The Boker Plus 01BO777 Lateralus Knife Review

Boker has been around since the 17^th century. There was a huge chestnut tree towering above the small Boker hardware-factory in the 17^th century, which is the oldest traceable fact about the Boker family. For hundreds of years, it seems as if Boker tools have been successful and ranked among the leading products in Germany and spreading to the neighboring countries and then worldwide hundreds of years later.

It was 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 already prove a weekly production of 2000 pieces, made by 64 smiths, 47 grinders, and a large number of laborers. With an ever growing variety of tools and cutlery combined with the possibilities of international marketing, the family realized that responsibility assignment was crucial to keep their chances. So Hermann Boker emigrated to found Boker & Co. in New York, whereas the younger Robert established his company in Canada and 1865 a branch of it in Mexico.

The Boker’s 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, for many customers had problems spelling the German name Boker—apart from widespread analphabetism. Heinrich considered the chestnut-tree as an ideal memorable log, which belonged to the Remscheid company with another one, an arrow. One of the rare and precious documents, which survived the total destruction of WWII is an ad of Boker Remscheid from 1874, showing both logos.

On Boker’s website, they say, “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 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 lighting in 1925. A gifted artist carved an image of the majestic tree into a piece of original tree trunk, which adorns the executive’s office in Solingen.”

Within the Boker Brand, there are four different lines. They have the Premium collection, the Boker Arboltio—which is the tradition collection, Boker Plus—which is the innovation collection, and lastly Magnum by Boker—which is Price and Performance.

The Lateralus is part of the Boker Plus line. The products in this line are in close cooperation with international acknowledged experts from 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.

 

The Blade:

The blade on this knife is made out of D2 Tool Steel. This steel is used in industrial settings. It has a high hardness and relatively high toughness that make it an excellent choice in the industrial setting and in cutlery. While it is technically not a stainless steel, it is relatively corrosion resistant. This steel is considered a “semi stainless” as it falls just short of the required amount of chromium to qualify as full stainless. D2 has been around for more than 20 years, which is considered an eternity in metallurgy terms. Over the years, different heat treats have emerged, but one has risen to the top as the best—Bob Dozier’s D2. Despite its age, it is a truly superior steel. D2 steel is much harder than other steels in the same category such as 154CM or ATS-34, and as a result, it does hold its edge a little better. With that being said, it is not as tough as many other steels and is exponentially tougher to sharpen. In fact, you will most likely need to be a master sharpener to get a fine edge eon D2 steel.

The Lateralus has been finished with a stonewash finish. A stonewashed finish refers to tumbling the blade in an abrasive material. This finish easily hides scratches, while also providing a less reflective nature than a brushed or satin finished blade. There is a wide variety of stonewashed finish based upon the abrasive shape, tumbling motion, and the type of finish the blade has before it entered the tumbler. One of the very positive benefits of a stonewashed blade is that it is a very low maintenance finish and it easily preserves the original look of the blade overtime. A stonewash finish also hides fingerprints pretty well, so the blade might not need to be polished as often as others with different finishes. The stonewash finish provides the knife with a very rugged, well-worn look. Depending on the manufacturer, a stonewash finish can often look satin from a distance.

The blade has been carved into a drop point style blade. This is a great all-purpose knife that can stand up to almost anything. This shape is also one of the most popular blade shapes that is in use today. The most recognizable knife that features a drop point is the hunting knife, although it is used on many other types of knives as well, including the larger blades in Swiss army knives. To form this shape, the back edge of the knife runs straight form the handle to the tip of the knife in a slow curved manner, which does create a lowered point. It is this lowered point that provides more control and adds strength to the tip. While the tip on a drop point is not as sharp as the tip on a clip point, it is much stronger. It is because of this tip strength and the ability to hold up to heavy use that makes drop point blades a popular blade shape on tactical and survival knives. Drop point knives feature a large belly area that tis perfect for slicing. One of the only real disadvantages the drop point blade is its relatively broad tip, which makes it less suitable for piercing than the clip point. However, this broad tip provides point strength that is not found on the similar clip point knives. When you choose this knife, because of the drop point, you are equipping yourself with a blade that reacts well in many situations.

