Olfa, the Japanese company known for snap-blade utility knives and crafting tools, launched a new multipurpose outdoors knife.
The new Olfa Works is designed as a utility camp knife, and they also recommend it for carving, bushcrafting, and whittling applications.
It features a user-replaceable high carbon stainless steel blade (SUS420 steel, replacement SKU OWB-UCB-1), brass wheel lock, and stainless steel handle.
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The Olfa knife features a combination blade with straight and serrated sections, plus what looks to be a bottle opener.
The knife has a closed length of 4.57″, open length of 6.97″, and weighs just 1.87 ounces.
There are 2 color options, olive drab (OW-UCK-1/OD) and sand tan (OW-UCK-1/SB).
Price: $24
Discussion
The new knife looks to be part of a broader category expansion, with Olfa releasing other utility knives with outdoorsy-type blade styles and colors.
It looks like the new camping utility knife is based on the Olfa CK, which can be purchased at Amazon for $6.88 at the time of this posting.
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From what I can tell, Olfa added an olive drab or sand tan finish to the handle, modified the blade with serrations and maybe a bottle opener recess, and more than tripled the retail price.
The Olfa CK knife is advertised as a heavy duty craft knife for “wood carving and hobby craft.”
If you don’t need the outdoorsy handle finish or short serrated section, the craft knife looks like a better buy. Amazon has a 2-pack of replacement blades for $7.
That is the same knife, right?
IF the the camp knife replacement blade fits the craft knife also – which hasn’t been confirmed but seems likely – you might be able to put together a similar configuration as above for under $17 ($7 for the craft knife, $10 for the outdoors blade). You’ll need your own lanyard loop.
Replacement outdoors blades are $10 each, and replacement straight blades are $7 for 2. Olfa says the alloys are SUS420 for the outdoors blade, and SUS420J2 for the craft blade.
Olfa shows off the CK craft knife used for wood carving tasks. Maybe you don’t even need to step up to the pricier outdoors-style blade.
I’d say skip the $24 outdoors version and try the $7 craft knife first. If you decide you need the green or tan handle color, included lanyard, and partially serrated blade, go for it.
The outdoors blade looks outdoorsy, but I’m unconvinced that the very short serrated section is a functional enhancement. That the price is $10 for 1 blade vs $7 for 2 of the plain edge could be coloring my opinion.
You can’t use the craft knife as a camping pot holder, but pot holders could be purchased for as low as $4.
Jim Felt
Stuart.
I’ve long appreciated and used Olfa’s sharps and hadn’t realized these longer blade versions even existed. (Somewhere Jeff Bezos is just now smiling. Even if ever so faintly).
Thanks for the info.
fred
I bought some of the 34B Craft knives in 2018. The $6.88 price is better than the $7.82ea. I paid back then – so inflation has not caught up with this item. I have mine handing in a potting shed – where it gets occasional use. I’m not sure that I’d buy the “camping blade one” – or that its use as a pot lifter is something I’d want to try.
MattW
Long time user of the ck and the only issue I had was sharp edges I had to debur on the frame. They do make special editions of the ck in Japan white and black coatings along with a plastic version. The color isn’t with it for me the blade is even less appealing. I need less serrated knifes thank you. Neat idea though get the regular one and loose it a few more times.
MM
I wouldn’t pay extra for this outdoors version but the Olfa CK-2 is an excellent utility knife. It’s basically the Olfa version of a “kiridashi kogatana”
Olfa has made a number of variants over the years, there’s also the LTD-06. The blades for these are thicker than standard utlility knife blades, they’re quite durable.
fred
LTD-06 – only slightly more expensive:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001ADREHI
Goodie
Not sure how I feel about that bottle opener on a sharp utility style knife. It seems to present a prime opportunity to get cut or damage the cutting edge. I would certainly buy the utility knife for the reduced cost. I keep a bottle/can opener on my keyring. To each their own!
Jared
I’m trying to decide if it would even be useful around camp. A knife is useful of course, but I’m not sure a tiny straight-edge like that is what I’d want (even if it has a serration and can lift my pots).
I’d rather a SAK Huntsman, but I realize the comparison is unfair to a $7 (or $24) utility knife. OKC Camp Plus EDC is better competition perhaps.
KokoTheTalkingApe
I like Olfa knives and saws generally, but I don’t love this style of blade lock, where you have to tighten a nut. It’s slow and it’s possible to sort of half-lock the blade so it gives way when you don’t want it to. Actually it doesn’t lock the blade at all. It just grips the blade, with varying degrees of tightness. I much prefer something where the blade is absolutely locked or not at all.
LarryC
Has anyone tested if the camp blade fits the craft handle?