I just picked up an Opinel (#8, carbon) from SMKW and was surprised to find that it does not have the locking ring - which is what I thought Opinels were renowned for. Looking closely at SMKW's website, I see a number of Opinels that also have a fixed metal ring, which is apparent from the pin holding it to the handle. Was anyone else aware of this?
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Opinel without locking ring
- Thread starter cmc
- Start date
The Tourist
Banned
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2001
- Messages
- 2,796
Yes, I'm afraid it's true, not all Opinels have locking rings. I think even the big ten inch saw has no ring. Yikes!
I tend to buy the 2-inch, 3-inch and the 4-inch models. Most of them get given away to my friends (who are sheeple) and need a knife. I'll never give away my OP-84 3" stainless, that one I'll keep. And truth be told, it still stains, just 'slowly.'
I tend to buy the 2-inch, 3-inch and the 4-inch models. Most of them get given away to my friends (who are sheeple) and need a knife. I'll never give away my OP-84 3" stainless, that one I'll keep. And truth be told, it still stains, just 'slowly.'
thanks for the heads up on this - I wasn't aware of this -
an Opinel #8 (4 3/8"closed) withOUT locking ring?
If one looks at the Opinel Website Catalog
(it's in French but one can easily translate the text by using Systran translation )
Here's the translated Page
The only model denoted as: * Without safety ring was:
CODE DESIGNATION LENGTH. BLADE
121040 N 4I * 5 cm
But looking at the SMKW on-line catalog - like you said -
the Opinel 4-3/8" Carbon Folder with Beechwood OP111080 (which I think is the #8?) (@ $5.99)the photo
seems to show it lacks a locking ring by the exposed rivet
BUT further complicating all this - the Opinel 4-3/8" Stainless Folder with Beechwood Handle OP123080 (#84 stainless) (@ $8.99)
shows a locking ring.
Confused? (I am)
Because the smaller Opinel 4" Carbon Folder with Beechwood Handle OP113070 (@ $7.49) (#7?)
appears to show a locking ring.........
I think the Hint is in
(1) the pricing, and
(2) the catalog #'s
The culprit Opinel 4-3/8" Carbon Folder with Beechwood OP111080 is priced @ $5.99 -
whereas the smaller
Opinel 4" Carbon Folder with Beechwood Handle OP113070 is priced higher @ $7.49
why? could it be the locking ring?
Catalog #'s
OP111080 for the Opinel 4-3/8" Carbon Folder with Beechwood
OP113070 for the Opinel 4" Carbon Folder with Beechwood Handle
Note the leading
OP111xxx without locking ring,
OP113xxx with locking ring
Perhaps there are 2 series of Opinels the OP111- series without locking rings and the OP113- with locking rings?
and priced accordingly?
Now that I posed that question - I went back to the Opinel website catalog page and now can see that this series:
CODE DESIGNATION LENGTH. BLADE
111020 N°2 3.5 cm
111030 N°3 4 cm
111040 N°4 5 cm
111050 N°5 6 cm
111060 N°6 7 cm
111080 N°8 8.5 cm
shows a heading photo:
of a knife without locking ring
and this series:
CODE DESIGNATION LENGTH. BLADE
113060 6 VRN 7 cm
113070 7 VRN 8 cm
113080 8 VRN 8.5 cm
113090 9 VRN 9 cm
113100 10 VRN 10 cm
113120 12 VRN 12 cm
shows a heading photo:
of a #8? with locking ring.......
BUT that photo is in between these 2 series and its URL is actually:
http://www.opinel.com/images/img_cata2/111080.jpg
see that file name - 111080.jpg?
The number 111080 looks way too suspiciously like a model number that starts with a 111-....
so I remain confused
an Opinel #8 (4 3/8"closed) withOUT locking ring?
If one looks at the Opinel Website Catalog
(it's in French but one can easily translate the text by using Systran translation )
Here's the translated Page
The only model denoted as: * Without safety ring was:
CODE DESIGNATION LENGTH. BLADE
121040 N 4I * 5 cm
But looking at the SMKW on-line catalog - like you said -
the Opinel 4-3/8" Carbon Folder with Beechwood OP111080 (which I think is the #8?) (@ $5.99)the photo
seems to show it lacks a locking ring by the exposed rivet
BUT further complicating all this - the Opinel 4-3/8" Stainless Folder with Beechwood Handle OP123080 (#84 stainless) (@ $8.99)
shows a locking ring.
Confused? (I am)
Because the smaller Opinel 4" Carbon Folder with Beechwood Handle OP113070 (@ $7.49) (#7?)
appears to show a locking ring.........
I think the Hint is in
(1) the pricing, and
(2) the catalog #'s
The culprit Opinel 4-3/8" Carbon Folder with Beechwood OP111080 is priced @ $5.99 -
whereas the smaller
Opinel 4" Carbon Folder with Beechwood Handle OP113070 is priced higher @ $7.49
why? could it be the locking ring?
Catalog #'s
OP111080 for the Opinel 4-3/8" Carbon Folder with Beechwood
OP113070 for the Opinel 4" Carbon Folder with Beechwood Handle
Note the leading
OP111xxx without locking ring,
OP113xxx with locking ring
Perhaps there are 2 series of Opinels the OP111- series without locking rings and the OP113- with locking rings?
and priced accordingly?
