Knife Review: Pro-Tech Textured Bolster BR-1 Automatic Knife

The Pro-Tech Textured Bolster BR-1 Automatic Knife

Pro-Tech Knives, LLC is a family owned knife company that has been building high quality American Made knives since 1999. Each of their knives is a blend of the finest materials available, mixed with their commitment to craftsmanship. Their knives are always built with the most current high-tech manufacturing process that includes CNC Machining, Wire EDM, and Laser Cutting. The high-tech components are assembled and hand fit by dedicated and caring craftsmen right in their factory. Yes, that does mean that they are all made in the United States of America!

One of the unique aspects about Pro-Tech is that they manufacture small batches of knives so that they can take the time to individually hand fit and finish each knife to a level that you are rarely going to find in a factory knife. Their production knife models offer the best design, function, and value of any knife that you are going to find on the market today. They even have custom art knives that are individual pieces of art. Each of their custom, limited-edition knives are a showpiece of heirloom quality. But, no matter which of their knives that you choose to purchase, they, and we, are confident that you will be very satisfied with your purchase.

Their collection of knives is always changing. They are always working on new designs form collaboration partners, new variations of classic designs, new inlay materials, Damascus blade choices, and many more.

Today we will be discussing one of BladeOps newer arrivals, which is the Pro-Tech textured bolster BR-1 automatic knife.

The Blade:

The blade on this new Pro-Tech is made out of 154CM stainless steel. This is a Crucible Industries steel, which does mean that you can expect a higher quality of steel than from many other manufacturers. Crucible is known for making steel that is specifically for higher end pocketknives such as this one, so when it comes to the characteristics of the steel, you are going to get everything that you want and nearly nothing that you didn’t.

154CM steel is a high-end steel, but it is not the equivalent of a super steel. This steel is known to be an upgraded version of 440C steel. So how did they upgrade the base steel? Well, Crucible added in Molybdenum, which is used to help the steel have high levels of hardness, which translates into a top-notch edge holding ability. Plus, this steel is going to keep the high levels of corrosion resistance that 440C has, even though it does have less Chromium. The Molybdenum really does add quite a bit to the steel.

154CM steel is tough enough for most jobs that you are going to come across. This is great, because normally when a steel is this hard, it is not as tough as many would desire. You get the best of both worlds from 154CM steel.

The blade has been finished with a stonewashed finish. The stonewashed finish is known for the textured look that it has. The texture is created through the tumbling process. The textured look is also going to hide the scratches and smudges that do accumulate over time, which is going to make this a low-maintenance blade finish. The stonewashed finish does cut down on some glares and reflections, because the texture does give the blade a more matte look to it. This blade finish is known for being more rugged, because it is a little darker than your clean satin look. Overall, it is the perfect finish for this tough looking, yet still elegant knife.

The blade on the BR-1 has been carved into a drop point blade shape. This is the most popular blade shape that you can find in the cutlery industry today. This blade style is tough, versatile, and the perfect all-purpose blade and knife for you. The most common place that you are going to find this blade shape is on hunting knives, but you will be able to find them on virtually any style of knife. That being said, the blade style is formed by having the back edge of the blade, which is the unsharpened edge, run straight form the handle to the point in a slow curving manner. The belly of the knife slowly curves upward to meet the lowered point. Because it has a lowered point, you are going to more easily be able to control your cuts and slices, which makes this blade shape ideal if you are going to be doing any tip work or need to be very focused on your task.

One of the other benefits of the lowered tip is that it is also a broad tip. This is the characteristic of the knife that gives the drop point blade style its famous strength. This strong tip is also what allows you to take on such a wide variety of tasks.

One of the other great features of this blade style is that it sports such a big belly, which is used when you are slicing. The majority of tasks that you will be completing day to day involve slicing, so the big belly with definitely be worth it.

The drop point blade shape really only has one disadvantage, which is that because it has such a broad tip, you do lose out on much of your piercing capabilities. The drop point does miss out on many of the piercing capabilities, but you are left with so much more strength. When it comes to these two blade shapes, you just have to decide if you would rather have piercing capabilities or strength.

The Handle:

The handle has been made out of 6061-T6 aluminum that was anodized black.

