Traditonal Folder EDC Crisis - Opinel, etc.

L

lviverito1

Joined
Mar 19, 2021
Messages
14
Hi all,

I've been a pretty casual knife enthusiast for a couple years now, but it's taken this most recent leg of quarantining for me to start a collection. I've found I prefer traditional European folders (friction folders, slipjoints, etc.) - I was a history and geography geek long before I got into this game, so the heritage of these designs (see Opinel, OTTER-Messer, Mora, MAM, Antonini, etc.) and my connection to them (through 23andMe) gets me really excited. I started with a stainless Opinel No. 12 this last summer, mostly for the novelty of it. However, the lines and quality on the Opinel were impossible to ignore, especially when considering its relative affordability (they appear to have gotten more expensive in the last couple years, oh the woes of this commercial age - but I digress). I bought a carbone No.8 and No.6 earlier in the week just to scratch the itch, and some leather belt sheaths so the No.8 can be an EDC. After dozens of hours of research, I can't seem to find a simple, heritage-steeped folder I like nearly as much to buy. I did find, though, that around 2016-17 there was a lot of discussion here regarding their new Virobloc, which clearly polarized their fan base - some went as far to disavow the company altogether. I got into the game far too late to buy any brand new pre-2016 Opinels, but, as someone with OCD tendencies, I'm something of a purist. This change, although I hasn't around to see it in real time, bothers me - but I don't know if it should. I've never really known anything different than the new lock, so it's not like I'm having to rewrite a decade of muscle memory; even so, the alteration of a tried and true design from 1955 justifiably grinds my gears. This leads me to the real question I came to ask:

In all the late 2017-18 threads I've seen on the Virobloc change, passions were always quite high. It seemed like you either didn't care enough for it to be a big deal, or it was it was such a big deal, you could no longer continue buying Opinel (save for the last minute attempts to buy the pre-2016 models in bulk). Now, nearly 5 years have passed since this incident, and nearly 3 years have passed since anyone commented on a thread regarding the change. After all this time, has anyone's opinion changed? Should I be bothered about something far beyond my control, something beyond my experience with the knives themselves? Production costs and Opinel's French pride likely will keep them from ever reverting the design, so there's not much hope in that department, but does it matter? I currently have several more carbones in my cart waiting for me to give myself permission to click "checkout", so any wisdom here would be greatly appreciated.

Apologies for the long winded post, I might care too much silly things - after two decades geeking out on sharp things, I likely won't be stopping anytime soon.
 
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I dont think it matters in my opinion. The new lock is just fine, and it locks it closed which I like. I wouldnt worry about it, just buy what you want. People are just resistant to change, that is why they put up a fuss over the new lock design.

By the way, if youre interested in history and all that, look at the traditional knives subforum, the "Porch". Its great, my favorite spot on Bladeforums.
 
Being a long time Opinel user, and an old curmudgeon that hates change, I was one of the very vocal opponents of the "new" lock. I hated it, and railed against it. It was some sort of blasphemy to change the design.:mad:

But... like said, I hate change and I am sometimes not entirely rational about it. If I had been born in another era, I most likely would have ranted against the self contained metallic cartridge, not trusting those shiny little brass things that slide into the rear of the cylinder instead of the powder and ball going in the front of the cylinder like we've always done it! Every idiot knows the only thing that goes on the rear of the cylinder are the percussion caps!:eek:

I started using Opinels in 1981 or 2ish. I was used to them. I don't believe in change. I used the same Buck 301 stockman for 25 years and didn't want to change. This was in my pre-knife nut days of course.

I was wrong.

Last year I bought a new number 6 for hot weather light weight shorts use. I grouse about the change, but after a while I got used to it. Sort of. I still would prefer the old ones, but they are not making them anymore, so I needed to quite my crying and just get on with it. They still cut like the dickens, and that is the most important thing in a knife. And that being an old fashioned kind of guy, I don't even use the locking ring 90% of the time anyways. I'm a friction folder fan, and my little Sardinian Resolza and Japanese Higonokami are the old simple friction folders and I love them. I work my Opinels the same way. In fact, I have a number 5 Opinel that does not even have a locking ring. So there.

