The Boker Classic Smooth Grey Bone Pen Knife Review

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 the Boker Classic Smooth Grey Bone Pen Knife, which is a BladeOps Exclusive. It is in stock right now, so hurry on over to buy yours today.

The Blade:

Both of the blades on this knife are made out of stainless steel. When it comes to blade steels, you can either have one made out of stainless steel or one made out of a high carbon steel.  This blade, since it is a stainless steel, has at least 12% chromium. The chromium is going to increase the rust and corrosion resistance, especially when compared to a high carbon blade. That being said, stainless steel is going to be a softer steel than a high carbon. The softness has an upside, because it is going to be easier to sharpen. Unfortunately, this also means that the blade is not going to stay as sharp for as long as a high carbon stainless steel.

Stainless steels are durable and usually tougher than a high carbon blade. It also looks better than a high carbon steel is going to look. It is also going to keep it’s look for longer periods of time than a high carbon steel is.

• High corrosion resistance.
• Easy to sharpen.
• Does not keep its edge as long as high carbon steels.
• Stainless steel is durable and tough.
• Stainless steel keeps its appearance for longer periods of time.

 

Both of the blades have been finished with a satin finish. This is the most common blade finish that you are going to come across in the industry. It is also a classic and one of the most traditional blade finishes that you are going to find. This makes it the perfect option for the Boker Classic, because it is designed as a classic take on the gentlemen’s folder.

The satin finish is created when the manufacturer repeatedly sands the blade in one direction with an increasing level of a fine abrasive, which is normally a sandpaper. This process works to showcase the fine lines of the steel while also showing off the bevels of the blade. This is where the traditional look comes from.

Another thing that makes the satin finish such a traditional option is that it terms of luster it falls almost directly in the middle. You are going to be able to find finishes that are more matte than the satin finish as well as more reflective. In fact, the satin finish works to cut down on some glares and reflections. Lastly, the satin finish is going to increase the corrosion resistance of the steel slightly.

• Satin finish is traditional and common.
• Decreases glares and reflections.
• Increase corrosion resistance.
• Fine lines of the steel are shown off.

 

This classic gentlemen’s knife has two blades. The first one is a clip point and the second one is a spey point.

The clip point blade shape is one of the two most popular blade shapes that is used. It is a traditional blade shape, which is one of the reasons why it was chosen. It is also a versatile blade shape; which is one of the bigger reasons that it was chosen.

The spine of the knife stretches from the handle to about halfway up. At this point, it angles straight down to the tip. This portion looks as if it has been clipped out of the spine and is referred to as the clip. This is where the name of the knife comes from.

The clip also creates a lowered point, which is what is going to give you more control over your cuts. This is a major advantage of this Boker. The Pen Knife is small, so it is most likely going to be used on smaller, more intricate tasks.

That being said, the clip also makes the tip finer and sharper. This is what is going to help the clip point excel at piercing. However, it is also going to make it a little bit weaker and more prone to breaking. I don’t imagine this knife being used for too many difficult tasks, but keep in mind that it is not going to be the most durable blade shape.

The last thing that makes this blade shape versatile is that it does have a larger belly. This is going to help with slicing and push cuts which is going to be a common task with this smaller Boker.

• Lowered point gives you more control over your cuts.
• Clip point is going to excel at piercing.
• Clip point is not the toughest blade shape—it may break if used on harder tasks.
• Large belly that is perfect for slicing.

 

The second blade has been carved into a spay point blade shape. This is the smaller blade out of the two. Both the spine and the belly are mostly straight, although the spine does curve down toward the point slightly. The belly of the knife is also slightly rounded, so you will be able to slice some stuff with this knife. The point on this knife is broad, so you won’t have to worry about it snapping. Again, this is definitely the smaller of the two small knives, so while you won’t be able to do a ton with it, it will be good for smaller more delicate tasks.

• Broad point won’t be prone to breaking.
• Rounded belly so you can slice somewhat with it.
• On the smaller side, so you won’t be able to do a ton with it.

 

The Handle:

The handle is made out of bone with stainless steel bolsters. Bone is one of the oldest knife handle materials that you are going to find. Bone has been used as knifed handles almost since knives have been around. To this day, it is one of the more classic or traditional options for a handle, which is why it is such a perfect option on this classic Boker. One of the only problems with a bone handle is that it does not offer a whole lot of texture, so you won’t be able to use this knife for the heavier duty tasks. That being said, since this is such a small knife, you probably wouldn’t be using this knife for heavier duty tasks anyway. Bone is also porous, which does affect its stability and can make it prone to cracking. Everything from temperature to moisture can affect the handle.

• Bone is traditional.
• Bone is one of the oldest knife handle materials.
• Bone is somewhat slippery.
• Moisture and temperature can affect the handle.

 

The stainless steel bolsters are going to add strength and durability to handles. Stainless steel is very corrosion resistant, so the handle wont’ need to much maintenance to keep it in good shape.

• Stainless steel adds durability and strength to the handle.

The Mechanism:

This is a classic Boker knife, which means that the opening mechanism on it is also going to be classic. This Exclusive BladeOps knife has a nail nick to assist you in opening it. The nail nick is one of the most traditional ways to open a knife. It is exactly what it sounds like: a nick in the nail that you can use your nail to get a grip to swing the knife open. This is a fully manual opening knife, which does mean that it is going to be legal in more states, cities, and areas. That being said, it is going to be a little bit harder to open and bring into play when you do need it.

• This classic knife features a traditional nail nick opening mechanism.
• Manual knife makes it legal in more states and cities.
• Manual knives are a little bit harder to bring into play.

 

The Specs:

There are two different blades on this Pen Knife. The first one, which is the clip point, measures in at 1.75 inches long. The second one, which is the spey point, measures in at 1.1 inches long. The handle on this classic Pen Knife measures in at 3.7 inches long, which does mean that the overall length when it is opened is 6 inches long. This is a tiny knife, weighing in at only a 0.8 ounces.

 

Conclusion:

The Pen Knife series is a classic take on the gentlemen’s folder which historically used to sharpen quills which then transitioned to pencils as the decades progressed. Each of the 2 incorporated stainless steel blades are opened with a classic nail nick opening feature and each Pen Knife model utilizes a slip-joint non-locking mechanism in which the blade is held open by spring pressure on a flat section on the back of the blade’s tang. The Boker Classic line of knives are manufactured in the City of Blades Solingen, Germany and have been since 1869–ranking as a global innovation leader for more than 145 years. This BladeOps exclusive model features a smooth grey bone handle with stainless steel bolsters, a clip point and spey point style blade in a satin finish and like a true gentlemen’s folder, this knife does not have a pocket clip.

This is a BladeOps exclusive knife and it is in stock right now. Pick yours up today.