Opinel / stuck blade

P

poussin

Joined
Jan 28, 2003
Messages
95
Hello everybody.

I've read more than one post where people complain about Opinels reluctant to open when wet.

That's one of the drawbacks of this knife. You cannot easily open it normally as long as it is wet, but I'll try to briefly tell you the way people do it here.

When the blade is stuck, grab the closed knife with two fingers on the side of the pivot, with the appearing back of the blade opposite to you, and hit against something harder (table, stone, tree, knee, head...) with the protuberance at the end of the handle. This unlocks the blade, which you can then easilly pull with the pulp of the fingers. There's mostly no need to hit very strong.

This is for sure no way to open a knife in an emergency, though there some stories of people who saved their life thanks to an opinel. But it prevents from being annoyed too much.

Bye,
Mathias

[title edited]
 
Thanks! That sounds like an idea worth knowing. We had a discussion a while ago on how to prevent the Opinel from soaking up water in the first place. Simply, it requires soaking some oil into the pivot area. I use a little mineral oil myself. A more involved way would be to take the knife apart, perhaps even sanding off the lacquer, and soaking the entire handle in a better oil, finishing the wood properly. This also keeps the high carbon steel blade from developing any corrosion around the tang.
 
I did know that opinels could have instructions. We even do not get a packaging for them. Taking the knife apart is uneasy because if I remember well, the pivot is riveted.
 
If I take this picture (from cutlery to go) :

http://store1.yimg.com/I/gyby_1825_19594185

the part you have to hit with is at the very bottom of the picture. Use it like you would hammer gently on something.

BTW, strange that cutlery to go does not offer the #9 and #10, which are very appreciated and handy sizes.
 
MelancholyMutt said:
which end do you hit?
Click to expand...

i wonder too, i've tried it yesterday on a wet #7 that got stuck after leaving it wet for over an hour, but it didn't really seem to make a difference to bang it.

isn't this trick more useful in case the pivot is rusted stuck?


:confused:
 
I look at it this way... My opinel is my secondary knife... the one I use to snip my cigar ends... if it don't open, I don't smoke right then and there... ;)

one thing though, no matter how rough or tight the blade is stuck, I never had a problem jamming my thick ugly fingernail in the notch and prying it open.
 
poussin said:
the part you have to hit with is at the very bottom of the picture. Use it like you would hammer gently on something.
Click to expand...

Embarrassed to confess I didn't know which end to do the "le coup du savoyard" (knocking the end of the handle on the edge of the table) either.

But now that which end is explained - it makes sense - it's a bit like tapping on the top of an old full cigarette pack to make a few cigarettes pop up - knocking th tail-end with the blade down causes a small shock to make the blade move downwards (toward open) and the sticky handle/pivot action kind of works like a ratchet to capture the small opening motion - do it a few times then enough of the blade is exposed/open to allow enough purchasce to grab and open normally.

Sorry for the over elaborate explanation to those who had already got it -
I needed to think it out loud (for myself) to make sure I got it right..... :D

--
Vincent

http://UnknownVincent.cjb.net
http://UnknownVT.cjb.net
 
This technique works quite well on my carbon no. 6, but I can't get it to work on my SS no. 8. I wonder why??

Will
 
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