Opinel Modifications #2, Checking Cheese Glue Experiment and Scraping w/Back of Blade

[@dseipel2]

Something to consider is one of the Opinel raw handled knifes, www.opinel-usa.com/pocket-knives/classic-blades/raw-to-carve-handles , there is a $15 carbon steel option with a cherry wood handle.

[@SkillCult]

That's great! It does look a little odd where they left wood, but certainly looks promising and about the same price. Very cool, thanks!

[@fornman]

David Seipel

[@jk6869]

I just popped over here to say that an ebauche, or “raw” or “blank” handle No. 8 would have been a better place to start, but it was an excellent exercise in ingenuity and creativity. Personally I find the original blade shape useful, but I see here how ya made it to your liking, which is something akin to the CRK Sebenza blade.

[@alexanderhinman4454]

I want to see a part three after you've used it for a while. See how the glue and bits held up.

[@SkillCult]

Noted...

[@WozaCardoza316]

AND?!

[@user-bh3ew6ii4g]

Yes, I'd love to see a follow up too. I love how how the handle turned out. I would love to see the result after you finishing modifying it and oiling it. The finish they come with is not attractive. Smoothing down that hard edge, taking off the factory finish make it look (and probably feel) so much better. I really love the strips you glued on and that look.

[@TheGrapplingLabBJJ]

@@SkillCult ???

[@grumpygrumpgrump136]

I like my Opinels. So simple, yet up to the job.

[@mapleenderson8541]

As a student in foreign country i have used the exact opinel number 8 as my main knife in the kitchen (and only knife in general since i dont have another one) for 2 years already. Some people are worried that they cut food with no stainless steel but i never really had a problem with it. It is a great knife and i really love it. Not a fan of tactical gear and opinel number 8 is everything but tactical. Good vid. Cheers!

[@NedenaBeerFarm]

I took my No. 6 with me as I traveled throughout Mexico and Guatemala though I also have a No. 8. I call them picnic knives since the full flat grind and light weight qualities make them ideal for simple food prep on the road. They travel well and their low cost means you won't feel any devastating sense of loss if they break or get lost. I can tell you that I once opened a green coconut with my No. 6.- an amazing feat for such a small, lightweight knife. One minor drawback is that when they get wet, the wood expands making them difficult to open and close.

[@SkillCult]

Thanks for the experience. I'm impressed about the coconut for sure. more your skill than that it's possible. These can clearly only take so much abuse.

[@MasterK9Trainer]

I have one that I bought used and I also sanded the handle to shape it more to my liking. I like thicker, sturdier blades, but the Opinel's thin blade is great for slicing apart layers, pages from magazines, and anything that requires a delicate touch. There isn't that much material on a number 7 or 8, but slight changes are still fun to do and you can feel the differences.

[@stellarpod]

Agree 100%. A marked improvement. I actually do a lot of scraping with my knives. In fact, it is my tool of choice for removing factory varnish from axe/hammer handles. As always, thanks so much for sharing. Steve

[@SkillCult]

Alright, a fellow scraper! Me too on the handle scraping. Back of the opinel is great because you get a handle to hold on to.

[@sixblanc]

little tip from france , if the blade gets stuck in the handle for any reason (the wood can get bloated etc ) you just have to hit the butt against a table or hard surface, that should unlock the blade at some point :)

[@SkillCult]

Thanks!

[@ScottHead]

I really enjoy my opinel 7 as a general knock-about pocket knife. I never really considered altering the handle with its deficiencies, but have considered making a whole new handle for it. But then there is always something more to do. Another knife I find useful (and they used to be really cheap) is the Svord knife from New Zealand. Good carbon steel black, plastic scales, but a great blade for the garden and garage.

[@matthewtatterton9898]

I've a few opinel in various sizes. I agree about the blade shape. For that reason I bought their no8 jardin/garden knife - it has a spear point and is a joy to use.

[@mapleenderson8541]

maybe a short video update on how the glue held up and general impression of the knife after use

[@SkillCult]

thinking about it

[@LandonHolmes]

I actually really like the texture and look of that after the glue dried. Turned out far better than expected. I'd love to see a video of you sharpening that thing in action. Sharpening theory is nice and all, but I could definitely do with you showing your technique in-depth.

[@SkillCult]

Yeah look,s cool. Noted on the sharpening.

[@alexr4493]

Interesting mods. One of the easiest--and I would say most essential mods--is to seal the end grain. I use shellac, but there are other options. Sealing the end grain prevents the wood from soaking up moisture (and swelling) and making the knife hard to open. It also keeps the friction of the blade in check, since the knife handle won't swell and loosen up the metal collar that's supplying all the pressure to the blade pivot area.

[@SkillCult]

Makes sense. It was affected by moisture a few times.

[@clint.ontherange]

Good tip about using it as a scraper. Cabinet scrapers are always waaay over in the toolbox when I need them (or not in the toolbox when I look for them)

[@scotthaddad563]

My first opinion of the Opinel was “JUNK!” That was back in the seventies but just a few months ago I decided to try one, a no. 12 and the first thing that I noticed was the ability of the spine to scrape like a cabinet scraper. I now own a no. 7&8 as well and they are fun to use for what they are capable of.

[@thunder2434]

I like my Opinel, I've used it only for rope cutting and cooking but as this video shows you can use it for a lot of things and it's not expensive for a qualty steel blade. I wish they made them with broader blades for better thumb rest on the back and I'd prefer a more secure lock, but then it'd be more expensive. I'll have to try the wood shaving. :)

[@SkillCult]

I'm not crazy about mine so far, but it has it's good points. I agree on the blade width and have been through exactly the same thought process. I think the challenge with the opinel is really to come up with improvements that cost nothing to very little to implement. Because, lets face it, a lot of the appeal is the price,which largely responsible for some of it's shortcomings.

