Made in China

Boker Plus 01BO188 Titan Drop Review

Have you ever bought a knife while drinking? I’m not sure if this is a common thing or not, but I was putting back a few beers one night while recording yet another morally suspect episode of GearGeeksLive when I decided to pick up this Boker Titan.

It’s a pretty basic knife, but the price is right and I have been wanting to check it out for a while. Apparently I needed a couple IPAs to get properly motivated. I guess there are worse things you can do after having a few beers…

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Titan has an overall length of 8.25″, a 3.75″ blade, weighs 4.10 ounces, and is made in China. The first thing I noticed when I pulled this out of it’s box was how big it was. I guess I would have realized that if I considered the specifications in between swigs of beer and trying to top Andrew’s non sequiturs, but sometimes these details get lost in the ether. It is definitely too large to be a daily carry for me, but it’s nice and slim and could make a good EDC for some people or perhaps even a “tactical knife”. I’d say it compares favorably to a Spyderco Endura, and it’s a bit smaller than my large Sebenza. I’d love to see Boker make a version with a 3″ blade for EDC, but I don’t want every knife in my collection to be a 3″ EDC knife.

The blade shape is a classic drop point with a full flat grind and satin finish. The blade has been well ground and the 440-C blade steel came sharp enough to brush the hairs off my arm without much thought. In practice this is a really nice cutter. The edge has been neatly and uniformly ground, and in practice I have found that the Titan is excellent for your typical tasks like breaking down boxes, working in the yard, home projects, etc. The full flat grind is nice and lean and it’s almost surprising how much extra leverage you can generate with the longer handle and blade. Although it’s not a substitute for a real kitchen knife I did do a little food prep with it and was pleased with the results there as well. The tip is also very fine, and is great for stabbing through stuff. I managed to jab myself in the pinky while pruning some tomato plants, and the fruit was not the only thing that ran red that day.

The 440C blade has been easy to maintain and edge retention is pretty good. 440C is a softer steel, and I’d place it around AUS8 or slightly better in the edge retention department. Like AUS 8 it sharpens easily, and all I need is a strop to keep this knife very sharp. The satin finished blade attracts finger prints, but so far it hasn’t attracted any rust. All said I am pleased with the performance, especially given the price.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The handle is comprised of two slabs of titanium, a steel lock back, and a titanium backspacer. Everything is screwed together with matte stainless steel hardware. The dull gray titanium contrasts nicely with the satin finished blade and clip. Everything lines up neatly and is well finished. Boker’s Plus line often gets a bad rap for poor fit and finish, but the build quality here is very high. There is a simple elegance to the knife that draws me in. The full metal construction means that the knife is solid and sturdy, yet it is still slim pocketable. You still get some interest on the enthusiast level with the use of titanium, and it also helps keep the weight down quite a bit. It’s a great blend of form and function.

Being that this is a larger knife, it goes without saying that the handle is quite generous. I’m able to get my meat hooks onto it with plenty of room to spare, and this is a knife that is built to get work done.

Although this doesn’t speak directly to ergonomics in use, I will say that there are some sharper edges on this knife (namely the spine and lock bar) and if you are going to obsessively open and close the knife, you may develop some lingering discomfort on your thumb. This isn’t uncommon for a lock back knife, but I did want to mention this a potential negative as this review is largely very positive.

The pocket clip is very similar to what you might find on a standard Emerson or Benchmade clip. This is a proven pocket clip design. Much like its Benchmade or Emerson counterpart, it’s very secure and is easy to use. This one from Boker has been given a very bright satin finish. It isn’t particularly discrete, but it matches the satin blade nicely. The handle is tapped for ambidextrous tip up carry and it’s a relatively deep carrying knife. This is a very thin knife and despite being over 8″ long it carries very well. Again, I can’t help but compare this to an Endura, and in this case I think that is a good thing.

Deployment and Lockup

It is impossible to see what kind of washers Boker used without taking the knife apart, but I can say that the action is very smooth. My guess is they have phosphor bronze washers in there. The teraced thumb studs are easy to get at, and the backspring can be overcome with the push of a thumb.

For lockup you have a sturdy backlock. There isn’t much to write about here beyond saying that the lock works well. It engages crisply and there is no play. The fact that the knife is completely made of metal would lead me to believe you could run this knife pretty hard if you wanted to. I haven’t tested it beyond normal daily tasks, but it could definitely be beaten on like the Cold Steel American Lawman, another favored lockback knife of mine. Blade centering on my model is excellent.

