Opinels vs Sodbusters

Rsmith_77

Rsmith_77

Joined
Jun 4, 2010
Messages
4,186
I know i've seen a thread or two about which do you prefer and why over the last year or two. But I finally feel qualified to chime in on the subject.
but the more i been playing with them, the more I realize the opinel is (i know i need to preface this with a "FOR ME) everything the sodbuster is and more.

slimmer, lighter, at least for me, better wood cutter, better slicer AND comes with a lock
other than the fact the opinel is rather bland straight out of the box, why DO the sodbuster fans prefer the soddie over the opinel?

i dont know, i just have that silly song in my head, with an opinel singing in a bad french accent "Anything you can do, i can do better"

maybe i just geeking out on just how...efficient the opinel is...might have to get me a 2nd one, with an oak handle :p

oh and before I forget, let me thank Fausto for sending me my first opinel and turning me on to them, took a little while for me to really give it a chance, but i am glad i did

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vs

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I just received my first Opinel in the mail earlier this week and it is causing me to rethink everything about my knives. Both my pocket knives and kitchen knives are stainless steel but after spending just a few minutes with the sharpener, there isn't a knife here that is even close to being as sharp as this high carbon Opinel.
 
yep. ive been toting my opinel every day since i got it months ago. and its not because i dont have any other knives. lol
got a sodbuster recently though so ill maybe have a chance to try it out.
 
If I were to rank my top 3 'best slicers', as they are now, my list would look like this:

1. My Schrade (USA) 8OT stockman (clip blade, specifically)
2. My 2137 SS Case Sod Buster Jr.
3. My No. 08 Opinels (either of my stainless or 'carbone' versions)

Part of the reason my list looks as it does, is because I've spent a relentless amount of time & effort fine-tuning the edges on the first two, as compared to the Opinels (which also have had a lot of tweaking, but not as much). I think I've been lucky in finding a great combination of edge thinness, edge finish and angle on the soddie, and it has become my favorite 'true' slicer. I use it for apples, tomatos, pickles and other fruits & veggies when fixing my meals. The 8OT's 1095 steel is amazing, and I don't own a knife with a finer edge than what currently exists on it's clip blade.

The Opi's are also great slicers, but I've noticed an apple really likes to cling to the blade when cutting it, which can make the blade somewhat bind up. It's an odd quirk in what is otherwise a great-slicing blade. Apples also seem to mess with a full flat grind blade in a similar manner. The slightly hollow grind of the soddie seems to release that almost vacuum-like 'cling' of the apple against the blade, so it doesn't bind in the same way (I have a small Bucklite folder with a very similar hollow grind, and it behaves very much like the soddie with apples). I've also managed to poke my hand with the pointier tip on the Opinel, when using it to cut an apple. A smaller version of the same knife would likely mitigate that minor issue.

Having said all that, I like BOTH the soddies and the Opi's, perhaps for somewhat different reasons. :)


David
 
Bought one of the Opienal #8 in the raw. Shaped it, stained the wood handle etc. What a knife for such a little amount of cash. Great slicer, good lock up and light to carry. Easy to sharpen.Like the convex blade.
 
Obsessed with Edges said:
I've also managed to poke my hand with the pointier tip on the Opinel, when using it to cut an apple. A smaller version of the same knife would likely mitigate that minor issue.

Having said all that, I like BOTH the soddies and the Opi's, perhaps for somewhat different reasons. :)


David
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thats ironic, i LOVE that my opi has a usable point unlike the soddie
what can i say, different strokes for different folks i guess :p
 
I've been carrying my No. 6 more often and like it better than my No. 8. I know the 8 is more popular, but the No. 6 just fits my pocket better.
I'm looking forward to watching my Scouts "stealing" a No. 6 at our annual Christmas party "sneaky Santa" (aka Yankee Swap) gift exchange next week. :D
 
Having had and carried samples of both, I've come from a former sodbuster carrier, to a Opinel fan. Part of it is my experimenting with Opinels as a friction folder, part of it is I love the do-it-yourself factor of the Opinel. Sanding and reshaping the handle, modding the blade to a spear or drop point. The very light weight of the Opinel helps too, as does the wide availability of the Opinel in different sizes from keychain to foot long jobs that actually make a decent folding machete.

