When I first took up mushroom hunting, I found it refreshing that the hobby required almost no gear. Then I spotted an Opinel mushroom knife, and of course I had to have one. As much as I like the Opinel, with its old-world charm, it is a two-hand knife. On a good day mushroom hunting, I'll deploy it countless times, so a one-handed knife is preferable.
One key to the Opinel design is the curved blade, which reaches behind a mushroom so you can pull it toward you. I wanted that feature, so I started looking at hawkbills. I tried an Artisan Cutlery Eagle, but it was too big and heavy, with a blade too thick to slice well. The knife that really fit the bill was the Honey Badger Claw.
But the other key to the Opinel is the brush. If you don't clean each mushroom before tossing them in with the rest, the entire haul ends up dirty. So I ordered a new backspacer and grafted a brush onto it using a stainless bicycle spoke as a bail to trap the bristles.
I'm pretty psyched with the result; now I need to get out in the woods.
One key to the Opinel design is the curved blade, which reaches behind a mushroom so you can pull it toward you. I wanted that feature, so I started looking at hawkbills. I tried an Artisan Cutlery Eagle, but it was too big and heavy, with a blade too thick to slice well. The knife that really fit the bill was the Honey Badger Claw.
But the other key to the Opinel is the brush. If you don't clean each mushroom before tossing them in with the rest, the entire haul ends up dirty. So I ordered a new backspacer and grafted a brush onto it using a stainless bicycle spoke as a bail to trap the bristles.
I'm pretty psyched with the result; now I need to get out in the woods.
Last edited: