Anyone have one of these? Noticed them on the Otter Messer website and am wondering if they are around in the States yet. Like many a NY youngster, I used to carry a Black Cat back in the day (well black until the paint wore off anyway). A Silver Otter sounds like it might be pretty cool....
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Otter Mercator in All Stainless!
- Thread starter Bartleby
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They've offered the blades in 1.4034 (in addition to C75) for a while. But I hadn't seen them with stainless handles. Seems like a good option. I also like the painted handles though. I don't get the brass. It looks pretty in the photos but do the brass handles make your hands stink?
They also remade the oldie that had corkscrew, punch and can opener--pretty cool! I had one of the oldies.
They also remade the oldie that had corkscrew, punch and can opener--pretty cool! I had one of the oldies.
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The painted handles are more traditional, but I remember disliking getting chips and scratches (I would have rather had one left in the white to patina over time). I generally don't care for brass much on a knife just as a preference.
The multi blade model looks pretty interesting, but the old school can opener looks like it needs a mighty careful hand....
Ordered up one of the stainless knives today.
BTW, I recalled the fate of my original late 70's version. I wore off a good deal of the paint through hard use and carrying for several years. One of the guys I worked with when I first moved down to Texas was a hobby gunsmith. He suggested that he put it in the chemistry at the end of a job of "Parkerizing" (phosphate coating) a pistol. The process worked very well, but the acids used were strong enough to dissolve the little red plastic spacer at the end of the knife! Luckily, the spacer was not under spring pressure (we made a replacement out of Bondo....). I eventually gave it to my brother-in-law.
I have often wondered what was used as a spacer on the earliest versions of the Mercator knives, before the advent of plastics? Has anyone encountered a really old one?
BTW, I recalled the fate of my original late 70's version. I wore off a good deal of the paint through hard use and carrying for several years. One of the guys I worked with when I first moved down to Texas was a hobby gunsmith. He suggested that he put it in the chemistry at the end of a job of "Parkerizing" (phosphate coating) a pistol. The process worked very well, but the acids used were strong enough to dissolve the little red plastic spacer at the end of the knife! Luckily, the spacer was not under spring pressure (we made a replacement out of Bondo....). I eventually gave it to my brother-in-law.
I have often wondered what was used as a spacer on the earliest versions of the Mercator knives, before the advent of plastics? Has anyone encountered a really old one?
It is hard to find shots of the pre WWII versions on line. I do see a fair number of more modern ones that are being passed off as old though.
The Silver Otter arrived last week, and I have been using it for EDC. I had forgotten how slim simple and solid these things are!
I mentioned to my Bro-in-law that I placed my order, and he is going to ship my old refinished Black Cat to me. He had used it throughout his USPS service but put it up when he retired. Amazing that it is still around after all this time!
The Silver Otter arrived last week, and I have been using it for EDC. I had forgotten how slim simple and solid these things are!
I mentioned to my Bro-in-law that I placed my order, and he is going to ship my old refinished Black Cat to me. He had used it throughout his USPS service but put it up when he retired. Amazing that it is still around after all this time!
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Otter messed makes few nice hunting locking blades that I plan to get in future
The hunting folders look very well made. Looking at Otter's products really takes me back. When I was a youngster, a lot of the dads of my friends had worked in the shipping and fishing industries after serving in WWII in the Merchant Marine. Many carried the sheep's foot anchor knives.
I received one recently. It's exactly like the K55K Black Cat, but all stainless. Very happy with it.
All the best things about a traditional design, without some of the maintenance issues. There is a certain joy to having an old friend in the back pocket again, without having to worry about chipping the paint off or sweat etching the blade. I forgot how handy the k55k is. Amazing to think they have been made for so long, pre WWI (some sites claim the design goes all the way back to 1867, but I haven't discovered any pictures posted of pre-WWI examples).
I finally managed to get a hold of one of the multi blades on sale (it was $55 shipped!). It had a slight bit of surface oxidation from handling, which I cured with a little oil. A very cool beast of a knife.
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Nice find!
The Zieg
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Not stainless and not brass (so I can't comment on those), but copper. The micro-thin protective coating began to wear away unevenly within a week, so I just scraped at it periodically with my thumb and it was gone within a month. Whenever it starts to look dull, I give a quick buff on my trousers and it shines up. Every few months I'll run some Nev-r-Dull on it and it's shiny as a new penny.
Here it is after about a year of off and on carry and farm use.
Zieg
Here it is after about a year of off and on carry and farm use.
Zieg
Zieg, I sometimes carry the single bladed Maserin pen knife with copper clad steel handles, and find that it seems to shine itself back up just by carrying it in my back pocket for the day.Not stainless and not brass (so I can't comment on those), but copper. The micro-thin protective coating began to wear away unevenly within a week, so I just scraped at it periodically with my thumb and it was gone within a month. Whenever it starts to look dull, I give a quick buff on my trousers and it shines up. Every few months I'll run some Nev-r-Dull on it and it's shiny as a new penny.
Here it is after about a year of off and on carry and farm use.
Zieg
I generally carry the stainless Mercator in the front pocket in a plain leather pouch, just so it stays put in my pocket (I got the pouch years ago from Harry J Epstein Hardware, don't know if they are still around). I wonder if a thin slip would be more of a help or a hindrance on the farm.
I like the leather lanyard you have put on your bail, reminds me of the way we used to carry them in NY back in the day. Of course at that time it was just a short loop to put two fingers in, to keep the knife from flying out of the hand when the blade was flicked open. Nothing worse than going from cool to fool, flicking your blade out and disarming yourself in one smooth motion, as your buddies duck and cover. Geez, we were idiots back then!
Thanks for making me aware they are out there. I think the asking price generally is too steep for me, but when I found one In my price range I figured I might as well give it a go. Sure is bigger than the Silver Otter, when it arrived my wife said that rather than a leather slip, I might need a little red wagon to tote it afield! I think a K98 Mauser sling would be more historically correct....
The Zieg
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Nah, I don’t mind it getting dinged up or tarnished. I really disliked the protective coating on the copper and I just let the patina come and go on handle and blade until decide to give it a cleaning. I’ve put a couple of lanyards on it over the months and I’ll change this one out at come point. It’ll likely wear out, anyway. Sorry to highjack the thread.
Zieg