The Very Cool K55K Black Cat Knife - Mercator Knife Review

A good look at the K55K Black Cat Knife!
The American GI's brought this Mercator knife to America after World War II. There it became famous under the name "Black Cat Knife" and is still cult there today. The designation K55K means "K" for Kaufmann (the original manufacturer), "55" for Hochstrasse 55 (the original company address) and "K" for the symbol cat. The embossing is stamped under the press and after powder coating it is painted by hand as in the past.

[scribebat]

i got one of these in brass w. 'carbon steel' (L154B), has OTTER, with a depiction of an otter, on the handle, is stamped MERCATOR on one side of the blade and GERMANY on the other. Same knife as here, just different materials. Dedicated letter/box opener, favorite jalapeño slicer and, if i ever get to go mushroom hunting again, it will be on a string hanging around my neck. The blade stock is thin, makes for great slicers (remember back when knives were actually made to *cut* something?) and the lock-up is really solid (similar to Cold Steel's 'Triad') which is pretty astounding for such a slim knife. Mine had some issues with edge retention until it had been resharpened a couple of times and got down to the hard steel. This can happen with the tempering process and isn't the only time i've run into the issue. The K55K with the stainless blade has also been popular with fishermen since about forever, fits easy into most tackle boxes. One guy i ran into said there was always one hanging by a string from a small nail on his dad's fishing boat.
Very nice little utility knives, slim, lightweight, surprisingly sturdy but since Solingen took over there have been reports of quality control issues and they've gotten to be *way* overpriced for what they are (but then that's kind of how most knives are these days).

[bunsonhoneydew]

When I was a kid in the early 1970s I had one of those all through high school. It was so thin it didn't print in my pocket. Very handy for cutting cardboard and rope, stuff like that. I got it from an ad in a comic book.

[stevearita]

Jimmy, these videos are really professional grade level (I'm not kidding!). Don't know how you do it, but everything from the lighting and image quality is excellent...and the sound effects are perfect, excellent job!

[nancysmith]

Hi Jimmy what a super cool knife. That knife will hold up to the roughest handling. This was an amazing video and review.

[stevejewett]

I absolutely love the whiskey shot at the end. This knife is as cool as a 1911 .45, and I just ordered one. Interesting info regarding the weapon of choice in the Bronx. I appreciate this review.

[charlesmckinney]

Im so tempted to get one of those. Prices went up a good bit. Ive been waiting for a good review.

[johninalaska]

Hey Jimmy, that is a beautiful knife, I really like the look of it. Properly sharpen, it will perform well for any use, I would think. Thanks for sharing.

[ybirch]

No, not more knife porn! Great review as always. Love the antique tea box you use as a prop in your videos. Grew up on the east coast in NS drinking King Cole Tea. It was always on the shelf in our deer camp.

[bwcok]

No animals were harmed in the making of this video! Not even prairie dogs! 😂❤😂 great knife! Take a look at the puma white hunter, , Solingen.

[chrismuz]

Cool review, befitting a cool knife!
Cheers, from Germany 👍

[maxcontax]

I have one and marvel at its frugal and totally functional construction. It is carbon steel so takes a good edge. The shape of the blade is mainly for stabbing, not slicing, no belly in the blade. I don’t use it much but keep it in my collection. My EDC is a small flat Gerber, which is shaped better for usual uses.

[robertmiller]

Great video Jimmy! I am a fan of knives, and I have a collection of them. I like Spyderco knives. I use the Spyderco Paramilitary 2 as one of my EDC knives .

[craigrobertson]

Super review, I will have to check one of these beauties out.

[pocketknives_and_harmonicas]

Thanks for your thoughts on this knife and greetings from the sun coast canada!

[Wendt.Sp]

Great vid! I have one exactly like it but without the emblem on the handle and mine has a pocket clip. Curious where you purchased yours?

[derauditor]

The "g" in Solingen is spelled hard like the G in "Gulf War".

[sirhorsechoker]

Modern knife guys look down on pins as opposed to screws. Personally i have great experiences with pins. If you see screws, that means youll need them lol. If you see pins, that means i won't need to actively keep this knife held together for my entire life. Screws loosen and need to be maintained. Id rather go from traditional pocket knolife to fixed blade. Modern folders are worst of both worlds.

[magnafrisiaband]

2:35 Seriously? Why? You think you’re a tough guy now? 🤦🏼‍♂️

[danh]

Pre-tactical and all the other nonsense. Just evocative of a different time.