Opinel downsizing

[pinnah]

OK got the number 8 today. Took it out of the envelop (no box) and looked it over. Not too inpressive at first glance. After playing with it a while I did start to get the hang of it though, The blade was razor sharp and it worked as advertised. I guess that's all you should expect for $12. It did have a good feel in my hand. I will have to use it for week or so to see if I really like it though

I would imagine that the first impression of the Opinel is underwhelming. The blade is thin, the joint and lock seem anemic (compared to say a buck 110) and the knife is so light for it's size, it doesn't feel substantial. Add to all this the insanely low price and it screams "joke knife".

Somebody on this forum nailed when they said the Opinel is more like a starter kit for DIY modifications.

My suggestion is to bang on it for a while till you start to trust the blade, joint and lock. If the lock gives you troubles, you can make it more secure by filing the top of the ring so the can be rotated more than 90 degrees.

If start to take to it functionally, you can then think about reshaping or refinishing the handle to taste. I like mine treated with Tung oil.

 

[jackknife]

OK got the number 8 today. Took it out of the envelop (no box) and looked it over. Not too inpressive at first glance. After playing with it a while I did start to get the hang of it though, The blade was razor sharp and it worked as advertised. I guess that's all you should expect for $12. It did have a good feel in my hand. I will have to use it for week or so to see if I really like it though

The Opinel is like a lot of knives, you sort of have to get used to it. You almost have to carry it exclusively for a while, and then you get a real feel for the qualities of it. Sometimes you have to tweek it bit, but that's easy to do.

Carl.

 

[Tracker16]

That's a damn nice looking knife!

wow that is a beauty

 

[quattromori]

Thanks guys. Actually, after seeing it online, and reading some comments here, I was willing to get my #6 with walnut handle...then I saw the rosewood and fell for it.
Even though the "classic" image of Opinel's involves bright coloured handle, I found out that a darker tone of wood looks better, especially with the stainless blade. For a carbon blade, which will eventually take some patina, maybe walnut or olive would look better. Just a matter of aesthetics of course.

Fausto

 

[spydutch]

I would imagine that the first impression of the Opinel is underwhelming. The blade is thin, the joint and lock seem anemic (compared to say a buck 110) and the knife is so light for it's size, it doesn't feel substantial. Add to all this the insanely low price and it screams "joke knife".

Somebody on this forum nailed when they said the Opinel is more like a starter kit for DIY modifications.

My suggestion is to bang on it for a while till you start to trust the blade, joint and lock. If the lock gives you troubles, you can make it more secure by filing the top of the ring so the can be rotated more than 90 degrees.

If start to take to it functionally, you can then think about reshaping or refinishing the handle to taste. I like mine treated with Tung oil.

You are so right about that.
On a former printing factory I,ve worked for 15 years until they closed it down, we were issued with Opinels au Carbon.

You won't believe what that knife can take:

Cutting the remains of foil on a cardboard cilinder by putting a lot of pressure on the spine of the blade.
Cutting thick tie rips
Cutting thick cardboards and plastic foils
Cutting those big heavy bands they sucure stuff on pallets with
Some kinds of scraping
Cutting worn hoses where the ink ran through, the blade being covered in ink and solvents

Sure, I had to sharpen the blade regularly and the blade lasted maybe a year or so before it was sharpened down to some kind of tooth pick, but the knife never failed, broke or got wobbly.

After recalling all this and reading those Opi threads I'm gonna give my Peanut a well deserved rest and give my Opinel no.7 au carbon a good honest try.

 

[quattromori]

The same thing happens, and happened, to many people, me included. When I got my first Opinel, I bought it out of pure curiosity, attracted by its price, and the fact that I knew it had been used for so long by so many farmers...and even if the average French farmer might not be the richest man on Earth, he sure knew how to use a knife, and needed it more than I will ever need a blade in my life.
So I gave it some time. And the knife knew how to gain my trust. Sometimes I feel like I will just start carrying an Opinel and forget about anything else, except a resolza
Lately I like to experiment. But my new rosewood #6 made it clear from the very day I bought it: it's going to be a hard task to push it out of my pocket.

Fausto

 

[avoidspam]

I'm thinking the reason you can push an Opinel harder than it would appear to be able to take is its convex grind. Having plenty of hedgerows in my area i like to cut a thumbsized stick from the hedge as i walk the dog in the morning and have a whittle. My Opinel #8 will cut cleanly through a thumsized piece in one go, no problem. All my flatground blades can't compete with only my Bark River and Svord fixed blades coming close. The convex grind combined with a thin blade make heavy cutting easier, putting less strain on the knife. Great tool

 

[quattromori]

I agree that alot of the "pro's" and "con's" in a knife are about geometry. I have to admit that my knives are seldom put through very hard tasks, but even in "casual" cutting, you can see the difference if the blade geometry is right or not.
And Opinel is right.

Fausto