Sharpening Opinel Knives (No 6 & 8) with a Wicked Edge

As per the title.
I bought these today, supported a local outdoor store. I used an iPhone 4S to record and iMovie on the iPhone to create this video.
Also the first I've uploaded in full HD (1080p). Won't be doing that again in a hurry, took well over 3 hours to upload :-(
Thanks for Watching.

[@rogercrier9115]

When using the wicked edge, If you unlock the knife handle and turn it to vertical, you can get the stones to cut to the end of the blade. To get the carbon blade to not rust, you can take the blade completely out of the handle by knocking out the pivot pin, and mirror Polish the entire surface if you have several hours to spare! The mirror surfaces join to make the cutting edge, there is no secondary bevel. Having said that, Opinels are best allowed to develop a patina. I lost my working Opinel for a couple of months, and it turned up in the door rubber of the washing machine!! After cleaning and sharpening it now has a patina to die for, and the mirror finished one is kept just to look at!

[@dade4537]

You used a torn newspaper at first to hide your inexperience in sharpening skills as well as youtube videos for blind people. A+ !!!

[@MrCalkar]

Wow, what an awesume sharpening system.

[@garethbaus5471]

They cost a fair amount, but can make beautiful edges. I personally just free hand sharpen(causes a very slightly convex edge).

[@the.reel.mccoy.]

That sharpener you're working with is wicked cool.

[@DavidGodwinCalico]

When I unboxed my Opinel #7 Carbone I noticed that it had a wire edge on the blade. What this means is that the blade had been honed down but not completely sharpened with a Strop. I don't know if Opinel does this on purpose but I have noticed in these unboxing videos everyone complains that the Opinel Knives are not sharp out of the box. all it took for me to get my Opinel #7 sharp enough to cut paper was to Strop it with about five licks on each side thus taking off the wire edge. It is a wonderful pocket knife!

[@DavidGodwinCalico]

P.S. using your sharpening machine you also took a convex knife blade and sharpened it into some kind of a full flat grind edge thus taking much of the sharpness out of it.

[@edprince9079]

I have a #6 and a #8 i carry the #6 all the time and use it quite a bit. These are great knives.

[@tonnynijholt7090]

I just got the 8 and now I want the 6 as a EDC🤗

[@michaelwaldeck7081]

A ceramic rod and a strop is all you need for opinel and they are pretty easy to get scary sharp.

[@WallyboisWoodworking]

I never put a secondary micro grind angle on these knives. Never seen that machine thing before pretty cool

[@MacheteBushcraftAustralia]

Nice one mate! I'm a fan of these old world knives as well. Very much a gentleman's knife. How are they holding up after a few years of work?

[@BradGryphonn]

I had a No.8 for 20 years. The blade wasn't as deep in its latter days before I lost it. I'd also snapped the tip 5 years prior. Up until I did the tip, it was easy to keep a razor edge on it.

[@hoosierarcher]

I convexed my Opinels. I sharpen mine with wet/dry metal work sandpaper.

[@QuantumPyrite_88.9]

Doing free hand is the way to learn.

[@paulmitchell9349]

Love my opinels

[@stoneblue1795]

Great job!

[@Grummash]

A brand new Opinel is a beautiful thing, and you got some good cutting performance with that Wicked Edge, but in all honesty, you could have got the same cutting performance in 2 minutes with a piece of 800 grit Wet & Dry and a squirt of WD40... and the edge would have gone all the way to the end of the blade :-) That said, it was a great video, so keep 'em coming :-)

[@wojtekimbier]

Seems to me few people like numbers 7 and 9 because 6 is the smallest with the virolock, 8 is considered "universal size" and 10 is the largest one of the reasonably sized (except 12 and 13 which are monsters). At least they make 7 painted in bright colours so it has that going for it, which is nice.

[@Pablito46]

You just destroyed the convex, one of the selling points of this knife. 🙈

[@Airik1111bibles]

Sandpaper on a soft surface would of taken about five minutes per knife ...They were convex grinds not V grinds, now they are just typical blades, the magic is gone that made them special.

[@John..18]

Yep,, this guy is ignorant,, he's just ruined the whole blade geometry...

[@sosteve9113]

scary sharp 🙂

[@corvoerin3766]

I got the same effect with around 3 hours sitting there sharpening it with a fine diamond file

[@markschattefor6997]

Those knives weren't made to cut paper. So why don't you show how well they can cut bread, cheese ,and real jambon.

[@bobbydixon4484]

and yet they cut paper so well. Ill tell my grandpa that he's been using it wrong for the last 20 years as a letter opener. open the knife, grab block of cheese and slice. Thats how it cuts cheese. Butter knives also work well haha

[@edprince9079]

I use my #6 to cut into hot rolls and then fill them up with raw honey. It works fine for cutting several different types of material.

[@tomholmez12]

i got a no.6 in france for like 9euros, pretty much all shops sold them where i was staying

[@calebwhittington3749]

$36 a piece? You can get those things for $10 of amazon.

[@deathbyastonishment7930]

Not once you ship it to Australia buddy

[@calebwhittington3749]

Cameron Reid lol

[@florenciorebord9195]

X q no está en castellano esto yega a Sudamérica es un desaire a nos!!

[@Jcharp12]

I just strop mine. Razor sharp in no time

[@fayetunnicliffe3308]

I have one and it’s razor sharp with the factory edge

[@NIGHTSTALKER973]

are there any tutorials on how to sharpen an opinel with a stone ? i keep finding these sharpmakers and such but all i have are stones and im not going to spend my money on one of those expensive contraptions. my general idea is field sharpening not home sharpening im not exactly going to lug a wicked edge or sharpmaker around.

[@marcelmarceau2526]

Dominik Doherty just hold the blade FLAT on the oiled stone and work in a circular or figure of 8 motion.

[@parabuthus8148]

What is the name of the grinding tool, thank you

[@davestelling]

I think he's using the "Wicked Edge" sharpening system...

[@NIGHTSTALKER973]

What did that newspaper ever do to you =(

[@deathbyastonishment7930]

Hey mate, which state are you from?

[@AussieKnivesAndStuff]

+Cameron Reid - Mate, I'm in the sunny North of Tasmania, Cheers

[@deathbyastonishment7930]

+AussieKnivesAndStuff not in the sunken smoggy north on Launceston I hope 😏

[@Fusionmatt20]

what sharpener was that?

[@AussieKnivesAndStuff]

+Fusionmatt20 - A Wicked Edge Precision Sharpener, thanks for watching.

[@Samm7552]

i shave with my opinel.

[@garethbaus5471]

I used to shave with a case peanut, but have switched to a straight razor.

[@truchero11]

How do you keep them rust free?

[@EDCGadgets]

+Rogelio Hernandez Try putting them into a glass of lemon juice for 3-5 hours (dunking the whole blade under the juice). It will create a very nice, evenly spread black patina on the top layer. It will be VERY similar to black anodizing. That will prevent any rust in the future. If you haven't heared about this method, I am not joking, you can really do that to Opinels. Of course if you like metalic color, you don't have to do that. Rather just apply some mineral oil coating on the blade every now and then. It's your preference which method you choose, I applied the black patina coat because it looks absolutely badass.

[@truchero11]

Thanks Bro!

[@thomashall1726]

what was you sharpening with?

[@dobypilgrim6160]

Hopefully you learned how to stropped after this, lol. You actually should have changed the title to Toothy Sharp.

[@udoodu8023]

sorry, but with my waterstones, i get my opinels sharper than yours. pity for the money.

[@cagammon]

If your knifes dull, just toss them and buy new ones... DUH!!