Why all the Opinel rave?

[155440]

If you read through all the replies again, you will see claims that they cut better than knives costing far more...which in some cases is true, and in other cases is not.

This. An opinel is a perfectly acceptable knife, however it's not as if there aren't better knives out there. If someone offered me a sebenza for my opinel, I doubt i'd be preaching to them about the opinels "superior" cutting performance..

 

[pinnah]

THANK YOU for replying. All this, "Opinels are the best! Everything about them is great! Try one, you won't be disappointed!" I did, I was, very much so because i believed the hype. It's not about them being "finicky and crude", it's that they lack a lot of what makes more expensive knives more expensive. That isn't to say that there aren't worse knives that cost more. But i am not cutting concrete and car-doors with a knife this size, i am cutting cardboard and wood and weeds, etc. In my experience, an Opinel is as much worth what you pay (~$15) as the Benchmades I own (~$80, and some of those required a little tweaking to be where i wanted them, no problem).

Tell you what... want to try a this Opinel for free?

Buck 110 and Opinel #10 by Pinnah, on Flickr

Shoot me a visitor message with your email and I'll send it out to you. You can literally beat on it all you want and use it side by each with you Benchmade or any other folder you want.

Couple of caveats... I consider this knife entirely disposable. It was a failed experiment and I took the eo opening down way to deep and the handle now disappears in my XL gloved sized hands. If you hate the shape of the handle like I hate the handle shape, blame me, not Opinel. Also, it's a Carbone model, which has the softer (Rc56) carbon steel (close to 1086).

I honestly don't care if you break it. In fact, I would love know what it takes to bust it. All I ask is that you do the same things with your Benchmade or whatever and take pictures and report back on the comparison.

It's not secret that I like old things and finicky things. I ride a 1970's vintage bike, my stoves are Sveas (30 years old) and Trangias and I ski tour on klister. I don't mind futzing and the Opinel suits me. I totally get that many people will hate them and that's OK.

But just as you hate the "Opinels are the best" hyperbole, I hate the "Opinels are junk" hyberbole. You seem like you actually use a knife occasionally and it would be interesting to see what you can do or not do with this thing. (Again, the handle sucks, so be warned.)

A few more notes on your experiences as they don't line up with mine...

I'm fine with tuning a knife. But the Opinel needs tuning and re-tuning and re-tuning... I checked the knife again, pivot is swollen and so tight that it can only be opened with difficulty, I'll need to take the heat-gun to it again.

If you can put the knife into a padded vice, I just shove a large blade screwdriver in catching just the lip of the inner ring (not the wood, the metal) and give it a good twist to open it. Takes a few tries but no more than 5 minutes.

Also, the collar seems to be loaded with sand & dirt. Did i mention that I live on a homestead (think small farmer, like a peasant's plot)?

This is worth talking about more. First and most importantly, the lock ring won't ever prevent the knife from closing under force. I think of the Opinel like a slip-joint that I can turn the spring on and off. It's worth remembering that they were sold and used for 100 years with no ring at all, functioning as a pure friction folder. They still can work that way, no problem.

I use my Opinels on my property and in the dirt all the time. I spend a good amount of time on sandy shores on Lake Champlain that fills my pockets with sand, so I'm very, very experienced with sand fouled folders. Any lock mechanism can become fouled and fail. The question is not if, but how the failure happens.

I've probably carried lockbacks and slip joints as much or more than Opinels. Slipjoints can get so fouled with sand that it's hard for me to open or close them. Lockbacks can suffer similar fates and worse, the lockbar can jam making lock up iffy.

With the Opinel, the lockring might get sticky. I've never had one jam on me, but I did a pass around last year and one guy working the trades got the ring jammed when using it with concrete mix. So, it's certainly possible. In that case, the knife becomes a friction folder. It's still useable and still safe.

I'll toss out this challenge if you give this #10 a try. Bury it and your favorite knife in dirt or sand, jump on them and then dig them out and use them. The Opinel will be useable. I'm not sure any of my lockbacks would be (Bucks, old USA Schrades mostly).

I have Bucks & Gerbers in 420HC and Cold Steels Aus-8 at the same hardness, and not only do those edges withstand the lateral stresses of cutting roots and whittling wood, they seem to provide more edge-retention in cutting cardboard and rope, and they all sharpen with equal ease to a crisp shaving edge. The difference i can measure is that the Opinel is ~0.010" where the others are ~0.020", all 15-dps (same angle as my chainsaw, chipper, and lawnmower blades). The extra thickness behind the edge grants 8X more stiffness than the Opinel provides. It simply cannot compete.

This baffles me and doesn't line up with my experience at all.

