Opinions on Opinels

Pour a little mineral oil in a glass, stick the Opinel front end into it, and let it sit. The mineral oil will soak into the pivot area. This will keep it from taking up moisture and prevent rust around the pivot under the locking ring.
 
I just recieved my first Opinel in the mail today. Perfect timing on your thread. For the 9 or 10 bucks that it set me back I can't complain at all. It would be nice if it was a little sharper being as it is brand new but that'll give me a chance to hone my skills. My apologies for the bad pun. Maybe I'll post again after I work on the edge and use it some. DT
 
Has no one else found that the locking mechanism is useless when closed. The blade tends to open slighty on its own when in ones pocket. Ouch!
 
popcornpicker said:
Does anyone have pics of ones you have reworked or replaced the handles of? I went to the Toolshed archives, but can't find much. I bought a 10 piece "collection" in a wood box and am ready to put 3 of these corroded pieces of crap to the grinder. The pictures on ebay don't do these justice.
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Sanded the handles, sealed with some sort of urethane, it has been a great EDC.
 
I carry mine pretty much every day, and even in this ridiculous heat and humidity we're having, there has not been a swelling of the handle. There has also not been a time when the blade has accidentally opened in my pocket.

I have really enjoyed mine a lot and it sharpens up like a dream. Very handy blade to have around!
 
Like every other knife model, the Opinels suit some people, and don't match others' expectations. They're not bad knives, expecially for the price, but if you don't like them, I bet there's another knife out there you will. :)
 
Has no one else found that the locking mechanism is useless when closed. The blade tends to open slighty on its own when in ones pocket. Ouch!
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The newer Opinel models lock closed too.

I lived and worked outdoors in Arkansas for several years. Rain, sweat, humidity. Sure, the Opinel did get tight from time to time, but it wasn't a constant problem and it never swelled so much that it couldn't be opened at all.

Whether or not everyone else likes them, I'm glad to see that so many have given them a fair chance.

-Bob
 
This is a stainless blade, with grip reduced, re-shaped at the butt end and stained. The knife has been completely stripped down and epoxy sealed. I live in an extreme tropical environment and have no wood swelling problems. 30 to 60 minutes of effort involved - about 24 hours elapsed time wating for the epoxy to harden up. As Bob W said, the newer models lock closed so accidental opening is not an issue.

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It's good they fixed the opening when closed issue. It was becoming a bit of a pain. Maybe I can replace my band-aids for a newer model knife.
 
About the oldest knife I remember owning was a sak. The next oldest was an opinel. when I got old enough to actually use knives for tasks, the opinel became my defacto picnic, day hike knife while my SAK was the "multi-tool" on board. They are best when used for thier intended purpose- cutting open baguettes , cheese, salami and tomatos olives etc. you get the idea. They are poor levers, choppers and screwdrivers. The wood handle makes them accessible to everyone, ergonomic for most and easy to carry. SAKS weight much much more in comparison. It's hard to cut salami with your bare hands!
 
popcornpicker said:
I hear they have good steel, but something has to be done with those wood handles. I feel like I'm in the Pinewood Derby. Has anyone altered the grip concerning the locking mechanism?
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My opinion is that Opinels are just fine right out of the box. If you don't like them, don't buy one! It's not rocket science.
 
My thinking is that Dr. Mudd and Moodino have hit the nail on the proverbial head. I carry a Vic Tinker in the right hand pocket of my Key bib overalls and a Opinel carbon # 8 in the plier pocket. It's not big deal when the blade gets a little snug, just give the handle the "knack" like the instructions tell you to do and the blade pops out readily.....at least enough to get it out the rest of the way with the nail nick. I love the carbon steel that darkens with use and takes that wicked edge that the Opinels are famous for. When it dulls from prolonged use, a few swipes on a smooth steel and it's back to shaving sharp again with no abrasives required.

I have gutted three Nebraska whitetails with mine when I forgot and left the Morseth back on the seat of the pickup. It worked just fine. It's still the one I use quite a bit for the bung-hole cut and the initial ripping cuts down the legs and up to the throat in the hide. It's light and I'm used to having it in my hand all year long so it just feels the most natural when making these initial opening cuts. It'll usually still shave hair when I'm done with the job (much to the amazement of my hunting companions), I might add! I find that I use it quite a bit in the skinning and caping process, too. It's just the right size and the design is perfect for these jobs.

I'm 59 years old, an old deer hunter and an older Eagle Scout. I farm for a living so when a tool that has lasted a long as the Opinel design has on the world market, I listen. There's got to be a reason it has remained as popular an item it has over the years. In short, it is a tool that works the way it is supposed to at a fair price.
 
Esav Benyamin said:
Pour a little mineral oil in a glass, stick the Opinel front end into it, and let it sit. The mineral oil will soak into the pivot area. This will keep it from taking up moisture and prevent rust around the pivot under the locking ring.
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Yep, that works pretty well. I used cheap olive oil on mine. Leave the knife in the oil for a couple of days, wipe it off and let it dry for a few days.

Hans
 
Habeas Corpus said:
Yep, that works pretty well. I used cheap olive oil on mine. Leave the knife in the oil for a couple of days, wipe it off and let it dry for a few days.

Hans
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I will try the mineral oil trick.

I already used some to lube the pivot, so I will just dunk the whole thing and let it soak a while.
 
All it amounts to is to hold on to the locking ring end with the slotside down and then just strike the flaired knob on the handle end on a hard surface. The inertia of the blade will cause it to come down enough to grasp it and pull it out into position. The instructions call it the "knack".
 
Well, based upon the good reviews I have been reading here, I bought 3 Opinels. a No.9 Carbon, a No.8 SS Olive, and a No.8 SS Oak. So far, they are living up to my expectations. Without question, they are one of the best values out there. :thumbup:
 
I live in a dry climate but after all the discussion about how to waterproof an Opinel, I thought I'd try an experiment on my inox No. 8 and it seems to have worked out quite well.

I sanded the whole handle with fine sandpaper until I had a nice smooth texture. Then, I coated the handle in epoxy ($3 at Wal-mart -- the kind that comes in two different squirt syringes and is mixed together to activate). I let it set for about three hours and then I sanded the handle again. Now, the handle feels slightly textured (like micro-pebble grip rubber material on a hand tool) but not "plastic-y" and unless I hold up the knife to a strong light source, it's difficult to tell that the handle is not just plain wood.

I dunked the handle in water for about 10 minutes and no swelling or deforming of the handle was visible, although I'm sure some water soaked in to the blade groove in the handle (I didn't add any epoxy there).

I'm sure the mineral oil or linseed oil treatment others use is superior to my quick-and-dirty method, but if you don't want to buy a tub of oil and wait a couple of days for your Opinel to be usable, I think this shortcut epoxy method can get you pretty far.
 
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