Then there's the funky old world charm that I'm a sucker for. Things like the old VW bugs, Vespa motor scooters, Peterson and Savenelli pipes, have a draw for me. Not to mention that they slice and dice like mad. There's nothing quite like slicing with a nice sharp Opinel. The way it whispers through cardboard. Or anything else.

Carl.
 
They're great, great knives. I rarely carry mine, but I'm always glad when I do.
 
Opinel or Sodbuster, this is a tough call.

I like them both, my 4 3/4inch Carl Schlieper seems to carry easier in the pocket, but my Opinel No. 8 cuts better.

But then again I like all my knives.
 
Having used both I must say that I like the Opinel over the Sodbuster.
I just like the way you can modifiy the handle to fit your hand and pocket better.
Unlike with the Sodbusters which I find rather clunky in the pocket. Especially those Herder Solingen Sodbusters over here feel like a piece of heavy 2 by 4 in the pocket.
An then ther is the cost. For the price of a medium Herder(or Case) Sodbuster I can buy almost 4 Opinels 7 or 8. ;)
 
Ryan,
your thread immediately reminded me of the words in Elliott's signature line (used by permission of Jack Black):

"I think there's a lot wrapped up in the gesture of giving away something you love and appreciate in order to share that feeling with someone you respect enough to know they'll feel the same way."

I'm glad that casualty chose you when I gave away my Opinel, and I'm happy that you have come to appreciate it just as much as I do, so don't thank me at all.
As for the Opinel vs Sodbuster thing...if I had to choose just one, I would probably pick the Opinel as well. Not sure why...but I know I would.

Fausto
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As a still fresh Sodbuster (Bullnose) owner,I would chose Sodbuster over Opinel ;)
maybe because Sodies are still novelty for me and i already had my share of Opinels,
so as my friends,because i gave No.6 to everyone who at some point needed knife(that's why I'm now out of 6) :D

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but i also received Opinel as a gift :)

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No.4

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No10 carbon and No.8 inox(Oak wood handle) and carbon..
 
jackknife said:
Heck, with all these Opinel threads of late...I have to wonder if there is...dare I say it, an Opinel cult?:eek:

Carl.
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cue sinister theme music. lol

after using mine around the yard, i believe my wife just might get an opinel of her own for christmas. (mums the word. lol)

one great thing about the opinel as a working knife is that they will cut passably well even when they are dull.
 
I like Opinel's pointier tip and plethora of available sizes. Aesthetically, I prefer the sodbuster. My TLAR sodbuster has a modified clip blade which I like much better than the blade shape of the Case sodbuster. All in all, both knives are very good users and Opinels are serious knives for just a bit of money, so if you're not rich, you can still have a good knife. Even a great knife.

Ed J
 
I can't comment on Sodbusters but as a long time fan of Buck lockbacks, I can comment on that comparison.

For me, the thing that seals the deal is the toughness of the Opinel.

It's not uncommon for me to be working on the property and reaching for a knife to, say, cut out a small junk maple growing up in a fence. Simply put, I treat my knives roughly. I've had several Bucks get loose at the joint from this sort of treatment. But then, I usually wreck slip joints too.

Not so with the Opinel. They don't loosen up.

When I stand in front of my bowl of knives in the morning and reach for a Buck, a voice in my head complains saying "You might need to use your knife hard today and you might wreck that nice Buck." So, I grab an Opinel.

Note, I'm a big Buck fan and this topic is being discussed in the Buck forum with Bucks involvement. IMO, a Buck should be as tough as an Opinel, but that sums it up. No need to say that an Opinel should be as tough as a Buck.

If there's a tougher folder than the Opinel, I want to know about it. The secret, I believe, is the pinned collar design combined with a flexible blade.
 
I choose a knife that feels the best in my hand. It took me too long to realize this. :D
I love A. G. Russell's Cowboy the best. A. G. just nailed this folder design.
Rolf
 
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