Aluminum makes a great option for a knife handle material because of its various qualities. The aluminum is tough, corrosion resistant, and lightweight. With a larger knife like this one, the lightweight aspect of the aluminum is going to be a big advantage. In fact, aluminum is known as low-density metal. This means that it is not going to weigh too much. It won’t weight you down and you will be able to take this tactical knife with you in the field without having to worry about weight or size. But, the lack of weight is not going to take away any of the toughness. A low-density metal is going to still provide you with the heft that you feel like you need to confidently rely on this Pro-Tech.

Aluminum is also incredibly corrosion resistant, which does mean that the knife is going to be as low maintenance as possible. This is not prone to rusting and really all of the maintenance that it requires is wiping the handle down and making sure that it is dry after each use. 6061-T6 aluminum is the aluminum alloy that has the highest yield resistance. This means that it is going to be the toughest, most durable, and most corrosion resistant alloy out of any aluminum handle.

Of course, aluminum does have a few disadvantages. The first is that it has high conductive properties. This means that in cold environments, the aluminum is going to feel even colder. In many environments, this actually does not affect the usage whatsoever. However, in extra-cold or tumultuous environments, you may want to keep in mind that the handle can feel bitter at some time. The other disadvantage is that aluminum is prone to getting scratched.

The handle on this has been anodized black. Not only does the anodization process provide a sleek color, it also increases the toughness and durability of the aluminum. The anodization makes the handle stronger and even decreases the chance of it getting scratched—which is one of the biggest disadvantages when it comes to aluminum handles. The anodization process will affectively prolong the life of the handle.

The handle has a fairly simple shape. The spien has a slow curve to it, extending in one long curve from the blade to the butt. The butt is rounded. The belly has two shallow and elongated finger grooves. These finger grooves will make it more comfortable to hold, as it will fit the shape of your hand a little bit better than if were straight.

While the bulk of the handle is smooth, the bolster is textured. This is partly because it adds more character to the knife, but it is more because it helps you find the bolster. The bolster is actually part of the deployment mechanism, but we will be discussing that more in the mechanism section of this article.

The Pocket Clip:

The pocket clip is designed for tip up carry only on the traditional side of the handle. It is all black, although the rest of the hardware on this knife is silver. The clip is also skeletonized slightly, which will cut down on some weight. This is not quite a deep carry, but the knife is on the smaller side, so this clip will allow it to sit low in your pocket. This means that you will be able to move about your day without worrying that it will fall out.

The Mechanism:

This is an automatic knife, which does mean that it is not going to be legal in all states, cities, or areas. In the United States, there are strict laws surrounding automatic knives. It is your responsibility as the user and purchaser to know your local knife laws before buying or carrying this knife. Other than that, the disadvantage to owning an automatic knife is that they are slightly harder to maintain. There are just more working parts to an automatic knife, all of the innards have to be clean and cared for to make sure that it properly works. This does increase the maintenance time, but really, it shouldn’t be that big of a disadvantage.

There are plenty of advantages, but the biggest one is that there is not going to be any fumbling with the BR-1 when you are trying to open it. This is a unique mechanism that was created in collaboration with designer Mike “Whiskers” Allen. The mechanism utilizes an incognito bolster release system to deploy the blade. This means that to operate, you are going to push the bolster, which on this knife is textured for ease of finding, with your thumb to the right, which will then deploy the blade with traditional Pro-Tech speed. This means that there is not going to be any fumbling around when you are trying to get this knife opened. It will be easy and quick, saving you precious seconds when you need them most. Plus, you can still open this style of an automatic knife with just one hand, which makes it easier when you are working and need this knife at the same time.

The Specs:

The blade on this knife measures in at 1.95 inches long with a handle that measures in at 4.125 inches long. This means that when the blade is deployed, the overall knife is going to measure in at 6.075 inches long. The Pro-Tech BR-1 weighs in at 3 ounces. This weight is going to give you the heft that you need to feel confident while you are using it, while still not weighing you down, allowing you to have it with you at all times. It was proudly made in the United States of America.

Conclusion:

This automatic knife features a black anodized aluminum handle with black textured bolster, a drop point style blade in a stonewash finish and the pocket clip is designed for tip up carry only.

The "Whiskers" series of knives is a creative collaboration with designer Mike "Whiskers" Allen that utilizes an incognito bolster release system to deploy the blade. To operate, simply manipulate the bolster with your thumb to the right--firing the blade with classic Pro-Tech speed. To release the blade, just follow the same steps as the bolster doubles as the release mechanism.

This knife is currently in stock at BladeOps. Click here to order yours today.