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Opinel No. 7 and No. 8 Outdoor Survival Knives
In this video I look at the Opinel No. 7 (VR17) with lime green handle and the No. 8 Outdoor Survival in yellow.
Neither knife was really sharp out of the packaging (the 7 was esp. terrible) so I tried stropping and resorted to waterstone work to get a good edge on the Sandvik 12C27 steel.
Affiliate links:
Opinel No. 7: amzn.to/2TDdG9y
Opinel No. 7 Green: amzn.to/3gC1JJk
Opinel No. 8 Outdoor: amzn.to/3zH0dhM
Link to my other Opinel video: • Opinel revisited, mino...
Пікірлер: 75
That outdoor knife is for sailing : the grooves are designed to cut rope and the weird triangular hole in the blade is to help open shackles. Whistle is if you fall overboard
@silvanigra
4 жыл бұрын
On their site, it's called Outdoors, not Sailing knife. So no, it was not made for use at sea. Those serrations make absolutely no sense to me anyway. How much rope cutting do sailors do regularly? Even less so with general outdoors use. I see no reason whatsoever for serrations. A well sharpened plain blade will lice through cordage even better than that saw-like blade.
@hanfei6871
4 жыл бұрын
FlorinU just because it’s not called so doesn’t mean it doesn’t have that design in mind. You don’t cut things as often on the seas, but when you do it’s often highly reinforced composite braids - which defeats plain edge incredibly fast. So any extra leverage on the cutting edge is much needed.
@silvanigra
4 жыл бұрын
@@hanfei6871 Ummm... so if it's called "Outdoors/Survival Knife" it may actually be a butter knife? And the Buck 110 which is called a "Hunter" may have actually been created for chefs? Interesting....
@kaceyh97
3 жыл бұрын
@@silvanigra if a rope gets caught around your leg or neck you're cutting it to get free. Sailing lines (especially the ones tied to sails) are under a lot of tension. There's no way you're pulling it off if it gets caught on something. Maybe you will never need to cut a line on a sailboat but when you do it could save your life. Also just because a model is named something doesn't mean anything. You could call a chef's knife whatever you want but you can't use it to cut a tree down.
@Yudi.Hilmawan
3 жыл бұрын
@@kaceyh97 If you are sailing and suddenly the rope catches your neck and you use Opinel outdoor knife, chances are you will die because the sharp tip of the knife is very likely to stab you in the neck or you die because it is difficult to open the knife with one hand because under such circumstances it is very likely that one of your hands will holding the rope around your neck to prevent yourself from suffocating or passing out. Fully serated with blunt tip knife like Morakniv Rescue would be better for the sailors.
I keep 2 pieces of SS NO8. I got them about 15 years ago. I have never sharpened them. I checked the both edges. One has no edge (no apex) for 1.5cm long from the tip. I mean two bevels don't meet there. And it has a steep blended microbevel from 1.5cm to the heel. So it doesn't cut paper. Another has a beautiful and thin convex edge from the tip to the toe to cut paper beautifully. Opinel is as inconsistent as Bark River. But we both are always happy because we don't need to care about the inconsistency for having good stones. Thank you for sharing. Opinel is not always so sharp as recognized.
Man if it’s such a big deal to sharpen a knife then send them back. I own three Opinels, 7,8,12 and they arrived sharp as hell. After spending normal quality time On the stone and strop with them they are crazy sharp. The value is there in those knives for those who aren’t a person looking for a fad purchase.
@fatmangaming2720
4 жыл бұрын
Exactly. My Opinel came super sharp as well.
@scotthaddad563
3 жыл бұрын
Aidan Snowden I didn’t put a bevel on mine. Just a slight micro bevel.
The way to open Opinel knives is to grab them by the hinge and tap the pointed end of the handle on something, then the blade will stick out enough to pull it open. Don't try to "adjust" them, you'll ruin the mechanism. Serrated edges are for cutting rope and carbon blades will hold an edge longer than stainless (Inox). Opinels are fine everyday knives, for more sophisticated french cutlery look at the artisans in Le Thiers. Nice video, thanks.
I love my Opinel 6 and 8. Carbon blades for me.
The Opinel is opened by way of a method known as the Coup de Savoyard. It is s traditional French method and this knife is not a traditional pocket knife but it is a traditional working French knife. So native and relevant in France. Such a knife forces one to slow down the process of the day. A way to step from the utilitarian or the tacticool if you will. The knife has a thin blade for cutting food and bread. It is not for the more robust jobs that a CRKT or Emerson can deal with.
