Review Olitans Submarine

  

-  another Shilin Cutter tested

The other day, I wrote that I like Shilin Cutters. It was in a review of another knife from another brand. But now it's time for an interpretation from Olitans called Submarine

Olitans Submarine

Why they named it Submarine, I have no idea. Possibly because the overall lines could remind you of a very early U-boat if you use your imagination. Anyway, it is a folding knife aimed at the EDC segment from the Chinese brand Olitans. My first contact with them was a knife called Lemon Shark that I previously reviewed. It was approved with praise.

That they believe in the Submarine concept is evident from the fact that there are no fewer than eight different variants to choose from. The handles are made of G10 in different colours or PEI in cases where they are semi-transparent. The blades can be either blackened or shiny.

Submarine, like Lemon Shark, is a knife from their budget segment, and it would be interesting to test something from their more expensive part of the catalogue.

Submarine - a Shilin Cutter

Short version: Olitans Submarine, a Shilin Cutter for EDC use. Small and compact but a bit chunky, it makes short work of most small jobs

Blade

The blade is, of course, the most defining feature of this entire knife, as it is what makes it a "Shilin Cutter". A characteristic of this type of knife is that the blade is leaf-shaped. More specifically, it is a bamboo leaf that is the model. In knife language, this means that you have a drop point, but that it has a back that rises a little before it falls down to the tip and that it is combined with an edge that forms one long belly. In this case, it is even a little more pronounced than usual, I might add.

Something that also enhances the appearance is that this blade has a swedge. Another distinctive detail is, of course, the hole in the blade. On the blade spine, there is also a row of grooves for better traction. Whether they matter or not is a matter of discussion. 

The blade is described as a kukri blade on the website, but it is as leaf-shaped as can be

The blade is 84 mm long, and it is matched by a height of 33 mm. It is therefore somewhat larger than you think. The proportions are a bit misleading. The thickness of the blade material is 3.5 mm. Here, one could easily have removed half a millimetre and obtained better properties without compromising durability. A blade this tall still holds up!

The material used is the 14C28N of Swedish origin, which is very familiar to most people by now. A typical mid-range steel, if the expression is allowed. It is an all-round steel that does not stand out in any single parameter but is both rust-resistant and takes a good edge. It holds the sharpness decently, and does not chip easily. Overall, in other words, it is a good choice in this case.

The surface of the steel is a shiny satin. The blade is unmarked except for the blade steel designation, which is found in very small style on the opposite side of the ricasso.

The wide flat-ground blade is made of a steel of Swedish origin, 14C28N.

Submarine has a blade that is almost completely flat ground. There is a very small flat part at the top, but it is mostly cosmetic. Overall, the blade appears the way it looks. Behind the edge, I measure the thickness to be 0.4 mm, which is not extremely thin but enough for the blade to cut well.

The shape gives a clear hint of what this blade is best for, and that is sweeping cuts. But the curved edge also means that if you start a cut near the handle, the edge folds outward for a while before it starts to swing towards the tip. This means that when cutting, for example, string and rope, the edge bites harder, which is positive. It is a bit of the same effect you get from a "recurve" or S-shaped edge, although not as extreme.

Otherwise, this type of blade is very flexible. They handle most jobs with flying colours, especially small jobs of all kinds. But there are things I won't do with this knife for a long time, and carving wood is one of them. At least there, I prefer a straight edge. So if you know that it's something you do frequently, you might want to choose another model from Olitans.

Handle

The Submarine has a rather chunky handle that looks long enough at first glance, but feels cramped when you hold it. The construction is otherwise not much to talk about. A fairly heavily lightened steel frame forms the body. The knife is mostly open at the back with a partial back spacer.

The handle is attached at two points, one is a screw in the said back spacer, and the other is the adjustable pivot screw. Almost standardised among knives in this price range is size T8 on the pivot screw and T6 for the others. 

The handle is made of G10, which is almost polished, so there is no extreme friction.

The material in the handle is G10. In this case, it is green but is available in different shades as I wrote above. The surface is actually quite worked as it is partly curved and partly semi-polished. The last one can be criticised as it removes one of the advantages of the G10 material, which is a lot of traction. You don't get that here.

The handle is mostly open in the back with only a small back spacer

The length of the handle is 108 mm, although it is stated as 104 mm. But 15 mm of that disappears at the back due to the design there. Then we have the damn flipper that steals a lot of space. The remaining available grip area for the hand is 75 mm. That's not much. Especially when you have such a powerful blade.

