Okapi knives

Looks like you're right: I see they're still being made in South Africa, but none of the usual suspects seem to be carrying them.
I like the CS kudu, but stainless and nylon aren't everyone's cup of tea, I know.
 
It looks like you'd have to email the factory. They say they'll sell you a minimum of 6 on a card, but they don't mention price and I didn't see anything like "add to shopping cart".
 
SP, thanks for looking into that. I think I'll just wait for someone to start selling them again. Delayed gratification is a good thing.
 
I'd been looking for an Okapi for some time, no one had them. I called [a non BF dealer member on the phone, asked where could I get one, and he had one which he sold me.
Knife experts turn their noses up at these knives because they are roughly made, some call them crap, but I love mine. I've got the largest of the family, with the ring-pull to unlock the open position. The roughness of it gives it character as a real workmans knife or a "Three Star" rude-boys weapon from Jamaica, the cool mythology The Slickers sing of "walking down the road, with a ratchet in yuh waist". I't's nice to hear the ractchet when opening it, snaps into place real solid. It's my fav EDC knife, I love the sturdy feel of it, I'm not too precious with it (as I am with some knives) but I don't shy away from getting tough with it either.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I bought one some years back and it was carbon steel that had a chrome or nickel plating. Not as nicely built as even a Douk Douk or Black Kat K55 but very thin bladed and wicked slicer.
 
The CS version is pretty darn big too, I've relegated it to camp kitchen duties, pulling it out anywhere else rose too many eyebrows :(
 
Fun fact: Keith Richards carried a 5" okapi for over 30 years. A very prolific maker of tactical fighting knives made a modern version called the gypsy jack for him.
 
Art_Vandeley said:
Fun fact: Keith Richards carried a 5" okapi for over 30 years. A very prolific maker of tactical fighting knives made a modern version called the gypsy jack for him.
Click to expand...

Searched and found this pic on the internet.

I guess it must be that knife if I saw it right:

 
Let's keep the sales discussion out of here folks.
 
I have a South African made Okapi- used it lots for dressing Bushpigs.
I used to have stacks of them which I would issue to skinners on Safari. They ruin 'good' knives, so these were great.
Last time I checked, their price was about ZAR 26.00. That's the equivalent of about $2.60.
Only the general dealers sell them now, you will not find them in hunting or outdoor shops anymore.
 
The Okapi was first made in Solingen in 1902, less than 150 miles away from Liers where the Lierenaar was made more than 150 years earlier.

The Lierenaar is discussed in more detail in this thread
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...-a-knife-from-the-belgian-german-border/page2

Also fwiw, Laguiole made many ring pull navajas, less than 100 years earlier, which the Okapi most closely resembles. Laguiole is about 600 miles away from Solingen, and was making ring pull knives with Navaja style surface mounted back springs sing 1829. Also, both Solingen and Liers were ruled by the same Hapsburg family. Clearly information about knife design moved freely throughout the areas where the Lierenaar, Laguiole, and Okapi, were made.

here are some pics from this link
http://knifereviews.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=knifereviews&action=display&thread=9
showing the ring pull and the Navaja style external back spring and curved handle of the Okapi
Okapi013.jpg

Okapi019.jpg


and another link to more Okapi info
http://coldsteelforums.com/Interesting-history-of-the-Kudu-or-Okapi-knife-m133061.aspx
 
There's a clip on Youtube of the Stones joining Muddy Waters onstage at a New York club in early 80's. The clip for "Baby Please Don't Go" is when the Stones come into the club and get a table up front. Keith starts passing out bottles of Jack, and he whips out the Okapi (which looks like the knife in the photo here) to open the whisky bottle, then does a one-hand closing of the knife. Real cool.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top