[Bill St. Clair]

The Boker Bowie arrived. Looks fine. Feels good in the hand. Pretty sharp. Seems pretty tough. But I'm not hot on the build. Wood handle with a hole in the center for a long bolt, which is screwed in with a Phillips screw on the end. It was a little loose when it came. Probably would benefit from some loctite. I'm not going to return it, but I think I'd prefer the Buck, for a few dollars more.

http://www.knifecenter.com/kc_new/st...l.html?s=BU119

 

[Silencer23]

Great mini review and pictures, that helped a lot, thanks !!
Don't like the screw thing either, but damn, that is a badass looking knife

 

[music_man]

cold steel is well known as trash. boker on the other hand, their damast is incredible. it is not so pretty like wh but it keeps an edge longer than s30v or zdp189 imo.

music_man

 

[Iron_Dreamer]

Lack of full tang in that fixed blade, is a fail in my book. Why bother with the size of a fixed blade if you don't even get the toughness of a full tang? Am I missing something here?

 

[appophylite]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iron_Dreamer /img/forum/go_quote.gif Lack of full tang in that fixed blade, is a fail in my book. Why bother with the size of a fixed blade if you don't even get the toughness of a full tang? Am I missing something here?

I must agree here. One of the benefits of a fixed blade is sturdiness, so in that regard, I'd significantly favor a full tang rather than that bolt on the Boker.

 

[Bill St. Clair]

I too was dumbfounded when I saw the design of the Boker Bowie. I thought everybody had figured out by now that a fixed blade knife must have a full tang. Period.

Here's a blurry closeup of the connection between the bolt and the knife proper, including the screw at the end of the handle. It relies on a solder joint.

 

[music_man]

that stinks. i cannot believe of all companies boker would not put a full tang. maybe that is one of their real inexpensive knives they make? that screw looks like poo. sorry.

music_man

 

[Bill St. Clair]

You got it, music_man. This is a cheap made-in-china knife. Boker's more expensive fixed-blade knives have full tangs.

 

[appophylite]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill St. Clair /img/forum/go_quote.gif I too was dumbfounded when I saw the design of the Boker Bowie. I thought everybody had figured out by now that a fixed blade knife must have a full tang. Period.

You'd figure! When even the cheap $8 Winchester fixed blades my parents bought as a gag from Walmart for me have a full tang, I don't see why Boker would even waste time with the screw-on blade. Heck, that solder/weld at the end there looks even worse close-up than it did in the overview pic!

Still, if it hadn't been for that, nice looking knife, certainly!

 

[Old Pa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by music_man /img/forum/go_quote.gif cold steel is well known as trash.

I would disagree. Cold Steel is basically a marketing company for items manufactured by others. Some of their early tantoes, the San-Mai series and others are excellent. Other, and more recent products, have been directed at pricepoints with more indifferent quality. And some Cold Steel branded products are merely useful third world tools. Boker now, in some of their lines, is also merely a marketing company. In this they have hurt their brand.

 

[marvin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iron_Dreamer /img/forum/go_quote.gif Lack of full tang in that fixed blade, is a fail in my book. Why bother with the size of a fixed blade if you don't even get the toughness of a full tang? Am I missing something here?

Hidden tangs have been used for centuries without issues. The Mora, Khuhri, Katana, KaBar and plenty of other time tested blade designs are traditionally made with hidden tangs that are significantly thinner than their blades. Properly designed and constructed, hidden tang knives are strong enough for even heavy use.

The bias against hidden tang knives seems to be a combination of cheap, indifferently constructed hidden tang knives (like the Boker above) turning users off of hidden tangs, and the industry's push towards "hard use" tactical-style knives with features to match.

/Still, all my fixed blades are full tang.

 

[Old Pa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by marvin /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hidden tangs have been used for centuries without issues. The Mora, Khuhri, Katana, KaBar and plenty of other time tested blade designs are traditionally made with hidden tangs that are significantly thinner than their blades. Properly designed and constructed, hidden tang knives are strong enough for even heavy use.

Aren't the successful hidden tang designs of an all-of-one-piece solid construction with the blade? Not some piece of screw rod with a soldered/brazed/welded joint to the blade section?

And isn't it any wonder with all the fantasy wannabee knife designs flooding the market that outer appearance is winning out over form-following-function? After all, how many of the knives that decorate this thread are ever going to see active (not to say skilled) practical field use?

Just about the highest knife use the average guy around here can consider is EDC, although that's a considerably higher use than false security or wannabee intimidation. Knives should be practical tools, not egoic doppelgangers.

 

[cyberspyder]

I'm confused, would this be part of the 'egoic doppelgangers' you refer to Old Pa?

 

[ROBSCIX]

Nice spyderco. They make a great balisong although a little hard for flipping.

Are you into balisongs?

 

[gore.rubicon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROBSCIX /img/forum/go_quote.gif Nice spyderco. They make a great balisong although a little hard for flipping. Are you into balisongs?

Sadly...in Canada no autos(no Microtech =[), or! balis