The handle is most comfortable in a sabre grip. In a hammer grip, there is too little room for my hand because the flipper takes up space.

The grip could have been comfortable, but with my hand size, there is a big concern, and that is the flipper. In addition to stealing space, both the placement of it or rather the angle, and the design are a problem. It also acts as a finger guard when the knife is open. The concern, however, is that it is directed slightly backwards, which gnaws hard on my index finger, which is not comfortable. Especially not as the shape is quite angular. To avoid that, you have to grip further back on the handle, whereupon it becomes a bit of a "three-and-a-half-finger" handle for me because, as I said, it is short. This applies especially to hammer grips.

Fortunately, the rounded back end makes the grip relatively good despite that. Then the handle, as mentioned, is quite full, which still gives an acceptable grip. This is especially true with a sabre grip, and then the back end of the clip also hides inside the hand, and then feels less pointed.

If you want to use reverse grips, they work unexpectedly well with this handle.

Opening and Lock

Sumbarine belongs to the modern generation of folding knives, and that often means multiple opening mechanisms. In this case, you can choose between a flipper and a hole in the blade. Sometimes I wish the manufacturers would stop whining and settle on one method. You can't please everyone, and the combinations don't always work.

The flipper, one of two opening methods, works well

The flipper tab works well in parts, but I'm really not a fan of the design described above. But for opening the knife, it's good. It's angled backwards, and the manufacturer has been kind enough to chamfer the front part of the frame as a "landing strip" for the index finger. Some grooves on the fin itself also provide better grip, which is needed as it's not particularly prominent.

A liner lock that is secure but sometimes gives a little play up and down

The lock is a liner lock. For the most part, it works well. The lock bar falls into place as it should, it is easy to access, and the blade is held in place. Or, maybe not. Sometimes there is a tendency for a little play in height. It is not consistent, however. But if the blade is provoked for a while, it disappears. As if the locking arm tightens after a while. But there is never any talk of the blade releasing, so safety is not threatened. Mostly an annoying feeling.

Fortunately, it is not felt when you cut with the knife. It is then perceived as very stable.

To Carry

In this area, Submarine offers a mixed bag, both good and not so good. The weight, for example, is decent at 114 grams. The length is also more than acceptable at 104 mm closed. Especially if these two dimensions are compared to a high blade with a length of almost eight and a half centimetres.

Less good is the thickness. In this area, this feels like a submarine with diving tanks on the sides. It is almost one and a half centimetres thick, 14.5 mm. That's a lot.

Submarine has a spring steel clip that cannot be moved

When paired with a height of 37 mm, it sure feels like you have a knife in your pocket. More positively, the smooth G10 sides don't offer much resistance when the knife is pulled out or put away.

The polished clip is very visible in contrast to trousers and jeans.

The clip is a simple and very polished spring steel dito. Unfortunately, the tip points outwards, which is sometimes felt against the hand, but this in turn provides enough ramp to slide over most fabric edges. The space under the clip is also sufficient. This is also because the clip is recessed in the handle side, and the screw heads are flat. In other words, a little work has been done on that point.

But to save that working time, it was chosen not to repeat the procedure on the other side. In other words, you cannot turn the clip over, so left-handed people have to look elsewhere. 

To Conclude

Something I don't really understand is the presentation text for this knife. It says that it has a "Kukri" blade inspired by the famous Gurkha knives. But it doesn't have that at all! On the contrary, this is one of the more leaf-shaped blades I've seen. Something that is also clearly stated in the technical specification on the website, where it clearly says "Blade style: Shilin". That, in combination with a handle that reflects the blade shape, makes it a Shilin Cutter. Whoever wrote the text must have been confused, and no one checked it and let it remain on the website.

They further describe the Submarine with words like "powerful yet compact". That's also a bit of an overstatement; it's not that powerful. It's rather small and chubby. But sure, let's go for it. They also write that you can choose G10 for "maximum grip", but then I have to suggest that you don't have an almost glossy polished surface on your G10. The one here doesn't offer any extreme grip. Hardly any friction at all, in fact. But that's not a negative in this case. It just doesn't rhyme with the text.

If we ignore the advertising text, we instead find a folding knife that is charming with its distinct Chinese roots and clear design language. The materials are also well chosen for the price point, not much to complain about there.  

The Submarine is a great EDC knife if you can imagine carrying something chunky in your pocket.

However, I have some opinions on the opening of the knife. At first, I was not negative about two or more methods of opening folding knives, but I have started to become increasingly sceptical in general. It must be admitted that it is rare to succeed in optimising the knife for everyone. Most often, it forces compromises, and somewhere, something is limping. In this case, it is not that per se, but rather the angle and placement of the flipper. As described above, it is certainly functional but not comfortable against the finger. It feels a bit like no one tested the knife before it was released.

Once out, however, the blade is sympathetic, and the chubby handle provides a relatively good grip, although it is a bit cramped given the flipper.

Olitans Submarine has also been allowed to accompany me into the forest, but it is not a favourite for woodworking.

That said, the Submarine from Olitans is what I would call a typical EDC knife, although the person choosing it has to make a trade-off. The knife has a personal look and good cutting properties, but the downside is that it takes up a lot of space in your pocket as it is both tall and thick.

But in the end, it is still quite charming, and the price contributes to that. With a suggested price of $45, it feels completely rightly priced.

Olitans 

Specifications:

Length Overall 188 mm

Length Closed: 108 mm

Weight: 114 g

Blade Length: 84 mm

Blade Thickness: 3,5 mm 

Blade Steel: 14C28N

Handle: G10

Lock: Liner lock

Produced by: Olitans, made in China

/ J - continues with Shilin Cutters

#knivesandbikes #aliaspostmortem #knivigtvarre 

Recension Olitans Submarine

 

-  ytterligare en Shilin Cutter testad

Härförleden skrev jag att jag gillar Shilin Cutters. Det var i en recension av en annan kniv från ett annat märke. Men nu är det dags för en tolkning från Olitans kallad Submarine

Olitans Submarine

Varför de döpt den till Submarine har jag ingen aning om. Möjligen för att de övergripande linjerna skulle kunna påminna om en mycket tidig U-båt om man använder fantasin. Hur som haver är det en fällkniv riktad mot EDC-segmentet från det kinesiska märket Olitans. Min första kontakt med dem var en kniv kallad Lemon Shark som jag tidigare recenserat. Den fick med beröm godkänt.

Att de tror på Submarine som koncept framgår att det finns inte mindre än åtta olika varianter att välja mellan. Handtagen är aningen gjorda av G10 i olika färger eller i PEI i de fall de är halvgenomskinliga. Bladen kan fås både svärtade eller blanka. 

Submarine är liksom Lemon Shark knivar från deras budgetsegment och det vore intressant att testa något från deras mer påkostade del av katalogen. 

Submarine - en Shilin Cutter

Kortversion: Olitans Submarine, en Shilin Cutter för EDC-bruk. Liten och kompakt fast en smula knubbig gör den processen kort med de flesta småarbeten

Blad

Bladet är förstås det mest definierande på hela den här kniven då det är vad som gör att den är en "Shilin Cutter". Kännetecknande för den här typen av kniv är att bladet är lövformat. Närmare bestämt är det ett bambulöv som är förlagan. Det betyder på knivspråk att du har en drop point som dock har en rygg som höjer sig en smula innan den faller nedåt spetsen och att den kombineras med en egg som utgör en enda lång buk. I det här fallet är den till och med lite mer uttalad än vanligt kan väl tilläggas. 

Något som försstärker utseendet är dessutom att det här bladet har en tunnare falskegg. En annan uttmärkande detalj är förstås hålet i bladet. På bladryggen finns dessutom en rad med fåror för ökat fäste. Dess vara eller icke vara kan alltid diskuteras. 

Bladet beskrivs som ett kukri-blad på hemsidan men är så lövformat det kan bli

Bladet är 84 mm långt och det matchas av en höjd på hela 33 mm. Det är således något större än man tror. Proportionerna förvillar en aning. Tjockleken på bladgodset är 3,5 mm. Här kunde man lätt kunnat avlägsna en halv millimeter och fått bättre egenskaper utan kompromissat med hållbarheten. Ett så här högt blad håller ändå!

Materialet som använts är det för de flesta vid det här laget mycket välbekanta 14C28N med svenskt ursprung. Ett typiskt mellanklasstål, om uttrycket tillåts. Det är ett allroundstål som inte sticker ut på någon enstaka parameter men är både rosttrögt och tar en god skärpa. Det håller skärpan dugligt och det flisar sig inte så lätt. Överlag är det med andra ord ett bra val i det här fallet. 

Ytan på stålet är en blank satin. Bladet är omärkt sånär som bladstålsbeteckningen som hittas i mycket liten stil på motsatt sida ricasson. 

Det breda flatslipade bladet är gjort i ett stål med svenskt ursprung, 14C28N

Submarine har ett blad som är så gott  som helt  flatslipat. En ytterst liten flat del återfinns längst upp men den är mest kosmetisk. Överlag uppträder bladet därför som det ser ut. Bakom eggen mäter jag godstjockleken till 0,4 mm vilket inte extremt tunt men tillräckligt för bladet skall skära bra. 

Formen ger en tydlig vink vad det här bladet är bäst till och det är svepande skär. Men den svängda eggen innebär också att om du påbörjar ett snitt nära handtaget så viker eggen av utåt ett tag innan den börjar svänga mot spetsen. Det gör att när man skär av till exempel snöre och rep så biter eggen hårdare vilket är  positivt. Det är lite av samma effekt du får av en "recurve" eller S-format egg fast inte lika extremt. 

I övrigt är den här typen av blad väldigt flexibla. De klarar de flesta arbeten med bravur och särskilt gäller det småjobb av allehanda slag. Men det finns saker jag inte gör någon längre tid med den här kniven och att tälja i trä är en sådan sak. Där föredrar åtminstone jag en rak egg. Så vet du med dig att det är något du gör frekvent skall du kanske välja en annan modell från Olitans.

Handtag

Submarine har ett rätt knubbigt handtag som ser tillräckligt långt ut vid första anblick men som känns trångt när du håller i det. Konstruktionen är annars inte mycket att orda om. En rätt kraftigt lättad stålram utgör stommen. Kniven är till största delen öppen i ryggen med en partiell back spacer.

Handtaget är fäst i två punkter, dels hittas en skruv i nämnda back spacer och dels den justerbara pivotskruven. Nästan standardiserat bland knivar i den här prisklassen är storlek T8 på pivotskruven och T6 för de andra.  

Handtaget är gjort av G10 som är mycket finslipat, så någon extrem friktion finns inte

Materialet är i handtaget är G10. I det här fallet är den grön men finns att få i olika nyanser som jag skrev ovan. Ytan är faktiskt rätt arbetad då den dels är välvd och dels halvpolerad. Det sista kan man ha synpunkter på då det avlägsnar en av G10-materialets fördelar vilket är mycket gott fäste. Det får du inte här.

Handtaget är till största delen öppet i ryggen med en endast en liten back spacer

Längden på handtaget är 108 mm även om det anges till 104 mm. Men av det försvinner 15 mm baktill på grund av utformningen där. Sedan har vi den förbaskade flipperfenan som stjäl hur mycket utrymme som helst. Kvar som tillgänglig greppyta för handen är 75 mm. Det är i minsta laget. Särskilt när man har ett så kraftfullt blad. 

Handtaget är bekvämast i ett sabelgrepp. I ett hammargrepp blir det för lite plats för min hand eftersom flipperfenan stjäl utrymme

Greppet kunde ha varit bekvämt men min handstorlek finns det ett stort bekymmer och det är flipperfenan. Förutom att den stjäl plats så är både placeringen av den eller snarare vinkeln, samt utformningen ett problem. Den agerar nämligen även fingerskydd när kniven är öppen. Bekymret är dock att den riktats en aning bakåt vilket gnager hårt på mitt pekfinger vilket inte är bekvämt. Särskilt inte som formen är rätt kantig. För att undvika det måste man greppa längre bak på handtaget varpå det blir lite av ett "tre och halvt-fingers"-handtag för mig eftersom det som sagt är kort. Det gäller framförallt vid hammargrepp. 

Dessbättre gör den rundade bakänden att det greppet blir relativt bra trots det. Sedan är handtaget som nämndes rätt fylligt vilket ändå ger ett godkänt grepp. Särskilt gäller det vid sabelgrepp och då gömmer sig även bakänden på clipet inuti handen och känns då mindre hård. 

Vill  man nyttja omvända grepp fungerar de oväntat bra med det här handtaget. 

