Oliver Martens Knives

[Carbonara]

I am looking for thoughts on Oliver Martens. He is making really great knives but I’m wondering if any member here has direct experience with a knife made by him.

 

[bermuda_chub]

Yes, and I love it. I’ve reviewed his tanto gyuto that I bought from MC at length elsewhere, so I won’t respond at length. Suffice to say:
1) if forced to select one of my knives to shave with, my OEL is the one I would choose without hesitation. It’s built for precision work, and it glides through everything as if it’s bored and wants a real test, like skinning an octopus;
2) Oliver appears to be pushing himself harder than any other knifemaker to evolve. He’s in his early twenties, an engineer with a patent already to his name, I believe. I have more background collecting wall art than knives, and he just feels like one of those young artists with staying power. His work looks wholly unique and he’s building upon his model instead of replicating it. I’ve discussed Oliver with other knifemakers who are also huge fans and collect his work. Commissioned a second knife from Oliver about a month ago, the first time I’ve sought to double up on a maker.

A few pics that I just took on Wednesday, so this is after a few months of special assignment use, and it still looks fresh from the box.

 

[Delat]

@bermuda_chub Can I see a spine shot? I’m curious how thick the spine is out of the handle.

I believe @Matt Jacobs is also an OEL fan.

 

[bermuda_chub]

Here it is, right between my Kamon and Bidinger, which is where it falls on my gyuto spine width flow chart.

 

[PeterL]

Here it is, right between my Kamon and Bidinger, which is where it falls on my gyuto spine width flow chart.View attachment 332208

Not to hijack the thread but do you have any pics of the Bidinger?

 

[Carbonara]

Yes, and I love it. I’ve reviewed his tanto gyuto that I bought from MC at length elsewhere, so I won’t respond at…

Thank you much for sharing your first hand experience. I tried to look around but didn’t find anything concrete on OEL. Let me try again

F&F looks great and the handles are very interesting. How is the geometry in your opinion? Food release?

 

[bermuda_chub]

Thank you much for sharing your first hand experience. I tried to look around but didn’t find anything concrete on OEL. Let me try again

F&F looks great and the handles are very interesting. How is the geometry in your opinion? Food release?

Here are my two earlier reviews, the first right after I bought, the second from Matt's BST thread:

Worked with the OEL last night, and loved it. The handle geometry is astonishing: there’s no wasted area, yet the weight is perfect. It handles like a sports car. The tanto blade shape is a two part weapon. The angle of the distal taper is spot on. Mid-to-heel, where the spine is most convex, it dices effortlessly, while the tip invites creative cuts. Prepped some hybrid green/white asparagus that I tattooed with angled cuts before sliding under the broiler. The resulting char marks were pretty awesome. This is the knife I will grab for dinner parties.

I’ve never hijacked anyone’s BST before — I asked Matt for permission first — but there’s really no prior OEL comp out there, and this is probably my favorite knife. If I’m cutting six carrots at once, I’ll reach for Birgersson or Milan; if it’s to dice an onion or two, then it’s Eddworks or Bidinger. But if I’m trying to recreate a plating from Modernist Cuisine, then it’s only OEL. I can’t afford a garage full of supercars, so I think of my knives in such terms: Birgersson/BMW, Bidinger/Bentley, Milan/Ferrari, Kamon/Lambo, and Oel is a Lotus, cutting and cornering like a video game. It’s a hand mandoline.

And, finally:

Not to hijack the thread but do you have any pics of the Bidinger?

I was working on my photography on Wednesday, so these are fresh off the memory card:

 

[Matt Jacobs]

My quick thoughts on mine and another I have tried. Geometry is second to none. My top tier of cutters hands down. Everything is thought out and engineered to perfection but his forge marks he leaves keeps them a little rustic. Handles can be a bit thin but they cut so well you won't notice them. The only way you could improve them for me would be to round and polish the spine and choil. His chamfering is really well done I just prefer rounding. That is where Bidinger does a better job IMHO. I can't imagine anyone not loving an OEL. He seems like a really cool guy as well and follows me and comments on Instagram.

 

[Carbonara]

My mind is set. I just reached out to him to understand wait times and availability. Thank you everyone!

 

[nickrut]

My mind is set. I just reached out to him to understand wait times and availability. Thank you everyone!

What’d he say? I’m also interested

 

[Carbonara]

What’d he say? I’m also interested

He is down for it. 8/9 months wait time. Super chill dude. Told me he would contact me when my time is up to discuss details.