[@demagmusic]

Good tip about using the back of the blade as a scraper, thx

[@SkillCult]

It rocks.

[@gileschapman1961]

That came out way better than I expected. Better than the crappy five minute epoxy I wasted an hour of my life with this afternoon. Just worried you are going to be plagued by the Raccoons asking were the cheese is. The chickens seemed to approve so I would take it to the next stage. The comments about what happens when they get properly wet might be worth checking out.

[@SkillCult]

knife stolen by racoons lol.

[@randallfussell4138]

If you have problems with the glue holding to the handle, you might try drying it out really well with a pen torch or something to make the wood really thirsty for moisture. I found my opinel in my tackle box a couple of weeks ago and have tried to carry it around with me but I share some of your complaints, so I'll probably do some modifications too soon. Follow up on how the handle mod is holding up down the road and if you make any more changes to the blade geometry.

[@SkillCult]

I think if the glue is right, it should probably stick pretty well, but I'm not sure I have the mix right, or if I let it sit long enough to undergo whatever reaction the lime does with the casein protein. I need to spend a little time researching and experimenting with hide glue. I'm pretty sure I'd be happier with it if I took a little of the sharp belly out of the blade curve, but I may not get around to it. I'll keep a follow up in mind.

[@northcountryrich9611]

The suspence Vail has lifted ! Great vid and i look forward to see how the glue holds up in the future, Thanks for your time and God Bless

[@markp2353]

Opinels are awesome. They're cheap in price but still hold their own against more expensive (& heavier) knives. What I like best about them is the fact if I loose them I'm not out a small fortune. I've never broken one.

[@SkillCult]

They are okay. Certainly good for the price. I think some large heavy knife users might benefit from limiting themselves to a light weak knife like this for a time. Also good for kids to mess with, mess up or lose. Good value for sure, though I'm not super crazy about it it does the job for the most part.

[@agoodun]

U could take all the knife apart and just use the metal bits and fasten them to acompletly new piece of wood for a handle that u can shape to exactly what u want. I don't know how easy or feasible it would be but just a thought.

[@SkillCult]

that is just an awful lot of work for a cheap knife. This mod has held up fine and it's quick. with a modern glue it would be super fast and easy.

[@rodneyroder9043]

Opinels are my favorite trout knife. I actually like the big belly in the blade, it is good for making spoons.

[@SkillCult]

Interesting. I could see that. For almost everything I do, I find it annoying. No perfect knife for everything though.

[@Tinkering902]

I was thinking of modding my handle, flattening the sides or maybe even an octagonal handle. Drop point does look much more functional, not sure why I never did it to mine.

[@dgunn4408]

Hey man, found your channel and I like your stuff a lot, keep it up. Similar to your knife I have Opinel numbers 6, 7, and 8 all in stainless (no.6 is small but rides well in dress pants for weddings and funerals). I like them, highly recommended to anyone who doesn't really have specific need-based preferences and just wants a classy, functional blade. I always drill a lanyard hole and run some line through to make it easier to snatch out of the pocket with gloves on. Usually, however, I do not consider them for everyday outside the woodshop (where they excel) because I very much prefer a knife with serrations for my daily activities. My regular carry these days is a 111mm Victorinox "Soldier" with a pocket clip glued to the side. Incidentally, the only opinel I carry every day is the hawksbill "mushroom" knife. I am a landscaper/gardener, and I use it like a small sickle for controlling monocot perennials (like grasses) especially in fall when you cut them back, or for deadheading things like Salvia and Shasta clumps that don't require the precision of snips. I've trimmed/burned the funny brush off the end. I hone it regularly on the top of my my truck window, which affixes a plenty serviceable edge for daily chores.

[@SkillCult]

You mean you hone it on the top edge of your roll down door window? I never got into serrated knives, but I can see where theyd be handy for some types of domestic uses.

[@dgunn4408]

SkillCult yes sir, it's a quick and dirty way to get a functional edge back. The top edge of a rolled down car window; I picked it up from a Ray Mears video a few years ago. Go feel the top edge of your car window, it has similar texture to a ceramic rod. I use the bottom ring of a coffee mug sometimes too.. Anything harder than steel will sharpen steel in a pinch 😁

[@dgunn4408]

SkillCult I deal with a lot of things like bailing twine, rope, zip ties, burlap, etc.. stuff that just needs cut without any finesse to it. Serrations just fit that use for me better than a full fine edge.

[@mesimamasa6327]

Excellent videos! I'm very impressed by the casein glue, and will surely give it a try next time a cheese goes bad. this curd boiling thing does resemble mozzarella making. I'm sure the smell does, too. I have used opinel a lot - it used to be very popular in my whereabouts so I have got a few for free. I don't use them anymore since i was given an OKAPI some years ago but it IS nice and cheap, 3 of my kids carry one as their only knife and seem to get along with it, but then they are small and don't know any better anyway. The biggest problem I've had with them was cleaning them after processing animals. it's hard to clean them well and when you do they tend to swell and lock the blade quite badly. Also the rings sometimes fly away and get lost. anyway it's a mistake to over trust that ring, I was once cut pretty badly when it closed on my fingers when I was trying to cut a hole through some thick tarp in a strong wind. it sucks. Oh and also I was held in custody for 5 hours in handcuffs for being caught with one in my pocket in the muslim quarter of old jerusalem! I just didn't remember I had it in my pocket, honestly. I know it's stupid to bring it there. One last thing: I have an Opinel 12 that I sort of found (stole, actually, but from someone who deserved it)ages ago. it seems to be good for nothing. Ihave no idea what would anyone do with such a huge handle didn't mean it to come out so long. thanks for the great info

[@SkillCult]

I can see how cleaning up after animal processing could be a pain. I'm sure mine will be bathed in gore sooner than later :) I"ll be carefull about the lock.. thanks.