Now that I posed that question - I went back to the Opinel website catalog page and now can see that this series:
CODE DESIGNATION LENGTH. BLADE
111020 N°2 3.5 cm
111030 N°3 4 cm
111040 N°4 5 cm
111050 N°5 6 cm
111060 N°6 7 cm
111080 N°8 8.5 cm
shows a heading photo:
of a knife without locking ring
and this series:
CODE DESIGNATION LENGTH. BLADE
113060 6 VRN 7 cm
113070 7 VRN 8 cm
113080 8 VRN 8.5 cm
113090 9 VRN 9 cm
113100 10 VRN 10 cm
113120 12 VRN 12 cm
shows a heading photo:
of a #8? with locking ring.......
BUT that photo is in between these 2 series and its URL is actually:
http://www.opinel.com/images/img_cata2/111080.jpg
see that file name - 111080.jpg?
The number 111080 looks way too suspiciously like a model number that starts with a 111-....
so I remain confused
I haven´t looked at many new Opinels and there may be some models I don´t know of (knives, haven´t seen the saw) but I have seen a lot and had some for well over 20 years and I have never seen a #6 or larger without a lock or a #5 or smaller with one. I think an Opinel without a lock is an accident waiting to happen.
Esav Benyamin
MidniteSuperMod
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2000
- Messages
- 90,915
The trick to using an Opinel without a locking ring is to figure out first where on the blade the cutting edge is. 
thanks for this interesting post. I have one of the little Opinel #5s, & it does not have the locking ring. I wish it did, but carry it anyway, & so far haven't had a problem with it opening in my pocket or otherwise presenting a danger. I only use it for low-demand tasks, though.
Great knives BTW -- they can be made *very* sharp so are great for food, or around the office for cutting newspaper articles, etc.They are also inexpensive, small, very lightweight, & unthreatening, so they are good in public settings.
Andrew
Great knives BTW -- they can be made *very* sharp so are great for food, or around the office for cutting newspaper articles, etc.They are also inexpensive, small, very lightweight, & unthreatening, so they are good in public settings.
Andrew
all the above.....although there are (much) larger models of the Opinel....
Opinels are sharp -
actually to be more precise, they cut very well, because of the blade profile.
If you get a brand new out-of-the-box Opinel and look carefully at the blade -
(1) the blade face is a convex grind - that supports the cutting edge and helps part the medium the knife is cutting through.
(2) the actual cutting edge is formed from the continuation of the convex grind of the blade face - ie: there is no separate edge bevel -
this gives a continuous cutting edge without any abrupt discontinuity (like the corner between a separate edge bevel and the blade face); one can feel this (safely) by pinching the blade face and pulling the blade toward the edge.
Traditional Japanese swords (katanas) are made like this - that's why the legendary/almost mythical cutting ability associated with these.
Of course most people don't/can't maintain this continuous convex edge, and most examples of Opinels that have been re-sharpened will probably have lost the continuous convex edge -
if the owners were even aware of this feature in the first place.......
The Tourist
Banned
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2001
- Messages
- 2,796
My idea of Opinels and the French is "even a blind squirrel finds an acorn once in a while."
I carry one in my jean jacket all of the time. Great knives.
I carry one in my jean jacket all of the time. Great knives.
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2003
- Messages
- 1,131
I have a carbon one with the locking ring. Is the one without the ring simular exept from the ring??? Doesnt this make the blade kind of hang lose. If I dont twist the ring it folds together even by the light weight of the thin blade facing the floor. Sounds a bit dangerous for the fingers and also a bit inpraktical.
Opinels are "Friction" folders they rely on friction between the blade and the handle/scales to reamin open/closed.
Your sample sounds as though the wood may have shrunk somewhat lessening the friction - you could somehow re-introduce some moisture to the wood to swell it a little to get the friction back. Or remove the locking ring and preen the pivot rivet a little to tighten the blade up.
In either case do this carefully/gradually so as not to over tighten the blade. For re-moisturizing - water probably is not ideal - try some oil meant for wood.
The current locking Opinels have a cut-out on the ring to rotate lock the knife closed as well
- earlier "classic" Opinels did not have this and relied soley on the friction to keep the knife closed
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2003
- Messages
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Thanks for the klarification abaut the friction and the tip of remoustering my knife. Will do it tomorrow.
To keep it closed I drilled a hole in the back of the handle and uses some elastic cord as a short kind of lanyard to go around the handle and over the tip of the blade.
I kind of like this simple knife and uses it quite a bit for dirtyjobb like taking care of small fish and birds. Mostly because it takes a good edge, is easy to resharpen and is very easy to keep clean. Most often I use other one or twobladed knives in the same range of grosse. Cant really say that they ar better for this kind of work, but its some kind of more pleasening with a more beautiful and wellmade knife. But he simpleness and low weight of the opinel kind of gives it a good fealing to.
To keep it closed I drilled a hole in the back of the handle and uses some elastic cord as a short kind of lanyard to go around the handle and over the tip of the blade.
I kind of like this simple knife and uses it quite a bit for dirtyjobb like taking care of small fish and birds. Mostly because it takes a good edge, is easy to resharpen and is very easy to keep clean. Most often I use other one or twobladed knives in the same range of grosse. Cant really say that they ar better for this kind of work, but its some kind of more pleasening with a more beautiful and wellmade knife. But he simpleness and low weight of the opinel kind of gives it a good fealing to.
here an (US) Opinel Catalog page that may help with the models and catalog #s and
I used to think my Opinels were unique because I fixed the ring to lock when closed, now the new ones have that.
Another nice thing about Opinels is that the handles are easy to customize, all of mine have lanyards, one I jigged with a Dremel and I´ve carved a funny face on the old carbon #7.
Another nice thing about Opinels is that the handles are easy to customize, all of mine have lanyards, one I jigged with a Dremel and I´ve carved a funny face on the old carbon #7.