Don't some people know how to open an Opinel pocket knife properly. The end of the handle is shaped to be tapped to open the blade slightly so as to then open fully. The Opinel was made for fishermen so they get wet.
People can modify their tools to fit their needs. For example i like to be able to open my knife with my hands without using a flat surface to tap on. Ofcourse if you like the original design you can keep it.
Yep. My grandad, a French far worker, always had an Opinel with him. Being stiff to open, requiring a rap against something, is an advantage when there was no locking device, as originally made. Outstanding design that was cleverly enhanced with a very neat lock - that required little to no modification of the original design.
I'm french yes tap it and you Can open it with one hand. With some training no need more tapping. But i don't think it was made for fishermen..... Savoie is a mountain region far from the sea. Each french region has a traditional knife. Maybe 20 differents knives. Opinel IS the most famous around the World.
For the treatment of the wood and pivot point use 1 part white bees wax to part 4 parts mineral oil(not spirits), put it into a double boiler and bring up to temp, mix and put into a container to cool. Use this mixture with a hair dryer or a heat gun to treat the wood. In hotter climates reduce the amount of mineral oil. This mixture is great for any wooden handle implement, knives and cutting boards.
@@ThrHillSeeker The mixture works brilliantly on chopping boards/butcher blocks. Rub into the wood and let it absorb for at least 15 minutes, preferably for 25 hours before wiping off excess with a lint free cloth. Apply every week for the first month and then every 3 to 4 weeks there after. Make sure to use food grade mineral oil( Easily found at most pharmacies. This works great for all wooden tools. If you want a bit of a grippier surface, wipe clean with a cloth and then apply only bees wax from a bees wax bar.
Use the Opinel knock. Fold the knife. Hold the metal collar and knock the end of the knife on your table. Now the blade is open enough for you to pull it open.
Thanks for the instruction. I'm looking to take my blade out to fix a similar tightness as well as to do a force patina on the blade (and maybe the collars). It will be tempting to add a lanyard hole and to do the cutout for the nail nick. Cheers from San Francisco Bay.
Thanks for sharing this little tip I was looking into getting one of those knives for UK edc do you know what number I would need for it to be uk legal? My edc is a victorinox Red Swiss Army knife and it's great but I wanted one of those two go with it thanks again for sharing this post👍
Thanks for commenting. The number 6 has a 7 cm blade so is UK legal in terms of blade length however it would also need to be non-locking. They do make a non-locking version or you can pop the locking ring off of a regular one to make it a friction folder.
I remove all of the finish after carving out more room for the nail nick. After cleaning it I soak it in danish oil. Then I wipe off the excess and let it dry overnight. I often do this at least 3 times. This has greatly reduced swelling from moisture. I have also used polyurethane that has been thinned 50% with mineral spirits as the final coat. Also ring spreading plyers helps with the locking ring.
Thanks for commenting! The rivets were cut to length (the width of the handle) from a piece of 2mm aluminium rod that we had lying around. Hope that helps, sorry I don't have more specifics to hand.
@@elikalman9066 I'm pretty sure it was just rods from a hardware shop that were being used for building or reinforcing some kind of frame. Adam (who made the video) usually uses higher gauge welding rods. I'm sure a piece of welding rod of that size would work equally well.
Stiff opening is usually caused bu gunge in the hinge area, dried vegetable oil or similar, take off the blade and clean up the hinge area. Remove/replace locking ring with circlip pliers. A Frenchman will open his Opinel by tapping the outer part of the handle, on the blade side, against a suitable object, it becomes second nature very quickly
Drip candle wax on to end grain of wooden handle and then apply heat from a hair dryer or heat gun until all the melted wax absorbs into the wood. Wax has the affinity to absorb into fine pores when heated for a short period and will work into the fine areas and permanently bond in to the wooden handle providing a water tight seal and good lubrication without the need to oil pivot point.
Thanks for commenting, that's a great idea. I'll have to give that a go. I imagine that by using coloured wax you can also impart a subtle colour on the wood.
@@fv7594 Bees wax works the same as all other waxes, the plus is the honey smell but at a high cost of $8 to $12 per pound while common candle wax is at a fraction of $1 to $2 per pound.