Boker Titan – Final Thoughts

I think I need to shop for knives while drinking more frequently because I stumbled across a winner here. The Titan is very basic and is an extremely conservative design, but it has been done right and the inclusion of titanium handle scales lends it a touch of class.

In practice I have found this to be a great beater / user knife. It cuts and carries well, and is very functional. Boker’s fit and finish can sometimes be a mixed bag, but it’s hard to screw up a simple lock back, and the fit and finish is actually very good here. The pieces line up perfectly, there is no blade play, the action is smooth and the lock engages crisply. This is actually a really nice knife and think it gives the Endura a good run for it’s money – especially when you consider how damn expensive the Endura has gotten, and the Endura’s proclivity for up and down blade play. Here the Titan is rock solid, and retails anywhere from $20 to $40+ less depending on what kind of Endura you are looking for. Granted this knife is made in China rather than Japan, doesn’t make use of nested liners, lacks a Spyderhole, etc, but you are still getting a ton of knife for your money and it is well made. The only real downside I could find is that the edges of the lock and spine are pretty sharp. While by no means uncomfortable to work with, it was something I noticed when obsessively opening and closing the Titan.

At less than $40 the Titan is a no brainer and it makes my list of recommended high value knives. It may also make my list for recommended tactical knives, but the longer I run this site the less I really understand what tactical knife even means.

I recommend buying the Titan at Amazon. Please consider that purchasing anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Boker Plus 01BO188 Titan Drop Knife with 3-3/4 in. Straight Edge Blade, Steel

Price: $74.96

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Kershaw Cryo Review

by Dan Jackson 11 Comments

Last Updated: March 18, 2017
At long last, the Kershaw Cryo. This is another one of those Hinderer/KAI collabs that tantalized knife collectors back at SHOT Show 2011 (or was it 2012? the years just blend together). Whichever year it was, we waited what seemed like forever for this little knife. Finally, after eons of patiently waiting, this much anticipated design hit the shelves. Reactions ran the gamut from exalted praise to abject horror.

Buy the Kershaw Cryo at BladeHQ

I’m not going to lie, the mixed reviews turned me off from checking out a knife I was initially interested in. But then I realized, “Hey, that’s what I do – I check out knives.” And I’m guessing people want a review on this one, so I finally picked one up. So lets get on with my review of the Rick Hinderer designed Kershaw Cryo.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Cryo has an overall length of 6.5″, it features a 2.75″ blade, and it weighs 4.2 ounces. This is a small (albeit chunky) folder primarily meant for EDC. I’ve been carrying mine as an EDC knife, and it gets the job done.

Guys who like larger knives will probably want something else, and guys who like lightweight knives will also probably find something lacking in the footprint of the Cryo. Personally? I don’t mind the weight and have a soft spot for small knives – this made for a reasonable EDC in my book.

The blade is an attractive drop point design, reminiscent of Rick’s other creations (and collaborations with KAI, including the ZT 0550 and ZT 0560). You have a good amount of belly, a small swedge, and a high hollow grind. The Cryo has a fine tip and gets reasonably thin behind the edge. It makes for a capable slicer when working with materials like leather and cardboard. The entire knife (blade and handles) have been given a gray titanium carbo-nitride coating. It’s an attractive finish and a refreshing departure from Kershaw’s standard value folder formula of a black FRN handle with a plain bead-blasted blade.

Kershaw went with 8Cr13MoV stainless steel for this knife. 8Cr is a Chinese stainless and the choice makes sense when you realize the entire knife is made in China. Given the price I don’t have a problem with the steel or the origin of manufacture. 8Cr13MoV is capable. I cut about 60 pieces of 3/8″ manilla rope with the knife before moving on to several cardboard boxes. At that point the edge was more or less done, but it quickly came back to life with some swipes on a diamond stone. I then carved some 2x2s with the Cryo, testing edge strength and the overall capabilities of the knife. Then I did it all over again because I lost my original video footage (d’oh!). All things considered, the 8Cr held up well – it’s about as good as it gets these days with a $30 folding knife.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The Cryo features full stainless steel handles. The gray handles are mated to contrasting black hardware. No doubt the stainless steel construction adds greatly to the weight. I can’t help but wonder what this knife would have been like with a G10 handle scale (a la Hinderer’s real knives) or maybe even G10 and stainless steel liners. Either way construction is solid and reasonably well finished. It’s a flow through design and the decorative black pillars and lanyard tube look nice against the gray steel. All the corners have been more or less rounded and everything lines up. I have no major issues with the way this handle has been constructed.

