-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Opinel new lock ring - bad design
- Thread starter 353
- Start date
The ring and the blade where it locks against it it wear over time. It is also common to buff or sand the collar to make a more gradual, and thus more secure, lockup. This is particularly useful on locking closed where I don't like the lockup much initially. That said, I've been using a new one for light use as a tobacco cutting (up) knife with no issues for a while. Don't pocket carry it.
What I still want to know is, what is the use of the formed dimple in the center of the ring where the pivot pin is now? Are the pivot pins flush or peened on your knives?
What I still want to know is, what is the use of the formed dimple in the center of the ring where the pivot pin is now? Are the pivot pins flush or peened on your knives?
- Joined
- May 16, 2010
- Messages
- 9,347
Much ado about nothing IMO.
I dont have any problems with the Opinel ring.
Not enough pics in this thread.
I dont have any problems with the Opinel ring.
Not enough pics in this thread.
herisson
Apple slicing rocking chair dweller
- Joined
- Mar 11, 2013
- Messages
- 4,754
The important point is this : "French law provides that authorities may classify any knife as a prohibited item depending upon circumstances and the discretion of the police or judicial authorities". Non locking doesn't put you out of trouble if you are in some circumstances (bar brawl, hiding in the bushes late at night, mayhem and so on...).
Henry Beige
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jun 1, 2015
- Messages
- 3,722
Not too long ago, I bought a new No.7 to satisfy my curiosity about the new lockring. My conclusions:
1. The new ring works as designed, locking up solidly and preventing the blade from closing. It can probably be defeated, but it works as well as the earlier design to hold the blade open.
2. Modifying the ring is not unduly difficult. A couple of minutes with a Dremel and a sharp file. It is worth the effort for me because I habitually close the ring by turning it in the now-forbidden direction. If I were new to Opinel, I wouldn’t bother.
In short, I don’t like the new design, but It won’t keep me from buying an Opinel now and again.
1. The new ring works as designed, locking up solidly and preventing the blade from closing. It can probably be defeated, but it works as well as the earlier design to hold the blade open.
2. Modifying the ring is not unduly difficult. A couple of minutes with a Dremel and a sharp file. It is worth the effort for me because I habitually close the ring by turning it in the now-forbidden direction. If I were new to Opinel, I wouldn’t bother.
In short, I don’t like the new design, but It won’t keep me from buying an Opinel now and again.
Hello guys.
I just picked up a second Opinel, the n7 carbon that has the new design of locking ring.
I tried to mod it, without taking a look at the design, i just assumed it works like the old one. I forced the blade to pop up the locking ring off, but didn't went very well.
What i mean is that now the locking ring moves a bit up and down when i twist it , and makes the ring to get a bit out of the slip which makes it scratchy and at some point it just gets blocked. I have to push it down than rotate it again.
I tried using pliers to tighten it and a hammer to contour it better to the handle. What i managed with the hammer was to lossen the blade (+1 for me) but at the same time I didn't fixed the issue i was trying to fix.
any advice?
I just picked up a second Opinel, the n7 carbon that has the new design of locking ring.
I tried to mod it, without taking a look at the design, i just assumed it works like the old one. I forced the blade to pop up the locking ring off, but didn't went very well.
What i mean is that now the locking ring moves a bit up and down when i twist it , and makes the ring to get a bit out of the slip which makes it scratchy and at some point it just gets blocked. I have to push it down than rotate it again.
I tried using pliers to tighten it and a hammer to contour it better to the handle. What i managed with the hammer was to lossen the blade (+1 for me) but at the same time I didn't fixed the issue i was trying to fix.
any advice?
Henry Beige
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jun 1, 2015
- Messages
- 3,722
Use snap ring pliers to remove and replace the lock ring. Use pliers with parallel jaws, like a channellock or Knipex, to apply some subtile crimpage to the lock ring. Use the hammer to peen the pivot pin.
thanks for the reply
i do not have a replaging locking ring. so i guess i have to spend the 7 dollars to buy a new one if I want it to work like it is supposed.
but this raises a new question is how do i make the new one easier to rotate.
from the factory they come very tight and i don't like it. It hurts my fingers to get the blade out and rotate the lock
i do not have a replaging locking ring. so i guess i have to spend the 7 dollars to buy a new one if I want it to work like it is supposed.
but this raises a new question is how do i make the new one easier to rotate.
from the factory they come very tight and i don't like it. It hurts my fingers to get the blade out and rotate the lock
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2007
- Messages
- 3,876
I like the new opinels
They work very well for me.. and the spine is sharp enough to strike a firesteel
They work very well for me.. and the spine is sharp enough to strike a firesteel
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2012
- Messages
- 29,050
You could always buy a knife that does what you want out of box....
