Opinel locks: yea or nay?

[dogstar]

How do people like the Virobloc locking ring on Opinels? Do you use them always, sometimes, seldom, or never? I know some folks go out of their way to remove them.

 

[Jack Black]

I don't know if it's still the case, but the TV outdoorsman Ray Mears used to have an aversion (irrational IMO) to folders, and wouldn't allow people to carry them on his courses. The reason for this was that one of his students managed to sever a tendon in their finger while on a course, when the lock on their knife failed. The knife in question was an Opinel, and I imagine that what had happened is that the locking ring had not been properly engaged. However, I don't like this type of lock, and were I to carry an Opinel, I'd remove it.

 

[BJE]

I find it to be a great lock design, very simple and effective though not particularly quick to use. When I do carry an opinel with the lock ring, I only use it for extended cutting tasks where lock speed isn't that important. The opinels I EDC have had the lock rings removed and the blades tightened, turning them into friction folders.

The thing I hate most about the ring lock, is that pocket lint and dirt make it under the ring and makes the action of the lock gritty, feels like metal galling until it is cleaned out.
I prefer opinels without it as I like the simplicity of the friction folder and the smoother more reliable action. I have never found the lock to be necessary in daily use.

 

[Jack Black]

The thing I hate most about the ring lock, is that pocket lint and dirt make it under the ring and makes the action of the lock gritty, feels like metal galling until it is cleaned out.

Yes I do think it's a bit of a dirt trap. I suspect that the addition of locking ring was market driven rather than safety driven. I doubt too many old French men had problems with the old non-locking models.

 

[herisson]

I consider the lock ring (and any lock, by the way) to add the same safety as a very strong spring. I appreciate it but still use the knife like I would a friction folder. The Opinel ring has advantages over other lock systems : easy to remove and adjust (or clean...), locks the blade open and closed, thumb actuation in a flick both ways, adds (almost) no weight, simple as ever... And the knife looks better with the ring (but that's just my taste). I hardly ever see a lockless Opinel nowadays. I suppose people who work with them daily appreciate the fact that the lock allows for some random or uncontrolled moves without losing a finger.

 

[Stich2442]

I've had great luck with Opinel, I've used ( might even say abused which is something I wouldn't do with other knives ) them extremely hard daily at work for years and have never had a failure of the lock. I find with most tools that fail it is operator malfunction , my motto is stupid should hurt or cost you, I've fallen victim to myself and just prior I said if I saw a employee doing this I would say something half a second latter blood and a trip to the ER, I was stupid and it hurt & costed me time. I think you would be hard pressed to have a Opinel lock fail, not saying it couldn't happen, but in my experience with years of hard Opinel work it has never happened .

Pete

 

[fadugleman]

I use my carbon 7 frequently and have never had problems with the lock.

 

[Jack Black]

I consider the lock ring (and any lock, by the way) to add the same safety as a very strong spring. I appreciate it but still use the knife like I would a friction folder.

Very wise :thumbup:

The Opinel ring has advantages over other lock systems : easy to remove and adjust (or clean...), locks the blade open and closed, thumb actuation in a flick both ways, adds (almost) no weight, simple as ever... And the knife looks better with the ring (but that's just my taste).

Good points :thumbup:

I hardly ever see a lockless Opinel nowadays.

They're becoming more common in the UK because of our wierd knife laws.

I suppose people who work with them daily appreciate the fact that the lock allows for some random or uncontrolled moves without losing a finger.

Until they forget to slide it over

I've had great luck with Opinel, I've used ( might even say abused which is something I wouldn't do with other knives ) them extremely hard daily at work for years and have never had a failure of the lock. I find with most tools that fail it is operator malfunction , my motto is stupid should hurt or cost you, I've fallen victim to myself and just prior I said if I saw a employee doing this I would say something half a second latter blood and a trip to the ER, I was stupid and it hurt & costed me time. I think you would be hard pressed to have a Opinel lock fail, not saying it couldn't happen, but in my experience with years of hard Opinel work it has never happened .

Long may your fingers stay intact Pete :thumbup: I agree that accidents are more likely to be caused by the ring not being locked or not locked properly than by any form of mechanical failure, which seems unlikely to say the least.

