Zeno Marx
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- Joined
- Jun 26, 2010
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I'm such a fan. Some of that is nostalgia. Some of that is cheapness and value. Some of that is their legacy. Some of that is their cool design. I don't know how they're thought of in the more serious knife world, and I'm curious. I'm sure they have to be laughed at by many, while people like myself have had one since they were a young person and think of them as a pragmatic necessity of life. They're considered a historic company in France. Like anything, even if it costs little, the more time and experiences you share with it, the more it means to you. They're so cheap that you can afford to lose or break them, but once you have several years under your belt with them, you don't want to lose or break them. They float. I feel the design is ingenious. I've always wanted a bone handled version, but that sort of defeats the purpose that ultimately they're a disposable tool. It would almost be like a 14k gold toothpick. How absurd. One of my first bosses introduced them to me. He was a Europhile, so he had all kinds of trinkets I'd never seen. I usually carry a No.8, but I've been meaning to grab a No.6 for a while now ($13). The No.6 is the smallest version with the smart locking ring (Virobloc). I don't know why anyone would want an Opinel without the locking ring, but different strokes for different folks.
I will say that one thing I do not like about the design is that the part of the blade that hits the wood when it is closed is quick to dull and difficult to keep sharp. The bare bones design doesn't allow for a stop pin in the folding mechanism, but I often wish it had something to keep the blade from the wood.
I will say that one thing I do not like about the design is that the part of the blade that hits the wood when it is closed is quick to dull and difficult to keep sharp. The bare bones design doesn't allow for a stop pin in the folding mechanism, but I often wish it had something to keep the blade from the wood.