In this article, we will explain how to handle and care for Opinel knives! “Opinel” is a French knife brand. It’s cheap, but it’s very portable, and the more you use it, the more it tastes, so it’s also popular with campers. It is a knife with various merits such as choosing a size from 34 mm to 225 mm.
Opinel knives have blades made of stainless steel and carbon! Introducing the advantages and disadvantages of each
Wooden handle and foldable blade. With some exceptions, this type is often used in Japan.
As you can see, it’s a very simple knife. There are two types of blades on the market, carbon and stainless steel, so choose the one that best suits your needs.
The characteristics of carbon blade are sharpness, easy to sharpen, but easy to rust.
The characteristics of stainless steel blades are not as sharp as carbon, and they are hard to sharpen but rust.
Carbon is very easy to rust, so care is required. If you do not wipe off the water immediately after using it, it will rust. Stainless steel can be handled properly to some extent, but care must be taken to prevent the wooden handle from getting wet.
The size (blade length) of the Opinel knife can be selected from 34mm to 225mm! Recommended for cooking rather than batoning
Opinel knives are available in a variety of sizes, with a minimum blade length of approximately 34mm.
OPINEL OP00065 No.2 Keychain Knife / Stainless Steel
The number No. 2 is attached, and basically the larger the number, the larger the size. No.13 is the maximum, and the length of the blade is about 225 mm.
Opinel Stainless Steel Knife No.13 Leather String 122136
◆ Material ◆ Blade / Stainless steel, Handle / Beech ◆ Blade length ◆ 22cm ◆ Weight ◆ 415g
◆ Details ◆ A warm wooden handle design that has not changed since the founding of OPINEL. The largest stainless steel knife with a blade length of 22 cm, named after the giant knife, is useful for camping and BBQ.
◆ Safety and security ◆ Since it is equipped with a safety lock function, the folded rear blade will not come out.
◆ Made in France ◆ All OPINEL parts are made in France and are made by skilled craftsmen with precision.
◆ Notes ◆ It is prohibited by law to carry this product without a justifiable reason. 18 …
If it’s this big, it can be used to break firewood like Nata, but since it’s a folding knife, I’m not good at “battoning” that hits the back of the blade to break firewood.
Opinel knives have thinner blades, so they are often used for cooking in the Japanese camping scene.
When I actually grabbed it at the store, No. 10 (blade length about 10 cm) was the best. The feel of gripping the handle is similar to that of a general kitchen knife, so you can use it without much discomfort.
People with small hands should choose small ones! Not to mention, the size that is easy to use varies from person to person. If the blade is too small, it will be stressful, and if it is too large, the portability of taking it to the camp will be impaired. I think No.7 to No.10 are appropriate places.
OPINEL Stainless Steel # 7 41437 [Domestic Genuine]
Country of origin: France
Material: Blade / Stainless Steel, Handle / Beech
Blade length: 80mm
The Opinel knife has a blade lock function! Let’s check if it is locked before handling!
First, when folded, it is locked so that the blade does not come out. Pinch the metal ring at the end of the handle and turn it.
As you can see in the picture above, the blade is exposed to the root. With this unlocked, you can pull out the blade.
There is a groove on the side of the blade, so hook your fingernail and lift it.
When the blade and handle are straight, turn the metal ring to lock it.
It is a mechanism that locks the blade by blocking the folding direction with a metal ring. If this lock is not applied, the blade may suddenly fold during use, resulting in injury.
Other than the small size, this lock is attached, so don’t forget to turn it.
Do not get wet when cleaning the Opinel knife! Prevent the wooden handle from absorbing moisture and expanding!
When the handle of natural wood absorbs moisture and expands, it becomes difficult to insert and remove the blade. When washing, turn the blade downward so that it does not get wet as much as possible.
After use, wash immediately and wipe off any water with kitchen paper. Thoroughly, especially for carbon blades that are prone to rust.
