Opinel's, What's not to love!?

I bought my first one about 6 months ago and Love them, still carry other knifes mostly but out in the yard and around the house it,s one of these,

I own AT LEAST 200 knives and the Opinel brand is one of my favorites.
I carry a #12 for my daily chores, a #10 for a smaller knife carry and I like the curved version for gardening tasks. Easy to sharpen, good edge holding ability AND the price is un-beatable especially if purchased on-line!

When I was stationed in Vietnam, Opinel knives were available cheaply. What I discovered was that many of the ones of that day (1966-69) would absorb water during the rainy season, and you couldn't get them open, or locked, because of the swollen wood.

They usually came coated in a shellac that wore off with use. I own a couple of Opinels today, and a Cold Steel spin-off with a Zytel frame. They are used as collectibles, though, not as EDC.

JR47 said:

Cold Steel spin-off with a Zytel frame.

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The Twistmaster.

I loved those.

The "swollen wood" tendency is still present in today's Opinels but I've adressed the problem by giving the joint/hinge a liberal dose of WD-40 from tme to time. I favor the Carbon steel versions and I usually Patina a shiney new one with French's yellow mustard.

Love them.

Don't own one and have no intention of buying one. They simply aren't my cup of tea and can not understand all the love other than they are cheap.

22-rimfire, here's why:
I can easily gut a deer, then skin it, and the carbon steel blade is still sharp enough to help with the butchering a few days later. That's good performance for a cheap knife.

If the ergonomics or the lines of the knife don't please your hand and eye then I understand you not liking them. However, you're missing out on some great reliable performance in a nice light compact no-gimmick package.

twofifty said:

22-rimfire, here's why:
I can easily gut a deer, then skin it, and the carbon steel blade is still sharp enough to help with the butchering a few days later. That's good performance for a cheap knife.

If the ergonomics or the lines of the knife don't please your hand and eye then I understand you not liking them. However, you're missing out on some great reliable performance in a nice light compact no-gimmick package.

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I mostly carry a #10 in a flashlight holder and the knife is always shaving sharp.
However a mere "touch up" on a leather/cardboard strop occurs after a day of use.

twofifty said:

22-rimfire, here's why:
I can easily gut a deer, then skin it, and the carbon steel blade is still sharp enough to help with the butchering a few days later. That's good performance for a cheap knife.

If the ergonomics or the lines of the knife don't please your hand and eye then I understand you not liking them. However, you're missing out on some great reliable performance in a nice light compact no-gimmick package.

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I don't deny that they do what you say. The crucial word in your statements is "cheap", but being cheap is not a bad thing. I guess I find them a little gimmicky even though they have been made for a long time. I don't find them particularly pleasing to my eye. Feel is not a big issue; they are mostly just "there". So, if you like them or even prefer them over other knives, I find that great.

I like SAKs an awful lot and some people find them gimmicky. So, it is mostly a matter of personal taste and preference. I find myself gravitating away from modern knives to more traditional designs in the last couple of years. I really don't feel a need for a fast opening knife although being able to open a knife one handed is useful at times.

I carry a #8 on occasion. There's plenty to not like, if you want to be honest. But variety is good, and Opinels are different and inexpensive. I have too many knives to NOT have one of these.

My 12 has been terrific and I've got a 3 on order.

The No.8 is probably my favorite. I have probably ten Opinels and they're great knives. Yeah, they can swell up when they get wet. The carbon ones are the best IMO. I haven't had much luck getting the kind of edge I like on any of their Inox models.

Opinel's are wonderful knives, and they cut just as well if not better than some real high dollar knives. Yes, the swelling when wet is a minor irritant, but c an be great reduced by just lubing the joint with something that will soak into the wood. I've got Opinels to stand up to being totally submerged in a glass of water for the better part of an hour. I used to sand off the finish and do the wood with Helmsman spar urethane. Then greased the joint with gasoline jelly. Wipe out the excess with a folded up paper towel. Now I just take the knife and soak the hinge area with food grade mineral oil. Once the wood gets pretty saturated with the mineral oil, water can't swell it that much. It may get a little more snug when soaked in water, but not that bad. When it dries out its back to normal.

I can't think of many pocket knives that offer the light weight of the Opinel, the quality of blade with the full convex grind, and outstanding cutting ability of the Opinel. Throw in the very low cost, and it's a win-win for the buyer. Opinel saws are good too!

and they're sharp as hell. Tell you what, every chef in France worth his salt carries one all the time...(have to test stuff at the market that day, you know...)

22-rimfire said:

I don't deny that they do what you say. The crucial word in your statements is "cheap", but being cheap is not a bad thing. I guess I find them a little gimmicky even though they have been made for a long time. I don't find them particularly pleasing to my eye. Feel is not a big issue; they are mostly just "there". So, if you like them or even prefer them over other knives, I find that great.

I like SAKs an awful lot and some people find them gimmicky. So, it is mostly a matter of personal taste and preference. I find myself gravitating away from modern knives to more traditional designs in the last couple of years. I really don't feel a need for a fast opening knife although being able to open a knife one handed is useful at times.

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I like SAKs too.

22-rimfire, have you looked at the Victorinox "SwissTool" pliers? They're a bit heavy but if a guy's going to carry a leatherman type tool, the Victorinox model is an excellent choice.

Carl Levitian, I'd never heard or seen that Opinel folder saw. It's perfect!
I want one for my big game gutting kit.

I want to get the Saw.

I tried to force a patina with mustard on this one didn't turn out like I planned but I still like it.

olderguns said:

I tried to force a patina with mustard on this one didn't turn out like I planned but I still like it.
View attachment 193392

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The blade should be free of oil,grease or fingerprints before the mustard treatment.
I usually wipe the blade with a rag dampened with Mineral Spirits before applying the mustard.

I'd done a nice even patina with hot vinegar.

I start by degreasing the blade, and putting a little masking tape over all the wood within an inch or two of where the blade is. Then I find a mug or a jar deep enough to submerge the blade, fill it with vinegar, and pop it into the microwave until it just starts to boil. Take it out, insert the blade, and watch the bubbles.

After maybe a minute the blade will turn almost black, but most of the black will wipe off. I rinse it under fresh water, and wipe off whatever comes off easily. Then it goes back into the vinegar for another one-minute soak.

The repeated applications tend to average out to a nice even color, and you can get just the shade of grey that you like. Reheat the vinegar as necessary. Maybe five dunks is about average.

Thanks guys,
I may retry it can,t do any worse,
But then again I might get used to stripes