I struggled like hell with the pin and could not get it knocked out at all. I had to drill it out, which is not easy since the end of the pin is not flat and it is ny impossible to lock the handle in place for drilling (I think a vise would crush the handle so I held it by hand) 😞 I wish they would make the pins easier to remove... On my son's Inox the pin even seemed to be partly fused with the collar...very annoying.
Hi im french, and I Can understand but on the back f your Opinel your had two flat Surface are design. They are made for what we calling : the hit of the savoyard. If your hit on the table, the corner of your Opinel Is become very simple to open :). Hop your understand m'y english, and hoping that Can helping english man
How did you just hammer out the rivet? Did you cut off the rivet head first? If so, how? I tried cutting off the head with a dremel and it’s just made a bit of a mess. I’m about to drill it out with the ol’ drill press unless you have some tips that will save the day 🤣
It was just a good whack with the pin punch. The rivet didn't have much of a head at all, it was really just a pin. Maybe yours is a bit different? If it looks like it should come out but it's not moving, the wood might be a little damp and swollen. It could be worth trying to dry it out. Good luck!
In my first try, I used a screwdriver and I couldn't do it. A punch works great for it without. It also doesn't damage the wood and the metal, you can use the old pin without problem
@@matteoperrone2253 My pin did not come out at all, I had to cut the wood. I printed a 3d version so I did not care. But your advice is better than what he shows in this video.
For those of you who don’t own an Opinel, just go out and buy one. I am not sure what these sell for in Europe but I paid 15 dollars for my #9 Carbone. The carbon steel ones can be made wicked sharp. I like classic knives from around the world and I would highly recommend the German Mercator k55k. All metal construction and so light it is a pleasure to carry. You’ll forget it is in your pocket. From my home country, I highly recommend the Buck 110 for those of you that butcher livestock or hunt. It is very comfortable in hand and makes very precise cuts into meat. I forgot to mention that I bought the k55k for 30 dollars and the Buck 110 for 37 dollars.
I've tried various 'tap on the flat spot' solutions to open the No. 6 I've got here. Nothing budged. However, the pivot is silky-smooth, and the blade, with a flick of the wrist, and a little practice, can be made to pop out -- even to the fully-open position: with the collar twisted to unlock, hold the wood of the handle (thumb above and at least the index and middle fingers below) and with the body running along a line 45º to your forearm; cock things by moving your hand inward, toward your body, then flick your hand horizontally, from the wrist, outward. The start position described immediately above is very nearly the position your hand would be in if you were holding a handgun... I would suggest that you can obviate the need to sand the groove of the handle (which, if absolutely necessary, need only involve the area near the pivot/pin because the blade _is already_ tapered toward the cutting edge) by, instead, lapping and polishing the area around the hole in the blade. Lapping there will remove a tiny bit of material on that part of the blade that is _necessarily_ in contact with the handle. Polishing that same area will provide a marginally smoother bearing surface. Which is to the good. If you'd prefer a bit of drag at the pivot, you should be able to peen the replacement pivot/pin to 'adjust' the friction in the swing of the blade _before_ you re-install the locking collar.
Opinel compresses the pin a lot . Especially for a wood handle. I lengthend and narrowed the pin. It fits looser...I also sanded the groove of the handle. I oiled the lock sleeve when I finished
I have small amounts of play in the blade after closing it. Obviously it doesn't matter that much because you carve the other direction. Still drives me mad.
l'Opinel est toujours dur à ouvrir pour des raison de sécurité. La lame reste bien dans le manche en toutes circonstances (si ce n'est plus le cas il faut l'ouvrir et le resserrer. Ce que vous sembler ignorer c'est qu'un Opinel s'ouvre en le frappant. Vous le tenez entre le pouce et l'index coté de la virole et vous frappez l'excroissance du manche à l'opposé sur n'importe quoi d'un peu dur ou même le talon de votre chaussure ... et la lame sort suffisamment de façon à pourvoir l'ouvrir facilement. 3:30 czcams.com/video/d26rZStWtTQ/video.html
They do but the wood naturally swells up with moisture. If they cut out more material then the blade would be loose and sloppy. Best to soak or boil the handle in walnut oil from the supermarket Danish oil,Linseed oil, or similar.
But ... why easier is needed? Why don't just open that knife the way it was supposed to be opened (or how the French peasants opened it) - tap the very bottom of the knife on a hard surface with the whole blade back pointing down, while holding it on the metal part and the blade will show up enough to open it easily.