Why do they not offer a model with plastic handles and regular shaped Inox blade. Why did they have to go so extreme with out having middle ground. I have many wood opinels carbon and stainless with different wood handles. Only problem is when they get wet they are hard to open. Synthetic handle would fix that.
I bought a #8 carbon over the summer from a knife shop in Chatellerault. It was awesome paper sharp. That said, it is possible the shop sharpened it before I got it. It was a full on knife shop at all. Not that the blade showed any signs of sharpening. Pretty disappointed in Opinel for the examples shown here. They look great, but having to go back to 400 grit to get started is poor in my opinion.
One of the top 100 best design things ever so they are pretty damn good
5 years later, still no straight edge option.
It's less that they *come* razor sharp. They're known for how sharp you can get them, and how easy they are to get that sharp with your own sharpening equipment. Relying on factory edges, even only buying S110V blades, you're going to be replacing your blade incredibly often. Buy a decent set of stones, ceramics, diamond hones, strops, whatever your preference learn to sharpen a knife, and you will see where the reputation for these being sharp knives comes from. On these steels like Opinel carbon or stainless, a simple Tri-Hone from Smiths will work great for years.
For something so cheap i dont mind sharpening it . They are good little knives i have had a few .
i got the outdoor 8 as a gift few days ago, the 1.5cm near the tip were so damn dull. sharpened it to a razor sharp with a diamond dust coated file. the other problem is that the lock damaged the plastic handle and give away once i've put a bit of negative pressure on the spine of the blade
Great knife its groovy.
Wow, what a difference!
Opinels are very easy to keep very sharp, especially the carbon steel and with practice, they can be opened with 1 hand
the carbon steel are sharp and easy to sharp.....(al carbone models)
In my area, you're not allowed to have a 1 hand opening knife. Even the rotary lock on this is questionable. I have about 6 Opinel knives and every one of them came shaving sharp out of the box. I don't know what the problem has been with yours. Putting a shaving edge back on it requires little to no work; strop it a bit and it's scary. I'm sorry that you had a different experience.
@OneDegreeLife
9 жыл бұрын
Steve Brettell Ya, I know others have said they can't have 1-handers either where they are. Technically you can open it with one hand, but it's not as easy as those with a thumb lever, button, etc. - but I see what you mean. I've heard the same thing - some come very sharp, others not so much. Even mine, the degree of sharpness varied, but none was shaving sharp IMO or even close. Yes, they can be brought to very sharp with some sharpening. This is why I wish they arrived sharper (not necessarily shaving, but not as bad as mine) since the steel is capable of it. From what others have said, there are some varying degrees of QC in the factory as it were - which does seem to be true. On the ones I got there was one very dull, one with a very tight lock and then one that was fairly good. I still wish they'd make the survival version in a plain edge! That would be a very cool knife and the handle is well-made and comfortable and the whistle is an added feature. I haven't written off Opinel as a whole, just had some little quibbles here and there, which again, is tough to grip about for the price even though some other blades in the same range may or may not have these same issues. I check the site from time to time to see what else is coming and I'd be willing to try other models out in the future should something appealing come along. Cheers!
@kontakt4321
7 жыл бұрын
At least with an Opinel you can pop off the locking collar and use it without if that's a legal issue. Granted, it'd be marginally less safe in that condition than a slip joint.
@SteveB357
7 жыл бұрын
That's true. When I go to NY, I have one that I have removed the collar from.
