Opinel tips?

J

JoeKansas1

Joined
Oct 31, 2005
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23
I've decided to give my Victorinox Secretary a break and try an Opinel. I received a No. 5 and a No. 6 in the mail. I have a couple of questions before I start carrying them:
1. Do I need to treat the handles with anything. ( It is pouring down rain outside and I've read the handles can swell.
2. So far I really like the size of the No. 5 but is does not lock closed. Over time do Opinels loosen up to the point where they could pop open in your pocket?
Thanks for your help in advance. Joe.
 
Hey Joe, I've got two Opinels, both with the lock, but I carry both with the lock disengaged and only lock them when in use. I don't have any problem with the knife opening up in my pocket, but they may be attributed to the East Texas humidity. The only time I have a fear of accidental opening is in the winter due to the lack of humidity, but even then the fear is unjustified- i wouldn't worry just a whole lot about that problem.

As to the treatment of the handles, I gave both a light sanding and just used plain candle wax on the handle. This is just about all the protection that I need but, if you are looking for something more, I've heard many on the forum swear to beeswax or linseed oil. The only real problem that you are going to run into with swelling is when the pivot is submerged. Even then, I just let it dry out or tap the butt of the knife against the table to get it enough of the blade out of the handle to grab onto.

[video=youtube;73U1PhWMzEM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73U1PhWMzEM[/video] Here is what I mean about tapping the butt on the table.
 
"coup du savoyard"

You can soak a bit of mineral oil in around the pivot to protect it from humidity.
 
I have a 5 and a 6 and i like to mod them for use. I usually strip off all of the varnish, sand it down or whittle the handle to the shape I want. For the 6 and above you can take off the locking rind while you do this by wedging some needle nose plyers in the opening and open and pull it off (it'll pop right back on). After its sanded down you can stain it, let it dry, and then soak the whole handle in Boiled linseed oil, melted coconut oil or mineral oil overnight. Then let it dry for another day. This will water proof it from swelling. You can lube up the pivot with vaseline to maintain. If the blade feels too loose in the pivot after all that lube just put the pivot on an anvil or a flat piece of hard iron or steel and hit the other end of the pin with a hammer. This should fatten the pin enough to make it stiffen. If you dont want to do all that just soak pivot area in mineral oil or coat it with vaseline and stiffen the pivot, particularly on the nonlocking versions.

An alternative to staining that I find works really well is to flame the sanded handle with a lighter or over the stove before more light sanding and soaking in oil. I've also had good results by flaming it after a short soak in Boiled linseed oil. This gives a more uniform dark nutty coloring, but be careful not to start a fire or let that hot oil drip onto your hand.
 
JoeKansas1 said:
I've decided to give my Victorinox Secretary a break and try an Opinel. I received a No. 5 and a No. 6 in the mail. I have a couple of questions before I start carrying them:
1. Do I need to treat the handles with anything. ( It is pouring down rain outside and I've read the handles can swell.
2. So far I really like the size of the No. 5 but is does not lock closed. Over time do Opinels loosen up to the point where they could pop open in your pocket?
Thanks for your help in advance. Joe.
Click to expand...

Here's some good stuff.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/28597626/tuning-opinels.txt

For swelling, I do any handle shaping and refinishing I'm going to do (if I'm going to) and then toss the whole knife in mineral oil for a few days at least. This may make the pivot a bit tighter so you could dry it out first if you want. I like them kind of tight anymore. If they are too loose they are dangerous I think.

You can loosen them up a little after oiling by clamping the blade in a vise and working them open and closed a bunch. Wear leather gloves.

Leaving them in a hot car on a sunny day before oiling can loosen them up, quite a bit sometimes.

I wish they made a #5 or smaller with a locking ring. To make an Opie watch pocket knife you have to shape a #6 down too much.
 
Just got bit by the Opinel bug. I have a 4,6,7 on the way. The 4 is going to make a dandy cigar cutter. I'm wondering if Birchwood Casey gun stock wax might work.
 
I have a no 5 & 6. The 6 is great but I really like the small, slim no 5. I gently peened the pivot on my no 5 to increase the tension a bit. Now I don't worry about it opening unexpectedly.
 
I also have been bitten by the Opinel bug. In the last three weeks I bought a 6, 8 and 10. It is great to get some tips on care and feeding of the Opinel.
 
The few opinels I have always get the same treatment. First I file the blade to a drop point then I add a lanyard hole and the handle round it out some. After sanding I either leave it or stain it to another color and coat with tung oil (mostly because I have a ton and like the natural feeling it leaves). I usually drop a few drops of mineral oil on the joint. That makes one great knife. I often don't use the lock ring and wouldn't let that deter you. I usually go for the bigger sizes (7-9) and only use the lock ring if I am going to be using it hard or stabbing into something.
 