Öppning och lås

Sumbarine tillhör det moderna gardet av fällknivar och det betyder ofta multipla öppningsmekanismer. I det här fallet kan du välja mellan en flipper och ett hål i bladet. Ibland önskar jag att tillverkarna slutade vela och bestämde sig för en metod. Man kan inte tillfredsställa alla och kombinationerna fungerar inte alltid. 

Flippern, den ena av två öppningsmetoder, fungerar väl

Flipperfenan fungerar bitvis väl men jag är verkligen ingen vän av utformningen som beskrevs ovan. Men till att fälla ut bladet är den bra. Den är vinklad bakåt och tillverkaren har varit snäll att fasa främre delen av ramen som "landningsbana" för pekfingret. Några räfflor på själva fenan ger också bättre fäste vilket behövs då den inte är särskilt prominent. 

En liner lock som är säker men ibland ger lite spel upp och ned

Låser gör ubåten med en liner lock. Till största delen fungerar den bra. Låsarmen faller på plats som den skall, den är lätt att komma åt och bladet, det hålls på plats. Eller, kanske inte. Ibland finns en tendens till ett litet spel i höjdled. Det är dock inte konsekvent. Men om bladet provoceras en stund så försvinner det. Som om låsarmen tar hårdare efter ett tag. Men det är aldrig tal om att bladet skall släppa så säkerheten är inte hotad. Mest en irriterande känsla. 

Som tur var känns den inte när man skär med kniven. Den upplevs då som mycket stabil. 

Att bära

På det här området bjuder Submarine på mixad kompott, både bra och mindre bra. Vikten till exempel är duglig med 114 gram. Längden är även den mer än godkänd med 104 mm i hopfällt läge. Särskilt om de här två måtten ställs i relation till ett högt blad med en längd på nästan åtta och en halv centimeter. 

Mindre bra är då tjockleken. På det här området känns det här som en ubåt med dyktankar på sidorna. Den är nästan en och halv centimeter tjock, 14,5 mm. Det är mycket.

Submarine har ett fjäderstålsclip som inte kan flyttas

När det sedan paras med en höjd på 37 mm så känns den här kniven i fickan kan  jag säga. Mer positivt är att de släta G10-sidorna inte bjuder på mycket motstånd när kniven skall halas fram eller  stoppas undan. 

Det blankpolerade clipet syns rätt väl i kontrast mot byxor och jeans

Clipet är ett enkelt och mycket blankpolerat fjäderstålsdito. Tyvärr pekar spetsen utåt vilket känns mot handen ibland men det ger i sin tur tillräcklig med ramp för att glida över de flesta tygkanter. Utrymmet under clipet räcker också till. Till det bidrar att clipet är försänkt i  handtagssidan och att skruvhuvudena är platta. Med andra ord har lite arbete lagts ned på den punkten. 

Men för att spara in den arbetstiden valdes att inte upprepa proceduren på andra sidan. Du kan med andra ord inte vända på clipet så vänsterhänta  göre sig icke besvär. 

Sammanfattningsvis

Något jag inte riktigt förstår är presentationstexten till den här kniven. Där står att läsa att den har ett "Kukri"-blad inspirerat av Ghurkas kända knivar. Men det har den ju inte alls! Tvärtom är det här ett av de mer lövformade blad jag sett. Något som dessutom  tydligt står att läga i den tekniska specifikationen på hemsidan där det tydligt står "Blade style: Shilin". Det i kombination med ett handtag som speglar bladformen gör ju det till en Shilin Cutter. Den som skrev texten måste varit förvirrad och sedan har ingen kontrollerat den och låtit den förbli på hemsidan. 

De beskriver vidare Submarine med ord som "powerful yet compact". Även det är lite av överord, så kraftfull är den inte. Den är snarare liten och knubbig. Men visst, låt gå för det. De skriver även att man kan välja G10 för "maximum grip" men då får jag föreslå att man inte har en nästan blankpolerad yta på sin G10. Den som finns här bjuder inte på något extremt fäste. Knappt något friktion alls faktiskt. Men det är inget negativt i det här fallet. Det rimmar bara inte med texten. 

Om vi bortser från reklamtexten så hittas istället en fällkniv som är charmig med sina distinkta kinesiska rötter och tydliga formspråk. Materialen är även de väl valda för prisläget och om det finns inget att säga. 

