Knife Highlight: Boker Frazetta Berserker Kwaiken Automatic Knife [Exclusive]

The Boker Frazetta Berserker Kwaiken Automatic Knife [Exclusive]

A huge chestnut tree towering above the small Boker hardware factory in the 17^th century is the oldest traceable fact about the Boker family. Apparently Boker tools were very successful on the markets, as they were ranked among the leading manufactured goods in Germany and neighboring countries hundred years later on.

Due to rising demand in a politically restless era Hermann and Robert Boker decided to start with the production of sabers in 1829. Inventories of September 1830 had already proven a weekly production of 2000 pieces made by 64 smiths, 47 grinders and a large number of workers and trainees. With a permanently growing product line of tools and cutlery and the great opportunities of global sales, the family saw the need to distribute the tasks to make the best use of their interests. So, Hermann Boker emigrated to found Boker & Co. in New York, whereas the younger Robert established his company in Canada and in 1865 a branch in Mexico, being the market leaders under the name of Casa Boker until today.

Heinrich only crossed the river Wupper to go to Solingen, where the German cutlery industry was booming. Together with the well-known cutlery expert Hermann Heuser he founded Heinr. Boker & Co. in 1869.

The relationship between the two Boker companies has always been very friendly. Heinrich was allowed to take the tree brand with him across the river without any troubles or payments. Since then not a single product has left the Solingen factory without this sign. After over 100 years of existence the venerable tree was cut down by a stroke of lightning in 1925. A gifted artist carved an image of the majestic tree into a piece of original trunk which adorns the CEO´s office in Solingen.

The US market quickly became Boker`s most important sales territory. In 1900 most of the production was shipped to the US and H. Boker & Co. in New York was more and more concentrating on products from the Solingen production. The demand for pocket-knives soon beats that for other products like scissors or razors. The demand on the products increased faster than the production capacities in Solingen, so the Bokers from New York decided to start their own pocket-knife production to which pliers were added later on. Because of the tree-brand being well established by then and the good understanding within the international Boker family, there wasn´t any problem to get permission from Solingen to use the tree-brand for American made products as well. Since then there have been two different product lines of Boker knives on the US market with identical logos and sometimes even identical item numbers; one product line Made in USA, the other product line Made in Solingen, only to be differentiated by the markings "Boker USA" or "H. Boker Improved Cutlery Solingen".

Today we will be talking about one of BladeOps’ Exclusive knives, the Boker Frazetta Berserker Kwaiken automatic knife.

The Blade:

The blade on this version of the Berserker is made out of 154CM stainless steel. This is a high-end steel, although it is not a premium steel or a super steel. This excellent steel is made by Crucible Industries, which is a steel manufacturer known making steels that excel when used on pocket knives and other high-end cutlery.

The steel itself has become known as a superior version of 440C. Crucible achieved this superiority by adding in Molybdenum, which is known to create the hardness that leads to the great edge-holding capabilities. While the Molybdenum does reduce the levels of Chromium in the steel, which is used to increase corrosion resistance, the Molybdenum takes care of it all and has the same corrosion resistance that it would in the first place. 154CM steel does have enough toughness for nearly any use.

All in all, this steel is good. It is going to get the job done, plus a little bit more. The steel will be good enough for nearly anything that you encounter, allowing your trust levels to be high with this blade.

The blade has been finished with a black DLC coating. This stands for Diamond-Like Carbon coating, which is renowned as one of the best coatings that you can find on a blade. This coating is known for being pitch-black, which means that there are going to be no glares or reflections. However, that is not why it is such a sought-after blade finish. The real reason is because of how incredibly hard it is. This is the hardest blade coating that you are going to find, which means that it is not going to chip or wear off with time or hard use. It will also increase the hardness of the blade, allowing it to take on more than you can imagine.

This coating is also applied through a PVD process, which means that it is chemically deposited on the steel when it is in vapor form. This means that it is going to be an even coating, which will make your slicing much smoother. It also means that it is not going to scratch off easily at all.

The blade has been carved into a classic drop point blade shape. This is the most popular blade shape on the market to date, for good reason. This blade shape is tough, durable, and known for its strength. However, this is a slightly modified version of the drop point, although it should offer nearly the same qualities.

The spine on this drop point extends straight out before forming its tip. This means that the tip is not quite as dropped as you would normally find on a drop point blade shape, which also means that it is not going to be quite as broad as you would normally find on a drop point. Both of these characteristics do mean that the blade on this Frazetta Berserker Kwaiken is not going to be as tough or strong as you would be used to. However, this blade will be able to stand up to enough.