For light use the Cryo feels pretty good in hand. This is a smaller knife, and I was able to just get a 4 finger grip on it. I take a large glove so I think most people will be able to comfortably grasp the knife for daily tasks. The steel handles are fairly slick, but this is a little EDC blade, and jimping top and bottom side adds a lot of traction in hand. Under harder use (stuff like cutting rope and carving wood) the knife isn’t particularly comfortable, but for more EDC type tasks (cardboard, plastic, etc) the ergonomics were fine. If you are going to sit down and do half an hours worth of cutting like I did you will definitely notice a few hot spots, how rough the jimping is, etc. So it’s not the most comfortable knife, but for casual use and the occasional chore you should be able to get stuff done without huge issues.

The pocket clip is a blackened low rider clip allowing for 4 corner carry. The clip is small and discrete, and it inserts and removes easily from the pocket. This is a relatively new pocket clip design for Kershaw, and I happen to like it. The Cryo carried well considering and was there when I needed it. As for the 4.2 ounce carry weight, well, I’m sure some will notice the Cryo’s presence more than others. I found that I didn’t like carrying this knife with dress pants, but had no issue with shorts or blue jeans. It’s one of those “your mileage may vary” things, so please plan accordingly.

Deployment and Lockup

The Cryo features both thumb studs and a flipper, and the knife makes use of Kershaw’s Speedsafe assisted opening technology. The flipper is nice and easy to reach, and the blade springs to life with very little effort. The thumb studs on the other hand are almost impossible to use. They really serve no function. I think Kershaw should have spent some more time on this, either figuring out how to make the thumbstuds usable or removing them from the finished knife. As it stands, it seems half baked, like something was lost in translation from design to realization. As for the Speedsafe, I happen to like it on this knife. The Cryo is small and can be difficult to orient in your hand, so a spring assist to ensure deployment every time works well for me.

Lockup is accomplished via a stainless steel framelock. This pays homage to Rick’s custom and production titanium framelock knives. Lockup is early and relatively secure. Sometimes my knife gets a little side to side play and requires a twist of the pivot screw – not a huge deal. There is also Hinderer a lockbar stabilizer installed on the knife to prevent over extension of your steel framelock. This is a cool high-end feature found on knives like my $400 Strider and of course the ZT/Hinderer collabs as well.

Kershaw Cryo Review – Final Thoughts

On paper the Cryo seems like a decent little knife – and it is. It’s small, cool, and functional. It comes with acceptable blade steel, a nice pocket clip, and fast action. I don’t regret the purchase, and think the knife is fairly priced at $32. It’s not amazing, and certainly isn’t a hall of fame budget knife like the Spyderco Tenacious, Kershaw Skyline, or Ontario Rat 1, but it’s a unique knife for Kershaw, is decently made, and I’d generally say it’s a win.

That said, the knife is a little rough around the edges, and I feel like it could have been so much more. For example, the blade is massively off center (not rubbing, but almost), the thumb studs are useless, and at 4.2 ounces, well the knife is heavy for what it is. There just seems to be a lack of attention to detail that slightly derails the knife. I find it especially ironic considering that the biggest selling feature is the Hinderer name – a name built on extreme quality and high end knives. I’m not expecting a $30 XM-18, but no doubt people interested in a Hinderer designed knives are “knife people” – not the average person contemplating the purchase of a $30 pocket knife at Wal-Mart. Real knife people care about stuff like material selection, fit & finish, and functional design. Perhaps this knife could have played in the $50 price point and appealed more to higher end enthusiasts as well.

So a big part of me wishes Kershaw spent some more time on this one – ironing out the kinks, making it in the USA, and delivering something of real substance. Sure, it may have to retail for $50+ instead of $30, but I think people would pay for it, and the knife would have real staying power. As it stands I view the Cryo more as a flavor of the week than a timeless tool that will become a new benchmark in its class.

In conclusion, I want to emphasize that the Cryo isn’t a “bad” knife. $30 isn’t much money for a folder these days, and I enjoy the knife for what it is. But I still can’t help but wonder what it could have been.

