Please help.

Just get one of these bad boys, and you won't need that tool belt!

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I showed my mom some opinels on the internet, and she said they're really pretty. We need better kitchen/steak knives, so she said she wants a set. She's been talking about how much our steak knives suck and how dull they are. I didn't get her anything for her b-day last year. Based on that, how do you think she would like a collector's set of opinels and a sharpmaker for her birthday (which is coming up)? She isn't very good at sharpening, and a sharpmaker seems as easy as you can get. Thoughts?
 
I owned both but I prefer my lansky system
the sharpmaker would be easier and faster to use day to day.
especially if your family will be using it.
 
Didn't she already get a Benchmade? I would think that's a pretty good present.
 
Rappy said:
I owned both but I prefer my lansky system
the sharpmaker would be easier and faster to use day to day.
especially if your family will be using it.
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OK. I have been saving up for her birthday. I think I'll talk to my dad first though. Don't want to get in trouble for being more knives. [emoji14]
 
Oh whoops, it was a Spyderco Tenacious!
 
Schakalicious said:
I showed my mom some opinels on the internet, and she said they're really pretty. We need better kitchen/steak knives, so she said she wants a set. She's been talking about how much our steak knives suck and how dull they are. I didn't get her anything for her b-day last year. Based on that, how do you think she would like a collector's set of opinels and a sharpmaker for her birthday (which is coming up)? She isn't very good at sharpening, and a sharpmaker seems as easy as you can get. Thoughts?
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Opinels are great. Not as steak knives. They can be a challenge to clean. Wet wood handles swell. Definitely cannot go in the dishwasher. Pick her up a set of Victorinox/Fibrox steak knives. Thet are excellent and easily cleanable. AND...they are made by Victorinox. Who makes that Vic Super Tinker you are trying to get her to let you buy.

Sharpmaker is excellent and idiot/marcinek-proof.
 
marcinek said:
Opinels are great. Not as steak knives. They can be a challenge to clean. Wet wood handles swell. Definitely cannot go in the dishwasher. Pick her up a set of Victorinox/Fibrox steak knives. Thet are excellent and easily cleanable. AND...they are made by Victorinox. Who makes that Vic Super Tinker you are trying to get her to let you buy.

Sharpmaker is excellent and idiot/marcinek-proof.
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Alright thanks, I'll look into a set of those. And I'll definitely get the sharpmaker
 
Okay, so my mom is pretty much set on the opinels. She says her grandfather had one, and they remind her of him. In that case, should I get carbon or stainless steel? And does it matter what wood I get for the handle? Thanks.
 
The Sharpmaker isn't quite as fool proof as everyone says. There is still a learning curve, along with the ability to keep blade perfectly vertical while in motion. Even a very slight angle movement or wrist twist will affect results.

Don't get me wrong that it's not good. I have a couple of them and keep them out for quick touch ups. But by the time you purchase the SM, then add the diamond and Ultra Fine rods, you are approaching the cost of a KME system. With the KME, the blade is clamped into the unit and the angle fixed before you start, so it really is about as fool proof as any system I've used. Just something to check out.
 
bflying said:
The Sharpmaker isn't quite as fool proof as everyone says. There is still a learning curve, along with the ability to keep blade perfectly vertical while in motion. Even a very slight angle movement or wrist twist will affect results.

Don't get me wrong that it's not good. I have a couple of them and keep them out for quick touch ups. But by the time you purchase the SM, then add the diamond and Ultra Fine rods, you are approaching the cost of a KME system. With the KME, the blade is clamped into the unit and the angle fixed before you start, so it really is about as fool proof as any system I've used. Just something to check out.
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OK, thanks. I'll look into one of those.
 
marcinek said:
Opinels are great. Not as steak knives. They can be a challenge to clean. Wet wood handles swell. Definitely cannot go in the dishwasher. Pick her up a set of Victorinox/Fibrox steak knives. Thet are excellent and easily cleanable. AND...they are made by Victorinox. Who makes that Vic Super Tinker you are trying to get her to let you buy.

Sharpmaker is excellent and idiot/marcinek-proof.
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Opinels are excellent knives. However, the folding ones are better suited for EDC/camping/"Picnic" knives (especially the larger ones), rather than dedicated kitchen knives. You just don't want to use a folder in the kitchen with any regularity, they're harder to clean (don't want old steak juice to stay in the handle/pivot area and start to grow anything funky, plus when they get wet the blades stick open/closed). If she's set on one though, for her I'd go with stainless, probably a #7/8/9. I personally prefer the carbon (like the patina it develops as I cut my daily apple with it), but they are both quite good.

