Ordered an Opinel by Accident. :)

[FortyTwoBlades]

I hear those actually chop pretty well.

 

[BladeScout]

Opinels rock!

Great slicers. Simple and light weight. Many ways to customize them to your liking.

Aint that the truth!

Here a couple of my modded Opis:

One with mustard tiger stripe patina (Dijon of course!) and the other with vinegar patina.

 

[drail]

Blade Scout, those are VERY cool mods on your Opinel. They're like a small folding Santoku. Now I will have to mod one. Thanks. I discovered Opinel knives in 1975 when I took up backpacking and needed a light camp knife and have been a fan ever since. Opinel is one of the only examples of French engineering that I like.

 

[Humppa]

Opinel is always a great deal. One of the best knife designs out there. You won´t regret getting this knife, for sure. You modify it at your own taste.

For that price THE perfect deal...

 

[Omega Leather Works]

Those look awesome! Are they hard to open?

Anyone ever seen someone use one of the blades to make a fixed blade knife, or somehow configured into a modern scale grip, either lockback or something else entirely?

I'm sure it's been tried?

 

[Bob W]

Those look awesome! Are they hard to open?

They can be a bit stiff to open if the wood gets damp and swells - there's no liner in there.

Anyone ever seen someone use one of the blades to make a fixed blade knife, or somehow configured into a modern scale grip, either lockback or something else entirely?

I'm sure it's been tried?

They do make some fixed blades, a paring knife and kitchen knives. I'd love to take their carving knife, find a custom sheath for it, and use for a woods knife. I don't think they're full-tang though, and rather expensive compared to the folding knives. Old Hickory might be a better bet.
For non-wood handles, Opinel has a new series called the "Outdoor."

 

[BladeScout]

Blade Scout, those are VERY cool mods on your Opinel. They're like a small folding Santoku. Now I will have to mod one. Thanks. I discovered Opinel knives in 1975 when I took up backpacking and needed a light camp knife and have been a fan ever since. Opinel is one of the only examples of French engineering that I like.

Thank you very much.
I made them, as I wanted some effective box cutters and they certainly perform fine. They will absolutely shred a cardboard box in no time flat.
I like the Santoku analogy, as that blade shape is a favorite design of mine. Opinel makes a fine fixed Santoku BTW.
Here are some of my Opis in an earlier incarnation;

Those look awesome! Are they hard to open?

Thanks.
Mine are not hard to open, but as others have mentioned, some Opinels can become hard to open, when/if the wood swells.

I've since given my Opis plenty of wood oil and they havent warped (yet).

 

[BladeScout]

Opinel is always a great deal. One of the best knife designs out there. You won´t regret getting this knife, for sure. You modify it at your own taste.

For that price THE perfect deal...

They sure are.
I bought several others than the two repeated in my posts above.
Ive only bought the carbon steel version, as I like that steel and think it suits the rugged old design of the Opinels.
They get very sharp too.
Opinels are so cheap, that even if you mess up one knife, you wont regret it, as they are so cheap.
I prefer to work on the number 12 and cut them down to size with a Dremel.
I also put the nail nick in one of them with the Dremel at an angle - very easy to do and if I can do it, anybody can do it.
When cutting the blade, just take care not to damage the temper.
When sanding the wooden handle, one also has to take care not to take off too much on the back/spine part of the handle, as you risk sanding off too much material and go through the wood when shaping it.

 

[Omega Leather Works]

Thank you very much.
I made them, as I wanted some effective box cutters and they certainly perform fine. They will absolutely shred a cardboard box in no time flat.
I like the Santoku analogy, as that blade shape is a favorite design of mine. Opinel makes a fine fixed Santoku BTW.
Here are some of my Opis in an earlier incarnation;

Thanks.
Mine are not hard to open, but as others have mentioned, some Opinels can become hard to open, when/if the wood swells.

I've since given my Opis plenty of wood oil and they havent warped (yet).

How exactly did you get that patina? I'm refering to the lighter striped one. They almost look like flames. Very cool!

 

[BladeScout]

How exactly did you get that patina? I'm refering to the lighter striped one. They almost look like flames. Very cool!

Thx.
I went for the tiger stripe look using mustard. You have to use Dijon of course!