I do take off the locking ring and snug up the action so it is a little stiff to pull open, but I feel a friction folder should be that way. It seems to work out well that way. No, I still hate that the ring has that nub that keeps it from rotating more. I still hate that the ring goes the 'wrong' way. But...that three letter word...its till an Opinel, and it still cuts like the dickens.

Sooooo... I'll just quit my belly aching and get on with it. :(
 
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In all reality its not a big deal, but to a knife nerd/snob, its a deal breaker to me. I have experienced a bad one (new design) and now I don't look to buy anymore since you will never know what you'll get when buying online. It now takes some pretty heavy modification to fix one with lock-up problems when before the change you simply turned the lock further. To me, that's a definite move backwards and the knife has lost its appeal.
 
Thank you guys for the quick replies! It's nice to know there's been at least some change of heart recently.
 
jackknife said:
Being a long time Opinel user, and an old curmudgeon that hates change, I was one of the very vocal opponents of the "new" lock. I hated it, and railed against it. It was some sort of blasphemy to change the design.:mad:

But... like said, I hate change and I am sometimes not entirely rational about it. If I had been born in another era, I most likely would have ranted against the self contained metallic cartridge, not trusting those shiny little brass things that slide into the rear of the cylinder instead of the powder and ball going in the front of the cylinder like we've always done it! Every idiot knows the only thing that goes on the rear of the cylinder are the percussion caps!:eek:

I started using Opinels in 1981 or 2ish. I was used to them. I don't believe in change. I used the same Buck 301 stockman for 25 years and didn't want to change. This was in my pre-knife nut days of course.

I was wrong.

Last year I bought a new number 6 for hot weather light weight shorts use. I grouse about the change, but after a while I got used to it. Sort of. I still would prefer the old ones, but they are not making them anymore, so I needed to quite my crying and just get on with it. They still cut like the dickens, and that is the most important thing in a knife. And that being an old fashioned kind of guy, I don't even use the locking ring 90% of the time anyways. I'm a friction folder fan, and my little Sardinian Resolza and Japanese Higonokami are the old simple friction folders and I love them. I work my opines the same way. In fact, I have a number 5 Opinel that does not even have a locking ring. So there.

I do take off the locking ring and snug up the action so it is a little stiff to pull open, but I feel a friction folder should be that way. It seems to work out well that way. No, I still hate that the ring has that nub that keeps it from rotating more. I still hate that the ring goes the 'wrong' way. But...that three letter word...its till an Opinel, and it still cuts like the dickens.

Sooooo... I'll just quit my belly aching and get on with it. :(
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Thanks for sharing with a newcomer like me, reading this perspective was a nice affirmation. Out of curiosity though, would you be able to recommend other simple folders of the European sort under $30 (this applies to anyone and everyone who may care to comment on this thread)? I've also been trying to find clean, classic traditionals from Italy under trusted brand names but have been having trouble nailing one down. My interest covers mainly Italian, Germanic, and French models.
 
lviverito1 said:
Thanks for sharing with a newcomer like me, reading this perspective was a nice affirmation. Out of curiosity though, would you be able to recommend other simple folders of the European sort under $30 (this applies to anyone and everyone who may care to comment on this thread)? I've also been trying to find clean, classic traditionals from Italy under trusted brand names but have been having trouble nailing one down. My interest covers mainly Italian, Germanic, and French models.
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From Spain you get the Taramundi, a simple friction folder. Portugal has MAM knives that are very similar to Opinel. And from France is the Douk-Douk, a really great knife that you have to try. Thin blade for outrageous Opinel like slicing, all metal construction and build like a bank vault. Very wicked slicers.

Real Sardinian Resolza's will set you back a good amount of money. They are mostly hand made by individual artisans in old fashioned one or two man shops. They are individual works of art.

You need to come over to the traditional knives sub forum for the info on traditional European knives. Theres a whole continuing thread on traditional French cutlery.
 
The new lock was a solution looking for a problem imo. Nothing wrong with the old design that I could see. Now, there is a limit to how far the ring will turn. Sometimes after use and wear, the ring needs to go further. Before it could, but now, well maybe or maybe not. Does that makes sense? YMMV.

