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Olamic 247 Blurs the Line Between Art and Work Knife

May 10, 2016

If you spent $600 on a knife, would you be comfortable using it every day? For a lot of people, the answer to this question is no. It’s a conundrum that Olamic Cutlery tries to resolve with their newest knife design, the 247.

Before the Wayfarer came onto the scene in 2013, Olamic was best known for its Russian-made fixed blade knives. Most of these knives were modeled after traditional Scandinavian patterns, and they were made from a proprietary Damascus steel Olamic formulated and forged itself. Unlike a lot of Damascus, this formula isn’t purely about looks. By adding Vanadium to the alloy and keeping the Rockwell hardness at a reasonable 58-59 HRC, Olamic created what could be called a ‘User Damascus.’

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The Classic Wayfarer Takes Off
In 2012, Olamic Cutlery expanded in California. With the new shop came a new goal: a big, useful, tactical flipper knife. It was to be their first folder. Olamic recruited custom knife maker and American Bladesmith Society Master Smith Michael Vagnino to develop the concept. With a design in place, the original custom Wayfarer (now called the Classic Wayfarer) was born.

The idea was to offer customers a beautiful custom knife with unparalleled options for making it their own: they could choose from a long list of different finishes, materials, and grinds, ensuring that no two Wayfarers would look the same. “Last time I checked there are over five million ways to build a Wayfarer,” says Eugene Solomonik, Founder of Olamic Cutlery.

There was only one problem. Olamic was building tools that its customers were afraid to use. It was the classic knife collector dilemma: you drop hundreds of dollars on a custom knife, but can’t bring yourself to carry it. Olamic wanted to expand its business by making a knife that people wouldn’t be afraid to use.

A High-End User
The result is the Wayfarer 247, which combines modern production processes like CNC machining with the hand-done finishing fans expect from Olamic. The company may have expanded but it retains its attention to detail: Solomonik inspects each 247 before it leaves the factory. In keeping with its heritage, the 247 is not without options for customization either, both from Olamic itself and aftermarket modders.

Olamic Wayfarer 247

The Wayfarer 247 is only the latest stop on Olamic’s journey. The company has big plans for 2016. Solomonik told us that they will reveal another mid-tech knife later this year. Called the Swish, it will be a larger folder than the 3.5” 247. Another 2-3 models could see a release by the end of the year.

Knife featured in image: Olamic Cutlery Wayfarer 247 with Sculpted Handles

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