- elegance personified
Welcome to what is probably the world's first written review of the QSP Otter. If my "Google Fu" doesn't let me down, there aren't too many reviews of this knife at all. It, therefore, feels a bit like a duty to remedy that mismatch with at least one post.
Now that's no arduous task as this knife is as likable as the animal it's named after. I intend here to describe why I think so.
 |
| QSP Otter |
Otter is a knife for those who appreciate smaller knives for EDC or a pocket knife in pure English. With a blade length of seven centimeters, it is quite small. Add to that that it is extremely light. In addition to that, it is characterized by fairly exclusive materials with fine blade steel and not least an unusual material in the handle sides.
Thus, the Otter is an example of some of the more "high-end" oriented knives from QSP that they have released recently.
As usual, it is now available in a couple of different variants. In this case, you can choose between a satin blade or black ditto and the handles can be obtained in this variant or with elements of copper for another color setting of the pattern.
 |
| This is version 140-A1 which means satin blade and elements of aluminum foil in the carbon |
Twitter version: Not everything is black and white in life, but this Otter from QSP is. A sophisticated little knife for the style conscious.
Blade
The blade shape can either be considered a sheep foot or a drop point, although both would then have the addition "modified" as the shape does not follow the template of either archetype. The back curves downwards in a marked way as in the former but it meets an edge with a slight belly on the way. This in turn gives a more pronounced tip than sheep's feet usually have. A detail that contributes to the soft shape of the knife is that the spine of the blade is not straight but actually curves slightly upwards before it begins its downward journey.
As I said, the length of the blade is around seven centimeters, or 69 mm to be exact. The blade height is 19 millimeters and the thickness is 3 mm.
The finish is a nice two-tone satin where the flat parts of the blade have longitudinal satin which provides contrast. Then it must be emphasized how nicely QSP manages its labeling these days. The logo can be found on the presentation side and steel type on the opposite side. However, both are adapted to the size of the blade and tastefully executed.
 |
| The blade is just under seven centimeters long |
The steel is a very solid S35VN. Not the latest or most hyped on the market but treated correctly it is really good steel. QSP has previously proven to master the different types of steel they use. Then I'm not a metallurgist, but the judgment I give is from a strict user perspective. In this case, it means that the steel responds quickly to a whetstone or a strop. I have not had to re-sharpen the blade and do not expect to do so in the near future either. It is rare for knives of this type to wear so badly that they need to be completely reprofiled without an accident. Regular maintenance with a strop, sharpener, and sharpening steel usually goes a long way.
Speaking of, the factory edge was quite good. At least when it comes to sharpness. A small deduction can be made because of the tendency to "smile" at the sharpening choil area.
The blade has a very high saber grind. It provides good cutting properties.
 |
| The blade steel is Crucibles CPM S35VN |
Once put to work, this is a very effective little blade. The combination of a sharp edge, fine steel, and a not-too-thick blade is attractive. Then the tip is also worth highlighting as it is just as good for prying a skewer out of the hand as for shrink plastic killing. The days of plastic packaging should be over, but despite that, many manufacturers insist on literally fertilizing with them, which makes a good pocket knife a very viable tool.
Otter is a knife that not only theoretically should cut well, but it does so in practice. That it must be highlighted may seem strange, but in today's knife world it is not always a given. Sometimes form come before function. But not in this case. Then, of course, a knife this small has its limitations. But they are pretty obvious. This applies, for example, to the handle, which is not large enough for heavier tasks.
But otherwise, I am very satisfied with how Otter feels to handle the tasks that you may come across in everyday life. Not least as the knife is easy to pick up, make a quick cut with and return to the pocket. Something that, for example, is excellent if you open a sack of rice. Or a stack of bags with topsoil and fertilizer. Or cut off annoying cable ties found in a blister pack on another knife brand's lousy packaging.
Handle
Even at first glance, it can be seen that what makes this knife stand out from the crowd is the choice of handle material. Otherwise, the handle is pretty straight forward. The base is a polished steel frame and on the outside of it, the sides have been screwed in two points apart from the pivot screw. It is marked with its now customary triangle. A pattern that marks QSP's slightly finer knives.
 |
| A small, fairly comfortable handle that is distinguished by the pattern in the carbon fiber |
But to return to the unique, it is a carbon fiber that is provided with layers of aluminum foil in this version. In the other variant, it is instead copper foil. This is what gives the pattern reminiscent of what is found in damask forged knife blades. It also gives the knives a pattern that is unique to each specimen.
The carbon fiber is then polished. The sides are flat but the edges themselves are softly rounded. This also applies to the frame and the knife as a whole. The absence of sharp corners is something that is gratefully noted from my side. Even better brands can miss that detail sometimes.
 |
| The knife is open in the back and provided with two hourglass-shaped spacers |
Then it should be pointed out that this handle is not actually lightened internally in any way. And considering the total weight of the knife, but above all its balance, I am happy with that decision. An even lighter handle would have made the knife front-heavy I suspect.
The length of the handle is 96 mm and of that, 86 mm is available surface for the fingers. The flipper tab steals, as is so often the case, some space. With my size of fingers, it is enough for a "three and a half finger grip", but with narrower fingers, all four can fit. Then the rear end is both angled and softly shaped, so all grips still feel good. Especially as the clip is not felt at all. For a small knife handle, this is pretty functional. But small as I said. It doesn't exactly form the basis of an outdoor knife, but as an EDC it works well.
 |
| The balance is very good despite the small format and the knife feels perfectly fine to hold and work with |
Opening and Lock
Otter is a dedicated flipper knife. Nothing wrong with that and if you don't necessarily want to use the flipper, the knife can of course be opened with two hands as well.