[@congamike1]

Thanks for reminding me. I think I put mine into storage when I made the handle oily. The wood swelled and the blade became difficult to store. It seems quite usable now. I really appreciate the simplicity of this design even though I am afraid to use it hard. The blade is really nice steel.

[@dullbrass]

I like mine alot. Opinels' got character.

[@pennyghost]

Yes, keep the handle dry. I have wrecked two by leaving them in the sink. They start to get mushy under the lock. That handle texture looks great. I think linseed oil will help, but I have not tried it. Part 3 yes.

[@SkillCult]

A bunch of people mentioned not getting them wet too much.

[@tidge879]

If you get them wet you can chuck it in the oven for a couple of hours and they dry back out! I lent mine to a mate and found it immersed in the sink. I couldn't open it, but 2 hours at 80 celsius sorted it out.

[@GFD472]

I am impressed at how well that cheese glue worked! Never expected that sort of result. It would be cool to see how durable it is as well as how it handles getting wet

[@SkillCult]

It is possible that this won't work as well as it has the potential too as well. Some formal testing is needed to assess the possibilities.

[@GFD472]

I hope you decide to do more. I'd like to see how things turn out long term.

[@miltyler]

Cool idea to build up the handle Steven. These were two good videos! I used to have an opinel knife, but I was just a dumb teenager at the time. I brought it on camping and hiking trips so I could feel like I knew how to use a knife if I had to. So, sorry, I don’t really have any useful feedback as I didn’t know anything about knives back then. It’s been lost for ages now.

[@SkillCult]

I'm sure I had one before a long time ago, probably from a flea market. Probably lost it. I've lost a lot of knives . I know where there is a nice Boker pocket knife at the bottom of a pond in the Santa Cruz mountains for the last 31 years or so :)

[@miltyler]

SkillCult 😂

[@JoshuaLeeCrawford]

Cool vid. I've got a #8 that's been in my pocket for about 6 months now. Super handy little knife. Once I lost an expensive pocket knife, that was it for me. Not doing that again. I may do the blade mod you did. Looks a hell of a lot better! Have a good weekend man. Peace

[@SkillCult]

Major reason I don't buy many knives, or expensive knives, lost too many lol.

[@jdray]

About the cheese glue: does the protein have to be casein? I’m wondering if egg protein would work. Egg white is 100% protein. Would it be too much trouble for you to try a batch of “egg glue” and let us know how it works out?

[@SkillCult]

I'm not sure about egg protein. There are a number of protein glues. Plywood used to be glued with blood glue, but using formaldehyde as the catalyst that made it water proof, or at least water resistant. Casein will react with both alkalis, usually lime or borax, or formaldehyde. there was an industry making plastics out of casein pickled in formaldehyde. Hide glue also reacts to formaldehyde, as does skin fiber to form aldehyde tannages. I don't know a lot about egg proteins as glue, but I have that information I'm sure in old formula and glue books. Maybe I'll look into it.

[@justinrobertson1590]

It turned out better than I thought. Good job

[@davidcoats1037]

The cheese glue/wood shaving build up on the handle turned out really neat looking. Interested to see how the glue holds up.

[@andrelarocque5967]

I like the drop point idea, I would however further drop it into a spear point so it can be used as a drill. This also maximizes the toughness of the steel as it is 1090. The 90 degree spine is useful for fero rod use and I consider that a huge advantage over say a mora companion. Also along with that consideration an opinel number 8 is preferable for trail runners as it is half the weight of the companion as well. An 8mm fero can be recessed into the pommel so that the knife can then be fairly serviceable for bushcraft covering two of the 5 C's. I agree about the indexing issue. I have considered adding a belt clip to mine to make it more in line with a wilderness EDC.

[@SkillCult]

I might modify the tip further, but it seems okay. I don't get the belt clip thing. Sure, they're useful, but it's a great way to make a knife handle uncomfortable and bad for protracted use. At least any I've seen. I thought of the same ferro rod idea. I mean why not right? I think maybe a little bit larger, longer one embedded in the top of the handle and curved to shape could be cool. There are a handful of other mods that I think could make this a better general use knife. I may take that on as a project at some point. I might also order the number 9 and mess with it and try to bring it down closer to what I think the no. 8 should be. Do you happen to know if the handle of the 9 has a larger diameter?

[@andrelarocque5967]

Yeah I totally agree about the comfort thing, I've been trying to brainstorm a way to add a bearing dimple to one side and a clip to the other. I think if I get the geometry right I can probably improve the indexing and at the same time allow the real estate to add the dimple and the clip. At that point it does get a little gimmicky however so I might rethink it. Ive seen five or six opinel mods in my group so I want to be a good admin and set an example. I have some really nice spalted wood blanks laying around so I plan on rehandling an opinel #8 this week actually.

[@andrelarocque5967]

Oh also I'm not sure if the blade designer did it purposely but a continual curve in the blade belly aids considerably in the production of feather sticks. I use the front curve of my opinel at camp frequently when birch is unavailable to start fires. The humidity in vermont makes fires a bit harder sometimes.

[@farklesf8588]

I prefer the no.8 garden knife. Leaf profile with more exposed spine. Swept forward handle makes blind orientation simple. Lanyard hole as well.

[@SkillCult]

It has been suggested a few times. I might pick one up to check out at some point just to compare. There was something I didn't think I'd like about it, but don't recall what.

[@scorec5]

This new texture looks nice. I would just run whole handle with a rasp so the glue can penetrate and bond better with the wood. Also, You could just open the knife and fill the handle with hot wax, sand it down and than wrap it with wood shaving/glue mixure. Dry it, shape it, using saw recreate opening for the blade, and finally heat it to liquefy and drain the wax

[@SkillCult]

thought too that maybe some plastic shims jammed either side of the handle, like old credit cards maybe, and oil those. But there is an issue being able to wrap. I'll have to think about it some more.