Kershaw Cryo Folding Knife (1555TI); 2.75” 8Cr13MoV Steel Blade, Stainless Steel Handle, Titanium Carbo-Nitride Coating, SpeedSafe Assisted Open, Frame Lock, 4-Position Deep-Carry Pocketclip; 4.1 OZ

List Price: $21.04

Price: $20.77

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I recommend purchasing the Kershaw Cryo at Amazon or BladeHQ. Please consider that purchasing anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Boker S2 Review

by Dan Jackson 18 Comments

Last Updated: 11/29/2017
I’ve been drooling over Sniper Bladeworks custom knives for a long time now. For the uninitiated, Sniper Bladeworks is the brainchild of Lance Abernathy and Jody Muller. Jody handles fabrication and Lance comes up with the designs. The result has been a number of award winning tactical knife designs and superbly built tools that are revered by collectors and users alike.

Buy the Boker Plus S2 at BladeHQ

The Boker S2 is Sniper Bladeworks’ first collaboration with a production company. I recently got my hands on one of these knives and was really impressed by how well the knife worked and the level of fit and finish. The intriguing design lead me to contacting Lance himself in order to gain some insight on this unique knife. Lance was able to provide some of the details and explain why the S2 was built the way it was. It was a real pleasure speaking with Lance, and I hope our conversation helps provide a better review.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

It should be no surprise that Sniper Bladeworks focuses on tactical knives. Lance comes from a heavy law enforcement background and served on a SWAT team for over 11 years. The Sniper Bladeworks custom knives are all built with utility, ergonomics and aesthetics in mind. The S2 is no different. This is a big knife so I would put it in the tactical and/or utility role. I think it’s big for EDC, but it doesn’t look that threatening so it could be a good choice if you like to carry a bigger knife.

The S2 has an overall length of 8-3/4″, a 4″ blade, weighs 5 ounces, and is made in China. This is not a small knife. By way of comparison, I find it holds it’s own next to a Spyderco Military (which also has a 4″ blade, but has a total length of 9 1/2″).

The blade is a big piece of 440C stainless steel. Boker uses a lot of 440C in their plus line and I welcome it with open arms. It’s a good mid-range steel and an all around performer. The width of the blade is impressive and it has a large flat grind that begins almost at the top of the knife. The long curved spine drops off into a nice functional tip. This tip isn’t reinforced and the overall bladeshape is faintly reminiscent of a sheepsfoot shape. Naturally there is a lot of utility with this blade for day to day tasks. I also think this could possibly serve as a rescue knife. And naturally I think the knife could also be used as an emergency defensive tool too. The excellent slicing capabilities of the flat grind mean you could use this knife for anything from cutting seatbelts to preparing food.

Finally, I wanted to comment on the stone wash Boker applied to this blade and hardware. It’s a rough and tumble stonewash and it has created a nice effect. Between the design and finishes of this knife, I get a really utilitarian vibe, and this knife just begs to be used.

Handle Details

The handle is one of the most interesting aspects of the S2. It’s construction is simple enough, with black G10 over matte gray steel liners. The liners have been milled to reduce weight and a black G10 backspacer runs a little over half the length of the handle. All in all, construction is good and all the pieces line up flush with no gaps or irregularities.

Ergonomics on the S2 are pretty special, and it’s where the knife really starts to shine. At first glance the handle is boxy looking and doesn’t appear to be that comfortable. I’ve heard some go so far to say that the handle is “ugly” – I disagree, but to each his own. I’ll say it’s a somewhat unconventional shape, but it really works in your hand. First off, it’s a pistol grip, meaning that the handle attaches to the blade at an angle and naturally orients the blade towards the cutting surface. Lance told me they like this style of handle because it puts the tip on target without bending the hand. In my experience, this design totally works.

The flat back of the handle fits the palm perfectly and your thumb falls into a nicely jimped thumb ramp. When I first picked up the knife I felt like this was a blade I could get some work done with. The flipper also acts and integral guard/choil so your whole hand wraps around the knife nicely. It’s a clever design and the guys at Sniper Bladeworks made the handle plenty big so you have lots of room to move and use various grips.

As a final touch there are some grooves milled into one side of the handle. This provides some extra grip to the already nicely textured G10 and adds some visual interest as well. Lance told me that they like designing knives that look good open and closed – the lines to add a little something extra.

