Among the many notable exhibitors at this year’s Pacific Marine Expo, Mercer Knives joins PME as a first-time exhibitor this year. Mercer Sport delivers high-quality knives and tools tailored to the needs of commercial fishermen.
Mercer Culinary, a prominent brand in the world of cutlery and kitchen equipment, has an esteemed history of over 30 years delivering top-notch knives and tools. Mercer Knives Sport is a division of the company dedicated to producing exceptional knives and tools for fishermen and outdoor enthusiasts. Their products are trusted by professionals and have earned a reputation for quality and precision.
“We were actually asked to switch over to a sports line,” a company representative said. “It’s the same process as if you’re breaking down a tuna in a restaurant. We kind of stepped them up a little bit and designed them to be specifically for commercial fishing.” The Mercer Sport line is relatively new, established just over a year ago.
Most of the line features a textured thermoplastic rubber (TPU) handle with a polypropylene core that increases strength in the grip. That prevents slipping if you're working with wet hands. As far as the blade construction, they’re German steel blades, ice-hardened, which gives them incredible strength. The Mercer representative spoke to the durability that comes with a cold hardening process.
“Typically, when you temper a blade, it’s all heat, so when you do it with ice, or cold, it actually trails out greater strength in the knife blade, which allows it to stay sharper longer.” This cold hardening process is more expensive, which is why you typically don’t see it in common kitchen knives. The representative touched on why this is significant for commercial fishermen.
“The stress and work that’s done to a knife by commercial fishermen is much different than in a home; you’re breaking down fish for eight or nine hours. You’re beating the crap out of the blade, so it has to stay sharp for that amount of use.”
Mercer’s show offerings included filet knives, gutting knives, knife sharpeners, fishing tool kits, and oyster knives.
