Mercator K55K Knife

[cityboystu]

Hey, I picked this up recently. Cool fun knife with some history behind it. I grabbed the Carbon Steel version .. figured it would be easier to sharpen. Anybody have any of these?

 

[eveled]

I have one. I do like it. It’s certainly an iconic knife. It seems a little expensive for what it is.

the Opinel #8, k55k, DoukDouk, and Buck 110. Everyone should own them all.

 

[Hickory n steel]

Hey, I picked this up recently. Cool fun knife with some history behind it. I grabbed the Carbon Steel version .. figured it would be easier to sharpen. Anybody have any of these?

Not yet, but the small Merc in brass is on my list.
The small is just a slipjoint though, not sure if I'll try one of the locking Mercs.

 

[JPD1998]

I bought one a few years ago, mostly for nostalgia, but I really like it.
Otter Messer , the company that makes them, has a few variations of the k55k and make some other classic knives too.

 

[Henry Beige]

When Otter Messer acquired the Mercator from Kaufmann, the came out with a brass version. For a while, these were quite hard to get in this country except from a specialty vendor who wanted way too much. I found a brass one from a Euro vendor who had a much more reasonable price, if you think $50 is reasonable for a knife like this.

Since then, Otter has issued handles in copper and a number of other materials, plus a version with a clip, and who knows what else. My brass knife satisfied my curiosity, so I have not seen the need to flesh out a collection or keep up with all the variations. Because they are so thin, they carry well, but still they are longer than what I really like to carry, so I no longer pick them up too often.

 

[Hickory n steel]

they are longer than what I really like to carry, so I no longer pick them up too often.

That's why I'm planning on getting the small.