Boker love

The German Bökers are very excellent from my experience. Best knives under $100 especially the stockmans which may be the best 4” model currently being made imo. The Appaloosa bone I have is one of the best built knives I have perfect fitment and some damn snappy springs they slam close and “pow” open. No gaps or blade wiggle. (Except the shield isnt perfectly inlaid as you can see) The c75 holds a good edge and strops back to shaving sharp easily. Plus the shields are pinned

7AF93E89-7505-48D1-96C3-E835709CBA0F.jpeg A5BA5335-1918-4EFA-B078-4A377E30D31F.jpeg AF8908C0-5F17-4D45-B92C-BEC391E1E606.jpeg
 
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SV-97 said:
I own one and it's not bad. I think Böker actually sells more different traditionals in the US than in German (BladeHQ for example has lots in stock that I've never seen at a single German shop), otherwise I'd probably have more :D
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Yes, that's the strangest thing. I guess the American market for traditional pocket knives is much bigger. I'm living in Holland and could be in Germany in about a half hour drive, but all off my (made in Germany) Bökers are bought from an US online store because they are not available here :confused:
 
These are my latest Boker Tree Brand Trappersl. Fit and finish couldn't be any better. Both are really nice knives. I chose Cocobolo Wood covers and Smooth Yellow Bone Covers. Who could pass up "Classic Yellow" covers.

zWBN5VU.jpg


Here they are in their new homes - Boker Tree Brand Sheaths..

mgnbTbF.jpg


EDIED TO ADD: These two knives are 100% made in and assembled in Solingen, Germany. Further, the shields are pinned.
 
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zolthar said:
Yes, that's the strangest thing. I guess the American market for traditional pocket knives is much bigger. I'm living in Holland and could be in Germany in about a half hour drive, but all off my (made in Germany) Bökers are bought from an US online store because they are not available here :confused:
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It's so bizarre that they produce knives and ship them overseas straight away and don't even offer them in their own store.
 
Modoc ED said:
These are my latest Boker Tree Brand Trappersl. Fit and finish couldn't be any better. Both are really nice knives. I chose Cocobolo Wood covers and Smooth Yellow Bone Covers. Who could pass up "Classic Yellow" covers.

zWBN5VU.jpg


Here they are in their new homes - Boker Tree Brand Sheaths..

mgnbTbF.jpg


EDIED TO ADD: These two knives are 100% made in and assembled in Solingen, Germany. Further, the shields are pinned.
Click to expand...
Ok you’ve convinced me that I need a Böker trapper. Thanks Ed
 
Just guessing, but Boker may produce knives for the US market that are illegal to sell or carry in Germany? I know European knife laws are quite varied.
 
I have three Solingen made Boker traditionals - I would put the quality definitively above Case and below GEC. I'd have no hesitation buying one if I like the pattern.
I have some moderns that aren't Solingen made. While functional, I am unimpressed. I don't even consider them good for the price.
Just wish they'd make a Solingen peanut. I'm considering if I want a slimline Trapper.
 
zolthar said:
I'm pretty sure that's not the case, but SV-97 SV-97 probably knows for sure.
Click to expand...
Yep, I know :D :p
The stuff they sell in the US and don't in Germany from what I've seen exclusively are traditionals/slipjoints. They're absolutely unregulated here in Germany. As long as it doesn't lock and is one hand opening at the same time you can carry a folding sword if you're so inclined (add a spring assist and there are regulations again; also fixed blades over a certain length and some stuff like balisongs or push daggers are outlawed completely as "prohibited weapons").
 
Hi guys,

though I introduced myself a while ago as the new moderator of the Boker Subforum here at Bladeforums, some of you might have overseen that, so I just do it once more: my name is Marc Goetzmann, I am working for Boker Solingen for 12 years now, and my job is Product Manager. I´m a knifenut for more than 35 years, and the passion for knives is what brought me to Boker and to this job.

I check the Boker subforum daily, but obviously, I should do a daily Boker search as well. ;-)

So now to the questions in this thread:

The difference between the US catalogue and the German catalogue is simply based on the different demands of these markets. It´s not the size of the markets, but more the fact that in Germany, carbon steel blades are a rare exception.

When I say there is almost no demand for carbon steel, please consider that the knife guys who are around in Forums like this one are not really representing the mass market, but are more like a minority.

