whats the deal with Opinel?

after reading this, now I have to carry mine tomorrow.

been a while since i've been around... all I can say about that is "don't get caught with a bali in MD, especially on the eastern shore."

peace.
 
I wish I still had the book; it was called The Encyclopedia of Edged Weapons. Guess what little unassuming knife has been used in many a covert operation? That's right an Opinel. Couldn't believe it was there listed with Kabars, Cavalry Sabres and Emerson CQC 7s but there it was. Ease of procurement, concealability and commonality were listed as reasons for considering it an effective weapon.
 
Back in the eighties, they were selling these at the Museum of Modern Art gift shop,
Click to expand...

Wow! That's hard to imagine in New York City. I'd guess by now you'd need a permit to own a butter knife in NYC.
 
WileECoyote said:
I'll just send away to Acme knife company next time...why does the name 'Roadrunner' make me drool??
Click to expand...

Can you believe that I had to read that twice before I figured out what you were talking about? :footinmou I guess we're bound to disagree with usernames like these. ;)

As for what you said about the barrel popping off; well, mine doesn't, but considering how inexpensive they are I'm sure QC isn't the best. I bought mine at SMKW and got to handle it before paying, so maybe I got an above average example. Regardless, it's a lot of knife for less than $10 on average.
 
Roadrunner said:
Can you believe that I had to read that twice before I figured out what you were talking about? :footinmou I guess we're bound to disagree with usernames like these. ;)
Click to expand...

We don't disagree, I'm just being an arse____. :D I enjoy your posts.

Besides, the forums have been a little stuffy lately, and the Opies aren't really bad, if spindley continental cutlery is your thing. ;) I mean some people criticize SAKs, but there's something to be said for dropping everything and taking the time to pry apart a small folding knife rather than callously snapping open some charmless fast-deploying VG-10 monster, there are times when tradition and nostalgia mean more than good steel or handle ergonomics.

I would consider purchasing an Opinel again if they add blood grooves.
 
Roadrunner said:
As for what you said about the barrel popping off; well, mine doesn't, but considering how inexpensive they are I'm sure QC isn't the best. I bought mine at SMKW and got to handle it before paying, so maybe I got an above average example. Regardless, it's a lot of knife for less than $10 on average.
Click to expand...

I've searched for past threads about Opinels. It seems that some people find them very sharp out of the box and some find them dull. Mine was dull and the edge had a major burr. It could only be some models that come sharp. Who knows. The QC definitely does seem variable.

By SMKW you mean Smoky Mountain Knife Works right? I went to their website and I saw Opinels in different handle materials. I'm wondering what the 'standard' models are (eg #8). I'm also wondering about the "VRI" and "VRN" models...
 
Esav Benyamin said:
I trust you clean it between uses?

Seriously, it's good to read for a change about scouts being introduced to real knife training rather than being hassled about carrying them. I bet it happens more often than we know, but the horror stories crowd out the good news.
Click to expand...

ROTFLMAO!!!! yes, it was sterilized with boiling water and then rubbing alcohol
:)

no, the steaks were not from the surgery... :D :D :D :D :D
 
WileECoyote said:
...the Opies aren't really bad, if spindley continental cutlery is your thing. ;) I mean some people criticize SAKs, but there's something to be said for dropping everything and taking the time to pry apart a small folding knife rather than callously snapping open some charmless fast-deploying VG-10 monster, there are times when tradition and nostalgia mean more than good steel or handle ergonomics.
Click to expand...

Yeah, be we True Americans know that vaguely hammering through our work with the skinnier end of a prybar is far preferable to working precisely with a well-tuned tool! And only some froofy, tea-drinkin', Kumbaya-singin' European tree-huggin' liberal could possibly think that good edge geometry's more important than the blade steel. I mean, c'mon, you think I'm gonna sit down and _read_ a performance review, and _thoughtfully_ evaluate the knife myself? Feh! There's beer to drink and football to watch! The ad in Soldier of Fortune says that the three-inch-thick Strider's made outta S30V, so I _know_ it'll cut better than some 420 SAK!

'Sides, the Strider can stab through an oil drum or a car door! D'you know how many times a day I have'ta do that? A thick, saber-ground, tanto-point monstrosity can stab through thicker steel than a SAK or Opinel can. Thqaqt makes it better. :D ;)
 
Ryan8 said:
I've searched for past threads about Opinels. It seems that some people find them very sharp out of the box and some find them dull. Mine was dull and the edge had a major burr. It could only be some models that come sharp.
Click to expand...
Most inexpensive knives have bad NIB edges, or at least no consistency. Just a monetary constraint.

-Cliff
 
Roadrunner said:
As for what you said about the barrel popping off; well, mine doesn't, but considering...
Click to expand...

Check out some of the sites out there that show nicely modified Opinels... In many cases, the ring is removed on purpose. It's not really necessary at all, since the knife will generally have enough friction to act as a slipjoint without any need for the lock. Just don't try to stab it into anything that way, etc. (i.e. treat it as you would treat any other slipjoint).

Peace.
 
puukkoman said:
Check out some of the sites out there that show nicely modified Opinels... In many cases, the ring is removed on purpose. It's not really necessary at all, since the knife will generally have enough friction to act as a slipjoint without any need for the lock. Just don't try to stab it into anything that way, etc. (i.e. treat it as you would treat any other slipjoint).

Peace.
Click to expand...

This hasn't been my experience; at least not uniformly. Some Opinels have plenty of friction to keep 'em closed or open, but mine just flops around without the twist lock. I'd never try to carry it without the locking collar in place.
 
My 6 cuts like a rather small razor. :) In fact, it's my project knife when it comes to trying new sharpening techniques. This weekend will be polishing the convex with 2000 grit paper, then stropping. Will it cut better than at 1000 grit? Who knows? Is it a pocket razor as is? Yes. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top