Boker Brend Folding Knife
Walter Brend is a legend in knifemaking, with his signature sweeping grinds and shallow contoured plunge grinds. This is Bokerโs collaborations with Mr. Brend, and while it looks very nice, the knife has some glaring defects.
Before I received this knife for the first time, I had always drooled over photos of it, and hoped for the day that I would finally get one. Of all the versions I had seen, the Cocobolo handled version was my favourite and is also the one that I acquired, as you can see from the photos.
Having drooled over the knife for a good few years before actually getting one, my expectations were obviously a bit high. When the knife came, I could not believe how poor the build quality was. There were gaps between the liners and the handles and bolsters, the grinds were not crisp, the blade would wiggle no matter how I tried to adjust the pivot screw, and the overall finish was mediocre.
Admittedly, the knife is not that expensive at $100 or so, however, I have had many $50 knives with much better fit and finish. The blade steel on this specimen is 440C, and is a very serviceable steel. The knife came fairly sharp, however would not shave hair like a Spyderco out of the box.
The inlaid medallion was a cool touch, and one of the things that I really liked about the knife. The design of the knife does have a very recognizable and charming Walter Brend styling, however, this is about the extent of merits of this knife from Boker. The rest of the knife is fairly disappointing to me.
I have had fairly disappointing experiences with many Boker knives in the past, and have found their quality control to be shoddy and fit and finish to be sub-par. This knife was one of the knives that has helped form my opinion of Boker. However, I have had one or two knives from Boker that have been decent, and do not want to paint the entire brand with such a wide brush. This is after all a discontinued knife.
Specs:
Blade Length: 3 3/4″
Overall Length: 8 7/8″
Blade Steel: 440C
Handle Material: Cocobolo Wood
Bolsters: Titanium
August 19th, 2009 at 9:39 pm
I’d have to say I can agree wholeheartedly with the points outlined in this review. Boker can be hit or miss although I’ve seen some very nice ones. It’s hard to argue with the fact that cocobolo is a beautiful wood though…
December 3rd, 2009 at 11:02 pm
Dito, I too lusted after one of these for almost a year. I bought mine new back in 1999 at Knifecenter. It looked perfect in the pictures, but when I got it was immediately clear that it was lacking in the details. Gaps between the wood and metal bolster. The finish of the “titanium” seemed cheap, and my medallion was not level. Worst of all I could never get the blade to lock up tight. The liner was too thin. Not as bad as cheap Smith and Wesson knives, but certainly not what I expected for that price point. I’ve had 2 Benchmade strykers since then, one in 154CM and on in D2 ( I lost the first one :() They cost about the same and quality is far better. Boker has other designs that I still love to look at it, but I won’t buy another one online.
May 13th, 2010 at 8:44 pm
Hi, I bought a Boker Brend without knowing much about either the brand, the designer or the knife. I just liked it the moment I saw the knife.
On close examination, yes, all you guys have said above ARE TRUE. The fitting of the wooden furniture to the frame is not great. And the titanium bits look dull and uninspiring. (Can I polish them?)
But, guys, it is a very light knife. I hardly feel it in my pocket.
And it is one of the fastest opening folder I’ve ever tried this side of a switch blade. I mean it’s FAST. Just push the button a bit and the slightest movement of the wrist would unfold the blade, allowing it to lock into position with a very satisfying click.
And there’s absolutely no wobble or rattle or anything as far as I’m concern. The blade locks rigidly into position, and I’ve no stability issue at all when I wield the knife.
As far as I’m concerned, this is a good knife, warts and all. Finding out that it is a discon’ed knife just adds to my satisfaction for having found a good piece of kit for a reasonable price. ๐
May 22nd, 2010 at 10:22 pm
I’m glad you enjoy your knife.. Its a very beautiful and satisfying design. I guess after being spoiled with superior knives, its hard for me… especially after handling and owning the Cutters Knife and Tool Brend, which I reviewed here: http://customtacticals.com/2009/11/14/cutters-knife-tool-brend-folding-knife/
May 25th, 2010 at 10:13 pm
I must say, that CKT knife really looks lovely, with the same sweeping blade design as the Boker. If I had seen this beauty, I might just have bought this instead. ๐
November 21st, 2010 at 9:32 am
I have to agree with CORWIN99 100% and add that the liner lock material is very thin. Looks like the liner lock from a Walmart Winchester X-MAS gift box set. Blade shape is top notch and the Coco. handle scales nice quaility.
March 22nd, 2018 at 2:02 pm
do you have any dealers in Houston texas????
July 22nd, 2019 at 5:15 pm
i’m just a reviewer