The average knife buyer in the US knows about carbon steel, and accepts facts like the patina, or even corrosion, but in Germany, we always get complaints if a carbon steel blade shows those normal things, like a patina. There is no knowledge on a broader base among the average customers about carbon steel and the advantages it has.

We are aware that all the afficionados in Germany or Europe do not want to hear that, but basically, it is not possible to stock all those US models for Germany as well in an economic manner.

So this difference is not a matter of local knife laws (which were not described entirely correct for Germany some postings above).

We have complete restrictions on Balisongs, OTF, Pushdaggers, and automatic knives with a blade length of more than 3.34" (85mm). You can´t even own them.

And as a second law, we have carry restrictions (need of a legal reason) for locking one hand openers (regardless the size), for fixed blades with a blade longer than 4.72", and for edged weapons (daggers, bayonets etc., again regardless the size).

So all those classical models like a trapper or whatever are completely unrestricted. Just to mention it...

But I would like to explain also a little about our brand policy, and the different origins of our knives.

15 years ago, there was only Boker (made in) Solingen and Magnum. As you sure know, Magnum is the entry level, and not much of knives which would be discussed in a Forum like that. Magnum comes from China, and with many prices below 20 bucks, they are ok for those guys who look for that price range.
So everything which was not made in Solingen was labeled "Magnum".

But at some time, we saw a need for a third line. The reason was a knife I´m sure you all know: the Subcom Folder from Chad Los Banos.

For this is not Solingen made (but in Taiwan), it had to be labeled Magnum, to comply to our own rules. And indeed, the first models had been delivered with a Magnum logo.

But very soon, we had the feeling that this label wouldn´t do justice to that wonderful little knife.
So we introduced Boker Plus in 2005, to have a label which marks knives that are our own designs (respectively custom collabs, of course), but which were not made in Solingen, but elsewhere in the world.

This was made to make it more transparent for the customer to see what he buys: if it says "Boker Solingen", and has the tree logo, it is made in Solingen, and if it is Boker Plus, it is not a Solingen knife. (On top, we have Arbolito with the tree logo, which comes from Argentina, as you sure know).

So the goal was not concealment, but more transparency, and is still today.

The main thing that changed over the years is that we expanded our Boker Plus manufacturing pretty much over the world. After some models which were made for us by Fox in Italy (Boker Plus Italy), we also have the Boker Plus Patriot, which is entirely made in the USA, including a CM154 blade steel, or the very popular Kwaiken Automatic from Lucas Burnley, where we teamed up with Protech.

The latest addition on the German market is Boker Plus Spain, where we have some outdoor and bushcraft knives made for Boker Plus in Spain. These are just released in Germany very recently, and didn´t hit the US market yet.

I hope that gives you a rough idea how we work, and what our philosophy behind our different brands is.
 
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I apologize for the little epic posting above, but maybe, some of you find some new information in that.

Additionally, I would like to draw your attention on some Solingen made projects which might have slipped your attention.

As the main topic of this thread is more the traditional stuff, I focus on that for now.

And German hunters are very traditional and conservative, so it is way harder to sell them e.g. a hunting knife with a orange rubber handle than it is in the US.

But though stag, brass and nickel silver are stil extremely popular in Germany, there is a demand for high end steels as well.

So for example, we took our Boker Quadro, and equipped it with a main blade made out of CPM-CruWear, which is a great steel in my eyes and released the Boker Quadro CPM. (We also released the Trio CPM, which is the same knife, just without the gutting blade.)

This nice combination between traditional appearance and a high end steel is very well accepted on the German market, and very popular.

I am a fan of neat combinations between tradition and modern times, so another one I would like to draw you attention to is our Scout model. With a massive nickel silver handle, this knife is in our catalogue for more than 30 years.

But again, we tried something new, and replaced the nickel silver handle by G10. I´m not talking about the handle inlays, but about the handle itself, and thus, we brought up the Scout Lightweight.
As you can see in that link, we also have a mini version (Boy Scout) in a pretty wide selection of materials, with nickel silver handle as well as with G10 handle.

And with the Scout Lightweight, I personally love the great combination of a traditional knife design, a modern (CNC milled) G10 handle, and the amazing contrast of the beautiful wooden inlays, made out of Cocobolo or Olive Wood for the lightweight version.

These are only a few examples of what we do in our Solingen factory, and if one of you ever happens to be in Germany, he is very welcome to visit us, to see our shop, and to "talk knives" a little bit.