What to do if the Opinel knife blade cannot be pulled out or folded. Be careful not to cut your fingers, especially when folding!
Basically, the handle may be inflated due to moisture, but if you try to use it during camping, it cannot be dried suddenly and there is no oil to improve the movement.
It is a way to avoid such troubles.
When the blade does not come out, hit the butt of the handle
Hit the end of the handle against the corner of the table. The blade will come out little by little, making it easier to grasp.
Be careful not to hit the handle too hard enough to crack it.
If the handle cannot be folded, use a stand etc.
New knives are hard regardless of moisture and the like. If you disassemble it easily and cut the gap, it will become too loose later. Let’s use it patiently and grow it.
When it’s too hard to fold. First and foremost, make sure your lock isn’t stuck.
Place the back of the blade on a table, etc., and lift the handle to fold it with a small force using the principle of leverage. Be careful not to place the hand holding the handle on the groove where the blade is folded.
If it still doesn’t move at all, try hitting the back of the blade against a table or the like. If you move a little, you should be able to fold it with the principle of leverage.
This is a bad example. There is a finger in the direction in which the blade is folded, so if you fold it as it is, your finger will be cut. I think everyone will be careful when using it, but be careful not to get injured when opening and folding.
How to sharpen an Opinel knife Let’s clean it with a 1000th and 4000th whetstone! It is recommended to wet the grindstone with water
The Opinel knives you just wholesaled don’t cut that much, so sharpening them will increase their sharpness. In this article, I will introduce how to sharpen with a whetstone. Not only carbon blade but also stainless steel is sharpened in the same way.
There are many ways to sharpen just by looking online, and I’m not a professional sharpener. Please see as an example.
Hiveseen Whetstone for double-sided knives with Japanese instructions for sharpening Red
[Necessity] Kitchen knives are indispensable when making delicious food. However, it gradually rusts and becomes dull. In such a case, you can use a whetstone to restore the sharpness when you bought it.
[Double-sided whetstone] A whetstone that can literally use both sides. The red surface with 1000 letters removes rust and improves sharpness. The white surface with 4000 letters is used to smooth or shine the surface. If you sharpen it on the surface of 4000, the sharpness will be outstanding.
[Usage] The rubber feet on the bottom are removable with non-slip rubber. Of course, the storage is non-slip, so you can sharpen the knife very comfortably.
[Size] The size is 180x60x30mm. Compact.
You can buy a whetstone from Amazon for about $10 to $20.
First, let the grindstone absorb plenty of water. Submerge it in a basin filled with water.
This whetstone has 1000 and 4000 faces, so use the 1000 one. No. 4000 is for fine finishing.
Raise the blade a little and keep it at a constant angle. Use your other finger to press the blade against the grindstone and reciprocate to sharpen it. It feels like lifting it about 15 to 20 degrees from the surface of the grindstone.
It is important that the blade keeps a constant angle with respect to the grindstone. While maintaining this angle, rub the blade against the grindstone to sharpen it. The grindstone will be scraped and residue will come out, so grind it while rinsing it with water.
The above figure is extremely drawn, but while sharpening, the blade can be turned over to create a “burr”. Repeat until you can do this.
You can tell if there is a burr in the direction of the back of the blade with your finger, and if you stroke it from top to bottom in the photo above, you will feel it caught. If you stroke it in the opposite direction, your hand will be cut, so be careful.
While shifting the location, we will also sharpen the tip. It is difficult to sharpen the curved tip or blade, but let’s do our best.
If you have a burr on one side, turn the knife over and sharpen the other side. After sharpening this as well, turn it over again. Sharpen the first sharpened surface, scrape off the burr, and you’re done.
The frequency of sharpening depends on the number of times it is used, but even if it is used every day, it is about once a month. Uncut blades are difficult to handle and can lead to injuries, so if you think you can’t cut them, sharpen them.
