There is more to come, as they say. This means that my first knife from Olitans was quickly joined by another one. We keep the marine theme, as the previous knife was called Lemon Shark, and this one goes by the name Submarine.
This knife is also in the same distinguished price range as the previous one, with a recommended MSRP of $49. Definitely something that can be called a budget class if you wish. At the same time, a lot has happened on that front in recent years. You simply get more for your money invested.
In this case, it includes a sympathetic but slightly special appearance, as this one is built on an old Chinese folding knife model sometimes called a Shilin cutter. Typical of it is the large leaf-shaped blade and the rather symmetrical appearance, where the handle and blade resemble each other.
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| Olitans Submarine |
Just like most of Olitan's products, this one is available in several different colour combinations, for example, with or without a black blade. The blade, which is presented as a kukri on the website, which I don't agree with at all, is made of 14C28N with a thickness of 3.5 mm. The length is 84 mm. The total length of the knife when open is 188 m,m and 104 mm when folded. However, it is a full 15 mm wide, which makes it a little chubby. It takes up more space in the pocket, but on the plus side, it fills the hand better. I generally have a bit of a problem with pocket knives that are too thick. We'll see how I feel about this one.
The total weight is an acceptable 114 g. This is achieved with a drilled steel frame that also forms a liner lock. I can immediately see that the function of the latter is very good in this example. Folding out the blade is done with a flipper fin that works well. If you don't like that, you can also use the oblong blade hole instead; it works just as well.
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| Submarine is Olitan's interpretation of a Shilin Cutter |
On the outside, there are G10 sides screwed in place with only one screw in addition to the pivot screw. Thankfully, both are also in size T8 and countersunk with a flat head.
Furthermore, it can be noted that the knife has excellent action thanks to ceramic ball bearings and that it comes with a removable clip.
Once again, Olitans seems to have made a very tasty dish in the lower price segment. Definitely an alternative for those looking for a Shilin cutter at a bargain price.*
/ J - on submarine hunting#knivesandbikes #knivigtvarre
* I have some Spyderco Lum Chinese on the same theme from before, but they are significantly more expensive and out of production.