The S2 actually ships with 2 pocket clips, for tip up or tip down carry. Its a good size clip that rides low in the pocket. Retention is good and I found it to be easy to insert into my pocket. Unfortunately the handle has been drilled for right hand carry only.

Deployment and Lock-up

The S2 is deployed by a large flipper on the back of the handle. This knife quickly broke in and I find that deploying this big blade is effortless. I think a flipper was a good idea for this wide blade because your thumb would have to travel far to fully activate a thumb stud. No complaints with the deployment of this knife.

Lockup is achieved through a liner lock. This is a pretty thick liner lock and it engages early with a crisp snapping sound. I found it to be easy to disengage, but because the handle isn’t cut away it does take a little more effort than other knives with a cutout for your thumb. I think for most tasks the liner lock will be more than adequate.

Boker S2 – Final Thoughts

All in all I am very pleased with my S2. To be honest, I can’t find a major fault with the knife (the lack of an ambidextrous pocket clip would be my biggest complaint). I think Boker was smart to pick up this cool design from Sniper Bladeworks. When I spoke with Lance he said that they wanted to create something big and functional – just like one of their custom pieces. I think Boker executed that concept wonderfully, as the fit and finish is very high on this knife, with the country of origin being China.

When you consider that the S2 can be acquired for around under $50, it’s tough to ignore the great value here. I won’t be able to afford a custom anytime soon so this is the closest I will be getting to a real Sniper Bladeworks knife for a while.

Boker 01BO160 Plus S2 Knife with 4 in. Straight Edge Blade, Black

Price: $91.95

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I recommend purchasing the Boker S2 at Amazon.com and
BladeHQ. Please consider that purchasing anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Boker SubCom Review

by Dan Jackson 17 Comments

Boker has recently done some great collaborations with custom knife makers (like the previously reviewed Boker Eskelibur). The Boker SubCom is another collaborative effort, this time with designer Chad Los Banos. A native of Hawaii, Chad has done a lot of really cool collaborations with production knife companies and the SubCom is no exception.

In fact, the Subcom has proven so popular that it has spawned a number of variations, including fixed blade versions, rescue versions and several other blade shapes and finishes (including the sweet special edition Subcom Titan that is also pictured – a titanium handled version w/ a 440C blade). I liked the idea of the Subcom Titan so much that I picked up both version of my review. I’ll be comparing the two models throughout both this written review and the video.

Purpose

As far as uses for this knife go, the SubCom can fill a variety of needs. I often see the SubCom advertised as a “money clip knife” and I have also read accounts of people carrying this knife as a defensive tool (as a last ditch “cats claw” type knife for when the S really HTF). Personally, I think it is best suited as a backup knife. The Subcom is very easy to conceal and it has a look that is very non-threatening which is great for using around people so it could also be a good option for EDC.

Dimensions and Blade Details

The SubCom has an overall length of 4 1/2″ a blade length of 1 7/8″ and a weight of 2.5 ounces (2.3 ounces for the Subcom Titan). Honestly, 2.5 ounces seems a bit hefty for a sub 2″ blade, but when you figure that this knife has a stainless steel frame lock (and a full steel liner) it starts to make sense.

The blade is an interesting drop point shape. The 2mm thick blade steel and the high hollow grind make this knife perform a lot like a razor, and the deep belly gives you a lot of utility when you consider the overall length of the blade. The tip is fairly stout and isn’t designed to maximize penetration. I like this blade shape because it packs plenty of utility and offers the cutting performance of a slightly larger knife.

Boker selected AUS8 for the Subcom’s blade steel and 440C for the Subcom Titan it’s a decent selection. If I had a choice I prefer 440C slightly over AUS8, but really both are decent mid range steels and are nice to see when you consider the overall price of the knives.

Handle, Ergonomics and Pocket Clip

The handle on the regular SubCom is a FRN scale over a stainless steel liner. For the SubCom Titan you have a titanium scale with no liner. Both knives have a stainless steel framelock on the opposite side. Everything is screwed together on both knives and they both feature pillar construction.

