Otter Mercator Cat Lockback Folding Knife Black Stainless Steel (3.5" Satin) SS

Surprisingly good quality

+ Very nice action; buttery smooth and not as much spring tension as a Swiss army knife
+ Good, thick, baked-on finish on the handle
+ Sturdy bail that can't fold in and cause the cutting edge of the blade to get dinged in closing (like the Douk Douk's can)
+ Spearpoint blade doesn't look threatening, despite its length
+ Easy to open, even if you have short fingernails
+… read more Solingen-made for under $30; easily the best quality of the peasant knives, even though it is one of the oldest. (1867)
+/- It's a bit long for basic drop-in-the-hip pocket carry; it needs something to keep it vertical, like a self-rigged belt hanger lanyard.
- Edges of the rivets on the back side of the handle are a bit rough
- Corners of the back of the handle, above the lock are a bit sharp

When I first opened this knife, the first impression was that it is a high quality knife. It's made well, with good materials, it's just a no-frills design. It is a very smooth and luxurious action; one would not think it's possible on such an inexpensive knife.

The back lock looks like it could accidentally be unlocked during use, but it can't. It's placed and shaped perfectly. Even with a tight hammer grip (which is inconsistent for how this knife will be used) it does not come unlocked by accident.

The stamped text on the tang of the blade looks like something you'd see on a knife costing over $100; it is deep and clear. Same with the 'MERCATOR - GERMANY' stamped into the spine of the handle. It's pure quality throughout. It only needs a tiny bit of filing on the edges of the rivets and on those top corners of the handle, and it's perfect. (or very careful grinding with a rotary tool and small stone bit)

COMPARED TO:

Douk Douk - The Cat is better in every regard. It has a real back lock instead of an overly-stiff backspring. The action is smoother. The bail is designed better. The fit and finish are better, especially the coating on the handle.

Higonokami - The Mercator is a more complex design, even though it is 30 years older. (10 parts total, instead of 4) The result is that even 150+ years later, it is still practical. The Higonokami CAN be practical, but it has some considerable caveats. (thumb lever becomes a pocket-pecker...)

Opinel #8 - Opinel is better if you intend to use it in a hammer grip, but it has no blade guard and the blade of an Opinel is sharp all the way down. The wood of an Opinel's handle always seems to feel warm in the hand. The original Opinel's handle shape is not as good; that back corner digs into the palm. The Opinel's lock is not automatic, and is very slow to use. To be fair, the Opinel costs half as much, and it's very good for that money. Do yourself a favor though, and get a stainless bladed one, as the wood will eventually retain some moisture, which will cause a carbon blade to rust when it's sitting closed.

I appreciate products that are inexpensive, yet still practical and of high quality. There are fewer and fewer products like this left in the world, and they mostly seem to come from Europe and Japan. (Swiss army knives and economy Toyota cars are other examples)

This is a no-brainer purchase. It's high quality and low price, with a long history. It's also an interesting conversation piece. I don't give 5 stars easily, but this one really earns it.

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