Ho capito perché questa inutile modifica. Smetti di mangiarti le unghie, un'altra cosa inutile e schifosa. Gli opinel hanno la tacca per l'unghia già studiata alla perfezione. Rovinare un coltello solo perché mangi le unghie non mi sembra logico
THANK YOU FOR YOUR GUIDANCE ON OPINEL KIVES BECAUSE I'M NEW TO THEM AND PLANNING ON HAVING THE ENTIRE SET SOON SMALL TO LARGEST
Many thanks. Now to go and fix mine.
Exactly what I'm looking for. My larger carbon gardening opinel is almost un-openable. Yes an Un-Opinel.
Don't some people know how to open an Opinel pocket knife properly. The end of the handle is shaped to be tapped to open the blade slightly so as to then open fully. The Opinel was made for fishermen so they get wet.
People can modify their tools to fit their needs. For example i like to be able to open my knife with my hands without using a flat surface to tap on. Ofcourse if you like the original design you can keep it.
Yep. My grandad, a French far worker, always had an Opinel with him. Being stiff to open, requiring a rap against something, is an advantage when there was no locking device, as originally made. Outstanding design that was cleverly enhanced with a very neat lock - that required little to no modification of the original design.
I'm french yes tap it and you Can open it with one hand. With some training no need more tapping. But i don't think it was made for fishermen..... Savoie is a mountain region far from the sea. Each french region has a traditional knife. Maybe 20 differents knives. Opinel IS the most famous around the World.
For the treatment of the wood and pivot point use 1 part white bees wax to part 4 parts mineral oil(not spirits), put it into a double boiler and bring up to temp, mix and put into a container to cool. Use this mixture with a hair dryer or a heat gun to treat the wood. In hotter climates reduce the amount of mineral oil. This mixture is great for any wooden handle implement, knives and cutting boards.
Thanks for the tip! I'll be sure to try it. I have a chopping board that also really needs treating so I might try it on that too.
@@ThrHillSeeker The mixture works brilliantly on chopping boards/butcher blocks. Rub into the wood and let it absorb for at least 15 minutes, preferably for 25 hours before wiping off excess with a lint free cloth. Apply every week for the first month and then every 3 to 4 weeks there after. Make sure to use food grade mineral oil( Easily found at most pharmacies. This works great for all wooden tools. If you want a bit of a grippier surface, wipe clean with a cloth and then apply only bees wax from a bees wax bar.
It was interesting and useful. Thanks.
Use circlip pliers fir the ring, much safer that a screwdriver 👍
Use snap ring pliers Easier and safer than prying with a screwdriver
Thanks For Sharing!
Try Boiled linseed oil as finish
Use the Opinel knock. Fold the knife. Hold the metal collar and knock the end of the knife on your table. Now the blade is open enough for you to pull it open.
Thanks for the instruction. I'm looking to take my blade out to fix a similar tightness as well as to do a force patina on the blade (and maybe the collars). It will be tempting to add a lanyard hole and to do the cutout for the nail nick. Cheers from San Francisco Bay.
Collars won't take a forced patina. Silly not to use circlip pliers, cheaper than new fingers!
@@ianrawlings2546 i have some pliars that spread and made it easy to remove the collar.
Un opinel s'ouvre en frappant sur la partie arrière sur un support et la lame sort pour être ouverte complètement.
C'est la particularité des Opinels.
Thanks for sharing this little tip I was looking into getting one of those knives for UK edc do you know what number I would need for it to be uk legal? My edc is a victorinox Red Swiss Army knife and it's great but I wanted one of those two go with it thanks again for sharing this post👍
Thanks for commenting. The number 6 has a 7 cm blade so is UK legal in terms of blade length however it would also need to be non-locking. They do make a non-locking version or you can pop the locking ring off of a regular one to make it a friction folder.
The opinel no 2-5 don’t come with locking the ring
I remove all of the finish after carving out more room for the nail nick. After cleaning it I soak it in danish oil. Then I wipe off the excess and let it dry overnight. I often do this at least 3 times. This has greatly reduced swelling from moisture. I have also used polyurethane that has been thinned 50% with mineral spirits as the final coat. Also ring spreading plyers helps with the locking ring.
How to jab your hand with a screwdriver 101. I winced when I saw that part. Glad you`re OK, but there must be a better, safer way.