Ergonomics on the Subcom are decent – not outstanding. First of all, you are only going to get a 3 finger grip on that knife. Given the size, that is fine and the Subcom actually fills the hand pretty well given how wide the handle is. Also, there is also a ton of jimping on this knife. Jimping on the thumb ramp and finger choil provide for extra traction where you need it, but I found the jimping on the butt of the handle to be a little overkill. The extra jimping and the sharp corners of the knife are uncomfortable under any kind of vigorous use, and I would not recommend the knife for extended cutting tasks. Truth be told, if you are looking for a small knife with excellent ergonomics, I suggest the Spyderco Dragonfly.

The pocket clip is large and is almost centered in the handle. It has good retention and rides low. The clip is reversible for tip up or tip down carry, but it is not ambidextrous. As far as carry goes, this is a very slim and light knife, and I found it carried really well with the supplied pocket clip. The nice thing with a knife like this is that it is small enough so that it could double as a money clip, or you could remove the clip entirely and just slip the knife into a bag or pocket.

Also, as you probably noticed in the pictures, there is a lanyard hole. I think a lanyard is a great idea for this knife – especially if you are going to throw it in a bag or pocket.

Deployment and Lock

The SubCom has some half-moon shaped thumb studs which look good and allow you to get some good leverage on the blade. That said, they are plastic and are kinda cheap. I’ve heard reports of them breaking off because apparently they are glued together. I would prefer something that screws together (like the metal thumbstuds on the Boker Subcom Titan). The good news is that if they do break off you are left with a decent sized hole which is perfect for your fingernail and still allows for easy deployment – kind of like a mini spyder-hole.

As far as speed goes, I was never able to master the deployment on either of my SubComs. I know some people can really flick these out, but I’m not one of those people. I think there is a bit of a sweet spot with these special thumb studs. I guess I lack the dexterity to really make the most of them. Actual deployment was fairly smooth.

Both the Subcom and the Titan use a stainless steel framelock. Lockup is early and tight. It should be more than adequate for EDC and light utility tasks.

Boker SubCom: Final Thoughts

The Boker SubCom is a polarizing knife. Some people love it, others could easily live without it. In my opinion it is going to depend a lot of what you want to use the knife for. To me this would never work as a main EDC knife. The ergonomics don’t don’t support extended cutting. For a small EDC knife, I really suggest a Dragonfly.

But if you are looking for a light use knife, a backup knife, or perhaps a money clip knife, then I think the SubCom is worth considering. It is an interesting design, and it’s fine if you need something for light duty.

If I had to chose between the SubCom and the Subcom Titan I would absolutely go for the titanium version. It’s only a few dollars more and you get a much lighter knife with metal thumb studs. In my mind, those upgrades are well worth the slight premium in price.

Boker Plus 01BO589 Subcom Folder Knife with 1 7/8 in. AUS-8 Stainless Steel Blade

List Price: $45.48

Price: $45.48

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Boker Plus Subcom Titan Knife

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I recommend purchasing the Boker SubCom at Amazon.com. Please consider that purchasing anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Boker Plus Exskelibur I (01BO001) Review

by Dan Jackson 10 Comments

Every now and then I see a knife that I absolutely have to own. Now, believe it or not, my collection of knives is small in comparison to the size (and value) of many knife collectors, so I like to think I exercise some “restraint” in my purchases. This might have more to do with the size of my bank account than anything else, but my point is, this knife really struck me as something special, and I bought it. I am talking about the Boker Exskelibur, a collaboration between Boker Knives and South African custom knifemakers Mike Skellern and Fred Burger.

Buy the Boker Plus Exskeliber at BladeHQ

The Exskelibur is part of Boker’s “Plus” Line which is their line of high quality value knives. For purposes of the review I would classify the Exskelibur as a EDC knife, and perhaps even a collectors knife. I know mine wont be seeing much use even despite the very reasonable price tag – I simply want to keep this knife nice for my collection. What we really have here is a gentleman’s folder; it’s simple lines and rich titanium accents make the Exskelibur an exercise in minimalism and elegance that will feel very at home in an office or carried during a formal event.

I have found the attention to detail and build quality on this knife to be extraordinarily high. What may be most surprising to some readers is that this knife is made in China. Now, my Spyderco Tenacious review showed that Chinese manufacturing isn’t always synonymous with low quality, but the Exskelibur isn’t just well made for a Chinese knife – it’s well made for any knife.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Exskelibur I has a 3 5/8″ blade, an overall length of 8″ and a weight of 3.3 oz. Due to the advanced handle construction almost all of that weight is in the blade. And speaking of the blade, what a beautiful piece of steel. It’s a large and simple drop point design with a high hollow grind. The blade has been given a nice satin finish that glows under the light of my studio. What strikes me about the blade is how big it is relative to the handle. The blade to handle ratio is very impressive and has to be close to 1:1.

