Mercator K55K Black Cat Folding Pocket Knife

  1 of 7

  Not used it much yet but it seems to be an excellent bit of kit. It's light, feels good in your hand, sturdy construction and sharp, what more could you ask for.  

  Keith Willoughby

  2 of 7

  Beautiful piece of kit! This is a very 'clean' looking knife: the design is completely unfussy and I love the timeless simplicity of the riveted handle, with the yellow cat providing a touch of class as well as heritage. I particularly like the way the small knuckle guard serves a dual function. On the one hand, when the knife is open it stops your fingers sliding forward onto the blade. On the other hand, when the knife is folded, it stops the square back of the ricasso snagging on your inside pocket. That there should be something so simple and yet so clever at the same time makes me award Otter many, many points for such a quality piece of metalware. Thanks also to Woodlore for delivering the knife expeditiously. I anticipate having a long and satisfying working relationship with this piece of kit!  

  Luke

  3 of 7

  Nice knife, good quality just what I was looking for, thank you.  

  Michael Farrell

  4 of 7

  Have been familiar with these knives for many years, my late father who was a part time lobster fisherman always carried one. I preferred Ventures then Lowen Messers when a trawl fisherman, the quality of the Ventures seemed to wain a long time ago then you couldn't get them and the Lowen Messers still remained quite good but as I have aged 70 now I wanted a lock knife and this was the natural choice for me. Having been a fish filleter most of my working life I have become very familiar with good and bad knives and I reckon these to be well up there among the good ones. thank you for your speedy service and good luck in all your ventures and be safe, sincerely yours Jim Collins.  

  James C Collins

  5 of 7

  Such a solid, well built pocket knife. Timeless design.  

  J S

  6 of 7

  I first bought one of these knives in the late 60s when it was not frowned upon for young men to possess a pocket knife, especially if you were a Scout. They are simple, superbly designed and hold a good edge. Over the years they were either lost, given away or just nicked so I was very happy to find that Ray Mears was selling them and bought one a few years ago then, unbelievably, it broke. The spring steel which holds the blade open for some reason had cracked. Hopefully this was very much a one off and I have now purchased a replacement. They are quite simply excellent bits of kit and I would never be without one.  

  Chris Waghorn

  7 of 7

  A classic folding knife, this design goes back to 1867 when Kaufmann's produced the original version, which was almost identical to today's version, the key difference is the stamped lettering on the back of the folded handle. In terms of use, this is a very well balanced, light and robust, all round knife. I would suggest it is more suitable for general camp use in a bushcraft situation, you will not be battening with it. Having said that the design is almost unique in the world of classic knives due to its long unbroken manufacturing tradition. Made today by Otter Messer, who took over Kaufmann in the upheaval after WW11, this is a rare opportunity to obtain such a classic knife and I would not hesitate to recommend it for enthusiasts and users alike.  

  Paul Biggs