With solid steel, bold styling, and a pocket-friendly profile, the Merino MM proves that great things really do come in small blades.

A lesson quickly learned in hunting, dressing game doesn’t require a big knife. Funny thing is, the same holds for most EDC chores for your EDC knife.

Certainly, a Crocodile-Dundee sized bowie raises eyebrows and wows crowds. What it doesn’t do is a better job of breaking down boxes and managing everyday emergencies than just the right amount of steel.

Size does matter and with a well-thought-out design and good looks to boot, Pepperwool’s Merino MM proves that more blade isn’t necessarily more better.

Merino MM Specs

Overall Length: 5.25″
Blade Length: 2.25″
Cutting Edge: 2.125″
Blade Width: 0.96″
Blade Thickness: 0.11″
Blade Material: CPM S35VN
Blade Style: Clip point
Finish: Blue
Edge Type: Plain
Handle Length: 3.00″
Handle Thickness: 0.35″
Handle Material: G-10
Color: White
Weight: 1.60 oz.
Pocket Clip: Tip-Up
Lock Type: Axis
Country of Origin: China
MSRP: $130

Merino MM Concept

The brainchild of Pepperwool founder Beren McKay, the Merino MM takes a hack at a high-functioning micro-EDC knife.

McKay’s thought process is petite beats beastly when it offers many of the same assets and is something you never second-guess throwing in your pocket. You won’t do that because the axis-lock flipper is about as convenient as your local 7-11.

By the tape, the initial offer from the relatively new company measures in at 3-inches closed, 5.25-inches open and .35-inches thick. At 1.6 ounces, it’s about like throwing a Zippo lighter in your pocket—and as easy to forget on your person.

Merino MM Blade Steel

As is obvious as the dawn, a knife is only as good as its blade and a blade is only as good as its steel. Pepperwool has succeeded here with the cryo-treated S35VN. The steel itself is well-rounded, with good hardness and edge retention when heat-treated properly.

The former is likely the more important factor here, given the wispy thickness of the blade. Despite being as thin as a shadow, the blade is stiff enough to punch above its weight on demanding cutting and prying jobs.

Merino MM Blade Profile

Here’s where I really like the Merino, and not simply because I’m a sucker for a clip point blade. And Pepperwool has included a dandy version on the knife with a generous upper blade a belly.

Given that the knife is natural to choke up onto the blade, it arms users with a very controllable slicing edge for very fine tasks. Still, if you need a straight edge for push or pull cuts, the Merino’s lower edge has a surprising amount of real estate.

Worth noting, Pepperwool finishes the blade with titanium nitride for an extra level of corrosion and wear resistance. As a bonus, the ceramic is a very attractive cobalt blue for added panache.

Merino MM Handle

It’s tough to go wrong with G10 for a knife handle—the stuff just seems made for the job. And it’s welcome on the Merino.

Since there isn’t a lot of knife to grip onto, the well-textured material gives the user a strong purchase on the tool. Furthermore, it’s slightly off-white, which matches up well with the blue blade—simply in the looks department.

Chamfered, the G10 also ensures there are no hotspots when the knife is in hand. This surprised me a bit, given the grip is boxy in geometry, which usually spells at least one edge that bites into your hand.

Topping everything off is a very sturdy pocket clip, also finished in dark blue. It sits level with the butt of the Marino, but is designed to sink the entire knife into your pocket, sight unseen. By the way, it is reversible from a single set screw, but the knife is strictly a tip-up carry affair.

Merino MM Lock

This might be the belle of the ball on the knife, at least from a practicality standpoint. The axis lock isn’t anything new, but the convenience of the lock is ideal for an EDC knife. First off, it offers a quick opening and closing system to get the blade in or out of play. But more importantly, the lock makes the knife truly ambidextrous—a boon for lefties.

Testing The Merino MM

I didn’t set a challenge course of tasks for the Merino to accomplish in putting it through the wringer. Instead, for roughly two months of this summer, it was my go-to hiking and fishing knife—roles I’m certain Pepperwool figured it’d fill.

In this time, I used the knife for everything from cutting nylon cord and fishing line to prying open a paint can and, on one occasion, shaving feather sticks. On all counts, the knife proved its mettle.

The knife came sharp and until the latter part of the second month, only required the lightest touch-up to hone its edge. The blade was especially adept at finer tasks—such as trimming tags on hair rigs.

Admittedly, the handle is terse—my pinky hangs off—but with a nice tapper toward the guard, I always felt I had full control of the blade. And the action on deployment is effortless, but limited. For me, it’s always an index-finger affair; the one time I attempted with my thumb, it poked into my ring finger, due to the knife’s small size.

The best aspect of the knife, from my time with it, is that it’s absolutely a second thought to carry. Tucked away in the hip pocket, the Merino is easy to forget about given its size, and I did on more than one occasion.

The Merino MM certainly isn’t a first choice for more heavy-duty endeavors—it isn’t a bushcrafter by any stretch of the imagination. But as a piece of lightweight kit, exactly what I used it for—hiking, fishing, camping—it definitely has an edge.

Is there anything I dislike about the knife? Yes, I don’t care for the fluorescent green on the lock and liner, but that’s an eye-of-the-beholder deal. And it’s not a make-or-break feature of the knife.

Final Cut

Pepperwool’s aim was a knife you have no second thoughts about carrying. With style, function and convenience, the Merino MM scores on all points. And, I’d say it’s scored big enough that it’d make many question if it’s time to go small on their EDC.

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