Submarine är en bra EDC-kniv om du kan tänka dig något knubbigt i fickan

Däremot har jag en del synpunkter på öppningen av kniven. Till en början var jag inte negativ till två eller fler metoder att fälla ut blad på fällknivar men jag har börjat bli alltmer skeptisk rent generellt måste erkännnas. Det är nämligen sällan  man lyckas med att optimera kniven för alla. Ofast tvingar det fram kompromisser och någonstans är det något som haltar. I det här fallet är det egenligen inte det utan snarare vinkeln och placeringen av flipperfenan. Som beskrevs ovan är den förvisso fungerande men inte komfortabel mot fingret. Det känns lite som ingen testade kniven innan den släpptes. 

Väl framme så är bladet dock sympatiskt och det knubbiga handtaget ger relativt gott grepp om även om det är lite trångt givet flipperfenan. 

Olitans Submarine har även fått följa med ut i skogen men det är ingen favorit för träarbete

Med det sagt är Submarine från Olitans är vad jag skulle kalla en typisk EDC-kniv även om den som väljer den får göra ett avvägande. För kniven talar en personligt utseende och bra skäregenskaper, mot talar att den tar en del plats i fickan då den är både hög och tjock. 

Men i slutänden är den ändå rätt charmig och till det bidrar priset. Med ett riktpris på 45$ känns den heltt rätt prissatt. 

Olitans 

Specifikation:

Längd utfälld: 188 mm

Längd hopfälld: 108 mm

Vikt: 114 g

Bladlängd: 84 mm

Godstjocklek: 3,5 mm 

Bladstål: 14C28N

Handtag: G10

Lås: Liner lock

Producerad av: Olitans, tillverkad i Kina

/ J - fortsätter med Shilin Cutters

#knivesandbikes #aliaspostmortem #knivigtvarre 

Review Olitans Lemon Shark

  

-  a shark with a good bite

Sometimes things don't have to be that complicated or innovative, for that matter. They can still be good. That description fits this knife from Olitans called Lemon Shark.

If the shape can be said to be recognizable and the same can be said about both materials, opening methods and locks. But for me, Olitans is a new brand, and it was therefore exciting to see if they add anything to an ever-growing knife market.

Olitans Lemon Shark

The knife comes in several different variants, and I chose this variant solely because of the name. A "Lemon Shark" has to have a yellow handle, right? In addition, I have quite a few knives, so sometimes I want a little colour in the middle of all the black, titanium gray and brown.

If you don't want this very distinct colour, the shark is also available in four additional colors and the materials also vary. A transparent yellow PEI, green or blue Micarta and white G10 are other options.

My first contact with Olitans was a positive one.

Short Version (former Twitter version): Olitans Lemon Shark, not the rarest shark in the knife oceans, but it manages its niche in the ecosystem well

Blade

As I said in the introduction, Lemon Shark is not innovative, so we get a very ordinary drop point for the blade. But it is a very well-proportioned and therefore stylish blade. The length is 83 mm, and the height is 25 mm, although the website states 26 mm. The thickness is 3.5 mm.

The blade has no decorative elements or the like, or by the way, it depends on how you look at it. I will come back to that. The only thing that contributes to the appearance besides the shape itself is a clear false edge, and a longer part of the base of the spine is provided with grooves for better grip. Something that, in this case, fulfils a double function. Partly to place the thumb on, but also when opening the knife.

A classic and well-proportioned drop point

The blade is not marked with any logo, which is unusual. It is found elsewhere, which I will return to. The only thing on the blade, in very small text behind one of the thumb studs, is the steel type.

In all versions except one, the steel is provided with a titanium nitride coating. That is what gives it the dark colour. Whether it is necessary from a rust protection point of view is debatable, since the steel is already stainless from the start.

The steel is a good Chinese steel called 10Cr15MoV. In my experience, it is a step up from, for example, the more common and simpler Cr8 steel. It keeps its sharpness longer while exhibiting the same corrosion resistance.

The steel used is 10Cr15MoV

 with a TiNi-coating

The 3.5 mm blade material is quite generous in relation to the length of the blade and the intended area of ​​use. It is thinned out by an almost full flat grind. The thickness behind the edge is 0.5 mm on the straight part and a full 0.6 mm at the belly. That's too much for my taste. Especially if the knife is intended as EDC. The strong edge is more suitable for a fixed blade knife of the "survival" type, something to chop wood with and the like and is therefore overkill for a small pocket knife.

