What kind of folding knife doesn't lock?
Most of the folding knives, Matt!
The difference is partly semantic. Most folding knives have a linear spring that holds the blade open (and shut) to a degree. However, springs do not hold the blade rigid;under pressure, it can still fold.
A lock-blade knife has a stop, catch, or other means to ensure the blade cannot fold until deliberate action is taken to fold it. On my Wenger, this is an automatic catch that must be manually released to fold the blade. On the Opinel, it is a rotating collar that must be enabled and disabled else the blade is held open or shut only by the friction of the wood on each side of the blade hinge.
The distinction becomes important depending on where you live or travel. The same knife that might be legal without a lock may be prohibited and regarded as a weapon if it can be made rigid.
Note to Dan: I used an Opinell knive on one canoe trip decades ago and never used it again. I put it in the hot dish water when doing some kitchen cleanup, it soaked there for several minutes. After that the wood at the folding joint swelled and made it almost impossible to open and close for the rest of the trip. So, I suggest you be careful to keep it dry enough that the wood does not swell.
Yep! Exactly why I was asking about applying Vaseline 'round the hinge. The Opinel is far from practical and not versatile enough for my own all-weather touring needs, but it should be nice for slicing salami, cutting breads, or peeling apples and such on cycling picnics.
The real reason I chose it was because I'm absolutely besotted by the cycling theme and I like the idea it was invented 'round the same time as my Brooks B.17 and is similarly traditional and largely unchanged. One of those cases where romance trumps sheer utility. Things don't always work out so well when this happens, but such items usually become treasured possessions in ways the merely utilitarian items do not. They speak to me in a different way. You should see my collection of antique, all-metal incandescent flashlights and compasses. None work as well as my much later LED/plastic lights and compasses (compii?), a much larger collection. I was in heaven during a recent power outage. The only frustration was choosing which light to grab and the ultimate disappointment when the lights came back on. The neighbors across my back fence were without power for 6 days, and I actually envied them.
This thread is older than my Nomad, but more recent than my Sherpa for age.
Well...sure! Reducing thread proliferation as a worthy goal.
All the best,
Dan.
