Anybody familiar with the German Mercator knives?

[ironglow]

  I used to deal in cutlery back in the 80s and 90s, just as a sideline.  I was able to take trades from customers, and although most were junk that got traded in, once in a while I got a nice old  knife.

  People were not inclined to want "old" pocket knives, so many are still in my "cigar box" collections.  I took an
  old Mercator in trade, but being unfamiliar with the knife, I just tossed it in my tool box and forgot about it.

  I Did know that it was a German made knife, and was used by many of the German troops during WW2.,
  but that ius about as far as it went.

  I retired from that job in1998, and took my tool chest and roll-around home, and used it little since.  Even
  when I did use the tools, I paid little attention to the knife..just left it there in the box.

  I happened to be working on a couple blades this morning, and upon seeing the Mercator again, I decided to search it out a bit more.

   Seems like the company started way back, and first offered this design in 1867, and was a favorite of Kaiser Wilhelm.  So those 'soldaten' who could afford it, bnought one to carry in WW1 and WW2.

  Researching further, I found that my particular knife was made just before or just after the end of WW2..and could be quite valuable.. a couple Benjamins anyway...

     Surprisingly, the knife is still being made and sold, now by Otter works of Solingen.  It is slightly smaller than mine,  7,75" vs mine at 9" ,   (closed 4.25" and 5.0" respectively) but it has that great, old German carbon steel that built Solingen's reputation.

     Knife Center has them on a sale now.. $30..while most offer it from $49 to $52..  I may just get one, since good German knives are hard to come by these days...and some folks are paying that much for some Chinese knives..

   https://www.knifecenter.com/item/K55/otter-mercator-solingen-k55-black-cat-knife-german-carbon-steel-army-issue
 

[ironglow]

 ..Guess nobody is familiar with the Mercator.

[Drilling Man]

  I'd only heard of them; I don't think I've ever handled one.  I see I can get one on Amazon for a couple dollars more than you posted for and they show several models.

  DM

[ironglow]

  They are vEry popular in many parts of the world..not for pretty looks, but for utilitarian use.
  That German carbon steel that cones from Solingen, is legendary.

   The particular knife i have is quite large.. 4.5" blade with 5" handle.  Ugly bugger..but very strongly built.

  It is lim enough that it slips into the pocket very easily..but I would like a smaller version  for pocket carry, perhaos 3.5" or 4" closed.

[Drilling Man]

  The way I treat a knife, I'd probably be better off with their stainless model.  lol  DM

[ironglow]

  If you saw what you want on Amazon for just a couple dollars more, you may save more than that on shipping
 with amazon..

[Drilling Man]

  I was including shipping in both cases, the only reason I use Amazon is, it's easy because my wife has prime.

  I may try one of the stainless models, I haven't decided yet, but I like low maintenance so...

  DM

[Ranger99]

One semi distant cousin's dad had
some of the "black cat" knives he
brought back from when he was
stationed in germany back in the
early 60's.
Very sharp high carbon steel.
Seems to be a trendy thing these
days for whatever reason. Years ago
they were a low budget working man
thing kinda like the imperial and
such here like the 5 and 10 cent
stores sold. I had some Okapi knives
from S Africa that were cheap knives.
All the "country " blacks would
buy them for their one and only.
IIRC when I got these, they sold
in S.A. for like a dollar or so equivalent
I think mine were 5 or less.
I haven't seen any for sale in a
long time.  The black cats either.

[ironglow]

  When I was stationed in Germany in the 1960s, I bought a small Boker Tree 4 blade congress knife.
  It is much like the one shown, except mine is in better condition, since I have many pocket knives...and so, don't use this one all that much..

[Drilling Man]

  When it comes to pocketknives, I always seem to go back to Kershaw.

  I really like their folders.

  DM

[ironglow]

  Being as in the 80s & 90s, I was in a small buy-sell-trade business in knives etc, I still have a couple cigar box
 sized containers full of pocket knives.  They are mostly, German, some Sheffield, some Japanese a d many American..(mostly Schrade, Camillus & Queen)..

[Drilling Man]

  In my hunting career, these are the three knives I've used more than any others,



  They are the old Gerber Custom Series...

  I've gut/skinned/cut up more moose, caribou, deer, even black/brown bear and Dall sheep with them than you would believe.  But today I only hunt deer and I like this knife for the job,



  It was made by Kim Breed, and it's absolutely a GREAT blade!

  DM

 

[Ranger99]

  In my hunting career, these are the three knives I've used more than any others,



  They are the old Gerber Custom Series...

  I've gut/skinned/cut up more rown bear and Dall sheep with them than you would believe.  . . .

  DM

Those look like they're from the old
Gerber/Kershaw/ Al Mar days when
they all worked under the same roof

Don't have all my spiffy blades
anymore. They went away with
men with more money.
I think I have one Keith Murr
knife left. Bought it from him
and his wife at a show

[ironglow]

  Those Gebers look like very functional knives.  I like the slight drop-point design..

  I have forged some Nessmuk style knives too, not "pretty" to some eyes, but still very functional..
  I don't have any photos of my old Nessmuk knives, but here is one by Lucas forge...

   

[Drilling Man]

Those look like they're from the old
Gerber/Kershaw/ Al Mar days when
they all worked under the same roof

Don't have all my spiffy blades
anymore. They went away with
men with more money.
I think I have one Keith Murr
knife left. Bought it from him
and his wife at a show

  I bought them in the mid 70's, I bought the first one and was so impressed with it right away, that I immediately bought a second.  I bought the longer one to be my "camp knife" and backup to my shorter one.

  The blades are VERY hard at RC62 and of course hard to sharpen, but you can easily get through a whole moose before they need attention, you just have to be careful you don't chip the blade.  I gut/skinned/quartered three big bull moose in one day with the middle one, they are a heck of a blade.

  One time a knife collector tried to buy them off me, saying they are worth some $ now even though they are used, I have about 10 times more knives than I could ever use, but I just couldn't let my trusted friends go.

  DM

[ironglow]

  I used to forge knives from #1095  or #5160 steel, but in more recent years, have come down to #1084, figuring that the tradeoff for ease of sharpening and toughness were well worth it.

  It holds it's edge very closely to the others, but can be more readily sharpened or touched up in the field.

[Ranger99]

Not sure what the Russell/Green River
knives are, but they're a good useable
grade of steel.  My old  Old Hickory knives
are as well

[ironglow]

Not sure what the Russell/Green River
knives are, but they're a good useable
grade of steel.  My old  Old Hickory knives
are as well

  Russell keeps quiet about their steel...all I find is a "high carbon" steel"

  A note about Old Hickory (Ontario) knives.  Just yesterday, Bob..a friend and fellow elder with me in our church, told me he was celebrating 47 years with Ontario Knives.   
   Bob is the head man down there at Ontario.  He started there when he was 12.  Ontario is about 4 miles from my house, in the next village down the route.

  Most of the people who work there, are "friends and Neighbors" and work well together.  .. I know most of them.