[@scorec5]

The only drawback of the lamination process is different rate of shrinking and expansion of wood handle and wood shavings: soaking afterwards in linseed oil might mitigate that problem (might be enough to actually weaken the wood/glue bond.... I guess experiment, experiment. and again experiment) This lamination process gives another option for dealing with slightly cracked old draw knife handle (Want to keep original and prevent further damage. In my case the ship has already sailed: I already soaked it in linseed oil and glue will not stick)

[@karle.6101]

Watching the first video on this knife, i wondered why you didn't take down the sides of the handle first to allow you to feel the blade direction easier. It seems to have plenty of material on this end of the screen to give it a little more oval shape. The texture on that does look cool though.

[@SkillCult]

It's just not big enough. There already isn't enough material to fill the hand, even if you could squish it into an oval, though it would be better. Removing any would just make it worse. even that little hump makes an obvious differnce. Add that same 3/32 inch or so on the bottom and it will be pretty good I think. doesn't sound like enough to make a difference, but it does.

[@jsboyle3459]

Excellent video keep them coming👍🏻

[@zeros_knives_and_bushcraft.]

That blade spine is also a survivable flint and steel striker.

[@SkillCult]

Yeah, for sure.

[@manatoa1]

Nice work! One thing I dislike about opinels is the handle's tendency to swell up and bind the blade when it gets wet. Don't know if linseed oil would cause the same swelling if it gets inside the slot.

[@SkillCult]

I think it would. Although that might be a way to retighten it if it gets loose.

[@tophat2002]

Wow. That was cool. I wonder if pine tar over it would be ok.. I was surprised how awesome it turned out

[@SkillCult]

Pine tar is either sticky or weak. when you remove all the turpentine solvent out of it, it is very brittle and not very strong. If you leave it, it gets sticky when it gets warm, like a warm hand for instance. it's useful, but pretty sure it would suck for this application. Cheese glue is the main water resistant glue I know of from the old school arts. Hide glue can be made waterproof, but they used to use formaldehyde. toxic and not sure how to make it. There might be a way to use a smoke distillate. I've always wanted to try. too many projects tho ;)

[@ProfKSE]

I bought an Opinel #6 on a recommendation for an "orchard knife". I'd rather spend a little more and get something that didn't feel so cheap. It feels like if I used it hard it would break. I don't like the twist lock at all. If it is a jackknife I want it to lock tight. I agree with what your said in video #1 that with a round handle you can't feel what position the blade is in. I also like a deeper finger guard.

[@SkillCult]

I really dislike finger guards, so that doesn't bother me. No doubt they feel like you can only push them so far. Seems like a good fruit and grafting knife. Price is definitely a major plus. If they were very much more, I'd probably not have gotten one.

[@ProfKSE]

The best grafting knife is sharpened on one side, not two. Whatever that is called.

[@SkillCult]

single bevel usually. I agree, but any thin very sharp knife shouldn't be much of a hinderance to a skilled user for occasional grafting.

[@ProfKSE]

So true. Some people just us a box cutter for grafting. You know, that terrorist weapon.

[@SkillCult]

I know a guy that has been grafting for 50 years and teaches it, and he uses a disposable razor knife, the kind you snap the old blades off of. I like my grafting knives and usually use them, but if I have to hunt for it or have something sharp in my pocket, I'll just use whatever.

[@garethbaus5471]

I personally am a fan of opinels, I was less intense on the modifications with my #8 the main things I did were to remove the lock and to create a sharpening choil. An update showing how the glue has held up would be interesting.

[@SkillCult]

That knife is MIA. Hopefully it's under my car seat or something. The glue was starting to loosen on one side, but still going strong. I'm not careful about washing it or anything, but I don't just get it wet and leave it either. I think the glue really needed to be a little bit thicker and better, but it held up surprisingly well considering how thin it was and how much I squished out.

[@Imightberiding]

Thoroughly enjoyed your video. It was as though you were thinking out loud with a camera rolling in the back ground you were un aware of. I often think out loud during my endeavours but lack the knowledge & skill to make videos & upload them to the internet/KZbin of my experiences & projects. Cheers mate. *Edit: If you haven't already, I would love to see you do a useful review & what ever mods you think necessary on the basic, original red wooden handled Mora Knife. I have had many & re-profiled them with a slightly more useable convex polished edge & wrapped the plastic sheaths in leather (contact cement & stitching, kind of reminiscent of a leather wrapped steering wheel) to make the entire ensemble appear & have a feel of old school craftsmanship, texture & desirability. I know, it's not what you would do but...

[@SkillCult]

I don't do anything with those actually. I'd like the handles to be a little bigger. do you convex the whole bevel slightly, or just the edge?

[@Imightberiding]

Thanks for the reply & my apologies for the delay in my response. I've been dealing with some health issues as of late. I have messed up several Moras. The first was unintentional but ultimately made it more useable. I was constantly stropping it on an old razor strop (kind of like a belt hooked to a post or wall) & the natural flex caused the Scandi blade to become a gentle convex. I then started putting a slight convex on some other Moras & also gave a couple others a secondary slightly convex bevel. I do have a couple that I am careful to maintain a true Scandi edge on (& only strop on leather glued to flat hardwood) which are great for carving but honestly the edges while crazy sharp, are very prone to chip & dull quickly. I think they are very high value knives & the only real problem I have is that because of the low cost/high value, I tend to have more than I need. I am biased towards the carbon steel Mora blades vs the stainless ones (I think the old school thinking that carbon steel holds a finer edge that stainless still applies to Mora knives) though most of the Moras I have are all fairly decent knives. Of course many of the newer stainless blades are just as good at taking & holding a fine edge as a high carbon steel knife. Admittedly, Moras are horrible slicers for food prep. The wedge shape just splits & breaks apart food. Try slicing an apple or some cheese with one. An overall convex on the blade does help a little in the slicing department. I'm quite certain however that my psychologist might think it unhealthy it she new the amount of sharp edged tools (axes, knives, chisels, etc) I have. ; ) Cheers from the "wet" coast of BC, Canada. I trust you have finally had some relief in the weather & salvation from those wicked infernos in California. We've also had more than our share of wildfires in the interior of BC this year as well. No doubt you heard about the Fort McMurray fire in northern Alberta last year.