Couple of thoughts. First, I think in terms of discussing edge stability, we need to compare apples to apples by comparing knives with the same thickness at the spine. The #6 is crazy thin, as you've noted.

If spine thickness is the same, Opinel's convex grind is stronger than both hollow grind and flat ground. There's more steel further down towards the edge. Buck made waves in the early 2000's with their Edge 2000 profile which is a very thin ground hollow grind. Case also have a thin hollow grind. And of course SAKs have a thin flat grind. The knives I've had the worst luck with in terms of edge stability are my Case (420HC at 56 Rc) and SAKs (55Rc). I've owned a bunch of Bucks in 420HC and have stupid things like cutting metal with them and honestly, I can't tell the difference between Opinel's Inox and the Buck 420HC. Actually, I think the Opinel takes a finer edge but they last about the same for me.

I'm wondering if you're just having problems because of the small angle you used on that very thin blade.

Too big for my wife, too big for me to take out of the country and into the city. Even in the Midwest city near my home, ANY blade that large frightens folk, they don't know the difference between an Opinel and any other knife. These folk are scared of 2" blades!

This hasn't been my experience at all, especially after filing the blades down to a drop point. Most common reaction by citizens is "that's charming". Seriously. I think the lack of an audible click on the lock is a big part of it. I also think the long thin (spine to edge) profile and the lack of grind lines make it look more like a familiar paring knife. That's my theory.

I carry a #9 in Boston all the time. I use mine for lunch in a business casual setting at work. No problem. My Buck 500? That's a problem, even if it's smaller.

My pants seem to have either deep pockets or tight pockets or both, and my wife often does not have pocket at all but may carry a small satchel (not a purse). An opinel or other non-clipped knife sinks to the bottom, hard to get at when needed, and in my pants it always lays on it's side, which can be uncomfortable as i change positions. I bought a clip-on sheath for such knives to improve carry. I don't blame Opinel at all, again it is a cheap knife. Some folk take the time and effort ($$) to give them clips, perhaps also recognizing the practicality of it. Most of the time, I'll just start with a clipped knife.

I'm not seeing how "cheap" has anything to do with this. Plenty of very expensive knives out there that don't have pocket clips. The #6 - #9 are pocket knives, straight and simple, nothing to do with with cost. I think it's fair to say you strongly preferred pocket clips, the Opinel is a traditional pocket knife and thus, is not to your liking.

I will say this... In Boston, a pocket clip is an invitation to be stopped by a cop. They have a local ordinance on blade length and a visible pocket clip is sufficient cause to be asked. I find non-clipped knives to be infinitely more stealthy. YMMV, obviously.

The convex is very low, just adds a little stiffness to the thin blade. Give me a taller blade that is thicker at the spine and FFG, that is a strong knife with good blade geometry.

Again, I find there is noticeable jump up in stiffness of the blades between the 8 and 9. I suspect the 9 and 10 would be more to your liking. Like you, I find flexible blades annoying and it's one reason I prefer the 9 to the 8. It's just more knife in that respect.

Strength is an interesting attribute to discuss....

I've used a bunch of lockbacks over the years. Here are just a few...

image by Pinnah, on Flickr

I've found that hard cutting of brush and wood loosens lockbacks up over time. This is regardless of brand that I've tried. I've also found that peened and finished pivots can loosen up laterally. Less of a problem perhaps with modern screwed joints.

I've never had an Opinel loosen up on me and develop either lateral or vertical play. Used my #8 to pull cut some brush today. Lots of heavy force that has killed numerous Bucks in less than a year. No problem for the Opinel.

Regarding the blade grind... I have a few flat ground Schrades and have had countless hollow ground knives. I find the convexed Opinels to go through wood much better than either. Hollow grinds bind at the shoulder of the grind and flat grinds simply bind period. For me.

15-DPS has long been the standard edge-geometry for such tasks in such steels. I have since raised the angle to 20-25 DPS and experience less edge-deformation on wood.

I suspect that you might get away with a 15-pds edge on the Inox #9 or #10. This has more to do with the thickness of the blade at the spine, which translates to a thicker blade behind the edge. Hard to see how a FFG or HG of similar thickness would put more steel behind the edge.

Again, thank you for the sincere reply. And you are correct, the larger Opinels might work better than the #6 in some of these tasks. One day I may try one. But then I'll have to explain to my wife why i need to spend another $15 on a knife if i know that my more expensive knives get the job done well and don't know that this new Opinel will perform any better than the last one which was of comparable size to my EDCs. *shrug* As a 'starter' knife, I wouldn't dissuade a person from buying an Opinel, or as an alternative to, say, a Medford giant. But I would caution people to NOT expect too much. Realism, that's all.