Speaking of trouble, it is troublesome, but the knife that you have worked on yourself will be attached to you.
Explains how to process black rust on Opinel knives that are vulnerable to rust! No need to disassemble and can be done without getting the wooden handle wet
Carbon Opinel knives are surprisingly rusty. If you cut a lemon and leave it for several hours, reddish brown rust will appear immediately. Black rust processing (Shieldon factory) prevents this.
Black rust processing has the purpose of preventing harmful red rust by adding harmless black rust in advance.
With the method introduced this time, black rust processing is possible without wetting the handle, which is sensitive to moisture, and without troublesome disassembly. First of all, please watch this video.
Below, I will explain how the author actually processed the black rust with a still image. The content is the same as the video.
What to use:
- Container (capacity 500 ml): 1 piece
- Water: 500-600 ml
- Tea bags: 6 pieces
- Vinegar: 110 ml
- Disposable chopsticks: 1 set
- Ethanol for degreasing: Appropriate amount
- Kitchen paper: 1 sheet
Water and vinegar are in a ratio of 4: 1. Water is sucked by the tea bag, so you need more water than the capacity of the container.
- Boil black tea
First, boil water, add a large amount of tea bags, and simmer for about 3 minutes. Leave the tea bag in, turn off the heat and let it cool.
- Wipe off the oil on the knife
Soak kitchen paper with ethanol for degreasing and wipe the knife blade. This is to prevent the oil from becoming uneven when black rust is formed.
If you touch it with your fingers, it will get oily, so do not touch the blade after that.
- Solution preparation
Put the boiled black tea and vinegar in a container and mix gently. Let’s put it to the very edge of the container.
- Setting the knife
Hold the base of the knife blade with disposable chopsticks.
Submerge the blade in the solution as if you were hooking disposable chopsticks on the mouth of the container. Let’s wash and wait for 1 hour in a pot of boiled black tea.
- Completion
One hour later. The solution has turned greenish. Pull up the knife so as not to tip the container.
As you can see, the blade is black and the black rust processing is successful!
The part that sandwiched the disposable chopsticks is not dyed black; it is the original color of the bullion.
Black rust does not last forever and will come off as you use and sharpen it. Please dye with the same procedure.
The sharpness does not change even after black rust processing, and the spa can be cut. If you can’t cut it, it’s not because of black rust, but the knife itself is not sharp enough, so sharpen it.
Opinel knives are difficult to clean, such as sharpening and black rust processing! However, I recommend it because I have the joy of growing my own knife!
There are many precautions for use, such as not getting it wet, and carbon blades are extremely rusty. To be honest, the Opinel knife is loved by many people, even though it is a hassle. It is a popular secret that there are abundant sizes and you can customize it to your own easy-to-use tool by sharpening and black rust processing.
Why don’t you grow your favorite Opinel knife!
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At the end of the camp at Aogawakyo Camping Park, the staff will give Yahagi his birthday gift!
Everyone who experienced the “camp that can be passed” through tarp tension, black rust processing of knives, hot sandwiches, curry, churrasco. When I’m relaxing while eating … A gift from the Hapican staff to Mr. Yahagi! That’s right, Mr. Yahagi had his birthday just before the recording date! Congratulations with the staff and the performers! “Congratulations!”
The contents of the present are Helinox chairs! Moreover, there are 3 sets of different types for Yahagi-san, his wife, and the child born the other day. This is nice! Mr. Yahagi was very pleased ♪ It’s a Helinox that is easy to use at home or at camp. Hapican staff is a nice choice! And it was a scene where I could feel the very good atmosphere of the Hapican team.
By the way, the two of Ogiyahagi who experienced the “camp that can be passed” throughout the day. I think there were many surprisingly easy “passing” techniques. Various “passing” techniques have appeared in the main part of the program! Be sure to check it out at Hapican of Ogiyahagi!
Click to have more Shieldon EDC knives and tools fun.
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