[@shanewatters9251]

I love these knives for their size and weight but i only use them on weekends like my watch and wedding ring. Ive broken a couple by abusing them at work, prying, opening paint cans, batoning with a framing hammer. Best reserved for unplanned picnics, opening toy packaging and other dad stuff.

[@theguywitheyebrows]

hated them when i was young and couldn't appreciate them for what they are. i bought a no10, felt it too large for the pocket but couldn't justify a slot on my belt for it without a sawblade, so i added one. mini ferro rod in a hole drilled alongside the blade in the wood beneath a lanyard hole, fishing line and waxed jute in the lanyard and it got a place in my 'oh shit' kit. burned a glyph in it and am proudest of it of all my lil tool mods.

[@SkillCult]

#10 is ridiculously big. I'm sure it has some use. #8 is the right carry size to me. I don't like big knives.

[@zabou3867]

congrats on that experiment i cant beleive it actually worked out,although i still wouldve just made a new handle from scratch i am impressed, does it still smell? or once dried it dosent?

[@SkillCult]

No smell at all surprisingly, but I boiled the cheese three times...

[@christianwilliams4795]

I've got a #7 and am loving it. However I've recently got an old boyscout pocket knife from the 50s that I've sort of switched to.

[@SkillCult]

I have one of those old scout pocket knives. Pretty neat.

[@christianwilliams4795]

Agreed mate. I wish the awl had a hole in it for sewing though. That's my one complaint. Tangent. I bought one of those King Water stones and am loving it for axe and knife sharpening.

[@Jay74Camp]

Have been carrying a #6 in my pocket for several years. Mostly gets used to slice fruit and vegetables in my lunch.

[@Lawman212]

I'm interested in what you think about the grind on the blade. Would you call that a flat grind? What would the advantages and disadvantages? Also, do you think the blade hinge strong enough to hold up to a lot of pressure from cutting?

[@SkillCult]

The "hinge" or whatever it is, is obviously a weak point. We'll see. No doubt it can only be pushed so far before it either bends/breaks or loosens badly. I'm impatient and I feel like I have a pretty good feel for when I'm getting into the danger zone of breaking or messing up tools, I might just push it anyway. I actually haven't looked at it close, but I don't think it is flat. There seems to be some kind of long curve to it maybe. I'll have to put a straight edge on it.

[@UnstoppableTramp]

Well well well I thought you were trolling us with "cheese glue" but it seems to have worked nicely. Nothing nicer than customising a tool to suit your purpose. It instantly becomes more of your own. Cheers pal Subbed ya

[@SkillCult]

Ha ha, nope, it's real. It wasn't really a preferred glue, because it's not as strong as hide glue, but the water resistant aspect and the fact that it was easy to whip up a quick batch with common ingredients probably kept it in use. Also, it was a very common paint base, which is enjoying a resurgence.

[@UnstoppableTramp]

@@SkillCult You learn something new every day. Thank you

[@cassanoa]

the metal collar can be removed for cleaning and to not foul up with the glue - i agree about removing the clip point - did the same to mine

[@SkillCult]

thanks. It's so much better filed down.

[@shonuffisthemaster]

opinels are soft enough to square the back and burnish a hook if you want to scrape with it.

[@sokoloft3]

Glad I found this. I must have a very early opinel no 8 knife as there's no france or ionx stamped into the blade. Totally going to buy one of these knives and do some mods to it as it's cheap at 15$ and extremely great quality that obviously lasts the test of time. Thanks for the vids, take care. I'll sub and hope you do a follow up video in the coming months!

[@SkillCult]

Don't hold your breath on a follow up video. I won't do one unless I've used it enough to have enough to say about it or want to play with more mods. It's okay for what it is it seems, but it has significant limitations too. I'm generally against over consumption and buying stuff just because, but these are very handy and it's nice to have some extra knives around. It does seem like a pretty exceptional value. I got mine for 12.00 but prices on amazon vary constantly.

[@jmknives]

Nice modification, nice channel! Subscribed you. Best regards from the Chaos-Werkbank 😊

[@trollforge]

About 20 years ago I wound up carrying my boss's Opinel around for the day, and it kept trying to open in my pocket. I ground a recess in the ferrule to stop that, before I gave it back, but that turned me right off Opinels. That and the fact that they just don't fit right in my meat hooks... I heard that they corrected the ferrule lock situation on later models. Does yours lock closed?

[@trollforge]

I think if I were having that issue I would put the knife in the oven on 200 Deg. F for an hour and then submerge it in Flax oil...

[@SkillCult]

I did wonder about that before. If you turn the ferrule while closed, it is supposed to keep the blad closed, but it's already pretty loose and in no way locks into the position. Also, if you pull on the blade, it can come out of the recess enough that you could catch yourself on the tip of the blade, even with the "lock" fully engaged.

[@trollforge]

What I did with my bosses knife (20+ years ago) was pretty much like what they do at the factory now, but shallower, and where the flat is I did deeper, so that you had to push the blade closed beyond its resting position and then it opened into the lock groove. I hope that is clear? You had to push the blade in to unlock it too...

[@maurycyzych3129]

Beautiful Mora carving mod!