That said, the Lemon Shark came with reasonably sharp teeth, meaning the factory edge is acceptable. But the thickness means that it is not the knife that cuts with the least resistance. But on the other hand, you are not afraid to cut into slightly tougher materials with this knife. I have even tested it on some old car tyres. Something I usually don't do, but now they were there. What the blade is also surprisingly good at is cutting into wood of various types, both fresh and dry.

Lemon Shark came in handy when cutting sticks to secure distance markings on the knife-throwing range

The knife is slightly worse in fibrous materials such as cardboard, but also in textiles. A thick blade with a robust edge, of course, has its impact. In return, it means that you are not afraid to use force when cutting cable ties or the like. But overall, this is a very functional blade. There is a bit of a straight edge and a good belly to work with, depending on what tasks are to be performed.

It can also be said that if the edge is thick, the tip is all the more delicate and punctures well. This is because the blade is significantly tapered.

Handle

That Lemon Shark does not offer any news is confirmed by the handle, which is built according to template 1A. But that does not have to be bad, as said. More specifically, it means that the knife has a frame made of steel that has been greatly lightened internally, at least on one side. About the frame, it can also be noted that it has been given the same colour as the blade, which is a nice detail.

On the outside, there are sides of G10 and in the back, a partial back spacer of the same material. The blue colour from the thumb studs is mirrored here. It's also here you find a hidden bolt for attaching lanyards, for those who use such. 

The handle is comfortable but a bit short

The sides are screwed in at two points in addition to the pivot screw. All three screws are the same size, T8, which is excellent. You only need to use a chisel if you want to adjust or disassemble your knife. Choosing a coarser dimension than the often used T6s brings another advantage. The coarser dimension is significantly more durable in the long run. At least if the screws are reasonably hardened. The smaller screws are only found here in the clip mount.

The handle is 107 mm long, of which 91 mm is available grip area behind the finger guard. It is at the minimum for my hand size, but a four-finger grip fits, albeit barely. The thickness of the handle is a full 13.5 mm, which is quite substantial.

On the outside of the steel frame are sides made of G10 in this case

The G10 material in the sides is a bit special, as most manufacturers choose to have it a bit rougher to provide better grip. That is even what G10 is known for. Olitans have chosen to almost polish them. There is a microscopic pattern, but it does not provide any friction to speak of. Rather, the sides almost feel like plastic. A disadvantage of that, besides feeling cheaper, is that it provides less grip, especially if you have hands that are wet from sweat, rain or snow.

The advantage, however, is that the knife wears significantly less on pockets, and that is, after all, where a pocket knife spends most of its time. So it is something you can decide for yourself, the importance of.

Lemon Shark is comfortable in the hand, both to hold and to work with

When holding the Lemon Shark, it feels small in my hand, but still comfortable. The indentation for the index finger, together with the ridges on the blade, locks the hand in a good way in a sabre grip. Then the softly rounded back of the handle also lies against the inside of my hand comfortably.

Hammer grips also work well, and here it is mainly the thickness that saves the handle. It makes the hand fill up properly. But it is a double-edged sword; thicker handles make knives better to work with if you do heavier tasks and for a longer time. At the same time, knives are worse to carry. But the increased surface area that the thickness means also means that you can use more force behind the cuts when cutting in wood, for example. This makes the Lemon Shark a better heavy worker.

Reverse grips are no problem either, while a pinch grip for the really intricate details is less good because the handle is thick at the front.

Opening and Lock

Olitans has caught on to the trend with multiple opening methods. Here, there are two or maybe two plus one if a two-handed opening is included in the equation. Otherwise, it is a front flipper and thumb studs that apply. That was the area I asked to come back to. The extra-long area with grooves on the blade spine is there to provide a good grip for your thumb when you flip out the blade.

The method works very well, by the way. The geometry is good, and the speed is helped by ball bearings. The action when both opening and closing the knife is both fast and smooth.

Lemon Shark can be opened with either a front flipper or the brightly coloured thumb studs

The second, and for me preferred way to open the knife is with the thumb studs. Incidentally, they were the ones I had in mind when I mentioned decorative elements on the blade. They are heavily blue anodised in this case.

Not only that, they work well too! The blade can be either folded out slowly or flicked out with either your thumb or an index finger on the back. All ways work great. The handle is chamfered to facilitate access, and they sit just far enough out to both be easy to reach and provide good geometry for the opening.

There is not much to say about the shape, as these are fairly traditional barrel-shaped studs. They are soft on the fingers and do what they are supposed to. 

