Opinel Mushroom Knife

My first exposure to Opinel mushroom knife was probably 20 or so years ago when I saw one in a bin of a local Williams Sonoma.  My first impression was what the hell is this?  At the time I didn't know squat about Opinels in general, their history, their usefulness, their awesomeness, let alone what this oddly shaped knife was.  Despite my negative opinion I thought of buying it out of curiosity given at the time it was only a few bucks.

I never did buy it and years later I was reminded of it when I bought my first Opinel knife and went  back to that exact same store to look for it but they no longer carried it. In 2017 I finally bought one online for $26. 

The knife is manufactured in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, Savoie, France made with Sandvick 12C27 stainless steel . Uniquely shaped and easily distinguishable the mushroom knife has both a curved blade and handle and is essentially a modified pruning knife with brush feature.  The blade is designed for cutting around tight areas.  Like all Opinel pocket knives it has the viroblock locking ring so you can safely carry in your pocket and  lock the blade when in use. 

The blade spine also has jimping for thumb placement when more precise movement or when more traction is needed.

Holding the knife can be held either way but with the curvature it is most comfortable pruning style for more of a peeling style cut when the you cut towards you.

The handle is their standard beechwood and the bristles are boar's hair that are stiff enough to remove dirt but soft enough not to damage delicate mushrooms.  There is also a hole that allows for a lanyard if you so chose to make one for the knife.

This is my second mushroom knife and let's hope after all the rains we've gotten this winter it'll be put to good use this mushroom season.

Hubertus Picnic Knife

Read this blog long enough and you'll probably realize I'm a bit of a Germanophile.  I like their cars, trucks, guns, watches, clocks, knives and more.  So when I learned about several Solingen knife companies making a take part picnic knife I really wanted one.   A few years ago I picked up a Hubertus version of  Picnic Knife off a German seller on Ebay.

At the time rumors on the internet were that Solingen's quality was on the decline.  Knives were simply not what they used to be.  I took this as internet hearsay.  After all I heard this about Mercedes but I never experienced a lemon with them even during the "bad" years.  Few years back I bought an new old stock Hubertus Small Game Knife that was from the West German days.  Fit and finish was excellent and by all accounts a wonderful knife.  So I thought the newer stuff would be the same.  Unfortunately it was not.

I really like the idea of a folding picnic knife especially for outdoor use.  While I probably wouldn't carry this knife afield in the pocket, it does make nice knife to keep in the truck or in the picnic basket when you return from hunting or fishing to eat lunch of cured meats and cheeses.  

The picnic knife is a slip joint with two layers.  One layer for the blade the other a two prong fork.  Opposite side of the fork is a corkscrew for you wine drinkers.  For you beer drinks there is a bottle opener on the fork.   There is no 90 degree stop but has enough tension not be a problem. 

Each utensil can be separated and held together by tabs on brass inner liners.  It is locked by the indentation under the bottle opener.  Once closed the indentation closes the gaps of the hole in which the tabs enter.

While various materials may be chosen for the handles from wood to bone, my knife is made of stag held together with three brass pins.  An upgraded model exists with German silver bolsters and comes with a thin green leather sheath but mine the basic model only comes with the knife.

I really wanted to like this knife and as a concept I really do but at least on my example the execution is poor.  Fit and finish is not up to German standards.  The two inner liners are not flush.  A lot of play gaps between the two pieces.  There is some gap between the handle and liner also.

My blade came dull, particularity the tip.  I mean worthlessly dull.  Butter knife dull.  I had to reshape it and sharpen it. Blade tip sticks out and isn't tucked within the liners.  Maybe this model is designed that way but I can't see why that would be.  While there is no rubbing the blade centering is also poor and leans left.

When I received the knife it wasn't clean either.  It contained a lot of grind particles and what looked like dried oils.  

This was bought several years ago so I don't recall what I paid of it but I can say it was a disappointment.  As much as I wanted to like this knife it simply wasn't worth it.  Not sure if I just got a bad version but I would recommend if you are interested in this knife is to see it in person which maybe difficult as no where in the US carries this model at least from what I've seen.  There was once a dealer in Arizona that had a few in stock but they were way over priced even if you got one without the issues I experienced.  If you order online as I did I'd ask a lot of questions or ask for pics of the actual model for sale. 

Hubertus is not the only German maker of such a picnic knife.  Hartkopf, which seems to be sold at a lower price point, also makes a version.  So if you're interested in such a knife you could also look at them.  Although I can not speak of their quality.

A Gift From a Blog Reader and Friend

When I started this sorry blog, I had two intentions- 1.  Have a backup for photos I deemed somewhat important, (I was notorious for never backing up my files and particularly my photos).  I lost more than my fair share of cherished memories due to computer crashes and such.  I felt posting them on a blog would at least save a few choice photos in case my computer ever crashed again.  2.  To practice my very poor writing skills.  At the time I really never had to write for my occupation other than the quick emails or other informal communications.  I've never been a strong writer particularly in school.  I hated it in fact but as my career progressed, not having to really write I noticed when I was forced to my writing was even more piss-poor than it ever was before.  So I decided to force myself to write something and so I decided to write a blog.  At least I could write about stuff I was passionate about.

The intention was never to become "known" or "famous" or whatever.  I've never promoted this blog in any regards.  In fact all my sporting friends that I made before this blog don't even know I write one. For me the blog was merely a tool for me to save pics and practice writing but also served another practical purpose as my journal so I could reflect back on some sporting memories.  So it always surprises me when people write to me because of this blog.  I really do appreciate it.  I've made some good friends through the years.