No need to spend money. Just postage back to me when your done.

Interested?

 

[knarfeng]

I like Opinels. I recommend that folks new to cutlery try one. They don't cost much and they give good bang for the buck. You can spend more and get lower overall performance.

►I find the Opinel Sandvik 12c27-MOD steel, which is hardened to a 58, to maintain an edge about as well as Kershaw 13c26 or Buck 420HC. They hold an edge better than Case Tru-Sharp, and maintain a polished razor edge longer than 440C, though 440C will keep cutting with a diminished edge long after the Opinel is completely dull. Nature of the steel. It is a good simple stainless steel with a reasonably high hardness. I use a Sharpmaker and use the 20° per side setting.

►I find the thin blade to perform slicing cuts superbly well. Because of the thinness of the blade, it doesn't bind in the material being cut.

►I like the lock. I think it's fun to play with. But I don't put trust in any lock, so for me its reliability is based on cutting with the edge and not applying force to the back of the blade. I know a couple of fellas who have removed the lock entirely and are happily using their Opinels as friction folders.

►Having been trained by jackknife, I soak my Opinels in mineral oil when I got them and have not had any issues with changes in joint friction.

I like using mine for working in the vegetable garden. Very comfortable handles. I like the #8 size.

Somewhere in this thread, someone compared Opinels to cheap Paki knives. I consider that to be a poor, uniformed comparison.
Opinels are inexpensive, but not cheap. Like Victorinox, Opinel has addressed the costs of producing knives in a country with high labor costs by using a highly automated production process.

Recommended.

Edited to add: One of those French phrases at the end of the video translates as
"An Opinel is sold every 10 seconds."


[youtube]KNELKUpH10k[/youtube]

 

[pinnah]

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.

Carl,

Can you describe what you (or Danny) were doing with the knife when it broke?

Any speculation as to why it broke? Weakness in the grain maybe?

Lastly, whatever you (or Danny) were doing when the handle broke, have you done the same or similar things with your SAKs? If so, how have they fared?

Thanks

 

[Dirtknap]

Dude, what is your deal? Are you a member of the Opinel family, buttstung because not everyone loves your family's knives? Criminy, it that time of the month, or what?

As a matter of fact I am. In fact I'm the Marquis de Sade.

 

[upnorth]

►Having been trained by jackknife, I soak my Opinels in mineral oil when I got them and have not had any issues with changes in joint friction.

Thanks for the tip. :thumbup: I was having some moderate difficulty after a few weeks of incessant rain. I put a few drops of mineral oil in at the time. Maybe now that the wood is dry once again I'll be proactive and do a soak.

 

[jackknife]

Thanks for the tip. :thumbup: I was having some moderate difficulty after a few weeks of incessant rain. I put a few drops of mineral oil in at the time. Maybe now that the wood is dry once again I'll be proactive and do a soak.

Even better than a mineral oil soak is Vaseline jelly. Use the 'ol ladies blow drier to really warm up and dry the wood. Then smear some Vaseline in and around the pivot. Then use the blow drier until it all melts into the wood. Repeat this again. Wipe off any excess and you will have a pretty water resistant Opinel. I've left mine submerged for 30 minutes with only a little stiffening of the joint. Wood likes Vaseline!

 

[jackknife]

Carl,

Can you describe what you (or Danny) were doing with the knife when it broke?

Any speculation as to why it broke? Weakness in the grain maybe?

Lastly, whatever you (or Danny) were doing when the handle broke, have you done the same or similar things with your SAKs? If so, how have they fared?

Thanks

I had taken out a small dogwood tree in the back yard, and was cutting up the limbs to bundle. They limbs were about thumb thick to a little thicker. I had cut up most of them, and was on the home stretch, when I felt a crack, and the whole blade and pivot assembly was very wobbly. The wood had split right where the step down was turned on the lather to fit the bolster and locking ring. The wood had cracked right at the step like it was a stress point.

I can't remember what Danny did, it was over 25 years ago. But his came right apart at the same point, but broke clean off. His blade with the bolster and locking ring were a whole separate piece than the handle that was still in his hand, but nothing attached to it. It had sheared right off even with the shoulder of the wood where it was turned down for the bolster.

I've done a lot of work with a scout/SAK doing the same thing, and neve chad a problem. I've done wood processing and gardening like Mr. Van had bought us with the notching and then breaking it off. SK's I've used for trimming limbs and cutting down saplings have been recruits, tinkers, and my old Wenger SI. My old Buck 301 stockman had also done lots of work like that with no problem. Danny went back to using his old Vic pioneer. No problemo with that either. I like Opinel's, but have since regulated them to picnic and light duty knives. I just don't think the wood construction around the pivot of the Opinel is as sturdy as a conventional knife like a SAK or sodbuster.