 

[pinnah]

So, I think there are, or shortly will be, 2 conversations going in this thread that I think make more sense keeping separate. The first is the question of locks vs non-locking folders. The second is the Opinel's lock ring vs other styles of locks.

On the first question, people of good conscience can disagree and when they do, I think it's best to agree to disagree. I understand the inherent risks of both and prefer locking folders.

With respect to the locking, it's failure mode is different than that of liner locks or lockbacks. With the latter, it's Gomer Pyle (Surprise, Surprise, surprise). With the Opinel, it's more like the grumpy shop teacher (I warned you and you didn't listen, did you?).

The way an Opinel can close unexpectedly is for the lockring to turn on its own. I find this is more apt to happen when using like a fixes blade, leaving it in the locked position and pi kicking it up, using it and putting down a lot.

There are 2 ways to manage this. One is to literally keep your thumb on the ring to monitor it. This is the warning. The other is to file the top of the ring so it can turned further as described in this link.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/28597626/tuning-opinels.txt

In terms of durability, IME the Opinel wins hands down. I had 2 Bucks develop vertical blade play in a year bad enough to send to Buck. I use my Opinels harder and they don't budge.

 

[Jack Black]

A very interesting and insightful post as always sir :thumbup:

 

[jimmyd1982]

My opinel has become my ”go to” knife in the kitchen. Mine stays locked open.

 

[Stich2442]

For clarification of my previous post my stupid accident was not caused by a Opinel, it back when I was a Chef and was a 16" French slicer I had just sharpened and involved a 60 lb steamship of beef I was preparing for a wedding, the accident could have been a lot worst, I was so mad because as I was doing what I was dong I knew it was not proper and stupid. I'm still mad at myself 16 years later.

Pete

 

[coaltrain]

Timely thread for me. Since I've pretty much given up on most slip joints because I simply can't open them (RA), I'm now experimenting with a couple Opinels. The friction action is easier than any slip joint I have tried, but with the 3 Opinels I have so far I can't turn the locking ring.

Thanks for the link pinnah - when I get a day where my fingers work some I am going to try a couple of the modifications listed.

 

[Ryan Sumner]

I carry this one in my back pocket with my handkerchief and is my go-to food knife. I took the ring off because carrying locking knives in Australia is a bit iffy... That being said I prefer opinels, and most knives, to not have a lock.

 

[sitflyer]

I leave the rings on them. Sometimes if just making a quick cut, I won't bother engaging the lock. Four different one's reside in my cooking cutlery drawer. When using them for food prep they are locked open, and put away open if heavy washing is involved.

 

[puukkoman]

Lots of folks remove them completely. I leave mine in place, but don't always use them. I think it's a very good locking system, pretty foolproof and quite secure.

 

[buzp]

I don't carry my opinel anymore after it sliced my finger. I was stripping bark from a limb, the blade hit a knot and the handle kept going forward till finger met blade. I must not have correctly engaged the ring or it had worked loose during use and I didn't check it often enough. Either way, I now only use the opinel for light tasks, like cutting vegetables in the garden and I never carry it in the field.

 

[dannyp]

I only use the lock on mine if I'm cutting something where the blade may bind in the material
or for piercing cuts. The rest of the time I don't bother with it. Like any locking folder, I only trust it to a certain extent and treat it like I would any other folding knife. Having a lock is no excuse for being careless or foolish about proper knife handling.

 

[numbersman]

I was cutting up some cardboard boxes one night, to fit in the recycling bin, and didn't engage the lock on my Number 8. On a forward stroke the knife folded up and came withing a whisker of giving me a nasty cut. Since then I never use it without engaging the locking ring. Safety first.

 

[Will Power]

Historically, I believe the locking collar is a relatively recent affair, sometime in the 1950s. But, I like the collar, its simplicity and durability. True it can foul up, and moisture can start doing odd things, but this is often the case with slipjoints too. The collar must be properly twisted though, otherwise...:barf:

Opinels seem rather polarising knives, like or loathe. I admire them a lot and find them supremely clever and useful as well. The grip and lightweight of the Opinel make it a 'must' for me at least.