What blade length is allowed?
Swiss Army Knives
Fin Knife
Sharpening Pocket Knives Correctly
Materials
PLUM
Plum wood is heavy, hard and durable with an even structure. It is reddish to violet brown. The shiny and fine pored surface feels good at hand after processing. We get our plum wood from Germany.
OLIVE
These trees belong to the olive family. The wood is one of the hardest in the world. Its grain in particular makes it unique. Knife scales/handles made with olive wood have a good haptic.
BOG OAK
Bog oak is an ancient wood from trees that have laid under water in riverbanks, swaps or moors for centuries. The iron salt of the water and the combination of the tannic acid of the oak results in a very hard wood. The colour of the wood varies from light grey to jet black. Bog oak wood can be from 600 to 8500 years old.
SMOKED OAK
Smoked oak is a dark and attractive wood. A chemical reaction of ammonia and tannic acid of the wood results in the dark brown colour. Thanks to the handy structure our knife handles get an interesting feel of the surface.
PISTACHIO
Pistachio shows a beautiful variety of colours, from green to brown. Sometimes even red tones appear. The heart wood often has a dark, appealing pattern. This high diversity of colours makes pistachio to a high popular material for knife handles.
SAPELE
This tree, which is common in Africa, has a gold or reddish-brown colour. The wood, which is also used to construct boats, has a unique structure, colouring and shine.
JUNIPER
Juniper belongs to the cypress family. The wood is fine pored and shows beautiful tones of yellow and red. It has a characteristic scent which can be smelled for a long time.
NORDIC BIRCH
Nordic birch was already popular for Vikings. It is fine, compact and durable. Its appealing pattern makes knife handles interesting without being noisy.
GRENADILLA*
This wood from Africa has a dense and water-repellent surface. The colour ranges from brown-violet to black. It is one of the heaviest woods, very finely structured and has a very smooth and slightly oily surface.
BONES**
The bone handles of our knives are made from cattle bones. The fat is removed from the bone, which is then boiled and bleached. This process is very time-consuming and requires a lot of skill. The grain of every piece is different.
BUCKHORN**
German buckhorn is used for OTTER knives. The handles retain the original antler grain structure. Buckhorn is impervious to dirt and scratches.
COPPER
As one of the oldest known metals, copper was first used over 10,000 years ago. As it is soft and can be processed well, it has been used in a variety of different ways throughout history, such as to make tools, household items and weapons. It also has a bactericidal effect, which prevents bacteria from forming.
BRONZE
Bronze is a copper-tin alloy that is made in a multitude of variants. Bronze alloys have been used for approx. 6000 years. Due to its fundamental significance, this alloy was the namesake of the Bronze Age. Depending on its composition, the colour spectrum ranges from gold to reddish brown. Bronze is very strong and resistant to corrosion and seawater.
BRASS
Brass is a copper-zinc alloy that has been used for approx. 5000 years. Its golden-yellow colour upgrades the appearance of tools and parts. Brass has a high corrosion resistance and good malleability and machinability. Like other copper alloys, it develops a patina over time.
LEATHER
Cases and holsters by OTTER® are made by hand from vegetabletanned cowhide in Germany. The vegetable tanning does not cause any reaction on the knives, as can be the case with chrome tanning. With regular use the leather develops a beautiful patina. A little leather grease will ensure your leather products are protected and well cared for.
Blate steels
CARBON STEEL C75
Carbon steel C75 is an unalloyed or lowalloy steel (also known as cast or carbon steel), which mainly contains carbon and hardly any other alloy elements. This gives it a very fine structure. The steel will rust and therefore requires special care. The blade becomes discoloured when cutting, for example, apples or onions, which is not a quality deficit, but a unique feature of the material. It is valued for its level of sharpness and cutting durability of the blades.
CARBON STEEL 2067
Carbon steel 2067 is universally applicable and has a god cutting edge. It mainly contains carbon and hardly other alloy components like chrome. Therefore it is not rustproof. Blades of this steel hold their edge even longer than those made of C75. As well as other carbon steel it needs a special care.
RUST-PROOF STEEL 1.4034
This steel is alloyed with more than 11% chrome and is therefore rust-proof. Viewed under a microscope the structure is coarser due to the high amount of chrome. This is the reason why this steel has a lower cutting durability compared to carbon steel. Benefits of the rust-proof blade are that it requires little care and is also taste-neutral (e.g. when cutting apples).
RUST-PROOF STEEL N690
N690 is a fine stainless steel made by Böhler company. It‘s a premium heavy-duty steel with a high amount of chrome. Thanks to this, blades made of N690 hold a very durable and sharp edge for a long time. Kobold and carbon are responsible for an excellent hardness. This steel combines the advantages of chrome and carbon steel. Therefore it is used for high quality knives.
DAMASK
Damask steel consists of at least two types of steel that are welded and pressed into layers. Repeatedly folding and forging the two types of steel (a hard carbon steel and tough iron), homogenises the two materials and therefore also merges together their qualities. The result is a hard, sharp blade which is flexible enough that it doesn’t break. Due to its combination of different materials, the Damask steel blade has a striking and individual pattern.