Any Opinel love? (Updated pics)

Any Opinel love?
Maybe.
I just sliced up a sweet roll to toast it.
A. My Opinel #12 cut up the bread easier than any other pocket knife I own. The blade shape and length is just right for this work.
B. The pivot didn't bind up solid after getting a single drop of water on it.​

. . . maybe . . . this time . . . I can make this work for me.
A week ago I applied 8 applications of thin mineral oil to the end grain while the knife sat under a lamp to help the oil absorb.
Bound up with drop of water.
Applied bee's wax thinned with turpentine a few times while under lamp then remembered bee's wax tends to make things that slide stick and not slide / pivot and to top that off remembered a friend told me how toxic everyone had decided turpentine is.
crap.
Then I let that dry / air out and started in dripping candle wax on the end grain and joint melting it in with a warm heat gun and built up a bit of a thickness on the end grain.

I have been carrying and using the #12 for a week now. The weather has been cool, damp and raining off and on and the knife, after a quick rinse under the faucet with care not to get much water on the pivot . . . (he stopped to take the knife out of pocket; not trusting the outcome of the last pivot test moments ago) . . . opens and closes easily and has not changed since I washed it.

Any Opinel love?

Do you know the words to the song "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" ?
I don't want to jinks it. I'm not ready to trust my weight to this relationship yet.
The knife is still in my pocket; more I dare not say.
 
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Back again to get this thread back to the front. Picked up a couple of No. 8's off the bay. The Oak one is an ad for Tromba Tequila and the Bubinga one has the polished blade.

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Wowbagger said:
I don't want to jinks it. I'm not ready to trust my weight to this relationship yet.
The knife is still in my pocket; more I dare not say.
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I think I gott'er nailed !
I have held off posting for a week or so to test out two Opinels. One my newest #12 and the other my #6.
I have carried both a lot lately and used them in the kitchen washing the blade well and even "accidentally" splashing / running water over the pivot area then drying them off and putting them in my pocket. You know . . . just like a real pocket knife.

My Verdict :
SUCCESS ! ! ! !
No noticeable binding. I just take the knife out of my pocket a few minutes or a half hour later and . . .
and . . .
. . . open it easily.

How did he attcheive this miracle you might ask ?
I lit an old candle (the older the better . . . I don't know why) (or if the age matters; I just made that part up). Have a heat gun plugged in and standing by (or a hair drier).

Once the wax melts and pools at the top of the candle tip it onto the end of the Opinel and into the slot where the pivot is. Once it solidifies go again a time or two on the end to build up a thick layer on the end grain of the knife handle at the pivot.

Extinguish the candle and rev up the heat gun (on low) and melt the wax that is in the slot into the handle some what. Don't worry about what is on the end grain / don't focus on that.

Let the knife cool completely.

Open and close the knife and wipe off / brush off the wax chips that form.

You may find that you now cannot turn the lock collar. Heat the collar just enough with the heat gun to be able to turn the collar. It will stay free turning after this. No reason to get it hotter than you can touch just warm it up some.

Beats the heck out of submerging the whole knife in oil.

I don't intend to clean fish or skin grizz with mine so YMMV.
 
I"ve had a bunch of Opinels over the years, but seem to have grown out of them for 2 reasons:
- they have no backspring & have to be closed manually (good "snap" is something I look for in a pocket knife)
- their "round" shape seems a bit bulky in the pocket - I've gravitated to thinner knives

I do miss that carbon steel though - always take an awesome patina
 
Wowbagger said:
I don't intend to clean fish or skin grizz with mine so YMMV.
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The bear grease keeps the knife well-lubed and free-turning.

Lansky1 said:
their "round" shape seems a bit bulky in the pocket
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That's why I like my Coghlan #7 (I think, just a hair over 3" blade) so much.

Travman said:
I picked up this stainless version to be my carry while at the beach.
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I got a stainless #6 (I think, just under 3" blade) that I like a lot. I whittled the handle down a bit, but didn't dare to go as narrow as my Coghlan.
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Love my Opi 8 (carbon) and 6 (stainless)!

I think the swelling "problem" is over-stated. I've never treated mine with oil or wax, etc., and have carried them just like I would any other pocketknife. The 8 comes with us on all road- and camping-trips, and my wife generally co-opts it when we're traveling to use when cooking. If I don't watch her, she'll wash it just like any kitchen knife, handle and all! :confused: This exposure to water makes it a bit tougher to open, but certainly not to an extent where I'd do anything other than roll my eyes and shake my head. In no time, though, the handle dries and it's back to swinging open with ease.

These babies are a lot tougher than most folks give them credit for! :thumbsup:

-- Mark
 
I modded an Opinel for a coworker who liked mine so much. I had a spare one with stainless and walnut. I shaped the handle like the one on my carbone.

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Here is a bottom view for those who don't like how bulky the knives are. It feels great in the hand and pocket.

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I have just one and it stays in the camper for food prep, excellent slicers and sharpens quickly. It got a bit rusty so I sanded the blade and refinished the handle. Played around on it with the woodburner for fun, maybe pick up another in the future and do a better job hopefully on design and execution with the burner next time.View attachment 1148329
 
I almost always have a No.6 in my pocket these days. Lately it's been the oak INOX; I actually find that I can get the Sandvik sharper easier than the carbone.

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My favorite is this bubinga wood one. The other I have is nice too, representative of the typical wood you'd see. But the grain on this one is just spectacular. Well bookended and with a bit of chatoyance.

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Following some friendly kicking on our wee UK forum, I was cajoled into adding one of these to try as their rep is way up, yet price way down.

And the guys are quite correct.

Am right impressed - not only with it as a functioning folder, but the visual and ergonomic qualities are way better than I'd imagined. Ok, I did get the slightly more expensive one - tripped into double figures - but what a gorgeous piece of Olive, love it.

The blade is intriguing - yes, very thin, but a clever convex grind that likely means sharpening will get ever so slightly more as time goes on, yet, because it's so thin, fairly easy to do anyway.......in fact, you can hardly see the cutting edge it has been that well ground.

The fit n finish, for the money, is wonderful. The collar, blade opening/closing is reassuringly tight and close tolerance - it holds fast very well, no blade play at all.

Out the box, it just manages to cut arm hair, but would imagine a quick play on the Sharpmaker will sort that out.

Opted for the s/steel blade as I would likely use this also as food prep now and then, and my preference is shiny steel, but I also taste the taint from carbon blades quite easily.

Thank you @avoidspam @stretch3144 for the encouragement
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