So a few weeks ago I realized I needed (wanted?) a new pocket knife and started looking around for one that would fit my needs. I wanted a folding knife with a stainless steel blade for ease of maintenance and a wood handle. It should also be small enough to a) be legal (my state caps the blade length at 4 inches) and b) convenient to carry around in my bag/pocket. I finally found just what I was looking for in the Opinel line of folding knives. Opinel is a French company that have been making knives since 1890 and heck, even Picasso used one to sculpt with In France 'Opinel' has become a term for any wood-handled pocketknife - sort of how we use "QTip" etc. So, I plunked down $19 (incl. shipping) as I opted to 'splurge' on the rather beautiful darkwood Bubinga handle - with Scandinavian stainless steel! One of the biggest decisions, apart from the type of wood, is what size you want. I wanted something small and non intimidating and went with the no. 6 knife which is the smallest knife that have the virobloc twistlock to secure the blade with. I found it to be the perfect size for me when it arrived but I believe the most popular size is the no 8. I've already used this little thing a few times and let me tell you this..this knife has some bite to it! (Now I may also pick up the carbon blade version to try that one out....). Some pics, as we all love pics: (Btw, in one picture you can see the Opinel logo, a "crowned hand" or "main couronnée" which has been their logo since 1909. On my knife you can also see the word "INOX" which is only on the stainless steel blades as INOX is from "INOXidable", meaning "non-oxidizable or stainless steel). Anyone interested in more history this is a great link: http://www.opinel-musee.com/uk/il4-knife...-hand.aspx
I liked that as I could pick; - size, - wood, and - type of blade Gave it a very 'custom' shopping experience. I got just the size, blade and wood that I wanted
Happy to hear I thought the no 6 was going to be too small but I've used it for a couple of days now and find it to be a great size. "Next" Opinel may be a no 7 or no 8 in Carbon...but for now I am truly enjoying this knife. And, really, if you're a guy...you need to have at least ONE knife...even in these days of digital/intangible work places
I still have an old No. 8 with a carbon steel blade that I got about 30 years ago. I used it for backpacking quite a bit and it's a great knife for that kind of stuff. Nice and light but tough enough if you don't abuse it. The carbon blades get a nice patina on them that I like too.
To increase your KAD a bit...did you know this about the Opinel knife? In 1985 the Victoria and Albert Museum in London selected the Opinel as part of an exhibit celebrating the “100 most beautiful products in the world”, featuring the Opinel alongside the Porsche 911 sports car and the Rolex watch The Opinel was also selected as one of the 999 classic designs in Phaidon Design Classics has been exhibited by the New York's Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) as a design masterpiece People also 'mod' these knives quite a bit. Some great examples here: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showth...pinel-mods
Have had my Opinel for a month now and it has proven to be an extremely useful knife. It's small enough for me to comfortably put it in a pants pocket even though it mostly lives in my bag. Heck...I've even used it to cut up a pizza Some of the best $20 I've spent.
I have seen then before. they remind me of the case sodbuster line I like a little more point to the blade. I'm always using the point to clean under my nails.
I've got an Amazon gift card and think I might get one of these. I've got some questions though, and am hoping you guys can help out. I'm looking at the 8, 9 or 10. What are the big differences between carbon and stainless for the blade? Honestly, I never pay attention to that but since now there's a specific choice, I'd like to figure out which one would serve me best. Looking on Amazon, I see a big price descrepancy between the knives. They're all inexpensive, and I know with multiple sellers you'll find a range of prices, but it seems more than that. I see 10's for under $11, and similar 8 or 9's in the low $20's. Is this mainly just the seller, or is there something I'm missing? Also, I'm not married to any type of wood handle. Is there a type of wood I should get over a different one, or just buy whichever one looks good to me?
Easy enough, I do that with my knives anyway. I think it's a toss up between this one: http://amzn.to/SE1e51 and this one: http://amzn.to/1s78RLw
Carbon: A lot of people that hone their own knives love this as it is very easy to get sharp and it gets VERY sharp. It does require a bit maintenance, but it also develops a 'patina' many people love - an 'aged' look to the metal. Stainless Steel: Mirror-polished, less of a patina, less maintenance. I can't compare but many people say a bit less sharp than the carbon. Wood: Very much up to you. Go here: http://www.opinel-usa.com/ and click on 'Outdoor' and spend an hour looking at all the various wood options out there Size: Also a personal choice. Only real difference, apart from size, is that it's only size 6 and up that comes with the twist-lock for the blade. Here's a video by someone on youtube that have a lot of different wood handles so you can see them next to eachother - and also show some Carbon patina..and the mirrorpolish of the SS ones
