Opinels and Saks,my most useful knives....

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lonestar1979

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Mar 2, 2014
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Whenever I start using any new knives,I go back to saks on my keychain or one of 5opinels of different sizes that i have.They simply are sharpest,have best blade geometry ,are strong enough and easy to maintain with basic tools and also am not afraid to use them because of low cost.Opinels are little stiff when wet but I got used to it,cut better than anything else and i can literally shave with it easily.12c27 mod that they use is awesome simple steel that holds edge well and doesnt rust,better than their carbon.victorinox steel is little softer but sharpens easily to razor edge and holds it enough for edc use.Share your input regarding your experiences.Will be selling and goving away most of my knives i hoarded over years looking for something better and following tactical hype.
 
You cant beat Opinels for value, they get scary sharp!

Obligatory pic

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lonestar1979 said:
Whenever I start using any new knives,I go back to saks on my keychain or one of 5opinels of different sizes that i have.They simply are sharpest,have best blade geometry ,are strong enough and easy to maintain with basic tools and also am not afraid to use them because of low cost.Opinels are little stiff when wet but I got used to it,cut better than anything else and i can literally shave with it easily.12c27 mod that they use is awesome simple steel that holds edge well and doesnt rust,better than their carbon.victorinox steel is little softer but sharpens easily to razor edge and holds it enough for edc use.Share your input regarding your experiences.Will be selling and goving away most of my knives i hoarded over years looking for something better and following tactical hype.
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Two useful knives indeed. I'm sorry but I don't understand your last sentence. Are you getting rid of most of your traditionals and going toward tactical?
 
Absolutely! I'm with you 100%! No matter what other knives I try, I always go back to Opinels and and SAKs for certain tasks. Two Opinels always sit in my lunchbox...an 8 and a 9. A Vic Classic is always in my watch pocket...even though I even lay out a Peanut and a stockman to try, the Classic always jumps in. The only other knife I'm that consistent with is a Becker BK14. Realistically, if I got rid of all the knives I didn't need, the only ones I'd keep are sentimentals, SAKs, Opinels, and Beckers...
 
Lonestar, I cannot quarrel with your proposition. I have used SAKS and Opinels all my adult life. Until four or five years ago, I could not call myself any kind of knife enthusiast. Since then, I have carried a lot of knives: a few moderns, and then quite a few traditionals. For a while, the knives rotated, but over the last year or so, the rotation has stabilized. Most days, my pocket will contain an Opinel, a SAK, and a Biltong.

Any one of those would take care of my knife needs for a day, but I can easily carry three, so I do. I have had some other passing enthusiams, but I keep coming back to these three. If I could only keep one, it would ba an SAK and an Opinel. (Strictly speaking, I am not allowed to carry any knives at work, so I carry three. I’m not too good at following rules, except inside the courthouse. Thirty years in the practice of law taught me to spin the rules in useful ways, but there are some rules you don’t mess with.)
 
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Funny, I’ve never used an Opinel but have plenty of SAK’s and others that I never use anymore.

Custom slipjoints all the way for me.
 
Henry Beige said:
Lonestar, I cannot quarrel with your proposition. I have used SAKS and Opinels all my adult life. Until four or five years ago, I could not call myself any kind of knife enthusiast. Since then, I have carried a lot of knives: a few moderns, and then quite a few traditionals. For a while, the knives rotated, but over the last year or so, the rotation has stabilized. Most days, my pocket will contain an Opinel, a SAK, and a Biltong.

Any one of those would take care of my knife needs for a day, but I can easily carry three, so I do. I have had some other passing enthusiams, but I keep coming back to these three. If I could only keep one, it would ba an SAK and an Opinel. (Strictly speaking, I am not allowed to carry any knives at work, so I carry three. I’m not too good at following rules, except inside the courthouse. Thirty years in the practice of law taught me to spin the rules in useful ways, but there are some rules you don’t mess with.)
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I once accidentally carried a Buck folding hunter into a federal courthouse. Had taken my briefcase with me camping and forgot about the knife. Just thankful it wasn't one of my guns!
Always triple-checked my briefcase after that.
 
Before I really got into knives, I only had one "nice" Griptilian I used for everything, but I hated how it looked clipped to khakis, so I picked up an Opinel #6 at a surplus store. It was in one of those fish-bowl displays on the counter. I didn't even realize it was carbon steel (or what carbon steel was) until it rusted after being through the wash and my friend told me about how to properly care for it. That little Opinel #6 was my EDC for like 3 years, and I never had a single issue with it or wanted anything bigger or better for my suburban/office life. It just worked, and worked well for about $10.

Same goes for SAKs. I recently put a Classic on my keychain and picked up an Alox Electrician earlier this year. Although I carry a GEC every day (mostly for style and nostalgia), for all those BBQs, playdates and misc get togethers where a cooler of beer is present for the parents, the SAK bottle opener is a life saver, and the tweezers have pulled out a lot of splinters in my kids when we're out in the woods. The stainless on the Electrician is perfect when you have to cut strawberries and spread peanut butter but can't clean and oil the knife and joints until you get home. It really is the perfect "dad knife."
 
These two are a constant, no matter what else I am carrying:
A SAK Huntsman, or occasionally a 4 blade Scout/Camp knife on a 34 inch SAK lanyard.
A SAK Signature is always on my keyring.
I have a SAK Bundeswehr in the bike/trike's tool bag, as well.

I have an Opinel No. 8 with Carbone blade (with what I think is a nice patina) but it does not see much pocket time.
I'm not sure why I don't carry it more often.
Then again, I'm not sure why I don't carry most of my knives more often. I seem to be stuck on four Buck knives plus the two SAK's.
 