If you have some and they work for you, that’s all that really matters I suppose.
 
I like the Douk Douk mentioned above. It aint pretty, but all the ones I have owned have been solid. Check out Baryonyx Knives. He's a regular contributor here and carries a lot of the brands you would be looking for.
 
Check out Courty & Fils (http://www.couteaux-courty.com/) in Paris. They have a wide selection of traditional French folders as well as a whole lot of other good stuff. And if you're ever there, it's worth stopping in at their shop, just a few blocks up from the Louvre, toward the Opera.
 
Congratulations. You find yourself in what I think is one of the most interesting and accessible (read “affordable”) corners of the knife world.

Most Opinels seem to lock up ok with the new arrangement. If yours doesn’t, or if you want to be able to turn the virobloc counterclockwise to lock it (nearly 50 years of muscle memory nudge me in that direction), the modification is easy enough to do. It only takes a few minutes to grind off the nub and grind a locking ramp on thr other side of th slot on the lock ring. Give yourself half an hour if you have not done it before, longer if you need to assemble the tools. You can find the procedure written up in one or two of several threads here and on the Porch.

The Spanish maker Joker maks the closest imitator of the Opinel lock ring that I have come across. I just got the N.21 and N.23. Joker makes a whole lot of attractive knives, not all of them as inexpensive or Opinel-like as these two.

Filmam of Portugal (or MAM) is another maker you might take a look at. Light, simple friction folders, some with a linerless liner lock. The Svord peasant knife is another. Have fun, and welcome.
 
Blue Sky said:
The new lock was a solution looking for a problem imo. Nothing wrong with the old design that I could see. Now, there is a limit to how far the ring will turn. Sometimes after use and wear, the ring needs to go further. Before it could, but now, well maybe or maybe not. Does that makes sense? YMMV.

If you have some and they work for you, that’s all that really matters I suppose.
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It was indeed a solution looking for a problem. I smell a lawyer in the mix someplace. Heck, the whole locking ring was a lawyer thing in 1955. Before 1955, all Opinels were a simple friction folder, even the big ones.

Nuthin good ever happens with a lawyer present.
 
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Be careful when you start thinking about locking mechanics.

Be even more careful about the impulse to modify knives.

Because if you're not careful, you'll find yourself taking knives apart, to see how they go together. Then, you may notice that they seem pretty easy to modify. Without ever looking around to see what's happening, you'll find yourself in front of a milling machine, making customs of your own.
 
jackknife said:
Nuthin good ever happens with a lawyer present.
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Lawyer here, and I object. Sometimes we leave which can reasonably be considered a good thing.

I came to Opinel only a year before the new locking ring was rolled out, so my opinion may not carry much weight, but I hate it. Sure, it literally works as a lock but by only turning clockwise the new lock sits in a position that generates a hot spot quickly during prolonged use in my right hand (at least for the way I hold it). I still love Opinels so, as a square-headed old German, I decided to stop bellyaching and alter the knives to my needs. I bought a set of micro files just to do this:

suBrfNP.jpg

LNADtoF.jpg


This simple fix permits me to do this with all of my later model Opinels:

CL77FBi.jpg


The soft steel cuts fast so the whole modification process shouldn't take more than 40 minutes of filing by hand (including filing down the locking ring to let it spin counter clockwise). After that just squeeze the locking ring to tighten it a little and pop it back into place. Much better for my taste.
 
I prefer the newer version. I have 2 of the 8’s and a 7 with the old lock and a 10 I just recently got with the new lock. I never really cared for the lock twisting both ways on the old version. I prefer not having to think about a knife’s mechanism or grip when I’m using it. I just want to use it. The limitation the new lock puts on the amount it rotates makes knowing where the lock is predictable without having to look or feel around for it.

If you were to look up the post history of those who objected to the new lock you’ll realize that they were mostly people who object to any new thing. They’re on the internet talking to people across the world but somehow think 50’s tech was the end all be all. :confused: Sorry, “the bees knees.” ;)

Exceptions being people like oldmanwilly above who use or modify their opi’s a certain way. But then again, they had another project to meditate with and show off so...:thumbsup::D
 
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