The blade is a little bit finer than you would typically find on a drop point blade shape, which does mean that you will be able to perform more piercing than you would with a standard drop point. Lastly, the belly is nearly identical to a standard drop point. It curves upward crating enough surface area that you will be able to excel at slicing.

The Handle:

The handle is made out of 6061-T6 aluminum, which is the toughest aluminum alloy that you can find. This means that the handle is going to be tough, strong, and durable, while also being incredibly corrosion resistant. All of these characteristics are going to lead to a very low-maintenance handle, which is perfect for the incredibly low-maintenance blade that this exclusive Kwaiken already sports. Of course, aluminum does have a few drawbacks. The first is that the conductive properties are high, meaning that in cold environments, the handle itself is going to feel cold. Aluminum is also orient o getting scratched. However, it is not the material that it is made out of that sets this knife handle apart—it is the design of the handle.

Frank Frazetta was a well-known artist that was most known for his work in the fantasy and sci-fi genre. After making a name for himself, his works of art found their way into blockbuster movies, comic books and even album covers for various song artists. One of Molly Hatchet's first three recording albums was "Berserker" which depicteda Viking warrior atop a stallion. The color scheme of this handle are oranges and reds, with a little bit of black. All in all, this is one of the most unique knife handles that you are going to find—and you can only get it at BladeOps.

The rest of the handle is simple—straight lines on both the belly and he spine with a slightly pointed butt.

The Pocket Clip:

The pocket clip on this Boker is statically designed for tip up carry only on the traditional side of the handle. This does mean that it is not going to be ambidextrous friendly. Also, tip up carry is the more dangerous way to carry a knife, because if it accidentally comes open inside of your pocket, reaching into your pocket to fix it can be dangerous. That being said, that should not happen, so the tip up carry should not be as big of a drawback as it could be. One of the benefits of it being single position is that the rest of the handle can look sleek—without any extra drill marks.

The clip is not a deep carry pocket clip. It is black and skeletonized, to cut down on weight and allow you to see the custom picture underneath. The clip is kept in place by black screws, which match the rest of the hardware on the Frazetta Berserker.

The Mechanism:

This is a push-button automatic knife. In the United States of America, automatic knives do fall under a strict set of laws. These laws significantly reduce the legality of an automatic knife in many states, cities, or areas. It is your responsibility as the buyer and user to know your local knife laws before buying or carrying this knife. BladeOps is not the responsible party.

A push-button automatic knife is exactly what it sounds like. On the face of the handle, there is a small black button. All you have to do to deploy this knife is push the button, which will deploy the blade, locking it into place, ready for use. This is the biggest advantage of the automatic knife—there will be no fumbling. When precious seconds count, this knife will be able to stand up to the defense. When you only have one hand, you’ll be able to easily open this with a push of a finger.

The Specs:

The blade on this Exclusive Boker knife measures in at 3.5 inches long with a handle that measures in at 4.875 inches long. This creates an overall length of 8.375 inches long when the blade is deployed, which is a fairly standard length for a knife like this one. While this knife odes have the length that is standard, it is fairly lightweight because of the materials used. This knife weighs in only at 3.2 ounces. This weight is not going to be one that weighs you down, but it is also going to give you the heft that is needed to feel confident while using this. This exclusive knife is made in the United States of America.

Conclusion:

Frank Frazetta was a well-known artist that was most known for his work in the fantasy and sci-fi genre. After making a name for himself, his works of art found their way into blockbuster movies, comic books and even album covers for various song artists. One of Molly Hatchet's first three recording albums was "Berserker" which depicteda Viking warrior atop a stallion.

The Kwaiken folder, designed by Lucas Burnley, has been one of the most popular products that has stemmed an entire array of various models. As if it couldn't get any better, Boker Plus is excited to announce the newest addition--the Kwaiken automatic. Built by the automatic knife manufacturing power-player Pro-Tech Knives, these knives blend the classic slimline profile with impressive push-button power. Each individually serial numbered model features a silver anodized aircraft aluminum handle compete with the Frank Frazetta "Berserker” graphic on both sides, all-black hardware, a drop point style blade in a DLC (Diamond Like Carbon) black finish and the pocket clip is statically designed for tip up carry only on the traditional side of the handle.

This knife is exclusive to BladeOps and it is currently in stock. However, it is a limited run, with only 50 ever made. This knife is going to go quickly. Hurry over to BladeOps.com to get this work of art here.