The blade is held in place by a liner lock

The lock is a liner lock, and it can be immediately stated that it works excellently. Perhaps the lock bar can be perceived as somewhat thin to give full confidence, but that is more in my head than in the function.

On the contrary, the blade is held in place without any flaws. Nothing negative to complain about at all, actually. There is no lateral play to be detected, and there is no play up and down in the blade. In addition, the lock engages with every opening and has never had any problems for me during the test period.

The lock bar is also easily accessible, and since it is relatively thin, the resistance is not much to argue about either. It is easy to release the lock. One thing that makes it even easier is that the lock bar is bevelled, which provides a more comfortable edge to press your thumb against.

To Carry

As mentioned earlier, the Lemon Shark is a chunky little thing. The length isn't much to talk about, but the width across the back makes the knife feel quite thick; 13.5 mm is a lot for a folding knife.

The clip is nothing extraordinary, but it does what it's supposed to.

The weight is 112 g, which could possibly be reduced a little if the G10 sides had been thinner, but it is not so much that it is something to complain about. The weight distribution also means that the balance point ends up in the middle of the indentation for the index finger.

The smooth sides make the knife slide easily into place, both when the knife is to be pulled out and put away.

A little of the knife is peaking out of the pocket. But most visible is the text on the clip

The clip is a simple spring steel version. However, the tension is sufficient to perform its function, and the same can be said about the space underneath. "Normal" fabrics can fit, i.e. jeans, trousers and thinner jacket pockets without causing any problems. The tip of the clip points slightly outwards, something I usually don't appreciate, but here it doesn't cause any direct problems. In fact, the clip doesn't feel very much against the hand except if you squeeze the handle tightly.

The colour of the clip is nice as it matches the rest of the hardware on the knife. One thing that can be polarising is where Olitans has chosen to place its logo/name. It is found, in addition to being somewhat discreet on the pivot screw, also in large letters on the clip. Sure, it is a good advertising spot, but it is a detail I do not appreciate. I prefer more neutral clips.

The clip is removable and is attached with two screws in a tandem position. They are recessed in the clip itself, but on the other hand, it is not recessed in the handle side. One of the few concessions to the price level.

To Conclude

My encounter with Lemon Shark was extra exciting as it was my first encounter with Olitans as a brand. This specific model is a budget model in that the price is not particularly high. The recommended price on the website is $45. For that, you get a knife that certainly doesn't offer any direct surprises when it comes to construction and materials. But everything is well chosen for the price range.

For your money, you also get a knife that is well-built and feels well-thought-out. The appearance is balanced, and there are details that indicate some care. The blade, frame, clip and screws are colour-matched and the thumb studs and back spacer act as a pop of colour. In addition, the lanyard hole or rather bolt, has been hidden in a clever way. An extra plus for Olitans is also the countersunk screws.

Adding to the positive impression is that opening and closing the knife is very smooth with good overall good action. This applies whether you prefer a front flipper or use the thumb knobs.

Just as Olitans says in its product description, Lemon Shark is a very good EDC knife.

Olitans themselves say that the knife is designed for EDC, and that is something I really agree with. But the fact is that it can handle a little more than that. The knife is not bad in the forest or as a complement to an axe or larger knife. Especially since the edge seems to be adapted for significantly heavier tasks. It is one of the few things I do not experience as completely positive.

Another is that the Lemon Shark can feel a little clumsy in the pocket due to the handle, which is perceived as thick. But that disadvantage is offset, on the other hand, by the fact that this particular feature is nice when you need to carve, for example. The extra surface against the hand provides less friction and pressure point than a narrower knife. So it is a balancing act.

Lemon Shark is also a good companion in the forest, here during a winter walk

But overall, it must be said that the Lemon Shark was a very pleasant first meeting with this brand. In fact, I would go so far as to say that this is a damn good budget knife.

It has everything you would expect from a solid pocket knife, offers some nice details and doesn't look out of place. As I said, it is available in other shades than bright yellow for those who prefer more discreet knives.

Olitans 

Specifications:

Length Overall: 190 mm

Length Folded: 107 mm

Weight: 112 g, weighed by me, stated 112 g. 

Blade Length: 83 mm

Blade Thickness: 3,5 mm

Blade Steel: 10Cr15MoV

Handle: G10

Lock: Liner lock

Produced by: Olitans, made in China

/ J - positively surprised

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