opinel??

RescueRiley

RescueRiley

Joined
Mar 22, 2006
Messages
5,944
I like the look of these (I also like the price) I was thinkiing about picking up a small folder in carbon steel to round out my gear are they any good??? I'd probably use it for whittling and as a back up piece ... My current setup is a Frost stainless mora clipper, and a vic SAK fiedmaster, and a chopper (axe or machete) depending on where i'm headed but for the price and weight a small folder like that might be worth having along...Thoughts?
 
It's a great knife, but instead of a small model I'd suggest one of the midsize, #8 or #9 perhaps. I carried one for years and years as my only blade while living and working outdoors, and still EDC one in my work bag. It has easily performed every cutting task ever encountered.

-Bob
 
If your on a budget as you seem to be,yes. If your not on a budget, yes. They have nice steel and sharpen well. The only caveat is the wood can swell if wet make opening difficult.
 
is the wood on the handles treated or left naked?

i think that if i get one i might soak the whole thing in linseed oil for a while, to seal the handle and coat the blade and joint nicely.........you might want to ask one of the opinel guys about that.

i think they look like nice knives, and i am thinking about getting one myself, because i like the plain historical looking blade with the great sounding performance of thier steel and cutting geometry.....
 
I like them as a lightweight knife. You can get them from EDC depot.com, since they sell quite a few handy things to help pay the shipping. You can also get them at Ragnars Forge, along w/ a couple of Moras or a Brusletto.:)
 
:thumbup: get one. Theyre great for whittling. Just be sure to take care of it. I killed one by leaving it in the backyard once :mad: .
 
The Opinels have a light finish on the outside, but the interior is left raw. If it gets very wet or damp the wood can swell, even to the point of making the knife difficult to open. Even so, there's a techinique that involves tapping the knife on the palm of your hand to get the blade started. It's not a problem here in New Mexico...

There are a couple of different treatments you can give the wood to lock out the moisture and prevent the swelling.

Another mod I recommend would be a lanyard hole and/or some bright orange paint.

-Bob
 
The Opinels have a light finish on the outside, but the interior is left raw. If it gets very wet or damp the wood can swell, even to the point of making the knife difficult to open. Even so, there's a techinique that involves tapping the knife on the palm of your hand to get the blade started. It's not a problem here in New Mexico...
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I live in Connecticut, about 90 miles NE (just south of Hartford) of you RescueRiley. In the winter, the blade is easy as sin to open- I can flip open a stock #6 (developed the skill one evening, had way too much time on my hands:rolleyes: ). However Summer is another matter, Without even getting it wet, just the humidity in the air swelled the handle enough to make the blade difficult to open and the ring lock basically impossible to operate.

Great knives. I own 2 and might be getting a couple more (pending eBay auctions). Once I get more, I'll try my hand at some customizing.
 
For that price you can't go wrong.

I tried modding mine last week and I really loved it. I should take pics...
 
The 8 and 10 are my favorite sizes. The 10 offers more blade length for batoning with an Opinel or certain food tasks like dividing up an apple, while the 8 rides in the pocket better and is a little more comfortable.

I'd recommend picking one up. The carbon steel is easy to get to a very fine edge, and they're among the few knives that use a blade that's not overly thick. The thin blade excels at whittling even more so than a SAK or Mora IMO, and those two knives are among the best for that task so that's saying a lot. For a day hike in the warmer seasons there are few knives I'd rather have with me.
 
I'm trying to sort out this 'backup piece' thinking ( and I do it myself.) My dedicated 'survival knife' is a Fallkniven F1. I have various Moras scattered all over my kits as 'backups.' I've done just about everything with the moras I do with my F1:confused: Another 'advantage' with Opinels is appearance. People with cutleraphobia see anything black and panic- But pearwood:yawn: ?
 
People with cutleraphobia see anything black and panic- But pearwood ?
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They are the ultilmate in non-mall-ninja knives. :) About as far from Dark Ops as you can get. That's always a Plus.

People might think you're a hippie backpacking Frenchman though. :D

The thin blade excels at whittling even more so than a SAK
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I don't find SAKs very good for whittling. The main blade is usually along one side instead of being centered in the middle of the knife. And the handles aren't comfortable for extended use and have too little "grippiness".

-Bob
 
I just sent away to ragweed forg bought an opinel 7 and yet another stainless mora clipper (currently my fav knife)
 
Bob W said:
I don't find SAKs very good for whittling. The main blade is usually along one side instead of being centered in the middle of the knife. And the handles aren't comfortable for extended use and have too little "grippiness".

-Bob
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personal preferance :grumpy: I like saks for whittling.