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2012
- Messages
- 3,376
Where’s the fun in that?
Henry Beige
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jun 1, 2015
- Messages
- 3,722
The fit of the lock ring varies from knife to knife. Most are OK, but I have received them too tight as well as too loose. Use channellocks to crimp a loose one. Use your snap ring plier or a pair of duckbills to spread it looser.
What do you mean by “new one”? Did you lose the lock ring? (It happens.)
<a href="https://ibb.co/7X22z0Z"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/7X22z0Z/opinel.png" alt="opinel" border="0"></a>
I did not lose it, i broke off the indent in the ring when i forced it off the knife. I didn't look at the design of the ring as I was used with my old Opinel which does not have the indent.
Because the indent is just a hole the ring slides a bit up and down, mostly up.
Henry Beige
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jun 1, 2015
- Messages
- 3,722
Okay, I get what happened. That was a fortunate result for you. The purpose of that indent is to prevent you from inadvertently levering the lockring off with the blade. By shearing the indent off, you have saved yourself from having to grind it off, the first step in restoring the knife to its “proper” function, i.e. the way Opinels used to work before the addition of the indent. You will also want to check the inside of the lock ring where the indent was sheared off, and clean up any burr that might be left, which could interfere with the smooth turning of the ring.
The next step is to grind a second locking ramp in the top edge of the lockring, to the left of the gap, as shown in the photo of my No.7. This will allow you to lock the blade open by turning the collar in either direction. Not really necessary, except that many users of older Opinels are accustomed to turning the lock ring counterclockwise to use the left-hand ramp.
The next step is to restore the fit of the lock ring on the bolster. On older Opinels, the peened ends of the pivot pin were more pronounced. They would ride in the rolled channel around the circumference of the ring to prevent the ring from riding up. On the latest knives, the ends of the pins are not as pronounced, and may be nearly flush with the bolster, allowing the ring to move up and down.
The lock ring has to fit tne bolster very closely or else it will slide up and down. At the same time, if the fit is too tight, the ring will be difficult to turn. Use pliers to tighten the ring, and a snap ring plier or duck bill plier to spread the opening if it is too tight.
It may not really be a problem if the ring slides up and down. When the blade is locked upen, it will bear down on the locking ramp, holding the ring in place. However, if the blade is locked closed, it will be extremely easy to lever the ring off with the blade, witn neither the pin or the indent to help retain the ring.
I hope this helps. I am glad I wasn’t in the room when you levered the ring off in the first place, and sheared the indent. That must have taken quite a bit of force, unless the ring was a loose fit to begin with.
The next step is to grind a second locking ramp in the top edge of the lockring, to the left of the gap, as shown in the photo of my No.7. This will allow you to lock the blade open by turning the collar in either direction. Not really necessary, except that many users of older Opinels are accustomed to turning the lock ring counterclockwise to use the left-hand ramp.
The next step is to restore the fit of the lock ring on the bolster. On older Opinels, the peened ends of the pivot pin were more pronounced. They would ride in the rolled channel around the circumference of the ring to prevent the ring from riding up. On the latest knives, the ends of the pins are not as pronounced, and may be nearly flush with the bolster, allowing the ring to move up and down.
The lock ring has to fit tne bolster very closely or else it will slide up and down. At the same time, if the fit is too tight, the ring will be difficult to turn. Use pliers to tighten the ring, and a snap ring plier or duck bill plier to spread the opening if it is too tight.
It may not really be a problem if the ring slides up and down. When the blade is locked upen, it will bear down on the locking ramp, holding the ring in place. However, if the blade is locked closed, it will be extremely easy to lever the ring off with the blade, witn neither the pin or the indent to help retain the ring.
I hope this helps. I am glad I wasn’t in the room when you levered the ring off in the first place, and sheared the indent. That must have taken quite a bit of force, unless the ring was a loose fit to begin with.
Last edited:
Thank you very much, very helpful tips.
It is very true the collar slides off the knife very easily, the pins are almost flush and I broke the indent that sits in the groove.
The ring was actually very tight, but I feel that n7 is a lot more flimsy than n8. the material of the ring is thinner?! Or I don't know my own strength
I used pliers to make the ring flatter so it sits closer to the pin ends. It works better. True you can take it off without almost no effort.