Interesting perspectives. Given the difficulty you were having opening the No7, I think the knife has been stored somewhere quite humid for a few days. That might explain why the edges were so blunt. It is known in France that you'll aways getter a better edge after you sharpen it yourself, because everyone here knows the edge fades with humidity. Colour, the baviour you describe in the colour within the grain, is exactly the behaviour I would expect from European Hornbeam. The "natural shading" as it's described is even a fashion feature of modern European furniture. I don't think it's a manufacturing flaw. And they've deliberately avoided using a laquer to ensure safe use should the handle become wet, or your hands be perspiring. But..."too delicate to do anything major"... Do you think... I have a different kind of review here of the No7 if you are interested and you don't mind me posting the URL bit.ly/WwDopinel it might surprise you... You also mentioned that it's not a one handed knife. This is not entirely true: Opinel did offer me the No8 Outdoor for trial but I said no. Instead for the last six months I've been using the No 8 sized evolution of the No7 Traditional you have, called the Effilé. And in this short video (again, hope it's OK to post the URL, I demonstrate how French artisans lever open the knife and close it with one hand. bit.ly/WwDopinel2 I don't think it's unfair to say you were quite dismissive of the No7. But this is not a criticism - I think it's a difference of culture and heritage. Most French rural folk, will have been familiar with the Opinel brand since childhood. They'll know what to expect when the buy a tradional Opinel and know how to treat it and maintain it. Other countries don't have that knowledge - why should they. And of course there still lingers the old engineering notion of the "interference" fit as opposed to the more modern japanese approach. Today we expect everything to work perfectly out-of-the-box. But in the early days of 20th century engineering, we expect to "run-things-in". The No7 I think is what's left from that old engineering view. The No8 I think is an attempt to bring 125 year old piece of heritage into the 21st century and have it work out of the box. So given that it didn't I think your criticism of it is quite justified. In truth I think the Effilé is the natural evolution of that process, but you still have to run-it-in . As for me I got a lot from your video. A very different perspective and I stuck with it to the end.... thanks for making it. Regards David/Dáithí
@OneDegreeLife
10 жыл бұрын
Great input! You're welcome to link your thoughts and videos since they actually contribute to the conversation. The times I have issue are when people blindly throw their opinions in when they obviously simply dislike someone's findings and think them mad despite the video evidence to the contrary. Ha. I appreciate your insight and the time you took to communicate your views. As for the humidity you may quite be correct. For whatever reason the lock and hinge were incredibly tight, but after using some pliers it works quite nicely and much like the other two Opinels I've recently tried. OOB sharpness, IMO, is simply lacking. As with many knives, you can get equal to, or arguably better, performance with personal sharpening. However, a lot of folks looking for an inexpensive pocket knife might not have these additional tools at their disposal and it's an observation that I find worth mentioning. After sharpening, I concluded here and in my followup video featuring a carbon model that the steel, though thin, is quite capable of doing admirable cutting. Packages, cord, even basic food prep and other day-to-day needs should present little problem for this knife. The thinness of the blade lends itself well, I would think, to a fishing kit, small game hunting kit, etc. I'm not sure I'd want to attempt feathersticking or even mild batoning with them, however. When I, and I might add most individuals, talk about the convenience of one-handed opening, we simply mean that - convenience. I, nor anyone with a sound mind, would likely try to label these as tactical blades, although any sharpened instrument at your disposal is an added benefit if a self defense scenario presented itself. I simply mean that the design of the knife does not lend itself to direct one-handed opening with ease. You can, as you illustrated in your video, rotate the lock, bump the butt of the knife on a surface and then brace the tip on the same and pull it open. In addition, I can do the same without the need for a surface at all on the No. 7. I rotate the lock and then wing my index finger into the nail groove (albeit upside down) and flick it open that way. The mechanism performs much better now that it's been loosened. It simply not designed with a hole or thumbstud along with an auto-lock mechanism and that should be kept in mind if one is accustomed to "modern" knives which feature these. Of course even Case knives and Swiss Army models require two hands to open as well. It's not a negative, simply a trait. Opinel is a fine knife. I admire the heritage, the simplicity, the weight and the overall package. I simply wish the knife were sharper OOB is all. Once sharpened, they are a fun little knife for most everyday needs. I keep one in my office desk, have one in my car and the other (the Survival) I gave to my wife to keep in her purse. The whistle, vibrant color and sturdier blade are all good things in a small package. It's less traditional for sure, but I really do like that knife. I WISH they had an entirely straight edge option available in that model as I'd add it to my hiking backpack very quickly. That model has a little bit of give in the blade even when "locked" open, but it's not too bad. As you pointed out, being able to lock it closed is also a great benefit. The roundness of the handles offers pretty good comfort in the hand versus most folders I've tried, however, it's not as convenient in the pocket. Thanks again for the insite. Anything that helps others in their search is a positive in my boat. At the end of the day, I've always said, and will always believe, I'm simply as single voice in the wind. Other experiences may vary. I love the outdoors and I love knives and I love to share and I think, and dare I say hope, that's good for everyone. Cheers
MORA MORA MORA!!!!!!!!!!!!! ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
I never expect any knife to be shaving sharp out of the box. Especially at these low price points. I prefer to do the sharpening myself. Get to the stones and do the sharpening. I'm sure you will be satisfied with the edge.
Oeh lala !! DC3 sharping and Just Great .
Thanks for the review. The opening and lock mechanism can be useful in some countries, because at least here in Germany it's not allowed to carry a knife which can be opened and locked with one hand in the public. Not sure if I would buy this one, but it's nice that there are still some 2-handed knives available.
@OneDegreeLife
10 жыл бұрын
That's a great point. Thanks for sharing!
