Opinel & Svord knives - tell me why you like them.

N

newknife

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Jul 6, 2008
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I just started looking at these two knife brands. They just seem odd. I would like to know, from those who have them, what it is you like about them? I thinking of buying one of each just out of curiosity. Would love to hear some feedback on them!
 
Odd?

I don't have any, but they're classic designs, they're cheap (especially the Opinels) and they work very well for what they were designed for. I suspect the main reason for buying them isn't their actualy function but the images, thoughts and memories they bring to mind.

For example, I want a Douk-Douk, not because it's a particularly great knife (although it has its advantages, but it is horrendously overpriced for such a simply constructed knife) but because it has a long history and is exotic and classic and therefore cool, so I am willing to pay the markup. Modern knives are available which can do most everything better, but the Douk-Douk has an interesting aura.

Opinels remind me of cheese and wine and picnics and Provence and the France which exists in my mind and are inoffensive, inexpensive and great slicers, as well as being extremely lightweight.
 
I have the Opinel #6 in carbon and a Svord Peasant, though sadly none of the fixed blades,

Opinel's are nice because they have such a slim blade that even dull slicing is far easier then most of the modern folders you see, they're inexpensive and make great gifts, very people friendly, favorites for customizers.

Svord's Peasant is pretty much the same, though the grinds could use a little more symmetry, but for the money it's quite a knife.

Here is my Svord and some other favorites:

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Never had a Svord, but I often carry an Opinel no. 8 on weekends out in the woods, etc. Fantastic value and a knife that's much more robust and durable than most people give it credit for. Far from a wine & cheese knife, it's a French peasant's working folder. They'll take and hold a killer edge, and can handle anything you throw at them -- aside from prying, which folders aren't designed to do anyway. Get one .... you won't regret it.
 
Goosey said:
Odd?

I don't have any, but they're classic designs, they're cheap (especially the Opinels) and they work very well for what they were designed for. I suspect the main reason for buying them isn't their actualy function but the images, thoughts and memories they bring to mind.

For example, I want a Douk-Douk, not because it's a particularly great knife (although it has its advantages, but it is horrendously overpriced for such a simply constructed knife) but because it has a long history and is exotic and classic and therefore cool, so I am willing to pay the markup. Modern knives are available which can do most everything better, but the Douk-Douk has an interesting aura.

Opinels remind me of cheese and wine and picnics and Provence and the France which exists in my mind and are inoffensive, inexpensive and great slicers, as well as being extremely lightweight.
Click to expand...

I agree with what Goosey said and would add there is actually a great variety of Opinels with custom woods and handles. An Opinel takes it back to basics in design - it just works.
 
I have an Opinel and it is a really great knife. A friend took one around the world a couple of times and it was his only knife.

Inexpensive, great grind and edge geometry, light weight, simple, they are a classic design.
 
I've been using Opinels since 1982, and I always have one stashed around someplace. Truck glove box, daypack, kitchen drawer. They are a perfect example of function way out of proportion to their cost. Simple design, great blade profile, and esy to get scary sharp in a few minutes on the bottom of a coffee mug.

Most of all, they're fun to modify. Sand and reshape the handle, restain with color of choice, and they are low cost enough that they are easy to give to someone who admires it. Opinels make great give away knives to non knife people to convert them to our cause.

But most of all; they are time proven working knives that are much more rugged than you would think from their light weight. You could go a very long way with an Opinel as your only knife, and get by just fine. It works as well today as it did in 1890 when Joseph Opinel got his company off the ground.

Carl.
 
Opinels are world class slicers out of the box, and are obscenely inexpensive. If you are not obsessed with batonning or oil drum stabbing or high speed tactical deployment, they are almost impossible to beat in terms of functionality to price ratios.

Svords are inexpensive. Their grinds and edges need work. (But what do you want for that kind of price?) They can't be beat for practicing sharpening or convexing. Put some work in on them, and you have something decent.
 