I've gotta get a new opinel and maybe a mora. I dont own any moras and now I need to know what all the fuss is about. :)
 
Bob W said:
I don't find SAKs very good for whittling. The main blade is usually along one side instead of being centered in the middle of the knife. And the handles aren't comfortable for extended use and have too little "grippiness".

-Bob
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On my Alox Farmer, the blade is positioned on the right which makes it more comfortable for me than if it were in the middle. My thumb goes there naturally. I've always found their handles comfortable and never had issues with my hand slipping on either cellidor or alox. Just my experience with them though. Regardless, the thin, full flat ground blade excels at the type of cutting whittling is, especially once you thin out the edge.
 
I agree that the thin, flat, spear-tip blades on the SAKs make excellent cutters and even better slicers. I own several myself, both Victorinox and Wenger. I just find the lack of ergonomic design make them less comfortable for long-term repetative use, like whittling.

I know that some of the SAKs have a more shapely handle, like the Rucksack, but I haven't used any of those.

As far as the grip texture, my hands sweat a lot. The smooth red plastic does get slippery, especially when wet. The SwissBuck models had a good thing going, but I guess no one else agrees about that since they were discontinued...

I dont own any moras and now I need to know what all the fuss is about.
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You won't be sorry. I know the plastic handled models are very popular and inexpensive, but the wood handle models have full-length tangs and only cost a little more. Just something to keep in mind...

Best Wishes,
-Bob
 
I've carried and used Opinels on and off for about 25 years. I like them, and a sharp opy is a wonderfull cutter. But I got away from them because they are just too unrealiable in damp conditions. Even with all the things I tried, like spar varnish, sanding and linseed oil finishing, tung oil, the wood handle still swells when wet. The extra things I tried made it better, but still problematic.

I phased out my Opinels for the sodbuster type of knives. The yellow handle Case sodbusters in CV carbon steel cuts just as well, but is more durable construction. Same with the Eye-brand soddies.

Also the yellow handles are way harder to set down and forget, and are way more innocent looking. The only thing some people don't like is they don't lock, but having grown up with stockmen and barlow knives it does not bother me. Just learn to use the knife right.
 
As I've said elsewhere, I think both Moras and Opinels are wonderful bargains and excellent knives for very fair prices. I noticed here that someone mentioned buying Opinels from www.edcdepot.com and I just checked out their website. You'll save yourself several bucks per knife if you buy your Opinels from www.smokymountainknifeworks.com or call SMKW at 1-800-251-9306. I noticed that Opinel Garden Knife I discovered recently and bought from SMKW costs nearly twice as much from EDC Depot, where they also sell the sturdy French Douk-Douks for several dollars more per knife than they can be bought for from a couple of other places. EDC Depot is probably owned and staffed by perfectly nice folks, but I have to get as much mileage out of my money as I can.

Note: Garrett Wade Tools and Lee Valley Tools are just about even on their Douk-Douk prices. Get the original size, not the small one. For whatever reason (obscurity?) Douk-Douks are not widely sold in the US apparently.

Two little Opinel stories:

(1) A friend of mine gave me my first Opinel, one of his flea market finds. It was a standard #7 that looked like it had been used for years by a field hand on a Georgia farm. It was packed full of clay dust, but still perfectly functional. I scrubbed it under running water with an old toothbrush, let it dry for a week or so, then gave the handle two coats of gunstock finish (Birchwood Casey brand from Wal-Mart) which did a great job on it. I didn't sand it or try to make it look new. I just wanted to preserve it and continue to use it. I sharpened the blade, then oiled it, the blade joint, and the locking ring. It works just fine now!

(2) A couple of years ago I sent a medium-large (a #9 or #10?) carbon steel Opinel to a man who is a serious beaver trapper so I could get his real world opinion of it. He said that in skinning beaver he had to stop to resharpen it more than he would have with some more expensive (and presumably harder) knives. Personally, I'll take a softer blade, though. I'm not going to be skinning beaver, buffalo, or bear this week. :D
 
you can fix the swelling problem , or reduce it a heap anyway

they come apart easily enough , spread the lock ring , slip it off , slide out the pin the blade hinges on , the blade falls out and the metal bit that the lock ring spins on also slips off , leaving a bare wood handle .

You can sand the wood where the blade swivels to make it open more freely , you an paint the inside of the groove with clear paint , nail polish etc to seal it from moisture and slow / prevent totaly the swelling probs .

its not hard to do , just dont be over enthusatic spreading the lock ring .

Opinels are great knives , cheap , easy to sharpen and keep that way , and they cut VERY well .
 
Top value and a timeless simplicity!

Excellent general use and even good for food preparation. The CS is excellent for sharpness but the SS more useful with foods.

You won't be disappointed it's a classic knife that has stood the test of time and with good reason-they work and handle well. Bit like Spyderco in modern times:thumbup:
 
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