In the world of high-end knives, Olamic Cutlery is a shining star. They not only make an outstanding knife with a unique and refined look, their reputation for quality control and customer satisfaction is unquestionably fantastic. The Olamic Wayfarer 247 is part of what Olamic calls the “semi-custom” knives and what many in the EDC community call a “mid-tech.” What does either term really mean? Well, let’s talk about it.

The debate amongst high end knife buyers about the custom label is a touchy subject for many. It tends to spawn endless debate about who did what, when, where, and why. If you have a knife that was made by one person from beginning to end – from shaping the blade, to heat treating the blade, down to all the finish work – that matches your exact specifications, it’s pretty much a given that you have a custom knife. It’s also a given that that type of custom knife from a well known maker of outstanding knives will cost between several to many thousands of dollars, if you can get one made at all.

Frequently there are others involved in the making of a knife. That’s when the line between custom and production knives tends to get a bit blurry. The general consensus seems to be that as long as the maker tells the buyer all the facts, nobody really cares who made what.

There’s absolutely no doubt about the facts with Olamic. On their website Olamic says, “…to make this knife competitive we need[ed] to have some parts pre-machined. Our Visalia shop doesn’t have this capacity and after an extensive search we found such precision in Italy. Everything beyond this initial step is done in California by the same hands that build our customs.” Eugene, co-founder of Olamic stated the Wayfarer 247 line is “semi-custom” because only about 20% to 25% of the knife is outsourced. They outsource the parts requiring the most precision and do all the rest in house, including all the remarkable finish work. This outsourcing decreases the cost by a significant amount.

The Olamic Wayfarer 247 features a 3.5” M390 blade with a blade thickness of about 0.135”. One of the key selling points of Olamic is the fact that almost no two knives are the same. Thus, the Wayfarer comes in four different blade profiles – drop point, harpoon, sheepscliffe, and tanto with four different finishes. There’s also a compound grind one select models.

The action on these knives is just as exceptional as the fit and finish. They have a caged ball bearing pivot system which runs on thrust washers. This protects the frame from wear over time. What all this means these knives have an authoritative opening with either the skeletonized flipper or the chamfered thumb hole.

As we’ve mentioned a time or three, the fit and finish on these titanium framelocks is just about as close to perfection as you can get. Every edge is smoothed and there’s nothing that stands out as uncomfortable. They all have an exceptional feel in your hand. Lock up is a hardened stainless-steel lock-bar insert with an over-travel stop and an internal stop pin. They all have an integrated lanyard hole and a titanium, tip-up pocket clip with a ceramic détente ball. They’re 4.82” closed and weigh just under 5 ounces.

Olamic Wayfarer 247 Details

M390, Satin, Matte, Stonewash, 2-Tone, or PVD Stonewash Finishes

3.5” Drop Point, Harpoon, Tanto, or Sheepscliffe

0.135” Blade Thickness

Skeletonized Flipper or Chamfered Thumb Hole

Caged Bearings on Thrust Washer

Titanium Handles

0.51” Handle Thickness

Framelock

Hardened Stainless-Steel Lockbar Insert with Integrated Over-Travel Stop

Internal Stop Pin

Titanium Hardware

Floating Backbar

Titanium Tip-Up Pocket Clip with Ceramic Detention Ball

4.99 Ounces

4.82” Closed

8” Overall

Made in the USA

If you’re looking for beautiful modern folders made with quality materials featuring an exceptional fit and finish, you should absolutely check out the Olamic Wayfarer 247 knives. If you’re interested in these knives, click any link in the article or simply click the button below.

All images courtesy of Smoky Mountain Knife Works – smkw.com.