Greetings from Germany. Check out the Otter Mercator. I recommend one with copper scales! I care one since 1988 with a pocket clip for hiking, fishing or food prep outside.
I ordered one and it arrived yesterday. I watched other videos and either you and I got lucky or Mercator watched the other review videos. They're not one imperfection on mine. No blade play, razor sharp, no grinding at the halfway point when opening/closing and the back lock lock itself is flush to the handles when open/closed and locked in tight to the blade when open. Aside from the knife's history, all my uncles were WW2 vets and may one of two may have had one of these knives after the war. Two aunt's by marriage were German. I knew one who grew up there during the occupation. She moved back after my uncle passed away. I'm sure she's passed on too by now. She was a sweet woman, very kind to me. The other moved back after a divorce from another uncle, taking their children with her, so I have second cousins there. Never met her, she's probably passed on too by now. Regardless, I'm sure both of them saw these knives at some point in their lives. So the knife reminds me of all that because of it's history. Not sentimental in any way, just a reminder of them all because of the knife's history.
To be honest I haven't watched any other reviews on them. Very happy with mine. Well made, clean and solid. All I can ask for. Glad you liked it. All the history in your family wow. Take and be safe. Thanks for watching always appreciated
Lol...what bank...I saw the different versions awesome....just cannot afford them or they would right here with me. Thanks for watching always appriciated
You inadvertently solved a mystery for me. I purchased a knife lot, three knives, a while back for cheap. The infamous 007 knife was part of the lot. The 007 has a history. Not a good history, but a history nonetheless. Anyway, the mystery knife only has a tang stamp that reads "Stainless Steel Japan". I never knew what the knife was until this video. It's a copy of an Otter Messer but with a clip point blade. Same design in the casing, locking/release mechanism and bale but in chrome. Now I'll have to purchase the real deal asap to go with it, due to it's history. I have a huge collection of bladed items and enjoy the history behind some of them. Thanks for the information and the video. It answered a mystery for me. ZOIKS!!! Haha
That is a good looking knife. I have been looking at some other otter knives. That one is a bit less expensive. The blade looks like a great slicer and all around general purpose work knife.
My edc for the past 6 years is this knife in bress handle & stainless steel blade. It was a birthday present from my kids & i love it! Its in my pocket everyday & i use it all the time. You forgot to mention the handle is one piece press folded steel & when closed you can use it as a bottle opener between the bace of the blade & the finger guard. Also if the bale becomes loose over time you have to be careful you don't close the blade on it as it swings into closings position when it gets loose. But to tighten the bale or the blade if they loosen is just a slight tap of the pins with a ball hammer & its like new. Iv only had to do this 2 times in 6 years. I absolutely recommend this edc knife to anyone. Its lasted in my pocket & everyday use for 6 years now & still holds a blade & sharp as the day i got it. Its scaled, gutted, filleted fish Skinned gutted & deboned rabbit & hare. Brested duck & even use it to cut my fingernails lol.. I highly recommend the brass & stainless steel blade. Instead of the black cat it has the otter ingraved. After 6 years it has a very patina on the brass handle that changes everytime you use it after knocking & rubbing on everything else in your pocket! Fantastic knife! Its so thin you don't even know its in your pocket. I carry it on a piece of looped paracord paracord that goes on my belt, a small dog chain clip on the end that clips on the bale.. Whenever i need it i pull it out my pocket, unclip it from the bale & good to go! This method ive never lost it out of my pocket..
One of my favorite knives for carry when im not carrying a large and heavy modern folder. It's thinness and weight makes it just disappear in the pocket while still being comfortable to use, and i really love carbon steel which you don't see often in modern folders
I just recently purchased the black cat i liked it for its simplicity and history i bought the brass,copper,and stainless handle i think i might get the version with the pocket i like knives have a good 1 be safe
A little something you missed in your research....the second K backwards is for the German spelling of CAT! Really enjoyed your video about one of my personal favorite knives! Well done sir, well done
I wanted one after I got a Douk Douk, as both are old style knives like a Peasant or Opinel but are still made today without fancy steel, fancy openings, fancy packaging, fancy advertising. I just got an older William Kenyon one (If you look close at the 2008 factory video, you will see the handles being pressed into shape have "William Kenyon" stamped into them.) in stainless today. One day I'll have the basic black version in carbon like my other low tech knives.
George you get what you pay 4 apparently lol way out my budget but german metal work is the ultimate great craft for years they really know their stuff 👍🐾🦊🇮🇹🇺🇲
Well made and interesting video. Thanks! The company which took over in 1995 is called Otter, they named the knife Mercator, which is Latin for Kaufmann (the chap who invented the knife back in 19th century). And the second K in K55K stands for Katze (German for cat), since a cat used to be the symbol of the Kaufmann-Company.
@@2ndchancegeorge And another little hint: This famous "Klingenstadt Solingen" (Blade-City Solingen) is pronounced with a G like in "gate". (I grew up just a few miles away ... now in Canada.)
MERCATOR is latinum Language and means Kaufmann or tradesman in english. You have the Carbon Version. The stainless actually say stainless below the MERCATOR stamping on the Blade. If its missing that, its the c75 Carbon Steel which is 1075 Carbon Steel. Greetings from Germany
Before Otter started to make them, there must have been a time when Robert Klaas/ Kissing crane has made them. Because i got one of those. The K55K stand for K= Kaufmann, 55 = the number of the House in Solingen where Kaufmann had his factory ( in Germany every house is indentifyed by the name of the street and a number that has to be put on the house), and K= Katze (cat). Mercator is just the latin term for Kaufmann = merchant. The knife was inoffically used by many german soldiers of the first and the second world war. After WW2 it was very popular in the USA and it is said, that in the 60`s and 70`s it was the most used weapon in the Bronx. I hope that is interesting.
I got your link to this video. It's a great knife. Looking at it you might think it's too thin in the handle but it works out real comfortable. I have the same carbon steel with the Black handle, unfortunately the gold paint was hardly there and what was there has worn off. For me this is a great knife to put in a lunch box. Cutting your sandwiches, fruits or veggies or buttering toast. I keep it in a food prep kit in my bug out bag. Like you said they're not cheap but it's a piece of History and very well made. If you are into history you should try the Canadian belt knife by Cold Steel. It was issued to our military Pilots as a jump knife. And it's part of our Canadian history. But I wouldn't be surprised if you probably already tried it. Anywho I got to go because while I was sitting here typing away, my soup just boiled over all over the stove got to go clean up a mess.
No one knows, even at Otter Company who makes those Knifes now, why the Cat is Upside down on the Handle of the "Kaiser Wilhelm"... It's lost in the over 100 Years old History of the Knife. "Kaufmann" translated into Latin is... you guessed it: "Mercator"... Oh, and the "g" in Solingen is pronounce hard like the "g" in "Gulf War"...
@@2ndchancegeorge You too! Good review by the way. I love Otter Knives. My Grandpa had one that went through many things with him during the War and POW times (German WW2 Veteran). Solingen has a looooong tradion of making superb Swords and Knives that goes back many Centuries.
They are so flat! They are easy to carry in places that frown on weapons. It looks like a pocket comb in your pocket. The blade is long enough to actually use in real world situations.