I love 12c27, and an Opi is just a decent blade made of it in a simple handle for cheap. I don't actually carry Opinels as much as some other knives but the #8 I have sitting on my desk gets the most use of any of my knives.
 
The other day I went off in the woods and I wanted to cut some sticks to use in the garden. Got a load of knives I could have taken with me....:D or secateurs, but I opted without hesitation for an Opinel No.7 stainless. It's easy to get really sharp and it stays good for a long session,the main thing is COMFORT and SAFETY, thick rounded wooden handle ensures comfortable grip always and the lock is a piece of simple genius for a working knife. Then it is light in the pocket, has no liners or spring or pivot to get fouled up. Just a very satisfying user and always dependable.

Is there a better food knife on a picnic or hike? Don't think so....

Vive l'Opinel!
 
ddavis said:
Before I really got into knives, I only had one "nice" Griptilian I used for everything, but I hated how it looked clipped to khakis, so I picked up an Opinel #6 at a surplus store. It was in one of those fish-bowl displays on the counter. I didn't even realize it was carbon steel (or what carbon steel was) until it rusted after being through the wash and my friend told me about how to properly care for it. That little Opinel #6 was my EDC for like 3 years, and I never had a single issue with it or wanted anything bigger or better for my suburban/office life. It just worked, and worked well for about $10.

Same goes for SAKs. I recently put a Classic on my keychain and picked up an Alox Electrician earlier this year. Although I carry a GEC every day (mostly for style and nostalgia), for all those BBQs, playdates and misc get togethers where a cooler of beer is present for the parents, the SAK bottle opener is a life saver, and the tweezers have pulled out a lot of splinters in my kids when we're out in the woods. The stainless on the Electrician is perfect when you have to cut strawberries and spread peanut butter but can't clean and oil the knife and joints until you get home. It really is the perfect "dad knife."
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As a dad and Granddad, I can testify that a SAK has no equal as a 'kid maintenance' pocket knife. Between the scissors, tweezers, little screw driver for all those toys that you need to access a little battery compartment, a SAK is the designated granddad knife. :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

My youngest granddaughter now comes to me when she needs something done and asks for my 'little red knife.'
 
Op #6 stainless has been in my pocket, light, stays sharp and quick access. I seem to go back to it because it is so light. I usually switch it out with Alox Pioneer. Been wanting to try out my #8 garden knife when I go camping, the spear point is why I got it instead of the clip point, since I had a clip in the #6 already. The only reason I am not carrying the #6 now at work is because a Manly orange Wasp in the Sandvik steel has been fun to use, but in the morning when I load up my pockets, I debate between the two (think Jeopardy theme playing).
 
I have many benchmades and spydercos but never use them and they do not perform any better than saks and opinels.Actually opinels and saks cut way better,and also the tools on saks are very useful.
 
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Alox models are excellent,along with large opinels that are great for camping and any cooking task.12c27 mod is my favorite steel as is literally straight razor and how easy is to get it to that sharpness.I love cold steel knives and have few but never use them,along with many benchmades and spydercos.I am not military contractor or police officer therefore have no need for such blades,otherwise id carry fixed blade by cold steel probably.btw i use couple mora knives often too,for everything yard work to working on cars and some woodworking and beat the hell out of them.they are reground to high full convex grind and cut very well :)
 
Opinel garden knife is amazing steak-paring knife,have cut myself many times with it,forgot how sharp is it,nice grind and cuts like lazer.Grinds on opinels are the best ive seen on knives period for pure cutting besudes some customs.never had one break doing normal cutting and i hate thick blades that are sharpened prybars.I do not see myself spending more than 20$on a knife in near future,will be saving for a custom maybe but have no need for anything better than saks and opinels.
 
A Victorinox Classic was my first knife. I saved and saved and it was the one I could afford. I remember it fitting my hand a lot better back then. I would whittle and take things apart and make forts with it. I remember my dad had one on his key chain and a large sak in his sock drawer. I used to love going in and sneaking a peak at the well worn knife.

I did not come into Opinels until much later. They cut extremely well. I keep a #10 and a #7 around but they don't get much use.

For some reason, the sak remained in my knife box for a long time. The Leatherman fit my needs better as a multi tool and I preferred other knives. I realized the sak's true capability when I took it travelling. The leatherman is much too heavy but I still wanted a multi tool. All of the chances for it to be lost or taken from me out on the open road made me leave my favourite knives at home. I always figured the steel was too soft for any "real" long term use. An unfortunate forum intoduced "defect". But living out of a van with my wife in Central America for a couple weeks changed my mind. A Pioneer and a machete from the local ferretaria were my cutting tools. I nicked the blade a couple times cutting a steak or dropping it on. Rock but a quick steeling brought the edge back. The knife was exposed to salt water, humidity, fruit juice and sweat which would have done in my favourite traditionals in carbon steel. It was packed with sand and rinsed off under the tap after a day at the beach. I didn't require resharpening the whole time. Hey maybe the steel does not of the hardness and wear resistance of a new super alloy but if I only need to sharpen my knife every couple of weeks and it sharpens easily on nearly any abrasive surface, what is good enough for thousands of tradesmen, travellers, wilderness adventurers and soldiers is good enough for me. Long live the SAK.
 
Opinels and especially SAKs are definetly my favorites.
They are simple, practical and very reliable. You just take it and use it. No nailbreakers, no quality issues. Sak was one of my first fine knives. I used it during my study and army service.
Then I became interested in knives more and more. I had various moderns, customs, fine traditionals.
And these days I just want to have something useful and beautiful. And this is answer. My Compact is always in my pocket.
 
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