opinel no 12 explore review

The No. I did notice that when the rubber becomes wet, it can become a bit slick, a drawback. I’m happy to report that it does. While cutting is largely smooth and easy owing to the knife grind and sharp edge, I did notice that the groove that houses the blade when folded became a source of minor discomfort as my hand shifted location on the grip due to use. Find the best knife/tool for your next outdoor adventure using our independent reviews and ratings. They take money from brands to skew results. A handful of cuts sharpened sticks into stakes. There isn’t much to be said of the lanyard loop: it is sufficiently large enough to accommodate a paracord lanyard or perhaps even a mini-carabiner to clip the knife onto the outside of a bag. average rating I was skeptical of the fire starter at first. It requires minimal maintenance to maintain or to return to a sharp condition if dulled somewhat by use (stropping does wonders). While the knife is the star, the hook blade and gutting hook are great additions that give this knife much more versatility. I even experimented a little with using it to split wood with a baton. I certainly had no issues with it. Your email address will not be published. These yield with use to become more easy to move, but there is no disconcerting looseness such as what one may find with more cheaply made knives. If you want a bruiser, then go with the Ka Bar Full Size U S Marine Corps Fighting Knife, Gerber LMF II, or Morakniv Bushcraft. Seemingly no. The knife features Opinel’s familiar Virobloc, a double safety ring that--when rotated with knife open or closed--either locks the blade open or secures the blade in closed position. Because it fills the hand, significant pressure can be applied when cutting using a forehand grip, certainly more so than with smaller folding knives. It readily ignites such tinders as fatwood scrapings, petroleum-jelly-soaked cotton balls, and fine wood curls. Seems like a reasonable price for a useful and very capable tool(s). 12 Explore & No. What more could you want? REVIEW CORPS No, the No. 12 Exploreis a solid value for anyone in need of a backcountry blade. Finally, because it is part of a sizable knife, it is less likely to be lost than a standalone whistle might be. 08 Outdoor Knives review Posted on August 31, 2016 September 28, 2016 by Jared Hargrave A good knife is essential when traveling outdoors, not just for the utility and myriad things you can do with a sharp blade (whittling sticks anyone?) 12 Explore Survival Knife Review, Why We Like It – OPINEL No. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. Our mission is to empower you to find the product you’re looking for and get exactly the information you need to make the right buying decision. For those who frequently go on outdoor adventures, the Opinel No. 12 Explore is a knife intended for “outdoor enthusiasts” for use during activities such as “camping & hiking, hunting, fishing,” and “exploration.” Elsewhere Opinel labels it as being suitable for bushcraft, which makes sense as its dimensions roughly accord with the general recommendations of fixed blade bushcraft knives. 12 Explore allows one to work more efficiently when undertaking certain tasks, territory often occupied by similarly sized fixed blade knives such as the Mora Companion. +6,337 In the first image below, the Virobloc is unlocked to permit the blade being opened; in the second image, it is locked to prevent the blade from being opened. Gloved use of this knife, then, has pros and cons. but also as a tool of survival. Share This Post: Opinel has relied on, among other things, simplicity, in its knives for the past 126 years. The incorporated cutters are great for working with cords, rope, and other uses, which gives this knife great versatility. Contents1 Why We Like It – OPINEL No.   It came razor sharp out of the package. © 2001-2020 MacLeay Interactive Design, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Too many are simply trying to capitalize on affiliate revenue. Your email address will not be published. The key is that Opinel has not overly designed the knife: it retains the familiar Virobloc lock and blade, but adds usable features that function with similar simplicity. The fire starter throws a nice shower of sparks, but that also means that the knife spine chews up the rod fairly quickly. Noah has a special ability to discover stellar new products (read: spends hours online shopping), especially if they help people create, watch, listen to music, and improve quality of life. When removed from the knife’s handle for use, it measures just 2.75 in/7 cm in length. Honestly, though, you probably still want to bring along this Opinel on your adventures for its added utility. I assume Opinel does produce or will produce replacement fire starters for this knife; otherwise, this will be a long-term limitation of the knife’s utility. The spine is beveled to 90˚ to send sparks flying from the ferrocerium rod or to function as a scraper. 12 Explore from other Opinel knives are the remaining features: a fiberglass-reinforced polyamide handle (replacing the beechwood commonly seen on many Opinels) covered with textured, soft rubber for superior grip; a 110 dB pealess whistle in the end of the knife; a hook blade (gut hook) that slides out of the handle, and a fire starter (a ferrocerium rod) that locks into the end of the knife. All told, the features of this knife at its approximately USD $50 price point make it worthy of consideration. The whistle is a comforting and useful safety option the presence of which means one less thing to carry on one’s person--it minimizes exertion (breath) while maximizing impact (volume). 12 Explore is a fantastic addition. Indeed, I did: I’m especially partial to it as a one-tool option for fire building or stove lighting, not unlike the Light My Fire Swedish FireKnife (but with more features, albeit at a higher cost). I experimented cautiously with batonning wood, using a wooden baton to tap the knife through thin kindling to split it. 12 Explore Knife Initial Review. 12 Explore could be used for this in an emergency (if getting to the dry center of the wood were essential for emergency fire-building, for instance), but this action was clearly beyond the intended use of the knife (see video, below). The stainless steel is a practical, low-maintenance choice for a knife intended for outdoor use, and Sandvik 12C27 is a reputable steel known as a very pure alloy. 12 Explore Survival Knife … The hook cut through this durable cord fairly cleanly, but it was also clear that this blade is not as sharp as the main blade. I was intrigued by this offering because it seemed a departure from the elegant simplicity of quality knives for which Opinel has been known since 1890. The larger blade size of the Opinel No. It also cannot be overblown. 12 Explore shakes things up, bringing Opinel's everyday reliability to the outdoors. For perspective, normal conversation is about 60-70 dB. Browse Opinel's top-rated knives and tools and more. 23. The beauty of the design is that Opinel has fit a survival knife, fire starter, gut hook, cutting hook, and survival whistle all into one compact pocket knife. The knife moved cleanly through the raw meat, slicing it into pieces without effort. Releasing it requires simultaneous movement of the lanyard loop/hook blade and the movement of the fire starter, and this need for simultaneous motions works to preserve both blade and fire starter. The whistle works easily and loudly. TOP 25 REVIEWER Opinel No 12 Saw Review (7.5 out of a 10) As you can tell, I really like this saw and it’s a staple within certain kits of mine. According to Opinel’s literature on its new offering, the No. 12 Explore Survival Knife Review1.1 Performance1.2 Design1.3 Value1.4 OPINEL No. There's a reason so many people rely on the classic Opinel knife for tasks both big and small. Thanks for thoroughly testing out this new knife. or review a different product, Bentbrook 12 Explore Survival Knife Review Opinel Knives have become a favorite for experienced outdoor enthusiasts, and the No. Because it is pealess and made of weather-resistant materials, it will function in a wide range of temperatures without jamming (as a whistle with a pea might) or breaking. The gut hook will appeal to some users, who will find it useful; the fire starter likely to attract more frequent use. Presumably, one might use it as a gut hook in the field, but for most other operations, the lanyard could remain in place. I did not wish to kill an animal simply to test the gut hook, so instead I used the gut hook as one might use a similarly shaped a seat belt cutter to cut 550 paracord.