Opinals

[Tim.243]

and that failed to work, the pre 2000 ones didn't lock

Mine work...

 

[.25-06]

All the best injuries have been from the opinel. Fingers now stay clear of the sharp edge. Quite soft steel but takes a razor edge.

 

[Heym SR20]

Opinels are good knives for picnicking, cutting string etc.

But use them gralloching the blood etc makes very hard to control and very easy to cause nasty injuries to fingers.

Keep the opinel in the Barnour Pocket hanging on the hook. Use a proper gralloching knife designed for the purpose. Cheapest and one of the best is the Mora. They keep sharp for several deer and you keep your fingers.

 

[Steff]

Opinels are ugly!

 

[User00056]

Opinel

Never got on with them for hunting

Too bloody hard to keep clean, all that wood and crevices

And an absolute screaming pig to lock properly with cold hands. Or when it's raining. Or if it gets crud in it. Or slight corrosion.

Or any other time. Hate the bloody things.

Lambsfoot for me as a general purpose knife

 

[Jagged77]

So many reasons not to use an Opinal for gralloching, hygiene being top of the list with all the bits you’d collect in the locking ring and handle. Carbon steel definitely has its place and I do own some hunting and kitchen knives made from it - keep them dry and lubricate with food grade mineral oil. The Opinel has a very fine thin grind which id say is unsuited to the task, but would quickly sharpen up mid use with a steel.

 

[Greenmist]

Try a Buck 110

I have one, the titanium handled one, which was a 21st birthday present, so getting on a bit now

 

[The Grouse]

Have a number 8, used it a few times on rabbits and found it annoying. It now lives in a drawer and opens parcels from time to time.