Opinels: What purpose do they serve?

steve-in-kville

steve-in-kville

Joined
Dec 25, 2001
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Just ordered two (slim N10 & VRN6) just to see what the fuss is about. Appear to be nifty knives. The slim may become my "Sunday" knife, provided it is what it appears to be on the interwebs!

So what do you use your Opinels for?
 
Overall great working knives. I have one always on me as a backup if I want a locking mechanism that can do some truly hard cutting.
My no.7 in carbon can zip through cardboard, plastic, etc after I thinned out the convex just a touch on my waterstones.
Excellent in the kitchen, just be careful of the wood swelling and great for garden work as well/whittling wood and carving.

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They're great for being cheap and hard working. They're easier to sharpen and get screaming sharp.
You can mitigate the wood swelling by impregnating the wood with vaseline or mineral oil.
They're also nice and light and they just feel unpretentious and real.
 
Neko2 said:
They're great for being cheap and hard working. They're easier to sharpen and get screaming sharp.
You can mitigate the wood swelling by impregnating the wood with vaseline or mineral oil.
They're also nice and light and they just feel unpretentious and real.
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100 % agreed. And they can be easily modded to your own likings.

IMO they are totally underrated working horses that really belong in every knife collection. What purpose you ask? Every Single One You Can Imagine. They are good for everything - except maybe tacticool things; but who needs that :rolleyes:

I own several of them and have them in some places from the car(s) to the workshop, the office and sometimes in my pocket as my only EDC knife.
 
I keep one in my lunch pail for cutting fruit, carry one in my pocket occasionally, trading off with an SAK, very sheeple friendly. I also like wood grain and such so I find them pretty as well. But they will work hard, a great lock, and just simply are a great value.
 
IIRC there was a thread here in Trad Section if anybody almost broke off the tip of an Opinel blade - the answer was no (I suppose it was like this). But the steel that is used (C75) is a rather tough stuff. And their stainless blade steel is not bad either.
 
I must admit that I don't really understand general questions like "Opinels: What purpose do they serve?". Yet general questions seem to be popular on the internet and usually get the most replies. Perhaps that's why they are so common. But I don't really know how to respond correctly. They're pocket knives (well... the giant No 13 won't fit in most pockets though) and will perform most of the functions that one requires of a pocket knife. I enjoy using Opinels and have a dozen or so. Great knives. Timeless design. Great value.

Here are a few of mine...

supratentorial said:








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steve-in-kville said:
The slim may become my "Sunday" knife
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My No. 9 Carbone went to church today. It is the sharpest knife that I own. Its a little big in the pocket, but it makes you slow down and enjoy the process of retrieving it, opening it and using it.
 
I picked mine up for two main reasons; it locks and it is light. For hiking it is a great seconardy, or even a primary, to have on you. That, and it is cheap enough to lose with no worries. Plus, it is just a classic.

 
They've been in production for a very long time thus upholding the tradition of simplicity and authenticity, key values for a Traditional knife:thumbup: High octane cool in otherwords:D:cool:

They serve another purpose too: you want more than just one!
 
KBA said:
I picked mine up for two main reasons; it locks and it is light. For hiking it is a great seconardy, or even a primary, to have on you. That, and it is cheap enough to lose with no worries. Plus, it is just a classic.
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I was introduced to Opinels back in the 1970s by my friends who were backpackers. These were (and continue to be) folks who took every bit of their camp equipment to the scales and evaluated it on the basis of functionality versus weight. Everything had to justify being carried up and down mountains and across the wilderness. The Opinels and SAKs were the two knives that stood out as worthy of finding a place in ones backpack.

As pointed out by others the Opinels are tough, light, and hold a razor sharp edge. Their beauty is not really apparent till one spends time with them.
 
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