Olitans King Penguin G062 Review: A $50 Crossbar Lock I Carried for Two Months

Every once in a while, a knife shows up in your feed from a brand you’ve barely heard of, and curiosity gets the better of you.

That’s how I ended up buying the Olitans King Penguin G062.

I didn’t know much about the company. The knife looked interesting, the materials seemed solid, and at about $48 to $50 it felt like a low-risk experiment. A crossbar lock, 14C28N steel, and micarta scales usually mean a knife is at least worth trying.

Instead of doing a quick impression and moving on, I decided to actually carry it and see what it was like over time.

For a little over two months, the King Penguin rode in my pocket during normal daily carry, around-the-house projects, a camping trip, and even a tailgate party. It cut cardboard, opened packages, sliced food at camp, and handled the small everyday jobs that a pocket knife usually ends up doing.

After living with it for a while, here’s the honest takeaway.

It’s a solid knife for the money. Not perfect and not especially refined, but definitely not junk either. And in the under $50 knife world, that actually puts it ahead of a lot of competition.

Quick Specs

Model: G062 (King Penguin)
Blade Length: 3.34 inches
Overall Length: 7.68 inches
Blade Steel: 14C28N (HRC 60 ±1)
Blade Grind: Flat
Blade Style: Sheepsfoot
Blade Thickness: 3 mm
Handle Length: 4.33 inches
Handle Material: Micarta (also available in G10 and carbon fiber)
Lock: Axis style crossbar lock
Pivot: Caged ceramic ball bearings
Pocket Clip: Reversible stainless steel
Weight: 3.53 ounces

First Impressions

The first thing that surprised me when the knife arrived was the packaging.

Instead of the usual thin cardboard box most budget knives ship in, the King Penguin came in a sturdy zippered case with a microfiber cloth and paperwork. It’s actually nicer packaging than you see from some brands charging quite a bit more.

Once you pick up the knife, the next thing you notice is the size. It’s a little larger than many budget everyday carry folders, which I actually like.

Compared to knives like the Civivi Elementum, QSP Penguin, or Civivi Altus, the King Penguin has a slightly longer blade and a bit more handle length. That extra space gives it a fuller grip and makes it feel like more of a working knife than a small office cutter.

The Handle and Ergonomics

The version I picked up uses green contoured micarta scales, and the ergonomics are one of the strongest parts of this knife.

The micarta has a good balance of texture. It’s grippy enough to feel secure but not rough or overly aggressive in the hand.

The handle shape is neutral and fills the palm comfortably. Whether I was breaking down cardboard boxes in the garage or cutting food around a campsite, the knife felt stable and easy to control.

The micarta backspacer is also a nice touch. It adds a little visual character while giving the handle a bit more structure.

Even when squeezing hard during heavier cutting, the only thing I occasionally noticed was the pocket clip pressing slightly into my hand. It wasn’t uncomfortable, just something you can feel when you really bear down.

Overall the ergonomics are excellent for a knife in this price range.

Blade Steel and Cutting Performance

The King Penguin uses Sandvik 14C28N steel, which has become one of the most reliable steels in the midrange knife market.

It offers good corrosion resistance, decent edge retention, and it sharpens easily. In other words, it’s practical.

Over the past two months I used this knife for plenty of everyday cutting tasks. Cardboard boxes, plastic packaging, tape, zip ties, and general household materials were the most common.

It slices cardboard cleanly and had no trouble going through thicker double wall boxes. On the camping trip it also handled food prep and general camp chores without any complaints. At one point it was slicing sausage and opening food packages around the fire, which is exactly the kind of simple job a pocket knife should handle without fuss.

The sheepsfoot blade profile works well for this kind of work. The long straight edge gives you excellent control and keeps the tip from being too delicate.

It’s not a heavy duty survival knife, but for everyday carry tasks it does exactly what it should.

Crossbar Lock and Action

The King Penguin uses an axis-style crossbar lock and runs on ceramic bearings.

The action is smooth and deployment is easy with the thumb studs.

Thumb flick deployment works very well and the blade snaps open reliably every time. Index finger flicking also works without much effort.

Middle finger flicking is a little more awkward, mostly because the thumb studs are slightly short and don’t protrude quite as far as on some other knives.

One thing I did notice during carry is that from the closed position you can sometimes flick the blade open without touching the crossbar lock at all. A little wrist motion or a firm flick will deploy the blade.

I’m not entirely sure if that’s by design or just the result of a lighter detent combined with the ceramic bearing pivot, but it’s worth mentioning.

It never opened accidentally in my pocket during the two months I carried it, but the action is definitely on the lighter side. Some people will actually like that because it makes the knife very easy to fidget with.

Lockup on my example is solid with no blade play.

Carry and Pocket Feel

At 3.53 ounces the knife carries comfortably for its size.

It’s large enough to feel substantial in hand but light enough that you don’t really notice it in your pocket.

The knife includes a reversible pocket clip so it can be carried left or right handed.

My one real complaint about the carry experience is the pocket clip tension. The clip works fine but it’s a little light. The knife slides in and out of the pocket very easily.

Some people will actually prefer that. Personally I like a bit more tension in a pocket clip.

To be fair, it never slipped out of my pocket or caused problems during the two months I carried it. It just feels slightly lighter than ideal.

Fit and Finish

For a knife in the fifty dollar range, the King Penguin’s build quality is surprisingly solid.

The blade on mine arrived centered and the lock engagement feels secure. The machining on the handle scales is clean and everything lines up the way it should.

One small downside is the use of T6 hardware rather than T8. T8 screws tend to be stronger and easier to work with if you plan on disassembling the knife.

Still, that’s a minor complaint considering the price.

Two Months of Carry

After carrying the King Penguin for a couple of months, it proved itself to be a dependable everyday knife.

It handled daily errands, garage work, campsite tasks, tailgating food prep, and the usual cutting jobs that pop up throughout the day.

Because it isn’t expensive, you don’t feel the need to baby it. You just use it.

And honestly that’s exactly what a good everyday carry knife should be.

Pros

Excellent ergonomics
Comfortable contoured micarta scales
Reliable 14C28N blade steel
Smooth crossbar lock action
Good size for everyday carry
Strong value around $50

Cons

Pocket clip tension could be stronger
Thumb studs are slightly short
T6 hardware instead of T8

Final Verdict

The Olitans King Penguin G062 ended up being a pleasant surprise.

It’s not a high end collector’s knife and it isn’t trying to be one. What it delivers instead is a practical, comfortable everyday carry knife with good steel and solid performance.

I carry knives that cost quite a bit more than this one, so the King Penguin isn’t competing with those in my rotation. But that’s not really the point. If you’re looking for a solid knife in the $50 range that you can actually use and not worry about, this one is a good choice.

After two months of real use, I’d call it a dependable working folder that punches above its price.