My humble Opinel No.9. My perfect knife

E

emjay

Joined
Nov 27, 2012
Messages
171
Out of all of the knives I own, my Opinel No.9 gets the most use, simply because it's the perfect knife for me. It does everything I need it for perfectly. It just cuts so well and feels good in the hand. Most knives get used for food prep, and that's what I use this Opinel for the most, but also for utility and EDC. From cutting onions to butchering a chicken to filleting a fish to doing utility work like cutting cable ties or cardboard, it just does everything so well. I'm not one of those people who batons my knife or chops wood with it. I use the right tool for the right job, if I want to chop wood, I'll use a panga. I don't have the need to baton wood, so don't do that, because I have a good amount of smaller twigs when making a fire

The blade isn't very long, being under 4 inches, and you feel that lack in length when cutting a big potato or onion. But it's not bad. The wood swells yeah, but that's easy to fix. The carbon steel can rust, but I use mine, so it doesn't get the chance to develop rust. It's a little bit bulky in the pocket, but not where it becomes annoying. If I had a choice of having only one knife for the rest of my life, my humble, inexpensive Opinel No.9 would be the first one that comes to mind. The lock is strong and simple. The blade can get frightingly sharp very easily and keeps its edge long enough for my uses. It slices extremely well. It's more durable than most will think. I have modded it a little bit, sanding the handle and turning it into a drop point, but that was recently, it's not something one NEEDS to do, and I've had it for a while. One can understand why Opinels have been going on for so long

Lets see what you all think, and if you have found your perfect knife, let us know! :)
 
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Your "grail" costs $13! Inconceivable :eek:

I hear they are very good knives. I also like knives that are simple and sound.
 
Opinel are excellent knives. They work and work well. I find them comfortable to use in-hand but perhaps less so in the pocket when I'm wearing jeans. Nevertheless, they are fantastic folders!

As for me, if I didn't like knives so much and didn't feel the need to rotate between several different models, I'd just carry my Vic Pioneer all the time. Good-lookin', useful tool selection, affordable, easy to maintain, non-threatening, pocket-friendly... :thumbup:

pioneer01_zps52e03f32.jpg


-Brett
 
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I too like the no.9. A great knife for most chores a folder can be called upon to perform. Simple, sharp, and inexpensive. :D
 
Yes the Opinel is simply perfect. No two ways about it. You cannot get a better value for the money. Light weight, sharp and sturdy.
 
emjay said:
Out of all of the knives I own, my Opinel No.9 gets the most use, simply because it's the perfect knife for me. It does everything I need it for perfectly. It just cuts so well and feels good in the hand. Most knives get used for food prep, and that's what I use this Opinel for the most, but also for utility and EDC. From cutting onions to butchering a chicken to filleting a fish to doing utility work like cutting cable ties or cardboard, it just does everything so well. I'm not one of those people who batons my knife or chops wood with it. I use the right tool for the right job, if I want to chop wood, I'll use a panga. I don't have the need to baton wood, so don't do that, because I have a good amount of smaller twigs when making a fire

The blade isn't very long, being under 4 inches, and you feel that lack in length when cutting a big potato or onion. But it's not bad. The wood swells yeah, but that's easy to fix. The carbon steel can rust, but I use mine, so it doesn't get the chance to develop rust. It's a little bit bulky in the pocket, but not where it becomes annoying. If I had a choice of having only one knife for the rest of my life, my humble, inexpensive Opinel No.9 would be the first one that comes to mind. The lock is strong and simple. The blade can get frightingly sharp very easily and keeps its edge long enough for my uses. It slices extremely well. It's more durable than most will think. I have modded it a little bit, sanding the handle and turning it into a drop point, but that was recently, it's not something one NEEDS to do, and I've had it for a while. One can understand why Opinels have been going on for so long
Lets see what you all think, and if you have found your perfect knife, let us know! :)
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Couldn't have said it better, except I carry a #6 in carbone. Disappears in your pocket, yet up to any job I ask of it, and about 5 minutes worth of work in bringing it back to razor sharp. What more could you ask of an EDC? (Just noticed this is my 1000th post. :triumphant:)

Blessings,

Omar
 
My number 7 see's a lot of use. I really didn't want to like it but it just won me over.

Jim
 
I just got my first Opinel last week - I actually won it in a GAW in the traditional forum. I am so intrigued with this No8 I just can't put it down. It is a nice size, but for my big hands I think a No9 would be perfect and will be my next knife order.

I'm going through a phase of trying lots of different knives to find what I like, plus ones I can open/close easily because of fingers/hands that don't work so well. I love all the traditional knives for their handles and history behind them, but I've already sold off quite a few that I just can't open. Then enter the Opinel - works perfectly for me. So simple yet so elegant. I'm looking forward to buying a few more in different sizes and do some light modifications to them over the long winter months.

I'm so glad I won that No8 - it actually changed my outlook on folding knives!
 
Yup, you can't really go wrong. simple, utilitarian beauty in these knives.

if I had a number six for Edc, and a number nine for outdoors my every need would be met.
 
I like my opinel but..

you cant get them wet, hard to clean/maintain. that pretty much killed any EDC potential for me.
 
I find the #9 too bulky for daily pocket carry, but I keep one always in my briefcase as a backup. :thumbup:
And for backpacking and hiking the bulkiness of a #9 doesn't bother me at all because I can keep it in the pack or the cargo pocket of my hiking shorts.

you cant get them wet,
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That's not really true. They can get a little stiff to open, but I carried Opinel knives for years working in the Arkansas forests and never had a deal-breaker problem.

hard to clean/maintain.
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Nothing could be farther from the truth. They don't really need any "maintenance," especially the stainless models. They are super-easy to sharpen, the carbon blades especially get razor sharp almost effortlessly.

Take the knife out of pocket, cut something with it, and put it back in pocket. Sharpen occasionally.
Can't really get lower maintenance than that. ;)

Some folks go really overboard and put a drop of Vaseline in the joint to keep the wood from swelling. Wheh, I'm not sure a ten dollar knife is worth that much effort. :D

The biggest problem is getting sand in the locking ring when working and living in the desert.
 
monger4142 said:
I like my opinel but..

you cant get them wet, hard to clean/maintain. that pretty much killed any EDC potential for me.
Click to expand...

Bob W. pretty much covered it. I'm probably gonna buy one of these suckers soon. Can't stop reading good things about them.
 
gotta echo the last two posts. an opinel is no harder to maintain than any other folding knife, stainless or otherwise. mine sees a lot of food prep and my current method of cleaning is exactly like any kitchen knife. hold it under running water and wipe it off. I never oil it, have never modified or treated the pivot area in any way.
 
I too agree that an Opinel isn't any more difficult to maintain than other folders. I keep mine organized in a Maxpedition pouch and use each knife size for different purposes. They range from a No. 6 to a No. 9.

image.php
 
I love my little opinel, and they are so cheap to customize to make my own

WP_001256_zps84c95a0e.jpg
 

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Number 9.....Number 9.....Number 9.....(if you are old enough to remember). OK, I MUST buy the Number 9! It will be my first Opinel.

HARDBALL
 
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