K55K Mercator

K55K Mercator

$75.00
$75.00
  • The Best Made Co. K55K Mercator is a black folding pocket knife with a partially open carbon steel blade and gold engraving of a leaping animal and "KISS" on the handle, shown against a plain white background. NEW
  • A closed K55K Mercator knife by Best Made Co. featuring a gold running cat and "K 55K" on the handle, displayed on a plain light gray background. NEW
  • The Best Made Co. K55K Mercator folding knife features a silver blade, black handle, gold cat design, and "Mercator" near the hinge, shown on a plain light gray background. NEW
  • A close-up of an open K55K Mercator by Best Made Co., showing a silver blade engraved MERCATOR and a dark handle with a brass-colored cat design, photographed on a light gray background. NEW
  • Black leather dog collar with a metal ring and embossed text reading Best Made Co.—shown from a top-down view against a plain white background—an elegant accessory inspired by the iconic K55K Mercator design. NEW
  • A person sharpens a Best Made Co. K55K Mercator carbon steel knife with a sharpening stone in one hand and another stone beside it, both on a green cutting mat with a yellow grid. NEW

K55K Mercator

K55K Mercator

$75.00
$75.00

Developed in 1867 by Heinrich Kaufmann & Sons in Solingen. The original Mercator, or better known as the Black Cat K55K: "K" for Kaufmann, "55" for Hochstraße 55 (the original company address), and the final "K" for Katze—the cat emblem that was hand-painted on each knife. The novel, utilitarian design proved so essential that it quickly spread among factory workers, farmers, craftsmen, and eventually, American GIs who brought them home after World War II, where it gained cult status. This is the knife that defined what a working folder should be: slim enough to disappear in any pocket, substantial enough for the best of cutting tasks.

The lockback mechanism represents early knife engineering at its most elegant: a curved spring bar that locks the blade open with positive engagement and releases with deliberate thumb pressure. The blade is made of carbon steel and maintains an exceptional edge. 

Otter-Messer acquired the Mercator pattern from Kaufmann in 1995 and has maintained production standards established over 140 years ago. 
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Otter-Messer has manufactured knives in Solingen since 1840, when the Berns brothers established production in a watermill. The company maintains handcrafted methods developed across five generations of continuous output, sharpening and finishing each blade through processes refined over 180 years of German knifemaking tradition.
- Blade: C75 carbon steel
- Handle: Single folded sheet metal, powder-coated black
Closed Length: 4.25"
Blade Length: 3.5"
Total Length: 7.75"
Blade Thickness: 0.1"
Handle Length: 4.25"
Weight: Approximately 1 oz
Wipe carbon steel blade clean and dry immediately after use. Apply food-grade mineral oil or camellia oil weekly during first months to prevent rust while allowing natural patina to develop. Clean lockback mechanism periodically with compressed air. Store in dry location.
Made in Germany

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