Why all the Opinel rave?

[dogstar]

Is there an echo in here?

 

[Astrogator]

Question:- Why an Opinel ?.

Answer:- Just because.

These knives just work, that is all that needs to be said.

Cheers.

 

[Tasmaniac]

My one Opinel is by no means my favorite knife but I absolutely see why people love 'em.

 

[kaotikross]

Generally, you can tell what a knife is "capable of" within a few seconds of handling it, and only a few knives will truly surprise you. The Opinel is in my opinion one of those knives. It feels feather-light, but I'd say it edges almost into "medium cutting" range. It's not quick to deploy, I've had the "locking ring" issues too, but they're fairly easy to fix, and what more could you ask for for under fifteen bucks? I'm a huge fan of "junker-made-good" knives, which I consider to be a knife that is ultra cheap but worth at least two or three times the price and the opinel fits into that niche. If Opinels cost $25 or $30, most people wouldn't bat an eye at that and still consider them worth the money. Probably even at $35. $40 I'd say would be pushing it.

 

[inkynate]

Personally I like reality and if you have read my posts etc over the years you already know that.....

The bottom line here is they are a $13 knife give or take and they are what they are, yeah they have a following like some other knives in the same price range.

Yeah people use them and have for awhile, but knives in that price range are throw a ways, beaters etc and that's fine... Nobody is saying that it's not....

The problem comes in when people hype things up to be more than they really are........ That's when my BS alarm goes off.......

Yeah I understand people like cheap stuff and a lot of them will try to make cheap things sound like they are much more than they really are...... That's the problem......

Thanks for taking the time to reply. I guess at first you were coming off as a little haughty and condescending about it to me. I respect the reality, but it seemed like you were taking the opposing viewpoint to an unfounded extreme, just like those who make it sound like the end all and be all.

:thumbup: We're good, l'll put you back up on a pedastool now, lol.

 

[Ankerson]

Thanks for taking the time to reply. I guess at first you were coming off as a little haughty and condescending about it to me. I respect the reality, but it seemed like you were taking the opposing viewpoint to an unfounded extreme, just like those who make it sound like the end all and be all.

:thumbup: We're good, l'll put you back up on a pedastool now, lol.

That's funny.

I think a lot of it has to do with my experience in the Customer Service Industry, like 30 years of experience.....

So after talking to Millions of people over the years one way or another either on the phone or in person I have developed what I call a BS alarm......

In other words I know BS when I hear it and I pick up on it really fast..... And yeah it does piss some people off when I pick up on it that fast believe me....

I also know people like to buy cheap stuff, shouldn't be any surprise to anyone, that's why Wal-Mart is as big as they are for example and why Dollar Stores are so popular.

 

[jackknife]

I like Opinel's, I really do. Bu they do have their problems and faults. I've had a on agains/off again love/hate relationship with them since 1982 when I got my first one. They are fun to screw around with, easy to mod, reshape the wood. But they are finicky. I don't think I would ever trust them as my only edc. I keep one in the kitchen drawer as a utility/box cutter kind of thing. And they do cut great.

But…

The times I've been flying off and had to mail myself a knife to where I was staying for a week or two, I never sent off an Opinel. Just too many other 15 dollar knives that will do as well. SAK's for one. I'd rather have a 15 dollar Victorinox recruit from Lowes than a 15 dollar Opinel. Water proof, more trust worthy construction, wider range of uses. As much as I like my number 8 Opinel, I'd rather go with a SAK. I've used a SAK as my sole edc for fishing and carousing in Key West, rafting and fishing on the Rogue River in Oregon, backpacking in the Shenandoah mountains, and cleaning trout in England. If you don't like the SAK for 15 dollars, there's the Rough Rider line of pocket knives. I've got a friend who loves those things, and he treats them as a semi disposable knife. Beats the ever loving dog snot outa them. Buys a new one about every two years.

As much as I like Opinel's, I do wonder at the cult following they have. At 15 dollars, you are in the relm of a disposable knife. I don't think they will ever be heirloom objects, to hand down to your following generations like some family sword. These things are meant to be used hard, used up, and replaced with a new one. I've had one break on me, with the wood splitting in back of where the handle is stepped down for the locking ring and bolster. My friend Danny has broken one off clean where that step is, so I worry about that being a weak part of the knife.

Opinels are nice knives, light weight in the pocket, great slicers. But I do think there is a bit of a cult following that builds them up above where they were meant to be. These are peasants knives. They also used to be called penny knives. They were a lowest common denominator knife to be used up with no fan fair. For the price of two Opinels, you can buy a Case sodbuster, that is very easily more than twice the knife of a Opinel, and will last much longer under what some of what you call hard use. For the price of two Opinels, you can buy an alox SAK pioneer, that is three times or more the knife of the Opinel. Way more rugged and defiantly not finicky. Plus you get a dynamite awl with the pioneer.