The steel chosen here is 440C, which is a mid grade steel that is very popular in European knives. Seeing how this is a mid range knife I was very happy to find 440C here, it is one of my favorite all purpose knife steels. 440C is capable of taking a very keen edge and my Exskelibur I came shaving sharp right out of the box. The blade is beautifully finished and has a “Boker Plus” logo on one side and a Skellern logo on the other.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The handle follows the same minimalist approach of the blade, while weaving in a couple interesting features that really elevates the style and sophistication of the knife. The handle is made almost entirely out of black G10. The G10 is very lightly textured and doesn’t offer much in the way of friction, however the there very good jimping on the spine of the knife and the handle has been contoured to allow your fingers to wrap around it comfortably. The resulting grip is very good for normal EDC tasks. I think the texturing is adequate and fits very well with the overall classy theme of the knife.

The construction of the handle is not open, a piece of G10 runs the entire back length of the handle and in between that piece and the handle slab is a thin strip of red G10. This is purely for aesthetics and is a very interesting detail that makes the Exskelibur a little special and is really quite cool.

The pocket clip is a piece of titanium that has been finished in a dark matte blue. It’s a little stiff but it performs well and is reversible for tip up or tip down carry (right side only). The clip is held in place by 3 small Phillips screws which is a bit of a departure from the allen or hex screws we often see. Another thing to note here is that there isn’t a lanyard hole in this knife. Since this is a larger EDC knife, I really don’t miss the lanyard hole, but I thought it was worth pointing out.

Deployment and Lock

The Exskelibur deploys with an unobtrusive flipper located on the back of the blade by the pivot. This is a very simple yet effective method of deployment. The blade moves easily and I find that I can quickly and easily open this knife with 1 hand. The bushings on this knife appear to be phosphor bronze and everything is very smooth. The knife opens quietly with a soft click as the blade snaps into the titanium liner lock.

There is only one liner on the Exskelibur and it is made of the same blued titanium that clip is fabricated from. It makes the knife incredibly lightweight and it provides another interesting detail that sets the Eskelibur apart. I have found the lock to be strong and it locks in the middle of the open blade with no danger of slipping.

Boker Exskelibur I Review – Final Thoughts

The Exskelibur I is an outstanding folding pocket knife. The knife oozes style and is a simple and beautiful folder. I appreciate the great design and quality manufacturing and am not put off by the fact that this knife is made in China because the quality control here is outstanding. The titanium liners, the big sweeping blade and lightweight handle are all very appealing. I think 440C was an excellent choice for bladesteel and love how big and practical the blade is. It’s hard to find fault with the knife, I think if you use it as an EDC or gents folder you will be very pleased with the Eskelibur.

Boker Plus 01BO032 Exskelibur I Knife with 3 1/2 in. VG-10 Premium Steel Blade, Black

List Price: $109.99

Price: $109.79

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I recommend purchasing the Boker Exskelibur at Amazon.com or BladeHQ. Please consider that purchasing anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Spyderco Tenacious Review

by Dan Jackson 18 Comments

Last Updated: September 19, 2017
I found the Spyderco Tenacious when I was looking for a good sized EDC knife on a budget. I did some research and saw that the Tenacious ticked a lot of my boxes. At the time I was interested in a knife with a full flat grind, a large plain edge, G10 handle scales and pillar construction. The Tenacious had that and more – all for around $30. So I ordered the knife and had it at my door a couple days later. The following are my thoughts on the Tenacious after using it as a daily carry for several months.

Buy the Spyderco Tenacious at BladeHQ

General Dimensions and Blade Specifics

The Tenacious has an overall length of 7-3/4″, a 3 3/8″ blade, weighs 4.0 oz, and is made in China. The blade is not only long but it is fairly wide (from edge to spine) at almost an 1.5″ inches. This is a large knife for EDC (Every Day Carry), and people contemplating the Tenacious for that use may prefer it’s smaller brother, the Persistence or the Ambitious.