I’ve used olive oil to stain the wood and it gave it a beautiful hue.
Thanks so much, wonderful video! Do you know by any chance the type and dimensions of the aluminum rivets you used? Would appreciate the advice.
Thanks for commenting! The rivets were cut to length (the width of the handle) from a piece of 2mm aluminium rod that we had lying around. Hope that helps, sorry I don't have more specifics to hand.
@@ThrHillSeeker This is great, thanks for sharing!
@@ThrHillSeeker Are these aluminum welding rods?
@@elikalman9066 I'm pretty sure it was just rods from a hardware shop that were being used for building or reinforcing some kind of frame. Adam (who made the video) usually uses higher gauge welding rods. I'm sure a piece of welding rod of that size would work equally well.
@@ThrHillSeeker Thanks so much!
What type of oil to use on the wood body ????
Stiff opening is usually caused bu gunge in the hinge area, dried vegetable oil or similar, take off the blade and clean up the hinge area. Remove/replace locking ring with circlip pliers. A Frenchman will open his Opinel by tapping the outer part of the handle, on the blade side, against a suitable object, it becomes second nature very quickly
Drip candle wax on to end grain of wooden handle and then apply heat from a hair dryer or heat gun until all the melted wax absorbs into the wood. Wax has the affinity to absorb into fine pores when heated for a short period and will work into the fine areas and permanently bond in to the wooden handle providing a water tight seal and good lubrication without the need to oil pivot point.
Thanks for commenting, that's a great idea. I'll have to give that a go. I imagine that by using coloured wax you can also impart a subtle colour on the wood.
@@ThrHillSeeker Color shouldn't be an issue as long as the wax is non toxic and doesn't leach out or go putrid like oils.
Beeswax works better
@@fv7594 Bees wax works the same as all other waxes, the plus is the honey smell but at a high cost of $8 to $12 per pound while common candle wax is at a fraction of $1 to $2 per pound.
Brass pin may work by heatntap a head, then drive thru and grind to fit!
Super ! Like👍👍👍
Thank you, i tried tbis and it worked but now the collar is very hard to twist
Thanks for commenting. It might be catching on pin holding the blade in so could be worth popping it off again to check.
I struggled like hell with the pin and could not get it knocked out at all. I had to drill it out, which is not easy since the end of the pin is not flat and it is ny impossible to lock the handle in place for drilling (I think a vise would crush the handle so I held it by hand) 😞 I wish they would make the pins easier to remove... On my son's Inox the pin even seemed to be partly fused with the collar...very annoying.
your safety pin which holds the blade come out easily. Mine is stuck the half way. Any tips?
The bottle opener on a swiss army knife works a treat for removing the locking ring.
Even better and faster is a split ring pliers. Just put the points the opening, expand it slightly and lift it off.
Please🙏 help us with maintenance and sharp ping videos
Hi im french, and I Can understand but on the back f your Opinel your had two flat Surface are design. They are made for what we calling : the hit of the savoyard. If your hit on the table, the corner of your Opinel Is become very simple to open :). Hop your understand m'y english, and hoping that Can helping english man
Hi Quantin, thanks for commenting. That's really helpful, I'll give it a try when I'm next using my opinel.
I cannot get that bloody pin out for the life of me. Any recommendations?
How did you just hammer out the rivet? Did you cut off the rivet head first? If so, how? I tried cutting off the head with a dremel and it’s just made a bit of a mess. I’m about to drill it out with the ol’ drill press unless you have some tips that will save the day 🤣
It was just a good whack with the pin punch. The rivet didn't have much of a head at all, it was really just a pin. Maybe yours is a bit different? If it looks like it should come out but it's not moving, the wood might be a little damp and swollen. It could be worth trying to dry it out. Good luck!
Thanks!
You have to file it. I had the same problem
In my first try, I used a screwdriver and I couldn't do it. A punch works great for it without. It also doesn't damage the wood and the metal, you can use the old pin without problem
@@matteoperrone2253 My pin did not come out at all, I had to cut the wood. I printed a 3d version so I did not care. But your advice is better than what he shows in this video.