 

[J85909266]

I bought one, a no. 8. It was due to the forum ravings when I was new. Similar to Mora, it became unusable within a day of heavy use. Destroyed edge, stiff pivot. You will hear endless lamentations from knife enthusiasts stuck in the past about how elegant and useful these fossils are. The truth? Modern folders and fixed blades will outperform them many times over. It's a trap. Knives are capable of far more than these lunatics would lead you t o believe. Buy your own knives and draw your own conclusions.

 

[RamZar]

I love the Opinels in stainless, for their simplicity, value, elegance and slicing power. Maintenance is on you. Wash, dry and light lube. Nothing is an end all. There are so many alternatives to tickle your fancy. Great times to be an aficionado of knives!

 

[davek14]

You da man Pinnah! Is that the Opinel that's already been through numerous users trying to kill it to no avail?

 

[leghog]

This. An opinel is a perfectly acceptable knife, however it's not as if there aren't better knives out there. If someone offered me a sebenza for my opinel, I doubt i'd be preaching to them about the opinels "superior" cutting performance..

I'd certainly take that trade, but then I'd sell the Sebenza, buy an Opinel No. 8, and pocket the difference or buy some scout patterns with some of the difference.

 

[Astrogator]

I had taken out a small dogwood tree in the back yard, and was cutting up the limbs to bundle. They limbs were about thumb thick to a little thicker. I had cut up most of them, and was on the home stretch, when I felt a crack, and the whole blade and pivot assembly was very wobbly. The wood had split right where the step down was turned on the lather to fit the bolster and locking ring. The wood had cracked right at the step like it was a stress point.

I can't remember what Danny did, it was over 25 years ago. But his came right apart at the same point, but broke clean off. His blade with the bolster and locking ring were a whole separate piece than the handle that was still in his hand, but nothing attached to it. It had sheared right off even with the shoulder of the wood where it was turned down for the bolster.

I've done a lot of work with a scout/SAK doing the same thing, and neve chad a problem. I've done wood processing and gardening like Mr. Van had bought us with the notching and then breaking it off. SK's I've used for trimming limbs and cutting down saplings have been recruits, tinkers, and my old Wenger SI. My old Buck 301 stockman had also done lots of work like that with no problem. Danny went back to using his old Vic pioneer. No problemo with that either. I like Opinel's, but have since regulated them to picnic and light duty knives. I just don't think the wood construction around the pivot of the Opinel is as sturdy as a conventional knife like a SAK or sodbuster.

Notching and breaking a branch, this sure brings back memories.
We used to do it all the time, I don't know who first taught me this technique, but every boy between 7 and 12 years old seemed to know how to do this.
And all we had were REALLY useless cheap unbranded POS pocket knives back then.

Cheers.

 

[pinnah]

I had taken out a small dogwood tree in the back yard, and was cutting up the limbs to bundle. They limbs were about thumb thick to a little thicker. I had cut up most of them, and was on the home stretch, when I felt a crack, and the whole blade and pivot assembly was very wobbly. The wood had split right where the step down was turned on the lather to fit the bolster and locking ring. The wood had cracked right at the step like it was a stress point.

I can't remember what Danny did, it was over 25 years ago. But his came right apart at the same point, but broke clean off. His blade with the bolster and locking ring were a whole separate piece than the handle that was still in his hand, but nothing attached to it. It had sheared right off even with the shoulder of the wood where it was turned down for the bolster.

I've done a lot of work with a scout/SAK doing the same thing, and neve chad a problem. I've done wood processing and gardening like Mr. Van had bought us with the notching and then breaking it off. SK's I've used for trimming limbs and cutting down saplings have been recruits, tinkers, and my old Wenger SI. My old Buck 301 stockman had also done lots of work like that with no problem. Danny went back to using his old Vic pioneer. No problemo with that either. I like Opinel's, but have since regulated them to picnic and light duty knives. I just don't think the wood construction around the pivot of the Opinel is as sturdy as a conventional knife like a SAK or sodbuster.

Wow. That's not something I've experienced. That sort of wood processing is exactly what has destroyed several Buck lockbacks and what eventually drove me to Opinel as a more durable option.

What size broke on you. I use the 9 most often as I don't fit the 8 well. I could see busting an 8 but honestly haven't and I've tried.