The leaf shaped blade of the Tenacious is made of 8Cr13Mov Stainless steel. 8Cr13Mov is a more inexpensive steel that is comparable with Aus 8. However, Spyderco does an excellent job with the heat treat on this steel and my experiences have found that 8Cr13Mov sharpens well and holds a good edge. That said, compared to harder, more expensive steels you will have to sharpen the knife more frequently.

Also, I really like the full flat grind on this knife. It is like a small kitchen knife and is great for slicing, especially through cardboard. That full flat grind just zips through cardboard. The shape is fairly generic, but there is enough belly for EDC tasks

Handle, Ergonomics and Pocket Clip

The handle is a of pillar construction, which I really like because it makes the knife easy to clean. The handle is layers of steel with G10 scales. The steel has been milled out to reduce the weight, which is a great touch that I love to see on a cheaper knife. The G10 is lightly textured and feels good. It isn’t super abrasive so your pockets will be spared, but it offers nice tactile feedback. I haven’t had any problems with the knife slipping out of my hand, probably because the ergonomics are so good. The G10 has been contoured around the liner lock and there is very good jimping on the thumb ramp and the lock, this makes the knife very easy and comfortable to use.

The ergonomics on the Tenacious are quite good. It has a pretty big handle and it has been well designed. My palm fits nicely and the corners have been rounded slightly for comfort. Also the knife is designed to provide the user good traction, which I find to be important for a mid sized folding EDC knife like this. Since it is a cheap knife, I have a tendency to have it do my “dirty work” that I wouldn’t subject some of my more expensive knives too. The large thumb ramp and jimping really helps keep your thumb in place and maintain control when putting some power behind the blade. I’ve used this knife pretty hard and “Tenacious” is an apt name because it keeps on ticking.

Pocket clips can be a problem with expensive knives, let alone cheap ones, so I was really pleased with the clip on the Tenacious. It’s a signature Spyderco Hourglass shaped clip that provides good pocket retention without shredding your pants up. Also the clip is mountable on all 4 corners of the knife, so you can carry this knife in your left or right pocket, tip up or tip down. As a lefty on a budget, I loved this feature. The knife rides pretty low in your pocket.

I will say that my clip had a tendency to come loose until I hit it with some lock-tite. My guess is that you are going to want to do the same.

Deployment and Lock Up

The deployment on this knife is very nice. The thumb hole (“Spyderhole”) makes it easy to access the blade with bare hands or gloves – in rain or shine. The action is smooth, thanks in part to phosphor bronze bushings. The bushings on this knife are apparently pretty thin, but I’ve been flicking this knife open for months and it still deploys very smoothly.

Also, the lock on this knife is very solid. The Tenacious uses a thick liner lock that bites deep into the blade. I detect zero up and down movement when the knife is locked and a tiny amount of side to side movement.

Overall Fit and Finish

So one thing that kind of concerned me about this knife was that it was made in China. At the time the Tenacious originally came out, there was a lot of stigma regarding Chinese manufacturing and Chinese knives. Today, with the advent of high end Chinese knife manufacturers like Reate, there is less of a concern, although certainly some of that original stigma still exists.

I will say that the build quality of the Tenacious is impressive considering the price. It’s not the best finished knife in my collection – there are some minor quibbles here and there (the grind on the bevel is a little sloppy, the G10 scale is milled out a little too much next to the lock bar, etc), but all in all I am pleased with the fit and finish and whoever manufactured this for Spyderco did a good job.

Spyderco Tenacious Review – Final Thoughts

As I turn to my final remarks on the Tenacious, I think we should consider the topic of “value” – as that often plays in to the commentary on the Tenacious, and many consider this to be a “value” knife. To be honest, I think the knife is well priced right around $30. It’s a good amount of knife for the money, it’s well designed, the materials are adequate, the fit and finish is adequate – I really cant complain. That said, I would likely not pay $50, or $75 for this knife, and think it is priced appropriately for what it is.

The Tenacious rounds out Spyderco’s product line nicely and is an affordable knife that has all of the design elements and features Spyderco is known for. I like the Tenacious and recommend it for someone seeking an affordable larger EDC knife, or a hearty utility knife that can be used hard guilt free.

Spyderco Tenacious Plain Edge Folding Knife, Black/Silver

List Price: $49.76

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I recommend buying the Tenacious at Amazon or BladeHQ. Buying anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com and keeps the website going. Any support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.