Knife Review: Boker Kalashnikov Cleaver Automatic Knife

The Boker Kalashnikov Cleaver Automatic Knife [BladeOps Exclusive]

The Boker name and logo can be dated back until the 17^th century where it seems like the Boker tools were very successful on the markets; the tools were ranked among the leading manufactured goods in Germany and neighboring countries for hundreds of years.

Due to the 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 200 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 exert Hermann Heuser he founded Heinr. Boker & Co. in 1869.

The Bokers in Remscheid and their cousins overseas were very interested and in demand of razors, scissors, and pocket knives from Heinrich’s new enterprise. They had to label their products in a simple manner for overseas markets, as many customers had problems spelling the German name Boker—apart from the widespread analphabetism. Heinrich considered the chestnut tree as an ideal, memorable logo which belonged to the Remscheid company with an arrow as well. One of the rare and precious documents which survived the total destruction of WW II is an ad of Boker Remscheid from 1874, showing both logos.

The US market quickly became Boker’s most important sales territory. 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.

Today, there are four lines of Bokers. Boker Manufaktur Solingen, which is the premium collection. Boker Arbolito, which is the tradition collection. Magnum by Boker, which is the line that gives you the best price with the best performance. The Boker Strike Automatic is a member of the fourth group: The Boker Plus collection which focuses on innovation. This lien is in close cooperation with international acknowledged experts form military, police, and security as they develop and test tactical knives for the professional user. Boker Plus Knives are innovative in terms of function and design, as well as guaranteed for everyday use. Conception, design, and construction are carried out in Solingen, and production takes place in Europe, the USA, and Asia.

Today we will be discussing a BladeOps Exclusive: the Boker Kalashnikov Cleaver automatic knife.

The Blade:

The blade on this Kalashnikov has been made out of AUS-8 stainless steel. This is an upper mid-range steel that is made in Japan. If you are looking to compare it to another type of steel, your best bet would be to 440B. However, AUS-8 is going to be slightly more corrosion resistant. It is also similar to 440C, except that it is a little bit softer than 440C. The extra softness does mean that you are going to have to sharpen the blade more often. This is because AUS-8 stainless steel does have less carbon than some of the higher ranked steels. The more carbon there is in a steel, the better it is going to be able to hold its edge. However, it also means that it is going to be much easier to sharpen when you do need to. It is also a breeze to get a razor-sharp edge on this steel. This steel is tough enough to get the job done. One of the main benefits of having the blade made out of AUS-8 steel is that it will keep the cost of the knife low, while still giving you enough quality so that you feel like you can depend on it.

The blade has been finished with a black coating. This is a typical coating that creates a sleek look to the all-black knife. This coating is going to cut down on glares and reflections that you would encounter with a satin blade. This makes it easier to use in the field, if that is what you are planning on doing with the knife.

The coating also is going to work to prolong the life of the blade, because it does create a barrier in between the blade and the environment. This is going to increase both the wear and stain resistance of the blade, helping it to last longer.

The biggest disadvantage to a coated blade is that the coating will scratch off after time or heavy use. This will diminish all of the good qualities that the coating provides.

The blade has been carved into a cleaver shaped blade. This blade is very similar to the kitchen cleaver, which means that this pocket knife is going to excel at cutting, slicing, and chopping. This is because the blades are more solidly built than many of the other pocket knife popular shapes. One of the benefits is that even though this knife can fit in your pocket, you are going to be able to take on almost any task with it.

The shape is made up of a spine that extends straight form the handle to about 7/8 of the way up the knife. At this point, it angles down to the point. The point is known as a false point, because where the point normally lies, it actually has not even been sharpened. And, where the cutting-edge ends, there is no “point.” This does mean that there is not going to be any accidental stabbings, which can make this a good rescue knife. However, it also means that it is not going to be a good general utility knife, because you are not going to be able to stab with it, even if you wanted to. The belly on this knife is closer to non-existent than anything else. However, there is a very slight curve to it. You may be able to slice some, but don’t try to rely on that at all. Again, this means that it is not going to be a good general utility blade.