My brother in law's brother has had an opinel in his pocket for the last 20 years or so. He does nothing to it. He uses it until he snaps the tip off or does something else to it, then buys a new one. They are cheap and easy to replace. I've never heard him complaining about swelling or looseness at the pivot. He uses it for everything, he's a pretty rustic Shetlander. I wouldn't worry too much about it :)
 
JoeKansas1 said:
I've decided to give my Victorinox Secretary a break and try an Opinel. I received a No. 5 and a No. 6 in the mail. I have a couple of questions before I start carrying them:
1. Do I need to treat the handles with anything. ( It is pouring down rain outside and I've read the handles can swell.
2. So far I really like the size of the No. 5 but is does not lock closed. Over time do Opinels loosen up to the point where they could pop open in your pocket?
Thanks for your help in advance. Joe.
Click to expand...

HANDLE - You don't *need* to do anything to the handle in terms of the handle itself. They're treated with an OK finish and the beech is tough. A lot of people do touch the handle though. They go from good to great with a bit of sandpaper, stain and top coat.

PIVOT - The pivot is the fiddly bit of the Opinel. It's either charm or a pain, depending on your view. They change with the weather, exposure to water and with age. I've had more luck making them loose and less luck in tightening them up. When they are loose, they will open in your pocket and bite you unless locked closed. They are also more dangerous to handle as the blade can flop open or closed with just a turn. I like mine with some tension and with a lock for these reasons. Peening the pin or squeezing the inner ring with pliers are the ways to tighten them but that doesn't always work. Soaking in mineral oil can help too.

WEATHERPROOFING - The two most common methods of minimizing the changes of the pivot are regular treatments with Vaseline (toothpick) or soaking in mineral oil.

More here:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/28597626/tuning-opinels.txt

Hope this helps
 
Most people who own opinels are not knifenuts and treat them like pmew's brother in law's brother...just use 'em, sharpen 'em, and oil 'em.
 
pinnah said:
HANDLE - You don't *need* to do anything to the handle in terms of the handle itself. They're treated with an OK finish and the beech is tough. A lot of people do touch the handle though. They go from good to great with a bit of sandpaper, stain and top coat.

PIVOT - The pivot is the fiddly bit of the Opinel. It's either charm or a pain, depending on your view. They change with the weather, exposure to water and with age. I've had more luck making them loose and less luck in tightening them up. When they are loose, they will open in your pocket and bite you unless locked closed. They are also more dangerous to handle as the blade can flop open or closed with just a turn. I like mine with some tension and with a lock for these reasons. Peening the pin or squeezing the inner ring with pliers are the ways to tighten them but that doesn't always work. Soaking in mineral oil can help too.

WEATHERPROOFING - The two most common methods of minimizing the changes of the pivot are regular treatments with Vaseline (toothpick) or soaking in mineral oil.

More here:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/28597626/tuning-opinels.txt

Hope this helps
Click to expand...

I already beat you with a link to your great page. :) Hope you don't mind.

On ones which were too loose I have as a last resort tried to gunk up the pivot with whatever finish I'm playing with at the moment.

So in general, yeah, you only need to toss the knife (or just the pivot) in mineral oil for a while and make the ring a good tightness to have a great knife. Whenever I get a new one I tell myself that I'm going to use it without fiddling with the handle shape. I always end up fiddling with the handle shape after a while. That says more about me than about the knife. :D
 
Never did anything on the handles.
I usually give it some vaseline in the pivot area though.
As all friction folders with an exposed pin, it's not too hard to "tune" it the way you like best. Anyway, I never had one open in my pocket (although, to be honest, I prefer my friction folders a bit on the tight side).

Fausto
:cool:
 
I use an Opinel quite a bit around the yard and have had quite a bit of success with using Carmex smeared on a pipe cleaner to keep the pivot from swelling, I have also just soaked the whole knife in mineral oil over night and had no troubles either but I don't live in a high humidity area.
 
quattromori said:
Never did anything on the handles.
I usually give it some vaseline in the pivot area though.
As all friction folders with an exposed pin, it's not too hard to "tune" it the way you like best. Anyway, I never had one open in my pocket (although, to be honest, I prefer my friction folders a bit on the tight side).

Fausto
:cool:
Click to expand...

This^.

Once I smeared a great deal of Vaseline in the pivot area and warmed it up with my better halfs blow drier so it melted into the wood, it became quite water resistant and stable. I also snugged up the pivot pin so it's a little stiffer. Vaseline or mineral oil is a Opinel's best friend. I've experimented with my Opinel by totally submerging it in a glass of water for 30 minutes with only a little stiffening of the action. Remember, until 1955, none of the Opinel's had a locking ring at all. They used to be strait friction folders.
 
Last edited:
jackknife said:
This^.

Once I smeared a great deal of Vaseline in the pivot area and warmed it up with my better halts blow drier so it melted into the wood, it became quite water resistant and stable. I also snugged up the pivot pin so it's also stiffer. Vaseline or mineral oil is a Opinel's best friend. I've experimented with my Opinel by totally submerging it in a glass of water for 30 minutes with only a little stiffening of the action. Remember, until 1955, none of the Opinel's had a locking ring at all. They used to be strait friction folders.
Click to expand...

Good advice to keep your Opinel from turning into "Open-hell"! :D
 
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