The flipper itself is small and discreet, only four millimeters high. It has received some grooves for increased traction and this is needed considering the small format. However, they are not particularly sharp and could have benefited from being just a tad more distinct.
 |
| Otter may be counted as a dedicated flipper-opening folding knife |
For those used to this type of opening system, this is a good knife. A well-tuned "detent" and ceramic ball bearings, together with good geometry, give good thrust to the blade. The knife is therefore very quick to open. It can be added that the blade can be activated with both push and pull back. But by "used to" I meant that knives that open with small flipper fins or worse front flippers are not very intuitive to the uninitiated. But they, in return, do not take very long to get used to.
 |
| A liner lock that is well made |
In fact, Otter is as easy to close as it is to open. A detail I draw attention to as it affects the overall impression and is important when you make simple, quick cuts and then want to put your knife away again. In this case, the lock is easily accessible as the opposite side has received a recess to facilitate that procedure. What must be accessed is a "liner lock". A simple but in this case well executed lock. No play can be felt in the blade in any direction. The advantage of this type of lock when made of steel is that they do not need to be worn in. The wear on the lock bar is also minimal compared to, for example, titanium versus steel. So no lock bar reinforcement is needed.
To Carry
Under this heading, there can be nothing but top marks for this knife. This is a pocket knife in its truest sense. Whether you use the clip or leave the knife loose in a pocket, it performs exemplary.
Much of that can of course be attributed to the discreet dimensions. The knife measures 96 mm in length as I said, but the height is not too bad either, with two centimeters at most. The thickness of the handle is measured at eleven millimeters.
 |
| To underline the exclusive appearance, a nice sculpted clip is found on the Otter |
In other words, it is fairly thin without being anemic. But it is the weight that contributes the most to it being so nice in the pocket. A not overly thick blade paired with carbon fiber sides keeps the weight down to a low 65 grams, despite the fact that the steel frame, as I said, is not milled.
Then the material is very kind to the fabric in pockets as it is completely smooth and polished.
 |
| Despite the type, I must say, the clip works well |
The clip follows the aesthetics of the knife and emphasizes that it is a more exclusive knife. That is why Otter features a milled titanium clip instead of a simpler steel clip.
The function is really good for this type of clip. It's thin enough to have good tension and the ramp is decent even if it is not among the most generous. In return, with this design, you get no evil tip that cuts into the hand. Something I am very picky about. The second best advantage of the clip is that, as mentioned before is not felt in the hand when using the knife. That's another thing I easily get hung up on otherwise.
A smart move by QSP is that they chose to make the clip symmetrical, which means that it can be shifted to the other side for those who are left-handed or just want to carry the knife that way anyway. In other words, it is removable and this is done by changing the screws at the back end of the knife. It's also a good solution because you avoid unnecessary holes in the handle, even if QSP totally blew that anyway.
To Conclude
With Otter, QSP has succeeded well in its intention to make a sophisticated "gentleman's knife". That is, a small, elegant knife that is suitable for most everyday tasks, but which may not be the best in the great outdoors or on the construction site.
The aesthetics are there with a stripped-down design that, in my opinion, is consistently executed. The handle has a simple shape that follows the blade or possibly vice versa. It is accentuated by quality steel and exclusive material in the handle in the form of relatively unusual carbon fiber. All are reinforced with a few more details such as discrete markings, ball bearing, and detent ball in ceramic as well as a milled titanium clip.
 |
| The QSP Otter is not a gigantic knife, but excellent for everyday use |
Otter is really something for those who like a slightly smaller EDC knife. Most of the boxes that apply to a modern small pocket knife can be checked. Then there are a couple of small things worth highlighting. One is that on QSP's part they refrained from messing around with the stock thickness. A blade belonging to a knife of this size does not need to be thicker than this. Perhaps the hopeless trend of over-dimensioning all knives regardless of size and intended use is over.
Another small but positive detail is the tasteful labeling. On the one hand, they have adapted the logo and the size of the text in relation to the knife, and on the other hand, they have refrained from more labeling than that. Apart from the triangle on the head of the pivot screw then. In this case, however, it fits in unusually well with the rest of the black and silver color scheme.
Since there are no major mistakes, you have to point out something smaller instead. One such is that in the name of consistency and appearance, one could refrain from drilling a hole straight through the handle for the lanyard. That's what was meant above when I wrote that "QSP blew that". If you absolutely want to keep the function, you can instead use a small bolt to put the rope around. It is a more discreet solution purely in terms of appearance and those of us who do not like lanyards avoid holes in the handle.
 |
| A knife to always have in your pocket. Here at dawn on a beach on the west coast |
But overall, I have no problem warmly recommending this knife in the category it is intended for. As an elegant pocket knife for small daily tasks. As such, it is beautiful to look at, easy to carry, and has a personal touch with the special handle sides. This little beauty dictates a price of around €115-145.
Specification:
Length Overall: 165 mm
Length Folded: 96 mm
Weight: 65 g (weighed by me, same as stated weight)
Blade Length: 69 mm
Blade Thickness: 3 mm
Blade Steel: S35VN, HRC 59-61
Handle: Aluminum foil carbon fiber
Lock: Liner lock
Produced by: QSP, made in China
/ J
Inga kommentarer:
Skicka en kommentar