The Handle:

The handle is made out of a black aluminum. Aluminum itself is a widely popular option for high-quality knife handle materials. Aluminum is tough, durable, incredibly corrosion resistant, and best of all, it is lightweight. However, it is also prone to getting scratched.

Aluminum is known to be a low-density metal, which is where the low weight of the handle comes in from. A low-density metal is a metal that is going to provide you with the heft that you need to take on all of your tasks. It is not going to make you feel that you cannot rely on the handle—instead, it is going to give you enough heft in your hand that you feel confident. Confident enough to take on whatever comes your way. Confident enough to rely on the Boker knife. That being said, it is not going to weigh you down. This is a smaller knife, so any of the heft that you can get from the handle is going to be appreciated.

One of the negative aspects of aluminum is that it is not going to offer as much grip as knife materials are going to offer. Also, aluminum has high conductive properties, so in colder environments, this knife may feel cold to the touch, which can hinder your use of this knife.

The handle has been created to give you the texture that you need to be secure when holding this knife in a wide variety of environments. The aluminum has been roughly texturized across the entire face of the handle. This will provide enough texture that slipping is not going to be a major issue.

There are also three ridges that span the length of the handle, each adding more texture and better grip. Across the belly of the handle. There are four finger grooves to give you a comfortable grip that will allow you to have better control over your cuts.

The next thing that has been added to this knife to create the most texture is that there are two rows of jimping. The first row is at the very top of the spine of the handle, right where the blade and handle meet. The second row of jimping is near the bottom of the spine of the handle. It even curves around and spans part of the butt of the handle. The jimping is thick enough that it will really give you that extra oomph needed to have a secure grip on this Kalashnikov. There is a lanyard hole near the butt of the handle.

The Pocket Clip:

The pocket clip on this Kalashnikov is an extra-long deep carry clip. This means that it is going to stay perfectly secure inside of your pocket as you go about your day. IT also means that it can be better concealed inside of your pocket, as the extra-long deep carry aspect allows it to sit very low inside of your pocket.

The clip can only be attached on the traditional side of the handle for tip-up carry. This does mean that the knife is not fully ambidextrous. The clip, along with the rest of the hardware, are all black.

The Mechanism:

This is an automatic knife, which does mean that it is going to fall under a strict set of laws that the US has surrounding automatic knives. These laws state that an automatic knife is not going to be legal in all states, cities, or areas of the United States. That being said, it is your responsibility as the user to know your local knife laws. BladeOps is not responsible.

This is a push-button automatic, which means that at the push of a button, the blade is going to autonomically deploy. One of the major benefits of an automatic knife is that it is going to be incredibly easy to bring into play. There is not going to be any fumbling while trying to open it—all you have to do is push the button and it will swing open and lock into place, ready for use.

The Specs:

The blade on this Boker measures in at 3.375 inches long with a handle that measures in at 4.25 inches long. This creates an overall length of 7.625 inches long when the blade is deployed. This Boker weighs in at 4 ounces, which is a sweet spot for an EDC weight. This will give you the weight you want to feel comfortable using this knife to defend yourself, but it will not weigh you down as you go about your tasks either.

Conclusion:

BladeOps is excited to announce another exclusive model to the ever-growing arsenal of Boker Kalashnikov auto knives--the full-size Kalashnikov with a longer cleaver blade. This exclusive model features a black aluminum handle, all-black hardware, a cleaver style blade in a black finish and the extra-long deep carry pocket clip is statically designed for tip up carry only on the traditional side of the handle.

The Boker Kalashnikov automatic knife is one of the most popular side open automatics on the market today considering the price point. This knife, as well as the rest of the Kalashnikov auto family, is referred to an auto-conversion knife which means the knife is produced as a folder knife and then converted via third party to offer the automatic function.

This Exclusive Boker is currently in stock, so you can purchase yours today. To get this and other exclusive knives, click here.