Another Titan Lightweight Defender - similar problems

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Stainz

Joined
Jun 24, 2007
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My local pusher got in a few more Bokers - including another Titan Lightweight Defender. An off center blade was obvious - as were some rub marks on the blade, although it didn't appear to be rubbing now. Their previous example was - this one could likely have been the same knife, just returned from service. In any case, it's $319 price tag seemed way out of line for the apparent quality - especially fit and finish. A small CRK Sebenza, at $350, in an adjacent display case seems like a bargain, by comparison. I really wanted this knife - before I ever saw one. I'm still reeling from the disappointment in my Savannah, which is actually much thinner bladed than stated in their literature. It pays to physically inspect Bokers! Oddly, I have had far fewer disappointments in buying their PRC-made 'Plus' line offerings!

Just out of curiousity... has anyone bought a Titan Light Defender that was 'right', ie, one they thought was worth the price??

Stainz

PS Still like my Titan Worker, Haddock, and PryMate - and Tree Brand classic slippies!
 
Well, I returned to my local Boker enabler to look at his 'returned' TLD again. My friendly salesman said it should look familiar - it is the original one I looked over some time back. He sent it to shipping - and it was returned a month or two later. He assumed it was new stock, not something that sat there. No invoice was found. He made me an offer I couldn't refuse. I own the beast! Some observations:

1. It is sharp!
2. The green Micarta scales were flat - greyish in color, like the brown Micarta on my Titan Worker was. Neither resembled the catalog pictures. I dripped RemOil on the green Micarta - it became dark, but green - much better.
3. Unlike the Titan Worker, the clip screws must be in place for knife lockbar support on that end of the knife. The Micarta is countersunk for those screws, so they can be used less the clip - but they are then too long and protrude into the blade area. That is the wide side of the slightly uncentered blade, so it likely would never hit them, but I replaced the clip, much to my chagrin.
4. The blade is off center when closed. The pivot screws cannot be tightened without 'locking ' the blade closed. A strong penlite and my stronger readers noted dissimilar washers between the blade and sides at the pivot - that could be the problem!

So - do I send it to Boker USA for service, or 'accept' it as-is? Lubrication has eased it a bit - but the Titan Worker is still smoother. The inset ball on the blade drug - the lube greatly aided that. It is a user as-is - but, even for my fraction of the MSRP cost, it wasn't cheap. Suggestions?

Thanks!

Stainz
 
The Lightweight I got a 1 1/2 years ago came to me in good shape. It definately was sharp. I don't remember any problem with the blade and since I never carry without the clip can't attest to screw length. The only thing to do about the screws is get some new ones and shorten them to the length you need them to be. Here again, I don't remember if you need metric screws or regular screws, if regular, then most likely 2-56's are what you need. If you want to dissassemble it, that may help with the centering, and give you a chance to see if the washers are of different thickness. Ive found that upon assemblely of the knife, if I tighten down the pivot first, and tight as I can get it, then tighten the frame screws, when I loosen the pivot enough to get it opened, it will center up the blade. Then you can set the pivot as you like it. Another thing I have found that reassembling it this way does, is to set the lock back to the left when you now open it. Good/bad.....don't know for sure.

Another method I use to center the blade is to apply pressure to the blade flat and push it towards the side it is closer to when closed. It would seem that you should push the blade away from the liner is is closer to, but it don't work out that way.

As I have posted before, the original Titan Defender I had was stolen a little over a year ago, and I have yet to replace it. But this is/was one of those knives I took an instant liking too and one I'm willing to put the money down to own another one. The design, size, robustness of the frame, are things I found that suited me.
 
That just seems like a lot of tinkering to get a, already exspensive knfe, to a condition it should have came in.
 
That it is MT. I just enjoying tinkering around with them anyway, so it's not a problem to me. I can see what you are saying though. For the price, it should be as perfect as it can be!
 
This Titan Defender Lightweight, first off, is no light weight - it is slightly heavier, in the hand, than the same sized Titan Worker. It seems to have suffered from assembly problems. Unlike the Haddock, it did not get the blade's lockbar surface bearing area polished then fitted to the lockbar in assembly. The high RMS roughness of the stonewash blade, similar to the Haddock's, results in a scratching opening of the lockbar when closing the blade. To polish it now would result in a loose lock, as it already has about 40% engagement. The blade surface roughness likely affects the pivot, too. I haven't disassembled it, so I don't really know. The Haddock has dissimilar bearing washers - and dissimilar sides. The TDL, like the Titan Worker, has similar sides - and dissimilar bearing washers (Unlike the Titan Worker - it's washers look identical - and it is quite smooth in operation and centered when closed!), the thinnest being on the non-lockbar side - the side that is 'too close'. A tad more thickness in that washer would likely center the blade - and prevent the one drag spot just prior to closing. Said drag spot occurs at the apex of the second finger groove - about mid blade - and leaves a little greyish Ti rub mark, which wipes off with a finger, at the blade's spine/beginning of the reduction interface. It is felt just before the lockbar ball drops into it's locked closed hole on the blade. Said closure was exceedingly rough yesterday - a night of soaking in reddish Gun Butter's 'Complete Firearm Lubricant', a sample bottle with the needle applicator having been given to me to 'try' on knives, etc, making it much better. The rough opening of the lockbar, from the aforementioned surface roughness, did not change.

For a $330 MSRP knife, this is an insult. I know what kind of quality, especially in the fitting department, $350 buys in an American knife - my recent Ti/S35VN CRK small Sebenza, sitting next to the TDL now - is testimony to that. I also know how well fitted and uniform/sharp a Buck 110, at <$30 from WallyWorld up the street, is - it can be done. In the middle, say $200+, we have great examples of American made knives, my recent ZT-0551 coming to mind there. Selling sub-production quality knives at custom knife plus prices just isn't right. Maybe the problem is in QC inspection... maybe they just need mandatory periodic vision tests for final assembly and QC inspectors! Seriously, how could you put such a poorly assembled knife in such a nice box? Of course, my trio of Chris Reeve knifes came in rather plain white cardboard boxes...

My bitterness stems from the disappointment over several expensive Bokers over the last few years: Titan Worker, Haddock, Savannah, and the Titan Defender Lightweight. Firstly, the Micarta looked flat on all of them - sullen, even. A small amount of light clock/gun oil darkened and brought out some color - still not what one views in their ad copy. The blade on the Savannah was much thinner than advertised. The operation of the folders, except for the Titan Worker, was sub par. Only the TDL came sharp. This follows my glee over rediscovering the finely executed and highly functional Boker Tree Brand classic slipjoints - which have forever spoiled me for the likes of Case knives! Every blade on all of my Boker slipjoints came sharp, too. It seems it's feast or famine with Boker.

Stainz
 
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