[@ericchilver9113]

A fixed blade opined, I thought Size 13 opinel modified to a full tang with a sheath. Like yourself a cheap steal blade to be modified you’ve given e some ideas.Iilike your perspective

[@misfitthemad276]

Love the vid Steven, you're doing a great job with that knife. I'd certainly like to see another in this series and a report down the track on how it goes - especially curious as to any interaction between the casein glue and linseed oil. Cheers.

[@jeffdurham2360]

I'd like to see you do some decrative carving on the handel to look like antler

[@eb282]

Wow, cheese glue. I never would've thought

[@daveyjoweaver5183]

Hi Steve, Thanks for the info. I use scrapers all the time in my woodworking. One cool tip my mentor told me about I believe you'd be interested in. Take a hacksaw blade and place it in your vice. While the teeth are tempered the back edgd isn't nearly as hard. Simply file the square edge sharp and it becomes a great flexable scraper. You can also stone it after filing and burnish the edges with a hook. I've even made scraper planes with these blades as in the case of curved moldings. As in an arched door. I still haven't purchased a decent means for email but when I do I have some things to send your way. I can get your address then. Hopefully this is a tip you can use,,,,, with the saw blade. But knowing your skills it would 't surprise me. Thanks again Steve! Davey Weaver of Pa.

[@SkillCult]

That is a great tip. Good use for old bandsaw blades too I'll bet. I like it :)

[@jacobdipietro375]

What kind of knife were you using to scrape the finish from the kinife you were modifying?

[@SkillCult]

That is the Mora #120. I like it for craftwork. Very short blade and a nice fat handle. amzn.to/2mAZXN1

[@jacobdipietro375]

SkillCult thanks for the quick reply :)

[@tiktokads1762]

I have a question for you on making hide/sinew.... glue. Since the only thing that you want( at least what i know from your videos) is get collagen out of the hide. Can i use pure 100% collagen powder?

[@SkillCult]

That is basically what gelatin is, so yes, you can use unflavored gelatin. There may be a difference in types, but the pure gelatin in stores works.

[@mayo470]

I just found your channel last night and love your videos. I was in the middle of soaking my Svord Peasant knife handle in boiled linseed oil when I was watching one of your videos where you talked about lead and other nasties in the oil. Great. Lead. Now that I've started with boiled instead of raw, I'll become just a little dumber each time I use this knife with the leaded handle. Should I continue treatments with raw linseed oil instead of boiled or just through it away so my hair doesn't fall out? As to the Opinel, I have always hated the goofy up-swept tip too. I later bought an Opinel Gardening knife because it had a spear point blade, it also has a little thicker blade stock than the original up-swept clip blade, but the handle was ridiculously tapered to the point of bad for multi-use. In short, I took the rings off both the original and the gardening model and put the spear blade into the original handle. (You have to carve out the blade channel a little to get it to close because the channel wasn't designed for the spear blade), but it's the best of both worlds now: better blade shape than the original and a better handle than the gardening model. Not my ideal shapes to either-- but an improvement from before and it took a tiny amount of time and effort. I am about the 30th person to say this, but it would be neat to see a part 3 short video with ALL of the things you would have done to the Opinel to make it ideal for you (adding more lamination to the handle and addressing the blade belly shape you don't like). Either way, love your videos and I've clicked the little "bell clicky-thingy" to hopefully get notified of your new stuff if KZbin works right. -Mike in Pennsylvania.

[@SkillCult]

Hey Mike. I would switch to raw oil and forget it ever happened, but do it now and don't let the boiled oil cure first. I looked at that garden knife, but there was something that I didn't like about it. Dont remember what. I'd like to take not just that knife it hand, but go beyond into re-designed. I did outline a follow up video, but never shot it. It was mostly talking points. If I did another mod vid, it would probably be after some development, so it could be step by step, do this stuff.

[@SkillCult]

Oh, and welcome to the channel.

[@mayo470]

SkillCult ok I'll go get some raw oil today or tomorrow. The handle is still very wet and will probably take some time for the oil to evaporate. Should I just wipe it off today and let it dry, or wipe it off and apply the raw oil right away, or put it in a raw oil bath for a few hours? Never really done this before from scratch. Some say to bathe the wood, some say doing that is counterproductive as full absorption is a really a misconception (? Dubious at that one), some say many many thin coats, some say slather it on... I know this is probably rudimentary stuff to you but with all the conflicting info by people who imagine themselves to be experts, it's hard to sift through. Like you said in one of your vids, a person with 80 years axe experience should probably be listened to. Thanks, I'm already enjoying your channel!

[@SkillCult]

I would wrap it tightly in a plastic bag. The oil undergoes a curing process with oxygen exposure and could limit penetration. Not sure on total penetration or not. I wouldn't over think it. If it's a folder, you might have the joint swell up I'd think. Otherwise, soak it for a while and if it seems to soak up more, put more on or soak it longer.

[@mayo470]

SkillCult ok thanks will do with the new oil when I have it. It's a folder, but the handle is in two halves bolted together so if it swells its a non-issue. Yes I am Mr. Overthinker...

[@waynerhodes5993]

Have you tried using pitch as a natural waterproof glue?

[@SkillCult]

I've used pitch a lot. It is very limited in it's applications. For one, it's not strong. It is either soft or it's brittle. in between extremes it is more resilient, but only so much. It also changes with temperature, so it can be so cold it cracks, or so warm that it melts. It does have applications, but they are pretty limited and I don't think it would be good at all in this type of application.

[@yogabeeutiful]

What if I just shave down the sides of the handle to square it more? Also there is another shape for grape work that I thought l looks more like the mod you did to the blade.

[@SkillCult]

There is not enough bulk in the handle to start with, so taking any off would make it fill the hand even less. I'm solving two problems, too little material and the round shape. Even with your delicate, fairy-like, waif hands I wouldn't make the handle any smaller. Someone posted a link in the comments bellow to a version that you can get with a rough handle blank so you can carve it to suit you. I like that option. it's about the same price too.

