A KNIFE is just “a knife” until you use a bad one next to a good one. A knife’s ability to get a good edge and hold it is really what it comes down to. Old Harbor Outfitters (OHO) is an American company which claims to know what it’s like to use inferior products so the guys behind the company came up with their own. What they produced is a process that fuses different high grade materials, titanium in this case, resulting in a blade guaranteed to be three times harder than stainless steel – the current benchmark in top quality blades. They are called OHO Titanium Bonded and are also claimed to be amongst the most highly resistant to corrosion. The knife also incorporates “full tang” construction, a term I hadn’t come across before meaning that the blade runs the full length from the point to the base of the handle. This allows the user much better control of the blade.
I have had the six-inch filleting knife for about six months and while it is really a filleting knife, I have used it for general fishing applications and in the kitchen at home, just to test it out. I’ve only sharpened it a couple of times and it certainly holds an edge well and it is showing no signs of corrosion although it has only had a couple of trips to the coast. The blade is incredibly flexible, which makes it very easy to work with when filleting, and the grip is very comfortable. My only gripe with this knife is that it doesn’t come with a sheath of any kind. A sheath is what protects a knife-edge from unnecessary wear and knocks until it is time to use it. OHO knives are reasonably priced for a knife that you could easily use in your kitchen as well as on the water. Just don’t get caught by the wife using it to chop up berley!
Enquiries can be made at Compleat Angler Melbourne (03) 9620 3320.
By Pat Brennan
