Opinel : Traditional one-handed methods 

Thanks Andrew I would agree. Sadly the "old man" Opinel died last week... he's reputed to be the one who came up with the "Savoie tap".

Thanks Billy Two Knives. I was at a mountain market last Thursday watching a demo about making cheese up on the mountain in summer. And saw this technique in use a few times. (And forgot to take pics, as usual). Watching it, and noting some of the comments made here about the "abuse" of the blade in opening the knife, really pointed up the differences in attitudes. For many, I know the knife is seen as the most important part of the task. So one should preserve it. But to those Basque mountain shepherds, the job, the task in hand, is more important that the tool. Because that's all it is. A €10 tool to help with countless tasks. They've probably got one in every pocket. Of course Health & Safety regs means they are no longer allowed to use it to test the coagulation of the cheese - if they intend the cheese for sale. Thanks again. D.

.... thanks... I think these knives belie their utility.... It's true the effilé does have a very elegant "sabot" and since the blade is only around 1.7mm thick on the 7cm model it is a bit restricted for some outdoor uses... Cameras always seem to me to be excess weight when I'm backpacking... but thanks for the comment... I might try and capture some original images.

Can you show us... ? The problem I find is humidity. It varies so much throughout the year, in the climates I live in so it can become quite difficult to pull the blade free one day, whilst it could be swinging loose a day or two later. And as I said elsewhere, for the artisan using this cheap knife, the completion of the task is frequently far more important than protecting the knife. For them, this is a cheap consumable. But I'd still like to see exactly what you mean.

This is the kind of leg-pull some of my friends would post. So I'm not sure if you are serious. But yes on the sea rescue courses I've taken, that's exactly what we are taught. And yes I can tie a bowline under water, with my hands behind my back, and my eyes closed. And I can open my rescue knife with one hand and cut boat line with it. But I wouldn't use this knife it would be wholly unsuitable. For local rescue work, we generally use a knife with a very rounded sheepsfoot blade so as not to stab anyone or anything - for example when a wave hits. And I always use a serrated blade, it cuts modern synthetic lines faster and can easily be sharpened onshore. Finally this particular Opinel also has a wooden handle, it would be difficult to use when swollen through being wet. But yes, for anytime you have to use a knife under duress having the ability to use either hand is an advantage. And you are right about the gloves warning. Mountain trekking just a month ago, I used this knife to flake some tinder for cooking a late lunch. Sometime later I noticed blood over a lot of gear. I'd cut myself, but the blade was so sharp and the weather so cold, I'd been completely unaware. So yes it would be easy to injure yourself practicing as you suggest. Finally spotted the Spyderco logo on your profile. Are you a fan?

I wasn't joking or speaking directly to you, but more to your audience. You know, those people who see something and then say, "Watch This, Hold My Beer"! Yes I'm a Spydie fan as well as a fan of other makers too. I'm not totally brand specific. I'm a firefighter and in my bunker gear I have a Byrd Meadowlark Rescue (fully serrated sheepsfoot) for cutting applications around rescue victims. I made it even safer by flattening out the grind on the tip so as not to puncture anything. I also always have another knife in my gear if I need it and of course my EDC(s) in my pants pocket. I'm a true believer in practicing skills until muscle memory kicks in to high gear. I stress this point to the people on my department all the time. It makes things so much easier when in a high stress situation. I'm about 85+ percent ambidextrous and try to practice everything with both hands (just in case).

I understand completely... Grinding off the tip is something I've seen for years in both the Alps and the Pyrénées. I'm guessing either because it had broken, or they were cautious not to injure a beast. And now of course you can buy it described as "Mon Premier Opinel"- My First Opinel -for kids. Same knife large radius round tip. And yes to the muscle memory. I have arthritis and dupuytren's contractures in both hands. So it is possible even with such disabilities. It just requires regular exercise and it fights-off degeneration. And with your knife knowledge maybe you can make a suggestion... On the water I use Myerchin, mainly a folding rigging knife with a fid/marlin spike, but for blue-water I have a fixed blade serrated and carry a separate fid. Trekking/general mountaineering I use the Opinel- including the newish Outdoor. If you are interested here's a review bws.re/Opinel101 with an anecdote of us using them when aiming to climb the Piton Des Neiges (Indian Ocean). But now I'm looking for a better fixed blade knife. We are in East Africa and then north of the Arctic Circle in 2017. I forage fuel a lot (small pieces, not chunks of trees). I do use a very light commando chain saw and a BCB (Rolson) survival tool, but I'm looking for a modest fixed blade knife - flaking tinder would be the physically toughest job. The rest would rely on the sharpness and shape of the blade. Full tang, 8/9", straight edge, 0.14/0.16" thick, drop point, probably with a scandi grind or maybe full convex. And if it were made in Sheffield England that would be awesome. Any suggestions?

Maybe you should?

Yep. Some people do call it that. But the name give to the "manouvre" by the inventor is "Coup de Savoyard". So "Savoy Tap". Because that's where he made them, and that's where they were first used. In the mountains of the Savoie in France.

It hasn’t. It’s a traditional opinel

It's only like 30s. Where's the rush?