Real Steel Heinnie® Atlantic 18

I found that my keyring knife while super compact was too small to be easy a d effective when actually used. The Atlantic combines a blade that is long enough, robust enough, and sharp enough to e genuinely useful. Folded, using the clip, it is small enough to sit inside my wallet to be immediately available all the time and climate the chance of leaving it in the wrong pair of trousers or jacket. The stainless steel design is easy on the eye a d the fold combines an ease of unfolding with being stiff enough to reduce the chance of any issues in use. At the price it is a huge bargain.

Mercator (Otter, now) lineage. Think “Black Cat” in a more socially acceptable guise. In contrast to the classic Black Cat design, with its distinctive long, thin, slender locking blade — almost reminiscent of a medieval dagger — the Atlantic offers a workhorse of a daily use non-locking blade that stands up to many requirements. The Atlantic is much less expensive, and in my opinion, better made than a Douk Douk, despite the similar folded steel handle slip joint design. The single 8Cr14MoV stainless steel blade is perfectly serviceable, and a good choice for the optimal blend of durability, edge retention, corrosion resistance, and price. I have to say, the stainless steel handle is quite well made and finished, especially at such a reasonable price point. Any manufacturing machinist would nod with smiling approval when examining this edition. All handle edges are entirely clean and free of any sharp corners — even the “H” cutouts featured on both sides, which contribute significantly to a good grip without being uncomfortable. The construction is faultlessly tidy, and the action is smooth and positive, giving the impression that it is almost pre-worn in, if you like. The tension is just right, a tiny bit more firm than the usual Victorinox slip joint, by contrast, maybe six out of ten. Although there is no half stop, I certainly don’t miss it or need it on this model. The grinding and finish is superb, with no burrs present on the sharp edge, and the clean smooth details include the well lubricated joint, as well as the slender unobtrusive deep carry pocket clip, which is reversible and removable. As most users are aware, a pocket clip adds a variety of practical carry options for a useful EDC item. The overall thinness of this pocket knife makes it easy to carry comfortably without any objectionable bulk or excessive weight. As with any truly useful pocket tool, it is simply there when needed. Great EDC carry versatility, regardless of the cost. Closed, the Atlantic is thoroughly pocket friendly; even the square base of the blade is gently rounded at the corners; the bottom of the blade, which comes to rest on the back spring in the open position is thereby demure and domesticated. This is a pleasant surprise. Often a new pocket knife is quite sharp at the back of the blade, so that even when closed, wear and tear on your pocket can develop. Not so with this one. The blade is sturdy and somewhat broad, with a satin finish flat ground profile, and a spine thickness that is a good balance between slim agile usefulness and sturdy rigidity. There is no play or wobble in the open position. Again, the spine of the blade offers no sharp or uncomfortable edges. So, there will be no using it for scraping jobs, as for example a Case Sodbuster Jr, or an ordinary Opinel. Yet there are times when the polished smooth back of a spear point or drop point pocket knife blade, lacking sharp edges, is actually useful. Need to scrape a dried drip of paint or varnish off from a ceramic or porcelain surface, or from a glass windowpane without scratching it? A neatly rounded and polished back of a SAK blade or similar will do so without leaving a mark, if the blade is stainless, that is. If the surface is unglazed, carbon steel will leave a carbon mark, by comparison. Do you need to get the bulk of a messy spill out of the pile of your expensive carpet without damaging the fibres? Again, a smooth, unsharpened tool will be surprisingly helpful. Personal preference is a personal matter. The Atlantic was chosen from similar models in this range because the blade shape, with a useful bit of curvature near the pointed tip, has from my own experience proven to be the most versatile type. Others may disagree, and good for them. To each his own. Fair enough. My kitchen scales insist that my new Atlantic is 49 grams. This is an ideal weight for EDC, and paired with the optimal length of robust blade on offer here, fully UK friendly, and capably versatile, the Real Steel Atlantic offered by HH might just become a new favourite for slip joint EDC. It’s interesting that the typical HH dedication to excellence is evident in the fact that each piece in this range is uniquely serialised. That is a subtle touch usually reserved for limited production runs of a particularly coveted model. Wish I had bought one sooner. Enough said. Cheers, Heinnie, for making this collection available; and thanks for the “speed of light” delivery.

I now own three of these excellent pocket knives, and I couldn’t be more impressed. One is always in my pocket, with the other two forming essential parts of my various EDC kits. Their slim profile makes them perfect for discrete carry—easily sliding into a pocket or tucking neatly into the sleeve compartments of my Maxpedition pouches. Despite regular daily use, the blades stay impressively sharp. When they do need touching up, they’re a breeze to resharpen, returning to a razor edge with minimal effort. The build quality is outstanding—solid, reliable, and designed with real attention to detail. Aesthetically, they hit the mark too. The Heinnie Haynes branding gives them a mark of credibility and quality that any knife enthusiast will appreciate. As always, Heinnie Haynes delivers fast, efficient, and professional service, with UK-legal carry and excellent packaging to match. In short, if you’re after a dependable, good-looking, and practical UK-legal EDC knife, the Real Steel Heinnie® Atlantic is a top-tier choice.

A great little folding knife with a nice edge on it out of the cool wee box & wrapper. It doesn't take too much work to get a sharper edge on it too. You'd almost forget you have it on you too as it's light. The clip is deep enough to keep it in place. There are comments about the H logo being a bit sharp on the edges but I haven't found that to be the case with my version.

This is actually my second review of this knife. The first was back in January 2022 after I had bought it to replace a Boker Plus Atlas which I had lost. The Atlas turned up again, but I kept using the Atlantic because of the sharper blade. That is until I lost it too and this time it didn't turn up, so I bought a new one - that should tell you all you need to know!

I will say before I go into detail that this knife is worth the price. There are pros and cons. As others have mentioned the “H” cut out of the handle is quite sharp, disappointing as this knife would be great, deep carry clip very very slim scales. With a very nice tension on the blade/handle. If they would just “etch/engrave” the scales it would be 5*

For the price, a well-designed little blade, which feels reasonably robust and has a much nicer action than some other budget knives. It would be nice if it had a half stop for safety, but the back spring is quite strong and the blade is stable in use. The slightly snub nose makes it a little more annoying to aim for a pocket package opener than I would have liked, but that's a trade off and not the fault of the manufacture; it makes it look a little less threatening, which is probably good for a quite large blade (by UK EDC standards, which means it dwarfs a Bantam Alox despite being the same thickness and only slightly longer closed). It is what it is - it's not exotic steel and the grip isn't quite as comfortable as a larger knife especially if you need to pull on it. Hard to complain at the price, though. My biggest problem is the HH cutouts. I appreciate the branding exercise, but they're sharp edged and a shape that will catch on other things in a pocket (at least soft options that I don't want trashed, like a Nanobag). Had they been etched rather than cut through this would replace my Bantam in my fifth pocket. They don't make the handle uncomfortable, and if you kept it in a slip to avoid scratching or tearing anything else it wouldn't be an issue, but it's annoying for a "so thin you can EDC it with other items" design, hence my slightly harsh loss of a star.

Bought another one. Elegantly simple, arrived super sharp.

Could be the perfect edc knife...........have owned many of knives over the years & this has everything, price, fit & finish, slim, strong, deep carry, no snap back like victorinox although locks up as tight, blade is wider & slightly thicker than a comparitive alox & uk legal. Really great knife.