I don´t own a Svord, til now... ;)

But I own several Opinels. They are great knives. Come with a fine factory edge. The blade is pretty thin, which makes good cutting skills to it self. I like them because of their minimalism and they can be modded with a simple tool box. I really like the locking mechanism. And they are cheap.

I have roundabout twelve of them around the house, in the house, the workingshag and my car and so on and on. Great knives.
And you can get a very nice knife with good carbon steel blade or stainless, if you wish

Here is an unmodded Opinel #8 with carbon steel blades

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Kind regards
 
The Svord seems kind of primal and simple. I really like it. The Opinel, not so much. I gave mine away. I think it was the lock ring that really turned me off.
 
I've the Von Tempske bowie. Look on you tube for a rev. a German fella does of it. Convinced me to get one. It is a superb bowie/working knife in every respect. I sold all of my CS bowies and am selling my last two Western bowies. The Von T is that good. keepem sharp
 
I frequently carry an Opinel No.8 Carbon (it's in my pocket right now, in fact!) and I find it a wonderful knife for "peasant work," such as whittling/carving, food prep, vegetable harvesting, cutting baling twine, opening parcels, cleaning my nails, and a variety of other tasks. Few knives will slice an apple like an Opinel, and they're good solid knives that can handle a lot more than their light weight and slim blade might indicate. It sharpens easily and holds its edge reasonably well. And it simply oozes charm.

Svord knives are, likewise, "peasant" knives and feature tough-as-nails L6 carbon steel. They are geared largely towards outdoorsmen and agriculturalist types, which makes sense given their New Zealand manufacture, as the nation is widely known for hosting many of both. They take a beating and shrug it off. They aren't elegant like Opinels, but you can't help but grin when you use one--they're well made tools, and I emphasize the "tool" aspect of them.

It's very common in the present cutlery industry to mentally separate "knife" and "tool" and both represent slightly different genres. "Tool" knives, to me, exhibit more of a beauty of utility rather than one based on form. It does not take fancy materials or decoration to make you get that sense of pride and awe when looking at a truly well-made antique hammer. Svords are much the same way. Their rough exterior belies a beauty of functionality. Opinels do the same, but with more finesse and less brawn. Both are great.

P.S. I also love Douk Douks, and don't think them overpriced for what they are like Goosey does. They also fall in the above-mentioned category, as do Mercator "Black Cat" knives and Case sodbusters. All of them represent hard-working humble knives with a touch of old-world romanticism.
 
The Svord is the only folder that I would baton, because its construction is so simple. The steel has a nice heat treat, too. It's not much to look at, but it's the ultimate in utilitarian design, and they figured it out hundreds years ago. I only wish there was a smaller version.
 
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Love my Opinel #8, it's always in my Scout pack. I bought a Svord and didn't really warm up to it that much so I gave it to my brother-in-law, he loves it and has it on his belt ready to go at all of our Scouting events.

I'm not exactly sure why I like the Opinel, but I am just as likely to drop it in my pocket as any of my other, much more expensive knives. Maybe because it just cuts, and cuts well.
 
Having owned and used both the Opinel folders and one example of the Svord peasent folder I can say that with these less collectable and more utilitarian style knives that they skip the asthetics all together and focus mostly on the construction and materials. With that being said the Opinels and Svords are two vastly different knives at total different ends of the spectrum. I see the Opinel as a very petite light use knife that is very close in performance and function to a paring or general use kitchen knife and the Svord which is a more primitave "hard use" folder. Both are very cool and useful knives IMO and worthy of residing in any hardcore knife nuts collection or EDC rotation.
 
I have the Svord Peasant, and it is just cool. Its not all that cleanly made, not fancy, or even particularly good looking. Its just cool. Its simple, sharp, and works. And it is fun to just play with that friction folding blade.
 
I own several Opinels,they are fantastic knives IMO...I own a Svord peasant knife and a bowie axe too...The bowie is the toughest knife i have ever owned..i used it as a demolitition tool for 9 years and have honestly tried to destroy this knife..L6 is some tough stuff!!.............................FES

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