@koDaffi
Жыл бұрын
Tip if you take it apart and sand it a little in the slot and polish the top and/or remove pin you can turn it into a flipper that will fling open like an auto assist.
if you want (easy to keep) sharp then you want the carbon-steel rather than INOX versions, which are cheaper too btw
That it is not sharp is because you ordered the Inox version. Buy the Carbon Steel one the next time. But do not worry about the opening mechanism. It IS safe. I have about 5 or 6 Opinels, and pretty much abused them outdoors quite alot (becasue they are cheap so I wouldn't care if they break), but so far they took all abuse, eventhough the carbon steel ones rusted a lot. Oh, and concerning handle materials: There ARE more luxorious/ quality opinel knives available for purchase (with horn, rosewood, or ebony handles), but they are not as cheap of course. (The horn ones were around 70 Euro when I saw one the last time in a shop).
@OneDegreeLife
9 жыл бұрын
Cool. I tried a carbon in the No. 7 I think it was and didn't see a huge difference either. Of course, this thicker blade might be a better bet. Thanks for sharing!
JPSikaHunter - stupid youtube/google+ won't give me a reply on yours, but that's for the insight. I kind of felt that the the No. 7 was almost a micro chisel bevel in a way, but very, rough. As you've mentioned, with stones, we can get around it. Thanks!
Hello, what are u use to sharp the knifes in this video? I would like to have the same one, thats great :)
@OneDegreeLife
6 жыл бұрын
I used several Chosera stones. 400, 800, 3000, 5000 and then Shapton Pro 15K. No need for all of them, 400 and 1000 would be a good combo. I can't remember the ones I used specifically. They are more expensive than other stones, but are very good and will last a lifetime. Cheers
See how salty all these Opinel fanboys get. Fact = these knives are not sturdy enough for working, especially in harsh weather conditions. As for the materials used , I find it odd that other knives made from similar/same materials do not have the same problems with rust as these do, they are famous for rusting, and poor factory finish.
How did you strop it like that
They don't come full they have a small burr you have to take it of with literally one pass on a ceramic rod or stone.
Sorry to see that your not a fan. Me on the other hand I am a big fan I am 44 and have had my number 9 since I was a kid of ten and even with 11 yrs spent in the Royal Marines 42 comando it has had the fist of the gods thrown at it and it is just as good as its all ways been. The carbon blade I can sharpen it with a sponge and gut just about any living / nonliving sorry and still shave for night out. So all in all best pocket knife known to man I think sorry if ya don't think so your self.
@OneDegreeLife
9 жыл бұрын
Ha, I get ya. No, it's not that I'm not a fan, it's just there are a few little things that stood out to me that I felt worth mentioning. All things considered, the Outdoor is very cool IMO, but I just wish 1.) it had a keener edge out of the box (it's capable of it!) and 2.) that it had a plain edge w/o serrations. They are certainly interesting knives, just wanted to show a few things I discovered with them (loose hinges, crazy tight hinges, less than ideal blade sharpness if that's what you're used to, etc.). Also, the round handle is comfortable in use for sure, but those used to a flat folder, they might find this a bit different in the pocket. I've not signed off on Opinel just yet. I'd like to play with more in the future. In fact, on packing trips I'm inclined to tossy my Outdoor in my bag as a backup/small task blade. A LOT of this stuff is simply preference. Case and point, I'm not a big fan of revolvers when it comes to firearms. My father on the other hand prefers them to the more modern designs. He shoots and puts his faith in his older S&W. I prefer my Springfield XDM. To each of us they each have pros and cons and things we will prefer. Again, I'm not trying to bash Opinel, just sharing some thoughts on the specific knives I received. Based on the differences in all of the ones I had and the experiences of others it DOES seem fair to say that their quality control has certain tolerances. That is to say, their might be noticeable variations between batches. For the price, this is to be expected. All in good fun my friend. Either way, I'm certainly glad you and so many others enjoy your Opinel experience and I hope to try another model again in the future because they do have a certain character and, dare I say, charm, about them. Cheers
at 2:28 you can actually see that the tip isn't even ground to an edge at all. Luckily Opinels are very thin and it doesn't take much to fix that.
@holdencaulfield1906
8 жыл бұрын
+Mastermindyoung14 But it's a clip point...
@Mastermindyoung14
8 жыл бұрын
+Pepe Of The Followers Of Cody The edge of the blade is still supposed to be sharpened all the way to the tip.
My Opinel #8 came shaving sharp. Wonder why you're knife wasn't that sharp. Shouldn't be hard to get them razor sharp either. I can out a shaving sharp razor edge on my super quick.
Not stropping just sharpening with a simple ceramic rod.
