Pimp my Opinel

Just found some really amazing carved/customized opinels. :[michel.montlahuc.free.fr]

There are several different artists showing their work on here, just click the different names at the top of the page. They range from pretty amateurish to frankly astounding. I love the ones that continue the carving through the blade.

Anyone fancy having ago at their own?

Ahhh I recall visiting this website. Some truly amazing stuff on there. I was thinking of posting it in the opinels thread but couldn't find the page a second time. I've done 2 modified opinels, though they're nowhere near as impressive as some of the stuff on that website. I modified an opinel #10 for a friend of mine who does a lot of fishing and refuses to use anything but an opinel. As I recall I, removed some wood from either side of the pivot enclosure to make it significantly looser. That way when it gets wet and swells it still operates. Then I put a finger sized cutout in the handle at the rear which lined up with a small spyderhole type deal there so that he could open it easily with wet, bloody hands or with gloves. Apart from that, I gave it a gut hook and a line cutter. He loves it and carries it every day, regardless of whether he's actually fishing or not
The other was a decidedly more ornate #8 as a kitchen knife for my mother. Same modifications to make opening easier, but with decorative filework along the spine and a redgum/ silky oak two tone handle. Unfortunately this was back in my high school says and I didn't have the foresight to take photos of any of my work. Doip.

Excellent. Nice to hear about other Opinel mods. Shame there are no pictures it would have been great to have a look.

I have been inspired to experiment with a sacrificial no10. So far drop pointed, worked the recurve out of the edge ish, and tweeked the transition from the pivot to the tang to make it open better and be easier to sharpen. I am gradually trying to give the handle a more elegant, slender look. There is still plenty of time to balls it all up!

Do you know if I will make the wood swell to much at the pivot if I soak the whole thing in danish oil? I want to give it a half decent finish maybe make it less vulnerable getting stiff or lose from humidity.

Better off not to soak. Danish oil is a drying oil so lots of light coats with 13-24 hours between is better. It won't swell much in general with oil but some. So the less volume the better. To do the pivot give it a dip then try to get rid of as much of the oil as you can. Since it dries it will make the pivot sticky for a while until it wears off and fully dries.

www.theflatearthsociety.org

BIGFOOT FINDS YOU, YOU DON'T FIND BIGFOOT!



IT IS THE E-NEP THROWING BROTHERHOOD

Yeah I wouldn't go soaking it it, Mark A is pretty on the money there. Danish oil is just the best stuff around. As for the pivot stickiness after dipping, if there's more oil than the wood can absorb you can end up with a thick layer on top, which would cause an issue at the pivot. If this occurs then I'd get some sandpaper and wrap it around a popsicle stick which you've cut in half so you can get that sharp corner, then just take a bit off the top with it.
I'd love to see how it goes. Make sure to take some pics.

Cheers Mark and Fugglesby.

I will definitely do pictures. The advice on danish oil is welcome. I had a feeling too much oil around the pivot could cause problems. I got into the habit of soaking after I had done a coupel of knives and realised that it took several weeks to build a good finish by applying a layer at a time. For the most part I sand the handle to about 240 grit and then soak for two or three days. Buff until it seems dry and apply extra coats of oil as I work through the grits. The last few coats are applied with 1500grit non woven abrasive cloth. Cuts the process down to about a week plus drying time.

Right, you asked for it, I give you pictures!

From this:-

To this:-

Forgot to do a proper top down shot but I slimmed down the sides too.

I also did my first ever bit of fileworking:-

Needs a few more coats of oil and a sharpening but basically done. Also, my cunning plan to move the start of the edge forward turns out to have been not so cunning. Sharpening should be easier but the lock no longer holds the knife all the way open

Next a No 8. Sheepsfoot!

Thanks for the oil advice and the enthusiasm.

Looks very good.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bill22252 on YouTube. "See you space cowboy"

Resident Emerson Fanboi

Folding knives are fun, fixed blades are important.

Nice job. I like that drop point. And the handle looks much more comfortable

www.theflatearthsociety.org

BIGFOOT FINDS YOU, YOU DON'T FIND BIGFOOT!



IT IS THE E-NEP THROWING BROTHERHOOD

lovely! The handle does look a lot more elegant now.
Another modification that can be done to an opinel is a forced patina. I know this raises a few eyebrows, but I personally love them (on the right knife). This is an opinel which I patinated by shoving it into an orange for a few hours.

You can also do it in vinegar, potatoes, bananas, apples or pain the thing with ketchup, mustard or mayonnaise.

Thanks for the compliments guys. The best way I have found to get a patina on an opinel is to use it in the garden and then forget you have left it out there!

Anyone else fancy having a go? There are plenty of people on here with more skill than me.

The carbon blades, at least, are easy enough to cut with a file so no power tools needed. It only took me a couple hours of actual work to do the no10. with files and abrasive paper.

I'd love to see what people come up with.

The handle and blade shaping look like a direct improvement. I like mine similiar, but they don't look as nice as yours.

Very nice work!