[@yogabeeutiful]

SkillCult haha. That's funny, I'm actually uptight about my wimpy wrists, they do look overly girly to me haha.

[@SkillCult]

I think you should make a set of spiked leather wrist braces :)

[@yogabeeutiful]

SkillCult hot!

[@woodworkerroyer8497]

Why all the work on modding a premade handle you dont like? Seems like you would just take the old one off and put a new one on. Also, the card scrapers you referred to use a square edge that is then burnished with a hard metal rod to create a burr that then cuts the wood. That isn't absolutely needed for it to work, but it really helps the scraper work better

[@SkillCult]

I'm not sure how long you think this took, but using commercial glue, it would be extremely fast. making a new better handle with hand tools would take a lot longer. Cheese glue was just a cool fun addition, even so, probably faster than making a new handle. Not sure what your point is on the second part. There are scrapers and related tools with bevels that burrs are turned on. The rest I think I pretty much said or demonstrated.

[@Stormcloakvictory]

I have a love hate relationship with opinels, because they have some downsides, like indeed, the round handle is pretty terrible for actual use, depending on your edc chores it's either okay-ish or terrible. And the clip point on these are kind of a hinderence to me aswell. And very fine and fragile, if you're careful with them you can keep them intact, but you gotta baby it a little otherwise it breaks anyway, and you might aswell turn it into a drop point. Also, a loose virobloc ring is making the knife kinda scary to use. But oh my can these knives build a beautiful patina and worn character. And they're very modable, cheap and the carbon steel loves to take an edge.

[@SQ_og]

Thinking about moding mine.

[@SkillCult]

I can't imagine you'd be unhappy with these simple mods. it's just better :) I'm sure you could use epoxy or wood glue to do the build up. That should be water resistant enough and easily shaped if you want something easy and and quick.

[@guillaumebergeron1799]

Opiner's are best at slicing with their slim flat bevel blade. The no 12 Opinel, even though is round handle is a superb knife to use, you should consider trying this version instead of the too small no 7,8 and 10. I think you just don't like Opinel's since you feel the way to make such modifications.

[@SkillCult]

I'm sure no 12 would be too large for me. I can't imagine wanting to use one much larger than this one. This has strong and weak points. Just trying to fix the weak points.

[@MrPeter0201]

Steven and the Turnaburrs. They rip.

[@craigoldsen1667]

Like they say, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."..........LOL

[@reneschaap8091]

ik met het lemmet het zelfde gedaan !! werkt veel beter !! Opa

[@SkillCult]

Google translation: "I done the same with the blade !! works much better !! Grandpa" Ja, het is zo veel beter! Ik zou het niet eerder gebruiken. De tip was vervelend. Niet goed voor veel van wat dan ook. Sonny.

[@johnwaw6363]

Is that other knife an epoxy saturated pine cone for the handle?

[@SkillCult]

looks like it doesn't it. that is a mora small carving knife that I carved the handle on. I have video planned showing how to do that as an excuse to talk about knife use and handling. I'll get to it someday. It is very saturated with linseed oil tho.

[@johnwaw6363]

SkillCult I sent a bunch of my friends a link on heavy metals in BLO after reading up on it because of your video. I'm really getting a lot of your channel. I'm a dad of two youngsters and don't get a lot of free time to make noise building so watching you keeps me learning. Thank you for all of your efforts! By the way you mentioned you blacksmith. I'm a member of a club on Vancouver island. I'd love to get your take on the craft. I'll search your old videos in case there's some blacksmithing content there.

[@SkillCult]

Oh good, spread the word, that stuff is nasty. I'm not much of a blacksmith, just basic skills. I consider myself something like a farm blacksmith. I always want to do more though. I love it. If I do any on this channel it will probably be just related to my projects, not so much instructional, but who knows.

[@johnwaw6363]

SkillCult I gave up Paragliding for safety and family and was miserable until I started blacksmithing. I ran across a quote; "Blacksmithing is the most fun a man can have without repenting." Not a religious guy but I thought it was accurate.

[@SkillCult]

The first time I pounded hot iron I turned to my wife at the time and was like "I want to do this all the time, everyday for the rest of my life!" lol. My forge isn't even set up now, but someday. If I want to do something that is small I just whip up a ground forge.

[@PatricksBushcraft]

That's something I would of never thought of. It worked! and that's really good

[@drax38]

How do you reprofile a blade without having to spend hours an hours of sharpening ? Can you show us a quick and efficient way, please ? I have several fixed knives with broken tips or nicks on the blade...

[@SkillCult]

This is a thin and relatively soft knife so with a vice a good file and reasonable filing skills it shouldn't take too long. That and fast cutting sharpening stones to finish it. It might be a little challenging on this to match the subtle curve of the faces that comes from the factory, but as far as removing steel, good tools and some skill and it should be pretty fast. If you watch the first vid in this series it was only less than 3 minutes of filing to modify the tip, though that is more straightforward.

[@kiltedmonster1]

You didn't like the roundness of the handle,yet you made it more rounder, lol why not just file the sides flat and add your special wood glue to build up a handle you like ?

[@SkillCult]

I own this knife, I still use it, I made the handle more oval and it is still more oval? Or maybe you mean something different by "more rounder". I didn't file the side, because I don't want to reduce the overall bulk of the handle any more. I'd rather add a little bulk, which is what I did.

[@emlillthings7914]

Did I hear stone knife? ,,, or a stone axe? ,,, I got a stone axe ,, so pretty. If you could cheese-glue yourself a stone knife, would be pretty damn cool, if only to exemplify how far one can get, with minimum resources. Whether one could do so feasibly in a survival situation, will be up for bushcrafters to try out. Might have to consider a form of varnish to waterproof it, though I am not sure what would work best. It might work to coat the handle with lime, let it harden, then treat the surface with 'water glass'. Both are fairly inexpensive, and both ingredients can be made by stuff from the land/sea. Waterglass is lye, and sand/glass + heat. Obviously just slinging ideas out of my ass here, but testing on a stick might show the waterglass alone to be more than adequate. I am wrapping up a couple of experiments, and waterglass is scheduled next. I make it, coz it's expensive, but my impression is that it's often really cheap in the states.