One other thing about the locking ring on the Opinel. It's not really much of a lock. It was added to the knifes design in 1955. Before that, the Opinel was a strait friction folder, meant for light duty. If much pressure is put on the back of the blade, I think the locking ring will give away. It will pop off if you go to pull open the blade without unlocking the blade first.

If I'm plopped down someplace with no knife, and I'm offered an Opinel or a Victorinox recruit, I'm grabbing the SAK. Two blades, screw driver to do light to moderate prying, deals with flat and phillips screws, and unaffected by water. Tweezers double as a decent roach clip as well.

 

[Divine_Madcat]

"Ancient blade"? Form follows function. There are valid reasons they are still made and still used, even by the knife knowledgeable. "Ancient blade"? New is not always better. Don't buy into the marketers' copy so easily.

Here's my ~40 year old Opinel. Again, there are valid reasons so little has changed. If you want performance/function rather than looks, try an Opinel. If you want a knife primarily for its looks (whether "modern", "tacticool", intimidating", "artsy", etc.), certainly look elsewhere.

Valid reasons - cheap.... that's about it. Sure, when a GOOD blade can be 75 (or alot more), of course people will want beaters.
In this case, newer is definitely better. Stronger steel alloys, better handle materials, better construction. Why wouldn't you want better if you could buy it? As others have said.. i can get cheap crap at any corner market.. no reason to celebrate this cheap crap..

 

[dogstar]

What cheap crap are you talking about? We're talking about Opinels, here.

 

[leghog]

Valid reasons - cheap.... that's about it. Sure, when a GOOD blade can be 75 (or alot more), of course people will want beaters.

You imply the Opinel's blade is not good. Specifically what makes it not good?

In this case, newer is definitely better. Stronger steel alloys, better handle materials, better construction. Why wouldn't you want better if you could buy it? As others have said.. i can get cheap crap at any corner market.. no reason to celebrate this cheap crap..

I'll take a good carbon steel properly heat treated any day of the week. Same with stainless. My grandfathers where born in the 1890s. Their knives were of good carbon steel with good heat treat. They certainly weren't under-knifed in their day. They were real men and if still alive, they'd not be under-knifed carrying their old knives. They'd probably just laugh at, or ignore, some young whippersnapper who turned up their noses at either them or their knives. Same can be said of my dad (and his knives) who was born in the 1920s.

I have handmade knives. I have a custom knife. They aren't the ends all. I have an Emerson and have had several Benchmades with what is considered a modern steels and "better" handle materials and mechanisims. Never used. Those knives just suck for my purposes, so most are now gone. The rest will be shortly. Perhaps that's why I don't want "better".

Let's see if the CQC7B or AFO or Griptillian any number of other of the wonderknives are still around and selling hotly in 100 years time. The humble Opinel and Victorinox likely will be (and many to knifenuts of that time). Just a thought.

 

[Divine_Madcat]

What cheap crap are you talking about? We're talking about Opinels, here.

Yep, i am talking about em too.. One in the same..

You imply the Opinel's blade is not good. Specifically what makes it not good?

I'll take a good carbon steel properly heat treated any day of the week. Same with stainless. My grandfathers where born in the 1890s. Their knives were of good carbon steel with good heat treat. They certainly weren't under-knifed in their day. They were real men and if still alive, they'd not be under-knifed carrying their old knives. They'd probably just laugh at, or ignore, some young whippersnapper who turned up their noses at either them or their knives. Same can be said of my dad (and his knives) who was born in the 1920s

Thin, low/mid grade steel that doesn't have good edge retention, and isn't even sharp out of the box.

I have no problem with saying in their time, they were fine. Problem is, times have moved on, and we have better steels and materials.. I think people romanticize the past way too much.
For example - the Common price listed here is $15.. I got my Kershaw Brawler for $20. Better steel, modern lock, assisted opening, handle that wont rot, etc. Its knives like that, that have modern features, that make me shake my head and people swooning over an ancient peasant knife.

 

[Ankerson]

I like Opinel's, I really do. Bu they do have their problems and faults. I've had a on agains/off again love/hate relationship with them since 1982 when I got my first one. They are fun to screw around with, easy to mod, reshape the wood. But they are finicky. I don't think I would ever trust them as my only edc. I keep one in the kitchen drawer as a utility/box cutter kind of thing. And they do cut great.