For those of you who don’t own an Opinel, just go out and buy one. I am not sure what these sell for in Europe but I paid 15 dollars for my #9 Carbone. The carbon steel ones can be made wicked sharp. I like classic knives from around the world and I would highly recommend the German Mercator k55k. All metal construction and so light it is a pleasure to carry. You’ll forget it is in your pocket. From my home country, I highly recommend the Buck 110 for those of you that butcher livestock or hunt. It is very comfortable in hand and makes very precise cuts into meat. I forgot to mention that I bought the k55k for 30 dollars and the Buck 110 for 37 dollars.
Here in greece i brought a n9 carbone for 10€... prety cheap
screwdriver method to remove ring damaged my wood and still didn't move it enough to remove.
I cringed at this part. I bought a $15 pair of Irwin Vise Grip snap ring pliers and they did the job easily with my first attempt.
If you tap it on the end on the little flat spot on the end of the handle it opens the knife up enough that you can get a hold of the handle....
I've tried various 'tap on the flat spot' solutions to open the No. 6 I've got here. Nothing budged.
However, the pivot is silky-smooth, and the blade, with a flick of the wrist, and a little practice, can be made to pop out -- even to the fully-open position: with the collar twisted to unlock, hold the wood of the handle (thumb above and at least the index and middle fingers below) and with the body running along a line 45º to your forearm; cock things by moving your hand inward, toward your body, then flick your hand horizontally, from the wrist, outward. The start position described immediately above is very nearly the position your hand would be in if you were holding a handgun...
I would suggest that you can obviate the need to sand the groove of the handle (which, if absolutely necessary, need only involve the area near the pivot/pin because the blade _is already_ tapered toward the cutting edge) by, instead, lapping and polishing the area around the hole in the blade. Lapping there will remove a tiny bit of material on that part of the blade that is _necessarily_ in contact with the handle. Polishing that same area will provide a marginally smoother bearing surface. Which is to the good. If you'd prefer a bit of drag at the pivot, you should be able to peen the replacement pivot/pin to 'adjust' the friction in the swing of the blade _before_ you re-install the locking collar.
My Opinels have the pin stamped in a mushroom shape on both ends cannot be knocked out.
Bhp na wysokim poziomie
Ive had my Opinel no 8 for 30 years, its never needed anything but sharpening, leave it alone and use the knock
pliers a circlip for the virole
Opinel compresses the pin a lot . Especially for a wood handle. I lengthend and narrowed the pin. It fits looser...I also sanded the groove of the handle. I oiled the lock sleeve when I finished
I tried to remove the pin, but it is stuck half way. Any tips?
Use circlip pliers
Aluminium pin....not a bright idea...the steel of the blade will wear it out....much better to stick with the steel pin.....nice vid though.
I have small amounts of play in the blade after closing it. Obviously it doesn't matter that much because you carve the other direction. Still drives me mad.
l'Opinel est toujours dur à ouvrir pour des raison de sécurité. La lame reste bien dans le manche en toutes circonstances (si ce n'est plus le cas il faut l'ouvrir et le resserrer. Ce que vous sembler ignorer c'est qu'un Opinel s'ouvre en le frappant. Vous le tenez entre le pouce et l'index coté de la virole et vous frappez l'excroissance du manche à l'opposé sur n'importe quoi d'un peu dur ou même le talon de votre chaussure ... et la lame sort suffisamment de façon à pourvoir l'ouvrir facilement.
3:30 czcams.com/video/d26rZStWtTQ/video.html
Pine tar
ehhez nem kellett volna szét szedni.... (you don't have to take it apart for that)
Why doesn’t the factory just make the slot properly to begin with!?😂
They do but the wood naturally swells up with moisture. If they cut out more material then the blade would be loose and sloppy.
Best to soak or boil the handle in walnut oil from the supermarket Danish oil,Linseed oil, or similar.
Machine oil damages wood. Use vegetable derived oils instead.
Mineral oil.
But ... why easier is needed? Why don't just open that knife the way it was supposed to be opened (or how the French peasants opened it) - tap the very bottom of the knife on a hard surface with the whole blade back pointing down, while holding it on the metal part and the blade will show up enough to open it easily.
you can do it all without pin - blade removal
Jesus is Lord
Ho capito perché questa inutile modifica. Smetti di mangiarti le unghie, un'altra cosa inutile e schifosa. Gli opinel hanno la tacca per l'unghia già studiata alla perfezione. Rovinare un coltello solo perché mangi le unghie non mi sembra logico