[@SkillCult]

I don't know much about waterglass, but it seems really cool. There are old formula's books, like Henley's Book of Formulas and others that will often have recipes making and using that old stuff. I own quite a few of those old books. but so many things I've never tried yet. Stone tools are usually just flakes. I think most people think of them as more like the tools we use, and some were, but the average stone cutting tool, through out human history, has been fairly crude but more or less functional. It rarely pays to make a "knife" out of stone,. You just bust off some flakes, use them, modify as necessary and make more when you need them. more refined tools, resembling knives, possibly even with a handle, kwould typically have been small. that's a whole other bag of worms there, stone tools. But most areas there is some type of rock that can be busted up for cutting edges even if it's not great.

[@The1320master]

does not like a round handle, uses knife with round handle, to work on knife he don't like with round handle .. ;)

[@SkillCult]

Yeah, that handle sucks. I'm not a fan of that knife overall, though there are a few things I like about it. I used to have a similar western that I actually liked a lot. I'm not one to buy a lot of knives and I lose the ones I use, so I end up with an odd assortment of whatever I happen to pick up cheap. I already lost this opinel lol.

[@The1320master]

@@SkillCult yup yup .. i hear ya .and all the new knives i buy sit on a shelf looking pretty .and the friday night fondling flip fest lol

[@Rikity]

I'm probably just going to go buy a knife I like without screwing with it

[@SkillCult]

Thats cool, but this knife is very cheap and kind of cool in some ways. It can be made a lot more functional with only a little sweat equity. If I used regular carpenters glue these mods would be pretty damn fast.

[@Rikity]

That wouldnt be as fun though, good to know you can use other things to make your own glue! Never know when you'll have to do it out of necessity

[@Ruger41mag]

I think I would spend my money on something else. That's a lot of work for a $12 knife......but that's just my opinion. And I agree that a round handle on a knife is bad .....

[@SkillCult]

It's not that much work really. Got any recommendations? I like the light weight of these.

[@Ruger41mag]

For about $18 I like the Nagao Higonokami friction folder or for $15 the Svord Peasant Knife friction folder. I have carried for a few years now a custom friction folder from Michael Morris made from an old file. Great knife, but not for those on a budget.

[@SkillCult]

I own one of those japanese folders. It' s neat, but it never gets used. The handles are terrible and it doesn't lock. Good for some domestic uses I guess. I think part of the appeal of opinel is that it is similar in many ways to a sheath knife, but it's a light inexpensive folder.

[@chrisinelpaso]

On how to butcher an Opinel...

[@SkillCult]

What's wrong with it?

[@19Edurne]

I have to laugh... Just after criticizing all the factory "stupid" features and removing every sharp edge on the handle, complaining about the tip not being in line with the center of the handle, you say you can work with the tip now that has been modified and what?... You don't even hold the knife by the handle but the blade! Buy an exacto knife. This is mod for mod's sake...

[@SkillCult]

I think your logic may be faulty here, but you can correct me if I'm wrong. Are you saying that because I held the knife by the blade once to make a point, I never use the knife tip while holding the handle? or that because I held the blade once, I don't use the handle at all and it doesn't need modification? No matter what angle I take here this comment makes no sense and I have to think there is some kind emotional impetus or ego issue at work here. Using the knife tip while holding the blade is an important function of the knife, but using or showing it doesn't mean that is the only way I use it, or that it doesn't also make the tip better for stuff that I do when held by the handle. I had this knife for a while and didn't really use it because the tip didn't work for me. I tried cutting leather with it, yes, held by the handle, and didn't like it. I do that and have done that a lot. Cutting the divet in a fireboard, (yep, held by the handle), done that thousands of times, classic knife tip work, didn't like it. I remember even trying to clean my fingernails with it and not liking it for that lol. This type of tip also doesn't work well for the unique way I use a knife in skinning, even though some would say the long belly and upsweep should be better. I have used knives enough and for long enough, that I knew I wouldn't like it when I first looked at it. I tried to carry it a little just to say I did and "test" the stock knife, but it was bad enough that I gave up on keeping it on my person in preference to whatever else was around, probably a swiss army knife. No problem, was it 2 or 3 minutes of filing? Now I've used it a lot and have no real complaints about the tip shape and placement. Apparently you know better for me though, so feel free to elaborate on how much I should like the tip for what I use a knife for, and how the stock tip should have serve me now and would have served me better all those years with other knives. Working with the tip is crucial, and tip configuration is a way many knife designs go wrong. The tip is better for me, the handle it better for me, I don't see the problem.

[@19Edurne]

​@@SkillCult No, I just mean your timing was great fun.

[@SkillCult]

​@@19Edurne Right, so buy an extaco, mod for mod's sake is some kind of joke. Smells like B.S.

[@19Edurne]

@@SkillCult Yeah, well, I don't quite see the point between the time spent vs the gain. I've never had an opinel turn in my hand while cutting something and if you need to "feel" the orientation of the blade by the shape of the handle, you use your knife in the dark or don't look at what you're doing. Either way, I'm just saying it's not very safe. Not more than holding it by the blade to use it as an exacto by the way. So, yeah, it seems a lot of trouble for very little gain. But it's your hands after all. Thanks for the bit on caseine glue however; I knew about it but had never took the time to learn how to do make some. So thanks for that part.

[@christiangrunhagel4373]

Sooo ein quatsch

[@SkillCult]

Typical negative comment, all attitude, no substance. Don't argue with me, you'll lose lol.