Vintage knife Identification

Wefreer · Jun 15, 2020

Hello to all,

i found this vintage Knife when working in the attic of my new home, the only thing I can find that is close is an OMOR knife that looks exactly the same except the word is backwards on that knife.

The blade is about 4.5”-5” long and there is ROMO, J-269, and made in Japan on the base of the blade. On the handle/sheath, it also says ROMO and has a large cat on it.(tiger, panther) there is also a hook on the base for a clip or to hang on a hook or something.

Any assistance that could be provided in figuring out what this is and for, would be greatly appreciated.

https://www.amazon.com/photos/shared/QciigVowStiVmlLJ4r8P0g.1SzYSnrIOsr4QGhrzwh5-X

https://www.amazon.com/photos/shared/HglmqjOZQuyU7OoCgTGaSQ.vpurettXtMYWOJJSuj_NcD

unwisefool · Jun 15, 2020

Post some pictures up, that will help.

Wefreer · Jun 15, 2020

unwisefool said:
Post some pictures up, that will help.

I posted two with the thread. I will see what I can do to get them to post. TY-

Wefreer · Jun 15, 2020

Wefreer said:
Hello to all,

i found this vintage Knife when working in the attic of my new home, the only thing I can find that is close is an OMOR knife that looks exactly the same except the word is backwards on that knife.

The blade is about 4.5”-5” long and there is ROMO, J-269, and made in Japan on the base of the blade. On the handle/sheath, it also says ROMO and has a large cat on it.(tiger, panther) there is also a hook on the base for a clip or to hang on a hook or something.

Any assistance that could be provided in figuring out what this is and for, would be greatly appreciated.

KenHash · Jun 15, 2020

Can not see your photos. If you uploaded them to an image hosting site, just post the direct url to the pic.
Or use the 6th icon from the right, at the top of the reply box.

You probably have the all metal cat emblem lockback. OMOR branded knives manufactured in Japan 1960/70s which span a wide range from melon testers, filet knives, hefty folders to stag and lucite handled hunting fixed blades. Even made a Ontario pilots survival knife.
OMOR is ROMO spelled backwards, short for Rosenbaum & Mogul, a New York knife wholesaler that imported a lot of German and Japanese made knives back then.

Hickory n steel · Jun 15, 2020

This is a cheap copy of the German Mercator K55 from the 60's-70's.

That " hook " at the back is called a bail, also sometimes called a shackle.
It's there to attach a lanyard or fob so you don't loose it.
The knife is just a general utilitarian folding knife dating back to the late 1800's.
The became popular here in the US with a lot of servicemen bringing them back from the war and like anything popular Japan made cheap copies and China does the same thing with anything popular today.

I do not know anything about the manufacturer of yours, but the originals are still made in Germany today by Otter messer.
I prefer the smaller slipjoint version myself.

KenHash · Jun 15, 2020

Hickory n steel said:
This is a cheap copy of the German Mercator K55 from the 60's-70's.
The became popular here in the US with a lot of servicemen bringing them back from the war and like anything popular Japan made cheap copies and China does the same thing with anything popular today.
.

To be accurate, "Japan" never made copies of other knives. All such knives manufactured in Japan 1960s-1980s were OEM orders made to the request and specs of foreign knife importers and companies. US companies that contracted to have "copies" of other knives made in Japan include Gutmann, Valor, Parker, Taylor, Frost,etc, etc. Some German importers did the same.
The difference is that while today some US importers are doing the same with Yangjiang manufacturers in China, there are an enormous number of Chinese manufacturers copying other known models and selling them directly as any quick look at the ali site will prove.

Hickory n steel · Jun 15, 2020

KenHash said:
To be accurate, "Japan" never made copies of other knives. All such knives manufactured in Japan 1960s-1980s were OEM orders made to the request and specs of foreign knife importers and companies. US companies that contracted to have "copies" of other knives made in Japan include Gutmann, Valor, Parker, Taylor, Frost,etc, etc. Some German importers did the same.
The difference is that while today some US importers are doing the same with Yangjiang manufacturers in China, there are an enormous number of Chinese manufacturers copying other known models and selling them directly as any quick look at the ali site will prove.

Yes, definitely there is a difference.