 

[inkynate]

I bought one, a no. 8. It was due to the forum ravings when I was new. Similar to Mora, it became unusable within a day of heavy use. Destroyed edge, stiff pivot. You will hear endless lamentations from knife enthusiasts stuck in the past about how elegant and useful these fossils are. The truth? Modern folders and fixed blades will outperform them many times over. It's a trap. Knives are capable of far more than these lunatics would lead you t o believe. Buy your own knives and draw your own conclusions.

Wow, pretty much the best post in this thread, hands down. Vague, gritty, conspiritorial, and then it kicks you in the bawlz with the closer, POW! :thumbup:

 

[Lee48]

I'm the guy who uses an axe and maul when I need to chop up firewood and a chainsaw when I need to cut up something big or take down a tree or trim off limbs. I also use a machete or something like a BK9 if I really need a knife for heavy duty work. Apparently there are those who believe a well designed knife with great steel should be capable of thinning a forest despite the knife being a pocket-sized folder. I'm not one of them.

I have a #8 Opinel that's about 25-30 years old. I used it backpacking and camping for several years and now it resides in the RV galley. It has functioned perfectly in the role of a lightweight general use and food prep knife. I recently bought a new #10 Opinel for the home kitchen. I love using it to the point the Wustof knives are collecting dust. These are the best food prep knives I've ever come across due to their ability to sharpen quickly and handle every kitchen task necessary. I'm aware there are people who use Opinels for heavier work and are satisfied with them but I'm not one of them. I wouldn't want to haul pulpwood in a sports car or race through Monte Carlo in a log truck.

The Opinel is a low-priced, well made, light duty knife that takes an incredible edge without a lot of honing and it excels at what it is. Don't try to make it something it ain't and then condemn it as a "fossil".

 

[leghog]

I'm the guy who uses an axe and maul when I need to chop up firewood and a chainsaw when I need to cut up something big or take down a tree or trim off limbs. I also use a machete or something like a BK9 if I really need a knife for heavy duty work.

yup..

 

[wtlj]

I'm the OP, I can't believe a $12 can generate so much controversy! I've followed the thread often but honestly had nothing to say. It seems you either love em or hate em! So with that said I'm gonna purchase one and find out for myself.
I've narrowed my choices down to a #8 stainless but can't decide between the olive wood or bubinga...thoughts???

 

[davek14]

I'm the OP, I can't believe a $12 can generate so much controversy! I've followed the thread often but honestly had nothing to say. It seems you either love em or hate em! So with that said I'm gonna purchase one and find out for myself.
I've narrowed my choices down to a #8 stainless but can't decide between the olive wood or bubinga...thoughts???

Why not go with beech. It's the cheapest. If you don't like it as a carry knife it could still be an inexpensive tool box/glove box/kitchen drawer knife.

 

[jackknife]

I'm the guy who uses an axe and maul when I need to chop up firewood and a chainsaw when I need to cut up something big or take down a tree or trim off limbs. I also use a machete or something like a BK9 if I really need a knife for heavy duty work. Apparently there are those who believe a well designed knife with great steel should be capable of thinning a forest despite the knife being a pocket-sized folder. I'm not one of them.

Yup, that's why my Opinel lives in the kitchen drawer these days, and my woods outfit is a little different.:thumbup: A small machete does a heck of a lot, and the alox SAK's are a very rugged pocket knife that will handle abuse if need be. I'll save the Opinel for slicing the bell peppers and tomatoes for salad.

Like I said, I like Opinels. But I want a knife on me that if a weird emergency happens, I can lean on that knife a bit with nothing breaking. I remeber my old man telling me something once. He said when you walk out the front door in the morning, you can never tell what the day holds for you. Having seen two Opinels break, a number 8 and a number 7, they don't leave the house anymore. I don't want to carry a pocket full of knives with me, one should do it. So I want it to be a bit more rugged than what the Opinel gives me. I spent ten years in the army going for the twenty, and carried a couple of different pocketknives. A demo knife, a SAK I bought, a Buck 3401 stockman that was sold at the PX. All of those knives cut well, stood up to what was borderline abusive use by an energetic 20 something year old. They never broke. And they were used hard on job sites around the world, as I was in the engineers. When that number 8 of mine cracked while cutting up some tree branches, it kind of threw my faith in Opinels. I'd done that same job with other pocket knives with no problem. And that problem was not with the metal parts of the Opinel, but the wood handle where it is turned down with a sharp shoulder forming a stress line. A fault. Using that Opinel as a light duty pocket knife, it should present no problem. But unfortunately, life is unpredictable in nature. If I can carry a knie that has not got that fault, and can be pushed a bit more in some unforeseen situation, then I will carry the knife with no fault that may cause structure failure. But my Opinel will still be used for the Brie and crackers with a nicely chilled Zinfandel.