One of those friends is my friend Brad who himself started a great blog, Game and Grapes.  Back in 2018 I had read his posts (here) on the process of making a knife pouch for his Boker Bird Knife.  I was all but ready to email him and ask if he'd make me one.  I'd pay him of course but over the holidays before I could email him he asked me if I wanted the pouch.  I told him of course and was about to ask him if he'd sell me one.  He refused and gave me one for Christmas.

The pouch is beautifully made in traditional leather.  How do I miss leather knife pouches.  Everything you find at knife stores these days are tactical nylon trash.  It's disgusting.  I guess the market for traditional goods like these are not enough to sustain itself.  It's a shame.  The pouch has a tab closure for the lid and the belt loop is not closed but attached with a button snap that allows quick remove without undoing your belt but the main reason for it was Brad wanted to attach it to his Filson hunting vest which I think is ingenious.

Many thanks Brad!  As promised when we meet I have a Cuban or two in my humidor with your name on it.

Rascher Hunting Pants (Wool)

Unfortunately I have yet to make it out afield this year and the cold wet El Nino winter that was predicted has yet to materialize.  In anticipation of it though, I have purchased another pair of warm pants from the German hunting apparel company, Rascher.  These will be my second pair of pants from this company, my first were written about here.  Those pants have served me well both in the uplands and the wetlands.  Unlike the old pair these new pants are all wool throughout and are lined for maximum warmth.

Just like the old pair, these pants include a cargo pocket with a knife holder on the right hand side.  The cargo pocket is secured via two buttons.

In addition there are three zippered security pockets, two rear and one key located in the front right hand pocket.  I like these feathers as I can be assured that my keys won't fall out of my pockets while kneeling or resting.

While the virgin wool is soft to the touch, the quilted lining adds not only warmth but additional comfort.  The lining runs the entire pants.

These Raschers include some elasticity for expansion at the waist. I found the sizing in the last pair rather snug and had to return my order and exchange it for one that was one size up to feel comfortable.  The wool pants however were sized more closely to American standards.  I ordered my normal size and felt it is a tad tighter than I'd prefer but not too bad as to exchange them.  I did order a pair for my old man who wears a size up from me and I tried those but felt them a little too loose. 

Not surprisingly construction of these pants are very good.  There is double material on all the highly worn areas such as the seat and at the knees.  It is also double stitched at that these areas as well.  These Polish made German pants do not come cheap.  They currently retail for $298 but I managed to get 30% off after receiving a coupon in my inbox.  If the last El Nino winter is any indication of what we can expect, I suspect these pants will get quite some use this season. 

Cognet Le Capucin

Cognet is a French company dating back 1835 and has been a family business since 1902.  They gained a worldwide reputation for their famous Douk-Douk knife.  Among their lineup is Le Capucin, a classic French shepherd's knife. 

Carried by the Romans, the friction folder design is one of the oldest known knife design still in existence.   With origins from the Pyrenees, this knife is also known as "the knife with two pins."  The name comes from the fact that it has two pins, a pivot pin and a stop pin. 

Le Capucin derives from the fact that the end of the knife's handle resembles the hood worn by the a group of Friars, the Orders of Friars Minor Capuchin.

Somewhat antiquated by today's standard, the friction folder is a simple design made from a single piece of wood without any liners, backspring, or lock thus creating a very lightweight knife at 1.5 ounces.  

The blade is said to resemble a sage leaf.  It is flat ground and forged out of XC75 carbon steel.  Although there is no nail nick there is plenty of steel to grip to open the blade.  Markings on the steel are kept to a minimum with only a discreet Cognet logo on the steel.

The handle accommodates my medium sized hands and there is plenty of room for larger.  Le Capucin comes in several variations of handle materials from horn to wood but I choose the olive wood version. 

A close up view of the two pins.  While I love any knife (or any product) with a story or history, it seems the French knives keep getting my attention. 

Maserin Mushroom Knife 804/OL

For some time now I've wanted to start mushroom hunting.  Unfortunately due to the drought conditions, it has made mushroom hunting in Southern California pointless.  So I'll have to wait until we get some wet years before I can go out and try my new folding blade.

Having never hunted mushrooms I looked at several knives before choosing on the Italian Maserin 804 in olive handles.  While there are mushroom knives more expensive, this Maniago hand-made Maserin can be considered a "higher" end model at $82.95.  Most quality models from reputable companies like the Italian made Mercury, or French made Opinels start at around $30.  Unlike most mushroom knives the 804 comes with a sheath.  Also included is a warranty card.

Generally all mushroom knives come with a blade, a brush, and a ruler.  Price differences lie in how those features are incorporated into the knife and it goes without saying so does fit finish and teh quality of materials.

If you've never seen a mushroom knife, a unique feature of most mushroom knives is the design of the blade.  Most blades have some kind of curve and like most Maserin mushroom blades this model has a two tier concave design.   The locking blade is made of 440 stainless steel.  There is a large nail nick but I find it unnecessary as there is plenty of steel to hold on to while opening the knife.

The handles are made of olive wood held together with four pins.  At the butt of the handle houses the rotating concealable mushroom brush that is made of nylon.  On one side of the handle is an etched metric ruler to add in positive identification.

On the other side it is plain without any etchings or markings.

Typical in most mushroom knives I've seen the handles have no bolsters.  Both the liner and backspring are stainless steel.  The lock is located at the middle of the spring.  The liners do not extend all the way down the scales as it stops where the rotating brush is located.

In the Swiss Army Knife fashion there is tweezers hidden in the handle.  Easily accessible for picking twigs or debris off mushrooms.

A two position belt cordura belt sheath is included.  Carrying the knife vertically accommodates belts just over 2.5 inches while if you choose to carry the knife horizontally you'll be lucky to fit it in a one inch belt.  While there is a two button closure the bottom button is perfect length for this knife.