Thursday, August 07, 2008

Opinel Knife - Hard to Beat for the Price



I like Opinel knives and always have.

They are dirt cheap (cost is about $8), and have fairly large blades that lock with a flip of an odd little collar mechanism unique to Opinel knives.

There is nothing but a single blade -- no screw driver or tooth pick or folding saw or pliars. There is just the one thin blade of fairly soft steel that is easy to sharpen.

This is not a stainless steel blade -- these knives will rust and demand a warm pocket to stay rust-free.

The trick with an Opinel is to set the oven on and to bake the entire knife on low heat for quite a while. The heat should be low enough that the metal is not blued and the wooden handle is not scortched, but merely dried out quite a lot. When this is done the action on the blade loosens up and you can pull the knife with one hand, open it with a flick, and lock the blade with your thumb. Perfect.

And if you lose a knife or break one, you do not worry about it too much as the cost is very low.

Williams and Sonoma carries these knives, as do numerous other stores, and the #8 is the right size for my money.
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1 comment:

  1. Sean1:04 PM

    Patrick,

    Another trick to prepare your opinel for field word is to soak the blade in near boiling vinegar for 3-5 minutes (have never timed it just watch it). You can paint it on with a cotton ball and tongs, but I just open the blade to 90 degress and stand the knife in a pan with just enough vinegar to cover the blade. This will put an even charcoal gray patina on the blade that really slows rust and looks fantastic. If you work at it you can even turn the blade near black.

    Rinse very well with cold running water, put a light coat of oil on it and then stick it in the oven to dry the handle.

    If you like the Opinels as a field tool, you should take a look at Mora Knives as well. A Mora #1 hung around your neck is handier than an knife in the pocket and you never have to open it. At 9 bucks and change these little gems from Sweden are unbeatable..

    http://www.bensbackwoods.com/servlet/Detail?no=10

    http://www.bensbackwoods.com/servlet/Detail?no=735

    Sean

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