Mercator Black Cat 3.5 Inch Lockback Knife

The Mercator Black Cat has a 3.5-inch carbon steel blade with a black metal alloy handle and a bail, closing to 4.25 inches, carrying the Mercator tang stamp. Made in Germany.

The Black Cat has been made in Solingen since 1867, and the cat stamped on the handle is where the name comes from. German soldiers carried it through both world wars, and the pattern is still recognized because of it. The handle is a single sheet folded around the blade with no scales or liners, which is what makes the knife so flat and so cheap to build without being flimsy. The bail lets it hang from a lanyard rather than riding loose.

Carbon steel takes a very fine edge and sharpens easily, though it will darken and eventually spot if stored wet, and the tang stamp is how collectors identify a genuine Solingen example. Explore more Lockback Knives.

• Folded sheet handle has exceptionally flat
• Bail for lanyard carry
• Mercator tang stamp identifies a Solingen example
• 3.5-inch carbon blade, 4.25 inches closed