Boker Magnum 018 Auto Knife Review

One of Boker’s fantastic automatic knives is their Magnum 018. Boker has a great history of making durable knives that are affordable, effective, and good looking. The Magnum is nothing short of the Boker Standard.

Specs

Below is the specs list for the Magnum 018. This is somewhat similar to another popular Boker auto knife. The Boker Kalashnikov 74 is just slightly smaller than the Magnum 018. Here is the list:

• Product Type: Automatic Knife
• Overall Length: 8.0″
• Weight: 4.50 oz.
• Handle Length: 4.75”
• Blade Length: 3.25″
• Blade Thickness: 0.120″
• Blade Material: AUS-8 Stainless
• Blade Edge: Combo
• Blade Style: Tanto
• Blade Finish: Black
• Handle Material: Aluminum
• Handle Color: Black
• Sheath Included: No
• Pocket Clip: Tip-Down
• Made in Taiwan

 

Handle Material

The handle on the Magnum 018 is Aluminum is usually treated by anodizing the metal to obtain its color, hardness, and protection. It is a durable metal for knife handles. Its low density provides for a nice, light feel to the knife without weighing the knife down. The most common type of aluminum used today a T6-6061 alloy. When aluminum is properly texturized, the handle can provide a considerably secure grip that is both comfortable and easy to hold. Despite its smooth appearance, it also provides excellent grip and is especially suitable for knives that will be used in harsh weather conditions or even in just very wet conditions. Another property that aluminum possesses is a high corrosion resistance. One possible negative effect that an aluminum handle can have is its conductive property. When it is cold out, the knife’s metal will cool down too. This can be potentially uncomfortable for some people, but others may take favor to this property.

 

Blade Steel

The steel that is used on the Magnum 018 is the Japanese manufactured AUS-8 Stainless Steel. AUS-8 is said to be compared to steels such as 440C, CM-154, and even D2. This steel is exceptionally hard, and is quite capable of achieving and retaining a sharp edge. This well-rounded knife has high quality in its hardness, toughness, edge retention, and corrosion resistance. While this metal is still far from being perfect, it is a quality steel for what it costs to produce.

 

Blade Style

The blade on the Magnum 018 is a tanto part serrated blade. The tanto blade has a somewhat chisel-like point that is thick towards the point (being close to the spine) and is thus quite strong. The tanto knife was inspired by ancient Japanese swords. The Westernized tanto is often straight but may also be gently curved. This style of blade became popular during the ‘80s shortly after the blade was created and introduced. The tanto does not have a typical belly (such as that on a drop point), which is sacrificed in exchange for a stronger tip. Its design makes it great for push cuts, rather than slicing, and piercing tougher materials because of its tip’s strength.

 

Serrations

In comparison with a sharp plain edge, the serrated edge on the Magnum 018 tends to do better in cutting hard material. Whether it be thick rope, hard plastics, bones, or any other fibrous material, a serrated blade is capable of cutting through it. A serrated cut works because of several key reasons. When beginning to cut, the tiny points on the serrations touch the object being cut. This allows for a centralized pressure on the cut. After applying this pressure, the dozens of little serrations act like hooks. Each tug and pull at the material until it is cut deep. The penetrating points and scallops greatly assist in cutting with their low-edge, sharp angle. Many question the usage of a serrated blade. They ask if it is even worth it to have as a tool when they have a sharp plain edge. However, it is difficult to ever really know when you will be needing a serrated blade. It is essential though to be prepared for whenever that situation arises. This is more truth in this statement because of the line of work that tactical knives find themselves in. For some people, having a combination of a plain edge and a serrated edge is important. You never know when it can come in handy. The nice thing about serrated edges is that they can still cut when dull, while a dull plain edge has a difficult time cutting.

 

Handle Design

Because of the way the Magnum handle is finished, with its discrete looking finger holds and its parallel grooves on the handle’s surface, it provides a solid grip to hold while using the knife. Most of the time, an aluminum handle is smooth and lacks any kind of texture. The Magnum 018 has a slight texturing to the handle that helps improve the grip slightly. The handle, along with the rest of the blade, have a curving arch that runs the full length of the knife.

 

Similar to 007

The Magnum 018 is related to its similarly built Magnum 007. It is as if the 018 is the darker side of the Magnum, while the 007 is lighter. The fierce looking 018 has a more tactical look to it while the 007 is more gentlemanly. For more info on the 007, check out its review.

 

Automatic Knife

Automatic knives are a popular choice of knife to own. They offer many advantages that typical folders, fixed blades, or even a spring assisted knives do not offer. One benefit to owning an auto is its deployment speed. Some may argue that a spring assisted knife is just as fast as an automatic knife. This is true in many cases. However, what makes an automatic knife a better option is the ease in opening the knife. With the press of a button, or a flick of a switch, the blade will flash open in a blink of an eye. Not only is it quick, but it can be fired off with one hand. Plus, firing off an auto is fun to do. The firing and locking mechanism on the Magnum 018 is a plunge lock that utilizes a button. Until this little button is pressed on the handle, this blade is not going anywhere.