I messaged Opinel USA through their FB Page. They replied; unfortunately there are no current plans to offer a full straight edged Outdoor. :(
@OneDegreeLife
9 жыл бұрын
Wow. Good to know. Kind of a bummer, they're easier to make. Ha. Thanks for the info!
serrated blade is just plain stupid, I would have bought one if it wasnt for that
@OneDegreeLife
10 жыл бұрын
Hahaha, true. It looks cool, but for me, and perhaps many others, it's no very practical. It's the only knife I currently own that's serrated. Even my steak knives are straight - easier to sharpen and keep that way. It would be cool if they offered it in two flavors, this and straight. Could make a very cool EDC. Cheers
@brutalbrital
10 жыл бұрын
LightAdrenaline I agree and if they have any sense they will do exactly that cheers mate thanks for the great vid
INOX = Stainless steel for those who didn't know.
Son muyyyyyyy caras para lo que ofrecen. 😵😵😵
Takes 2mins on a whet stone and a minute on the strop to get these hair poping sharp. One of the best sub $20 blades out there imo. Carbon blade versions are wicked..
@OneDegreeLife
9 жыл бұрын
Someone said they make the Survival version in Carbon which I'd love to take a look at. Not sure if it's available though. The Survival version took a little longer to get sharp than 2 min, but I have not doubts that RE-sharpening it now would be that quick. Fun knives and a unique design for sure. For "survival" in an inexpensive range, I still prefer the Moras, but for a fine-edged folder, Opinel is worth a look.
@islandpainter3964
9 жыл бұрын
I guess the factory edge varies quite alot. Mine was reasonable out of the box. The only knife i own that was really factory "sharp" was my bark rivers. I wonder if the thinking is that the owners will put an edge that they are happy with??. Im unsure but i imagine cheap generic knives dont have to much time spent on them as far as edge goes.
@OneDegreeLife
9 жыл бұрын
On these, I wouldn't doubt it. Unless all of our ideas of sharpness - though obviously subjective - vary widely. Yep, BRKT have always been keen out of the box. 3V gets better with stones IMO. ESEE is sharp too, but not a V edge fan. Those who don't mind it will likely love them OOTB. I was curious about the owner edge too. I'd be FAR more concerned if a high dollar blade came somewhat subpar or dull, but for the price here, It's not as dramatic. My thinking was though, what if someone only willing to drop a few bucks on a blade isn't really into the sharpening thing like a lot of us? I guess if they have a cutlery rod or a Acusharp they'll be fine, though the later would likely destroy the finer edges. More or less just and observation and a heads up for those looking at them that might be unfamiliar like I was. It was fun to explore them none the less. Cheers
@islandpainter3964
9 жыл бұрын
I agree with your comment on the more expensive knives. There is no excuse for a poor factory edge there. Im a huge fan of convex and stropping. My idea of sharp is " hair popping". My thoughts on what that means is running the blade across the hair not the skin. If they fly off its sharp. I must admit i have spent countless hours perfecting this. Its not allways the best edge for a hard working blade though and a steep micro bevel can be better for these kinds of aplications in my opinion. Love your work..
@OneDegreeLife
9 жыл бұрын
Agree with you all the way around. I do think for outdoor purposes a slightly less-than-hair-popping edge will do wonders, but I agree that, hey, why not push the steel and geometry to the limit of what hey can do. And yes, a steeper bevel is sometimes necessary, esp. for certain metals, to keep them from rolling and chipping. However, I've had good luck even with a moderately fine edge on BRKT 3V. Thanks for all of your comments. The more we are willing to share with one another, the better off everyone will be. Opinions will always vary as will experiences, but in general, a community of voices is beneficial to all. Thanks again.
really like the knife but I was wondering if its floating. has anyone tested it?
@OneDegreeLife
8 жыл бұрын
+Antigoris Afk It does not. Too dense. It would be a cool feature, but too much metal. Cheers
U sharpen like a monk.
"Open one handed" Ask most of the FISHERMENin Northern Europe if this knife can be opened by frozen fingers in a North Sea gale whilst trying to catch fish to make your living. Get Real !!
@OneDegreeLife
3 жыл бұрын
Right. Because only fishermen making a living in the freezing gales of the North Sea would ever buy an Opinel pocket knife. Ha. It's simply a video with my thoughts at the time regarding how some people might be considering using the knife. You know, as an EDC. Loosen up.
@Chris66able
3 жыл бұрын
" Ask most of the FISHERMEN in Northern Europe " you Nugget. A knife very, very renowned for rusting, and having major problems in wet/damp surroundings , being used in the North Sea, lol.