The Lateralus does sport a plain edge, which will give you very clean cuts. This plain edge will also be able to take on a wide variety of tasks—more tasks than a serrated or combo edge would be able to complete. The plain edge is easier to sharpen and you will also be able to get a finer edge on it.

On the spine of the blade, there is a row of thick, shallow jimping to help you have complete control over your cuts.

 

The Handle:

The handle of this Boker knife is made out of G10 and stainless steel. The front handle scale is G10. G10 is a grade of Garolite that is a laminate composite made of fiberglass. It has very similar properties to carbon fiber yet can be had for almost a fraction of the cost. To make this material, the manufacturer takes layers of fiberglass cloth and soaks them in resin, then compresses them and bakes them under pressure. The material that results is extremely tough hard, very lightweight, and strong. G10 is actually the toughest of all the fiberglass resin laminates and stronger, although more brittle, than Micarta. G10 is durable and lightweight, but

still non-porous. These qualities make it a phenomenal choice for tactical folder and fixed blades, because it is in these genres that things are going to messy. The G10 on the front handle scale is black.

The back handle scale is made out of stainless steel. This material provides excellent durability and resistance to corrosion, but it is not lightweight. Also, stingless steel can be slippery. Because it is combined with the G10 handle scale though, the weight won’t be an issue and the G10 will give you a secure enough grip. Stainless steel is strong and durable.

For the texturing and solid grip, Boker has a series of grooves going down the palm of the handle. The shape of this handle is a unique one. The handle is much skinnier at the top of the knife, where the blade and handle meet. There is a deep, elongated finger groove carved out of the bottom part of the handle. This finger groove is going to give you a secure, comfortable grip on this knife. The butt of the handle is rectangular, but it does have an angled portion. It is on the angled portion that the knife features the lanyard hole.

 

The Pocket Clip:

The pocket clip on this knife is statically designed for tip up carry only on the traditional side of the handle. The clip is on the stainless steel handle scale, so it is stainless steel. This clip is kept in place by two small, silver screws, which do match the rest of the hardware on the Lateralus.

 

The Mechanism:

This knife features a flipper mechanism. This is an assisted-opening knife which means that it is a type of folding knife which uses an internal mechanism to finish the opening of the blade once the user has partially opened it using the flipper. When the knife is in the closed position, the blade is held in place by means of torsion springs and an additional blade lock. As the user applies manual pressure to the flipper, a mechanism such as a torsion spring moves along a track in the liner and rapidly rotates the blade into the open and locked position. Although commonly confused with switchblade knives, a switchblade can be opened automatically simply by the push of a button, but the user of an assisted-opening knife must open it about one quarter of the way before the mechanism opens the knife the rest of the way. The difference is important legally because the blade does not simply open by the push of a button or by the force of gravity, the assisted opening knife is typically not considered a switchblade and may escape the restrictions applying to those in many places.

The flipper mechanism is a square shaped protrusion that juts out of the pine of the handle when the knife is closed. You pull back on this piece of metal and it flips the knife open and locks it into place. The blade is deployed by using the index finger to pull back on it. This not only keeps your hands at a safe distance from the blade but gives you an added finger guard once opened. The flipper in most cases, including this one, will actually wing around and end up underneath the knife continuing to offer protection form accidental knife injuries. If you are concerned with the safety of your thumb, a flipper knife will be more to your liking.

 

The Specs:

The blade on this knife is 3.7 inches long with an overall knife length of 7.9 inches long. The handle of this Boker Plus knife is 4.2 inches long. This knife weighs in at 3.7 ounces.

 

Conclusion:

The Lateralus is a Jason Stout designed flipper model that is a distant cousin to the Lucas Burnley designed Kihon–but with alternative styling, a longer blade and a lighter frame. Each frame lock designed model features a tool steel blade that is deployed with the spine flipper function and operates quick and fluid-like thanks to the ball bearing pivot. Stout also added his own personal flair–outfitting the Lateralus with a massive blood groove and the deep finger groove allows for accurate precision work. The Boker Plus line of knives are designed in cooperation with knife experts worldwide and provide innovative knife concepts for every task. This model features a black G-10 front handle scale, a stainless steel back handle scale, a drop point style blade in a stonewash finish and the pocket clip is statically designed for tip up carry only on the traditional side of the handle. You can find your new Lateralus here on our website.