Having these features come in handy during many instances. For example, if one of your hands in a bind or holding an object in need of cutting, an auto can be opened right away with one hand and do its job. Emergency response teams, law enforcement, and military personnel are all constantly faced with tribulation that requires the use of a decent knife. In many high stress situations, having a knife ready in a blink of an eye using only one hand can help someone else live for one more day. They are different than a traditional knife and bring a new element to the knife industry.

 

Test

To give you a better idea on how this knife works in the “real world”, below are the results of several tests. These will inform you of what you can expect with the Magnum 018. The normal tests include cutting paper, cardboard, plastic, and rope. This testing also includes a fruit and vegetable test.

Paper- The paper was easy to cut, but it took some effort to get it started. Because of the blade style with a combo edge, there isn’t a lot of cutting edge to use. The serrated part of the blade got in the way of slicing through the paper. The tanto, with its two different edges, made it difficult to have a nice sweeping motion to cut the paper.

Cardboard- Cutting the cardboard was relatively simple, only because of the combination of the serrated edge and a sawing motion. Pushing through was slightly more difficult than pulling back when sawing through.

Plastic- All types of synthetic material were able to be cut; from tape to shopping bags, and from thicker bottles to heavy packaging plastics. The thicker stuff was easily cut with the help of the serrations. The tanto’s tip was perfect at penetrating the plastic packaging that we see around all the time.

Rope/Paracord- Here, cutting rope, is where the Magnum 018 performs well. The serrations on the tanto blade are designed to cut rope and other fibrous materials with ease. The serrated design did what it is intended to do. The rope snapped in half in a split second after taking the serrated blade to it. Of course I had to try using the non-serrated portion of the blade on the rope. The plain edge near the tip of the tanto blade cut the rope with ease.

Fruit/Vegetable- Only to be fair when talking about the tanto serrated blade, there had to be a test to see where the blade’s potential could truly shine forth. Where I imagined this type of blade to excel at is in culinary uses. The perfect foods to test the cutting ability of the Magnum 018 are apples and carrots. Most people, at one time or another, imagines slicing of a piece of apple and eating it directly from the blade (just like in the movies). The plain edge portion of the blade performed just as you would see in the movies. The apple is small enough that the small plain blade could cut right through the fruit. Carrots, denser than an apple, require a different cutting technique. Cutting carrots, especially raw carrots, takes great effort and force to cut. Luckily, there is the serrated blade that saws right through. It is similar to cutting a thin tree branch.

 

Carrying the Knife

It is very important to know how the knife feels when being carried around all the time. There are a few things to consider when looking to get a new knife. Those items include the following: its carry depth, its weight, its thickness and width, and its appearance.

Carry Depth

The Magnum 018 is comfortable to carry. Not only in your hand, but it is decently comfortable in your pocket. When closed, the knife is 4.75 inches long. A typically comfortable carry knife is anywhere between three and a half to 5 inches long when closed. The knife rests on the edge that range. A question I ask myself before getting a knife is “Will the knife fit in my pant pocket?” But I also ask “Will the knife fall out of my pocket?” Ever since I lost my own knife, I check to see if the knife has the potential to fall out.

Weight

One of the more important aspects to consider when choosing an everyday carry is its weight. It is the worst feeling to have to carry heavy objects in your pocket, no matter what it is. A good knife weight ranges anywhere from as little as 3.0 ounces to 5.0 ounces. The Magnum 018 fits right into this range. It weighs 4.50 ounces. It is about average in size. However, when holding the knife, it feels lighter than what you think.

Thickness and Width

When carrying a knife around all the time in your pocket, there is a limited amount of space available in your pocket. A good everyday carry knife should be comfortable to carry and easy to handle. The Magnum 018 is about an inch and a half wide at its thickest point from the top of the blade to the back of the handle. Its thickness from the left of the handle to the opposite side is between a half an inch and three quarters of an inch. The Magnum 018 is going to take up some room in your pocket, but not a ton of space.

Appearance

The Magnum’s appearance is significantly different than its counterpart the Magnum 007. The 018 has a dark look that comes off intimidating at a first glance. The serrations add to the intimidation factor. But all of this intimidation is contained inside the conservative looking handle. Once unleashed, the Magnum is unstoppable.

 

Conclusion

The Boker Magnum 018 Auto Knife is a good, inexpensive, automatic knife that will satisfy your basic needs. There is no need to worry about beating up this knife. Pick your Magnum up today.