bought an old non locking Opi on the Bay yesterday.
Can't wait to check it out as I have heard nothing but good things about them.
I hear good & bad about Moras,but never a bad word about Opis so it's about dang time I tried one!
 
Pipeman said:
As Carl said, Opies are endless fun to modify. Great blades. Here are two I modified that I've posted in the past.

Best regards

Robin

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Beautiful work as always Robin.I was thinking about re-handling one too.(not the original one I have coming though)
 
jackknife said:
The believers? Uh, is that a, dare I say it, cult of the Opinel?
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I am a believer. Didn't want to be. Really tried not to like my Opinel #7. It won me over. Just that simple, it won me over. Easy to carry, cuts like a scalpel, comfortable in the hand, easy on the wallet. They have a simple, country, working man feel that also speaks to me.

Jim
 
Grateful said:
I am a believer. Didn't want to be. Really tried not to like my Opinel #7. It won me over. Just that simple, it won me over. Easy to carry, cuts like a scalpel, comfortable in the hand, easy on the wallet. They have a simple, country, working man feel that also speaks to me.

Jim
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I know what you mean. The very first time I saw an Opinel, I was checking out of a local backpacking store. They had some in a glass bowl right by the register. Of course, being a knife nut, I had to pick one up. As soon as I saw the simple construction and the thin blade, I was bit. That was 1982. I still love Opinel's. They'er like the old VW beatles, you had to drive one to really appreciate them.

Carl.
 
Opinels are the best buy in the knife world. They just plain cut, and do it well, without hurting the budget. My #8 is the knife that I use more than any other in my collection.
 
My No. 7 just showed up in the mail. Quality is pretty nice; night and day compared to the Brown Mule, LOL. It arrived clean, with pivot and locking ring at just the right amount of friction. Blade is not the sharpest, but that will be taken care of shortly. Beech handle looks better in hand than it does in photos. Overall, it lives up to the praise heaped upon the brand. Tres bien!

I know I'm really gonna like this knife, but what is up the the upturned point? Any hidden advantage to it?
 
A little more than a year ago, I was at the sporting goods store. They had Opinel #7 with slim handle. I bought one for my son (he is 8, and can't open the trapper I gave him), and one for me (of course).

I sharpened it, and immediately loved how it cut.

I have a lot of sharp knives, but nothing I have cuts as well.

I just picked up two #8's and two #10's. One in Inox, to give it a whirl.
 
I only have to add two comments:
- they are a really great sharpening school because you get encouraged with the easy good results
- You have your own custom knife for very little money



Mateo (Opi believer since 2002)
 
Grateful said:
I am a believer. Didn't want to be. Really tried not to like my Opinel #7. It won me over. Just that simple, it won me over. Easy to carry, cuts like a scalpel, comfortable in the hand, easy on the wallet. They have a simple, country, working man feel that also speaks to me.

Jim
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That definitely was my experience.

I loved Buck knives since I was kid. As a young man, I got into cycling, which led to working as a bike mechanic and dealing with just horrible French bikes. Left me thinking that "French engineering" was an oxymoron. No offense to anybody, but really, the imported French bikes from the 70s and 80s were just unbearably bad.

Then I got an Opinel #8 in a trade for some bike parts.

A buddy of mine who works in engineering/design with me likes to say, "Good designs earn their keep", meaning that a good designs proves itself over and over again. The Opinel has earned it's keep, at least for me.

I will say this though... They are *NOT* for everybody. In cycling, there are people who can change their own tires (few) and those who can not (many). In cross country skiing, there are people who can deal with kick wax (few) and those who rely on skis with fish scales (many). IMO, owning an Opinel is like changing a tire on a bike, or like owning waxable cross country skis. They demand something from you. Out the box, the Opinel is crude, clunky and sometimes not yet really useable. The lockrings need tuning. The edge needs to be set.

But for those who are willing and able to invest some time... Really amazing knife.
 
I've become a big-time Opinel fan lately. My wife says carrying them has changed me somehow. Me, I'm not so sure. Maybe you guys can help settle our argument.

This is me, pre Opinel:



This was taken yesterday:



What say ye, guys?

-- Mark
 
I'll take everyone's word for it that the opinel is a great cutter, but I wonder why the US can't produce a knife like this. cheap, wood handle, and cuts.
 
cards94 said:
I'll take everyone's word for it that the opinel is a great cutter, but I wonder why the US can't produce a knife like this. cheap, wood handle, and cuts.
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What would be the point when you can buy and opinel? ;)
 
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