And if she is set on an Opinel, get her one of the folding ones, and maybe the 112 (their paring knife, essentially a non-folding version of their folding knives), and you can get a set of two of them for ~$15-20. They also appear to make a set of pseudo-steak knives (non-serrated, kind of a mix between a paring knife and a steak knife) that sells for ~$55 for four knives. Victorinox also makes great budget kitchen knives (their paring knives run ~$7-10 IIRC). I got my wife to appreciate good knives by buying her a Victorinox santoku, and some Opinel 112's (and now, many other things :)) and keeping them sharp for her. She gets it now :).

Just be aware that most steak knives are serrated, and serrated knives are usually harder for beginners to sharpen. The above paring knives though are all straight edged, so should be fairly straightforward for sharpening. Also, don't be afraid to use other cheap/lame kitchen knives to learn how to freehand sharpen. It takes some practice, but you can get good edges that way (and is a nice skill to have).

Anyway, good luck with everything :D.
 
I'd go with the stainless. You'd have to oil the carbon versions and since she doesn't seem like a knife person as well as the fact that she'll be using them as food prep blades I think stainless would be the way to go.
 
ocnLogan said:
Opinels are excellent knives. However, the folding ones are better suited for EDC/camping/"Picnic" knives (especially the larger ones), rather than dedicated kitchen knives. You just don't want to use a folder in the kitchen with any regularity, they're harder to clean (don't want old steak juice to stay in the handle/pivot area and start to grow anything funky, plus when they get wet the blades stick open/closed). If she's set on one though, for her I'd go with stainless, probably a #7/8/9. I personally prefer the carbon (like the patina it develops as I cut my daily apple with it), but they are both quite good.

And if she is set on an Opinel, get her one of the folding ones, and maybe the 112 (their paring knife, essentially a non-folding version of their folding knives), and you can get a set of two of them for ~$15-20. They also appear to make a set of pseudo-steak knives (non-serrated, kind of a mix between a paring knife and a steak knife) that sells for ~$55 for four knives. Victorinox also makes great budget kitchen knives (their paring knives run ~$7-10 IIRC). I got my wife to appreciate good knives by buying her a Victorinox santoku, and some Opinel 112's (and now, many other things :)) and keeping them sharp for her. She gets it now :).

Just be aware that most steak knives are serrated, and serrated knives are usually harder for beginners to sharpen. The above paring knives though are all straight edged, so should be fairly straightforward for sharpening. Also, don't be afraid to use other cheap/lame kitchen knives to learn how to freehand sharpen. It takes some practice, but you can get good edges that way (and is a nice skill to have).

Anyway, good luck with everything :D.
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Thanks. I think I'll get her a few stainless ones then. What do you guys think? Two of the fixed blade ones and two folding ones? She always has an apple at lunch and cuts it up with a plastic butter knife. Maybe she'll want to edc one? She hates knives, but I guess the opinels have a nostalgic effect on her. Hopefully she'll like them.
 
Schakalicious said:
Thanks. I think I'll get her a few stainless ones then. What do you guys think? Two of the fixed blade ones and two folding ones? She always has an apple at lunch and cuts it up with a plastic butter knife. Maybe she'll want to edc one? She hates knives, but I guess the opinels have a nostalgic effect on her. Hopefully she'll like them.
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Hey, use that nostalgia :).

So, I use an Opinel #6 carbon to cut up apples at work. I EDC something else, but keep the opinel in my bag just for apple cutting at the office (its not scary looking at all) because it is so good at it. So if she eats lots of apples, I'd recommend at least one folding one that she can keep in her bag for that purpose. The #6 to me is just barely a 4 finger knife (meaning, its just barely large enough for my hand). For your mom, it would probably be perfect. And yeah, stainless will be much less frustrating for her.

I guess in your position, I'd grab a #6 stainless, a set of the 112's (stainless), and MAYBE a #9/10 as a "folding kitchen knife" to take camping/picnicking/etc, depending on if thats something you think your mom would like. The larger sizes are pretty big for most people, but they're large enough to get to the bottom of jars of peanut butter, cut sandwiches, etc. Just not sure if your mother would need something like that.

Anyway, good luck with everything, as it looks like you're doing all the right things :).
 
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