Any have the Boker Plus Classic Bushcraft knife yet?

collecter said:
It's not an exact copy and I don't believe it hurts his product. The Ray Mears knife is much higher quality and has a coke bottle shaped handle there is no confusion for which is the genuine item.

I can tell you that after handling this boker I want the original even more.
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I don't disagree with that, but I think this is still a blatant copy and we shouldn't pretend otherwise.

I raised the issue of the Wood/Mears knife and its various clones on this thread here if anyone is interested: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/990889-China-copies-my-thoughts/page2
 
The Woodlore is a unique pattern to Mears?
Or it is a spear bladed 4" full tang knife with a scandi grind?
There are so many clones of very high quality
And we call then clones not copies

An inexpensive clone at the bottom of the market will in no way threaten the market holding of a Mears knife or a other customs
Some on spending hundreds of dollars and is prepared to wait months for delivery, is un affected by a $60 knife.
 
Maybe it's just a coincidence all these knives look so similar (ie almost identical) and have similar-sounding names.
 
When I was a kid Boker was a premium brand, but in the past ten years they seem to have become complete garbage.

Too bad.
 
I never held Ray Mears style woodlore, bushlore, what-ever you call it knife before this Boker came along. I've not seen one at the many knife shows I've been to.

But now that I have a "rough" feel for this style knife I definitely want one.

I held an original Loveless Drop Hunter in stag about 6-7 years ago and that sealed the deal for me. I love that knife and that style knife. It's copied by many makers and that hasn't hurt the Lovess brand in any way.
 
I don't think there's any question that companies are capitalizing on the consumer appeal of the "Mears Woodlore", or whatever he markets it as. But it's a tremendously generic knife design that borrows a lot more from the centuries-old puukko than it brings to the table on its own.

It's one thing to try and market something like the "Rae Mear's Woodlord" in the hopes of confusing consumers, and it's quite another to be one of a dozen companies producing a style of knife that's in demand at the time.

What about kepharts or nesmuks or butchers or bowies or chefs or buffalo skinners or trout and bird or any of the other generic knife designs that everyone has their own interpretation of...are they all just blatant copies, too?

Personally I don't believe that the maker of Mears knife could show even a fraction of the unique and proprietary innovation necessary to patent the design, and I don't think the design would be popular if people didn't see it on TV and associate it with great adventures.

It's a fine enough design...better than most for many jobs, but in my opinion it's hardly unique enough to warrant a claim of design infringement.
 
I don't think there's anything about Alan Wood's knife that could be patented, that's true of most knife designs, but since when was that design 'generic'? Only since it's been copied so many times. It's not like these companies are looking at the knife and trying to improve upon the design, or even just make another Scandi-ground knife, they clearly aim to make it look as much like the original as possible. Personally there are dozens of knives I'd take into the woods before this one, but it works OK. The price Ray Mears is asking is a joke, but if I wanted another Scandi-ground knife (and I have a lot - I even used to recommend them to Ray Mears), I'd buy something else, not some clone or copy that simply exists to pander to the gullible.
 
Jack Black said:
I don't think there's anything about Alan Wood's knife that could be patented, that's true of most knife designs, but since when was that design 'generic'? Only since it's been copied so many times. It's not like these companies are looking at the knife and trying to improve upon the design, or even just make another Scandi-ground knife, they clearly aim to make it look as much like the original as possible. Personally there are dozens of knives I'd take into the woods before this one, but it works OK. The price Ray Mears is asking is a joke, but if I wanted another Scandi-ground knife (and I have a lot - I even used to recommend them to Ray Mears), I'd buy something else, not some clone or copy that simply exists to pander to the gullible.
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Well, I guess I don't see any moral or ethical transgression when companies make a style of knife that is currently popular, especially when it's just another style of a design that's been around for hundreds and hundreds of years.

I also don't think that every "Mears knife" that isn't made by Alan Wood is a "clone or copy that simply exists to pander to the gullible", though I would say that's an accurate description of the Boker model. Of course, I think that's an accurate description of everything Boker has made in ten years if not longer.

But hey, I'm the guy who gets his panties in a wad over the term "survival knife", so if this is your pet peeve I can respect that.
 
sutured said:
Well, I guess I don't see any moral or ethical transgression when companies make a style of knife that is currently popular, especially when it's just another style of a design that's been around for hundreds and hundreds of years.I also don't think that every "Mears knife" that isn't made by Alan Wood is a "clone or copy that simply exists to pander to the gullible", though I would say that's an accurate description of the Boker model. Of course, I think that's an accurate description of everything Boker has made in ten years if not longer.But hey, I'm the guy who gets his panties in a wad over the term "survival knife", so if this is your pet peeve I can respect that.
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You've got me wondering. Can you name three standard model fixed blades from three different American factories that have a build quality better than the Boker Dozier Arkansas Hunter. And if you think you can, what is it about the build quality that you believe makes them better?
 
baldtaco-II said:
You've got me wondering. Can you name three standard model fixed blades from three different American factories that have a build quality better than the Boker Dozier Arkansas Hunter. And if you think you can, what is it about the build quality that you believe makes them better?
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No, I can't, as I don't have an Arkansas Hunter. And I'll freely admit that as such I'm unqualified to make such sweeping judgements of Boker's products. HOWEVER, I've been fantastically underwhelmed with every Boker I've seen recently, and by recently I mean in years and years. Boker used to be a premium cutlery manufacture, and now, IMO, they make low level products that would shame the craftsmen who made the Boker Tree Brand pocket knives of my childhood.

I don't know what happened to the Boker company, but it has not been an improvement.
 
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sutured said:
No, I can't, as I don't have an Arkansas Hunter. And I'll freely admit that as such I'm unqualified to make such sweeping judgements of Boker's products. HOWEVER, I've been fantastically underwhelmed with every Boker I've seen recently, and by recently I mean in years and years. Boker used to be a premium cutlery manufacture, and now, IMO, they make low level products that would shame the craftsmen who made the Boker Tree Brand pocket knives of my childhood.I don't know what happened to the Boker company, but it has not been an improvement.
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I think they just cover a wider consumer base now, but that doesn't detract from their high quality stuff. An immediate example that springs to mind is the chasm that's between the Gentle Folder and Kalashnikov AK12. Diversify or go the way of the dodo.
 
You know, your question got me thinking. Perhaps Boker still makes some premium cutlery...I don't know. But what's really interesting is I couldn't come up with a single American company that makes knives I even take a second look at, or should I say knives that are made in the US.

Not saying there aren't any good ones out there, but I haven't bought a factory (kitchen or field) blade from anywhere but Europe or Japan in years and years.

Sort of sad for a boy who grew up on Schrade, Case, Buck, Gerber, Kershaw, etc..
 
I haven't owned many newer Boker knives but in the past 2 weeks I bought 2 and ended up returning both due to poor quality. This Bushcraft knife and the Titan Drop folder. I won't be getting another Boker unless I can inspect it in person before buying. I hate having to return a knife.
 
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