I would like to take the pin out because I think I've bent it. I used before a hammer to make the ring sit better, and while turning the handle around I rested the knife on the closed blade. Now I feel a very slight play in the blade in some position. 1 - 2 mm up/down. Not side to side.
It is very true the collar slides off the knife very easily, the pins are almost flush and I broke the indent that sits in the groove.
The ring was actually very tight, but I feel that n7 is a lot more flimsy than n8. the material of the ring is thinner?! Or I don't know my own strength
I used pliers to make the ring flatter so it sits closer to the pin ends. It works better. True you can take it off without almost no effort.
I would like to take the pin out because I think I've bent it. I used before a hammer to make the ring sit better, and while turning the handle around I rested the knife on the closed blade. Now I feel a very slight play in the blade in some position. 1 - 2 mm up/down. Not side to side.
With the old (since 2000) lock, I have:
No7 Carbone
No8 Inox
No8 Le Savoyard Inox
No8 Outdoor (Inox, partially serrated, straighter blade clip, shackle key, polymer handle, whistle in handle)
I've not used any of them much, and until now I never paid a great deal of attention to the locks.
I recently bought two No6 Inox for less expensive "travel knives", as I won't travel with an expensive knife for fear of losing it to some silly rule. These two new No6 knives have the newest style lock.
In comparing all of them I note that while the new lock allows locking in only one direction, the locking ring rotates more than the older knives. The new lock ring rotates almost 1/4 turn (two examples), while the older lock ring turns about 1/8 turn, possibly a few degrees more (four examples.) The newer lock ring may have a more "shallow" locking ramp, allowing it to turn more, but it is hard to say without measuring (and this is not all that easy to measure accurately.) I can only report how far they turn, and I do feel as if the new style locks up tighter.
Because the new lock ring relies on a "precisely" stamped tab running in a "precisely" stamped groove, as opposed to the "precise" annular groove running on peened rivet heads that many have noted are not always consitently peened, it seems to me the new locks will be more consistent, and possibly in general smoother in operation. Please note the word "precisely" is relative when discussing stamped parts.
Although some may not like it, I don't think Opinel made this change without a good bit of thought. The French are nothing if not traditional. If you are looking for a bright spot, for those of you who like to completely disassemble, you now don't have to try to duplicate the "precisely" shaped heads on the blade pivot pin when installing a new pin.
Finally, I note that different knives seem to lock closed with a bit more security. When locking closed, sometimes the lock stops "on the ramp", and sometimes it stops when it hits the "step." I believe the former is a tighter closure, and I note I can extend the closing ramp by taking a file or Dremel and "grinding through" the step.
I hope this adds to the rational discussion.
No7 Carbone
No8 Inox
No8 Le Savoyard Inox
No8 Outdoor (Inox, partially serrated, straighter blade clip, shackle key, polymer handle, whistle in handle)
I've not used any of them much, and until now I never paid a great deal of attention to the locks.
I recently bought two No6 Inox for less expensive "travel knives", as I won't travel with an expensive knife for fear of losing it to some silly rule. These two new No6 knives have the newest style lock.
In comparing all of them I note that while the new lock allows locking in only one direction, the locking ring rotates more than the older knives. The new lock ring rotates almost 1/4 turn (two examples), while the older lock ring turns about 1/8 turn, possibly a few degrees more (four examples.) The newer lock ring may have a more "shallow" locking ramp, allowing it to turn more, but it is hard to say without measuring (and this is not all that easy to measure accurately.) I can only report how far they turn, and I do feel as if the new style locks up tighter.
Because the new lock ring relies on a "precisely" stamped tab running in a "precisely" stamped groove, as opposed to the "precise" annular groove running on peened rivet heads that many have noted are not always consitently peened, it seems to me the new locks will be more consistent, and possibly in general smoother in operation. Please note the word "precisely" is relative when discussing stamped parts.
Although some may not like it, I don't think Opinel made this change without a good bit of thought. The French are nothing if not traditional. If you are looking for a bright spot, for those of you who like to completely disassemble, you now don't have to try to duplicate the "precisely" shaped heads on the blade pivot pin when installing a new pin.
Finally, I note that different knives seem to lock closed with a bit more security. When locking closed, sometimes the lock stops "on the ramp", and sometimes it stops when it hits the "step." I believe the former is a tighter closure, and I note I can extend the closing ramp by taking a file or Dremel and "grinding through" the step.
I hope this adds to the rational discussion.