But…

The times I've been flying off and had to mail myself a knife to where I was staying for a week or two, I never sent off an Opinel. Just too many other 15 dollar knives that will do as well. SAK's for one. I'd rather have a 15 dollar Victorinox recruit from Lowes than a 15 dollar Opinel. Water proof, more trust worthy construction, wider range of uses. As much as I like my number 8 Opinel, I'd rather go with a SAK. I've used a SAK as my sole edc for fishing and carousing in Key West, rafting and fishing on the Rogue River in Oregon, backpacking in the Shenandoah mountains, and cleaning trout in England. If you don't like the SAK for 15 dollars, there's the Rough Rider line of pocket knives. I've got a friend who loves those things, and he treats them as a semi disposable knife. Beats the ever loving dog snot outa them. Buys a new one about every two years.

As much as I like Opinel's, I do wonder at the cult following they have. At 15 dollars, you are in the relm of a disposable knife. I don't think they will ever be heirloom objects, to hand down to your following generations like some family sword. These things are meant to be used hard, used up, and replaced with a new one. I've had one break on me, with the wood splitting in back of where the handle is stepped down for the locking ring and bolster. My friend Danny has broken one off clean where that step is, so I worry about that being a weak part of the knife.

Opinels are nice knives, light weight in the pocket, great slicers. But I do think there is a bit of a cult following that builds them up above where they were meant to be. These are peasants knives. They also used to be called penny knives. They were a lowest common denominator knife to be used up with no fan fair. For the price of two Opinels, you can buy a Case sodbuster, that is very easily more than twice the knife of a Opinel, and will last much longer under what some of what you call hard use. For the price of two Opinels, you can buy an alox SAK pioneer, that is three times or more the knife of the Opinel. Way more rugged and defiantly not finicky. Plus you get a dynamite awl with the pioneer.

One other thing about the locking ring on the Opinel. It's not really much of a lock. It was added to the knifes design in 1955. Before that, the Opinel was a strait friction folder, meant for light duty. If much pressure is put on the back of the blade, I think the locking ring will give away. It will pop off if you go to pull open the blade without unlocking the blade first.

If I'm plopped down someplace with no knife, and I'm offered an Opinel or a Victorinox recruit, I'm grabbing the SAK. Two blades, screw driver to do light to moderate prying, deals with flat and phillips screws, and unaffected by water. Tweezers double as a decent roach clip as well.

I always have a few SAK's around. :thumbup:

As much as I like Opinel's, I do wonder at the cult following they have. At 15 dollars, you are in the relm of a disposable knife.

It's the impression of getting something for nothing and that's a powerful marketing tool and it gets into Psychology and it does work as there is a ton of garbage out in the world that people buy....

If it didn't work there wouldn't be any junk on the market at all, everything would be reversed and we would have all high quality items.....

It makes people predictable overall in the end and helps to target certain types of customers like those looking for a deal.....

In short it's playing with people's heads in order to sell stuff.....

 

[leghog]

In short it's playing with people's heads in order to sell stuff.....

Sounds just like the marketing hype for the latest wonder steel. No worries though, there will be another coming along along soon enough.

A fool and his money are soon parted. Heck, they were lucky to ever have been acquainted with each other.

 

[Ankerson]

Sounds just like the hype for the latest wonder steel. No worries though, there will be another coming along along soon enough.

A fool and his money are soon dparted. Heck, they were lucky to ever have been acquainted with each other.

There aren't any new wonder steels....

Most have been around for a long time now, just used in different parts of the steel industry.

By anyway with a little knowledge and effort people can for the most part tell what X steel should do...

 

[Ken44]

nevermind.



edit- putting his quote back up since my post was quoted as I was deleting it.

I think a lot of it has to do with my experience in the Customer Service Industry, like 30 years of experience.....

So after talking to Millions of people over the years one way or another either on the phone or in person I have developed what I call a BS alarm......

In other words I know BS when I hear it and I pick up on it really fast..... And yeah it does piss some people off when I pick up on it that fast believe me....

 

[Ankerson]

Many here have worked in retail.
Getting deep in here. Putting boots on

For those who actually do or did then they should know better than to think like a customer....

They should be able to bring themselves above that level of thinking.

 

[o4tg]

They're a good disposable knife. Certainly not deserving of the cult following they have here though.

 

[leghog]

There aren't any new wonder steels....

Precisely. Marketing Hype. A fool and his money....

 

[Ankerson]

Precisely. Marketing Hype. A fool and his money....

No, not really....

The steels will do what they are supposed to do based on the alloy content assuming a quality knife from a good maker.

 

[leghog]

No, not really....

"Initially developed for jet engines..."

Most here, me included, couldn't tell the difference between properly heat treated 440C, ATS34, or 154CM. There just isn't that much of a difference. Then without being told which steel is which, how many here do you think can really tell the difference between those and BG42, VG10, or S30V? Most are buying what they perceive to be the best because they were told it was the best (hype), but let them test blades of each with good heat treat but without them having any idea of the steel and lets's see them let you know which is the "latest" and greatest and which is which.