There is a large variety of knives in the Magnum series from God knows how many different manufacturers and the quality is all over the place.
Overall, I’d rather get my Chinese knives from Chinese companies that have built up a reputation for consistency since the Magnum knives are at best their re-brands, at worst, junk - but always priced higher.
Filmam don’t have a barrel lock. They are either pure friction folders, or they have a small liner lock.
My first two Bokers were a Gnome and Magnum and neither fit the sheath right. I’ve had 4-8 dollar fixed blades from FT all fit their sheaths just fine, so I know it can be done for cheap knives. So I think I’ll just stick to the real Opinels.
I know Boker has a good following, but I honestly just don’t see it. CKRT is another one of those we-make-high-quality-products-just-ask-us manufacturers that I try to stay away from. I agree with Varyag that if I’m going to buy a Chinese knife, I’m going to buy a well made Chinese knife and avoid the lottery. I’m still infatuated with a SanRenMu GB-763 I paid $6 for several years ago.
Kershaw is a good example of Chinese made knives from a US company done right. I’m getting $18-$35 budget knives with 2 day prime. Nothing beats high quality budget products with US quality control and 2 day shipping. And if there’s an issue, they take it back for free and I have a new one in 2 days.
Isn’t the Spyderco Tenacious still made by SanRenMu? I’m a Spyderco fan boy. They are up front about all their products and don’t try to obfuscate their product lineup to try to sneak total junk into a few premium price slots. They make their knives all over the world and charge you accordingly with a coherent pricing model.
So I think there’s a few companies out there getting it right, and Boker ain’t one of ’em 
Does anyone have those cheap Japanese hand made knives? Some of them on Amazon are under 20 dollars for a hand made Japanese knife … are they worth it?
I agree, the thing that looks like the Opinel barrel lock is just a ferrule or bolster to support the wood at the hinge. They all appear to be liner lockers.
I haven’t handled an Opinel since I was a kid but I seem to remember them having a convex grind. These appear to be flat ground with a secondary edge bevel. But maybe I just drank too much chocolate milk as a kid and I’m wrong.
So, that Heinnie Haynes Store has an Opinel #8 in Inox stainless and Ebony wood for 42.95 Euro, is that a decent price or high? Interesting blade and knife, nice handle choice, makes me think hard about it just because...
That #8 Ebony is $74.95 at the US store, considerably more than the $54.23 Euro price! Yuck Yuck Yuck
Wait till you see the tariffs you’ll pay on anything from the UK.
Same goes for anything from the U.S.A. going into the U.K. although it isn’t so much the i port duty it’s the postage and the fact that VAT (GST) is payable on top of the postage, duty and item, also an £8 charge for the Post Office to act as your agent in opening and resealing the goods for onwards travel from the customs officers. Also it is MUCH more likely to be opened for inspection if coming into the country from the U.S.A. 50% rate of inspection for me nothing like that from other countries and never from countries in Europe who take the taxes at point of sale.
I think that a packet from U.K. would cost less that one to U.K. from U.S.A. one parcel of washers that could have gone by letter rate was sent as a parcel and cost $23 in postage for a $20 lot of washers, not again thanks.
Use a mail forwarder, you’ll pay 2x shipping (i.e. once per country) plus a small fee probably ~1$.
…
No offense, but an Opinel isn’t the type of knife I’d ever consider buying in a high-priced ebony version.
Their main selling point is a very good price/value ratio, high quality steel and a handle form that lends itself to easy modding *. Idk that much about higher priced folding knifes but I’d bet there’s something way more ergonomic and better looking at $50+.
*that and, for some European countries, the fact that you need two hands to open them, certain ridiculous laws forbid carrying of knives with 1handed opening.
The French way of opening an Opinel one handed is to unlock the blade, then tap the base against the bottom of the table until the blade opens, then cut your food with it.
The other hand is for caressing the waitress.
^ Love it. 
Grantman wrote:
My replacement EDC Opinel has arrived… pretty psyched about it. Got a #7 (last one was a #6 I think). It feels a lot nicer than my old one in terms of the barrel and wood finish, but the one I lost was 10 years old and went through the typical swelling and break-in so it could’ve been this nice when I bought it. Blade looks/feels the same minus the newer markings.
How's this knife working out for you? I know you probably are still well within the breaking in stage, but it would be good to hear your thoughts so far.
Been carrying it everyday since I bought it. Still looks and feels brand new. I carried my last one for years, and it was pretty great - which is why I bought another when I lost that one. They’re so light I tend to forget I have it unless I’m sitting down and it gets sideways in my pocket. I’m not a big fan of pocket clips for anything (knives/flashlights/chapstick(jk)), with the one exception being utility knives when I’m working around the house. Here’s a quick shot of the opinel from approximately 180 seconds ago.
I really love these knives. They’re cheap, lightweight, lock super solidly and can be made razor-sharp without too much effort. The downsides (thin, occasionally brittle blade) are far, far, far outweighed by the positives. Just remember it cannot be used as a screwdriver and it’s the perfect EDC knife. In my opinion, of course. Minor caveat of my needs/use for an EDC knife being I don’t have much use for a self-defense knife as I carry a Sig .40 cal. So my EDC knife is most frequently used as a (very, very sharp) letter opener. And for cutting my fingernails when I’m at my desk and procrastinating. If that’s TMI, sorry I’m not sorry.
^ LOL. Great info actually. Seems I use my pocket knives mostly for lunch and cutting tape on boxes. Always a treat when a legitimate need arises.
Thank you for the report grantman. :)
EDIT: One more question. You have a size you recommend (That's what the #7 indicates, right?)?
EDIT2: Found this info on Amazon:
#6 measures 3 5/8 closed. Blade when open is 2 7/8". According to another site I trust the
#7 is 4" closed so the blade is calculated by me at 3 1/4.
#8 is 4 3/8 closed so I figure blade at 3 5/8.
#9 is 4 3/4 so blade is 4".
#10 is 5 1/8 closed so blade is about 4 3/8.
EDIT3: My #7 arrived about a week ago. Real nice. Love the weight. Thanks grantman. I think I should have gone with a #6 for better pocket EDC'ing.
I just found this site which seems to have great prices. Haven't bought anything from them yet though.
I noticed that you can get Ebauche or Raw Handle Opinels for the whittlers amongst you.
Many great examples of the carvers art.
I found this chart ages ago, forgot I had it until now.
I have Dremeled a couple to death but I still remove a lot of handle from mine as well as making the blade slot wider to make it easier to open.
It might not look pretty but it fits my hand perfectly, I pencilled round my hand while gripping the handle and used a sanding drum on my dremel and lots of wet/dry to smooth it out, a cutting disc on the blade slot made it go from “I’m going to break this if I tap it much harder.” to “I’ll just make sure the blade lock is on.”
I have a #12 and a #12 saw still untouched, there is a #18 saw as well but a bit big for me, the #12’s carry nicely
I’ve not got the #13 folding sword though.
That great info and cool stuff 8steve88. You may have just motivated me to try to customize mine own. I know a carver that I got to show your handle mod too. Seems that would make holding one for hours on end much easier on the hand and provide better control if done right.
I did that about two years ago, the only thing that I’ve changed is it now has a lanyard. There was just enough wood left to drill a 5mm hole. A simple single 12” length of Paracord with a bead to cinch it near the handle, with the bead at the other end my hand fits through to secure it to my wrist.
It is comfortable, simple to do and if it goes wrong it’s not a lot of money for another.
I’ve been thinking about putting some different wood “scales” on the sides on a #10 or #12.