We also offer factory tours, but these have a fix schedule, and can´t be done spontaneously. But however, you are very welcome to see us in Solingen!

Looking forward to see you there one day!
 
beagleboy said:
Hi guys,

though I introduced myself a while ago as the new moderator of the Boker Subforum here at Bladeforums, some of you might have overseen that, so I just do it once more: my name is Marc Goetzmann, I am working for Boker Solingen for 12 years now, and my job is Product Manager. I´m a knifenut for more than 35 years, and the passion for knives is what brought me to Boker and to this job.

I check the Boker subforum daily, but obviously, I should do a daily Boker search as well. ;-)

So now to the questions in this thread:

The difference between the US catalogue and the German catalogue is simply based on the different demands of these markets. It´s not the size of the markets, but more the fact that in Germany, carbon steel blades a a rare exception.

When I say there is almost no demand for carbon steel, please consider that the knife guys who are around in Forums like this one are not really representing the mass market, but are more like a minority.

The average knife buyer in the US knows about carbon steel, and accepts facts like the patina, or even corrosion, but in Germany, we always get complaints if a carbon steel blade shows those normal things, like a patina. There is no knowledge on a broader base among the average customers about carbon steel and the advantages it has.

We are aware that all the afficionados in Germany or Europe do not want to hear that, but basically, it is not possible to stock all those US models for Germany as well in an economic manner.

So ithis difference is not a matter of local knife laws (which were not described entirely correct for Germany some postings above).

We have complete restrictions on Balisongs, OTF, Pushdaggers, and automatic knives with a blade length of more than 3.34" (85mm). You can´t even own them.

And as a second law, we have carry restrictions (need of a legal reason) for locking one hand openers (regardless the size), for fixed blades with a blade longer than 4.72", and for edged weapons (daggers, bayonets etc., again regardless the size).

So all those classical models like a trapper or whatever are completely unrestricted. Just to mention it...

But I would like to explain also a little about our brand policy, and the different origins of our knives.

15 years ago, there was only Boker (made in) Solingen and Magnum. As you sure know, Magnum is the entry level, and not much of knives which would be discussed in a Forum like that. Magnum comes from China, and with many prices below 20 bucks, they are ok for those guys who look for that price range.
So everything which was not made in Solingen was labeled "Magnum".

But at some time, we saw a need for a third line. The reason was a knife I´m sure you all know: the Subcom folder from Chad Los Banos.

For this is not Solingen made (but in Taiwan), it had to be labeled Magnum, to comply to our own rules. And indeed, the first models had been delivered with a Magnum logo.

But very soon, we had the feeling that this label wouldn´t do justice to that wonderful little knife.
So we introduced Boker Plus in 2005, to have a label which marks knives that are our own designs (respectively custom collabs, of course), but which were not made in Solingen, but elsewhere in the world.

This was made to make it more transparent for the customer to see what he buys: if it says "Boker Solingen", and has the tree logo, it is made in Solingen, and if it is Boker Plus, it is not a Solingen knife. (On top, we have Arbolito with the tree logo, which comes from Argentina, as you sure know).

So the goal was not concealment, but more transparency, and is still today.

The main thing that changed over the years is that we expanded our Boker Plus manufacturing pretty much over the world. After some models which were made for us by Fox in Italy (Boker Plus Italy), we also have the Boker Plus Patriot, which is entirely made in the USA, including a CM154 blade steel, or the very popular Kwaiken Automatic from Lucas Burnley, where we teamed up with Protech.

The latest addition on the German market is Boker Plus Spain, where we have some outdoor and bushcraft knives made for Boker Plus in Spain. These are just released in Germany very recently, and didn´t hit the US market yet.

I hope that gives you a rough idea how we work, and what our philosophy behind our different brands is.
Click to expand...

Thanks for clearing that up, Marc. There's no way I'm going to remember it all but now I know where to find the information.

Subscribed to this thread for future reference.
 
I have come across a couple nice Boker stockmen that I picked up. I have seen many more, but the bone handle ones are usually priced higher than I am willing to pay. I am very fond of this Premium Stockman I picked up, but it has plastic covers. Would really like one of these jigged bone handle Bokers, maybe one day.

They make a fine knife. I would likely grab a nice Boker over a Case depending on year of manufacture.

PYZaMd0.jpg
 
Old Biker said:
I have three Bokers. One is a carvers congress.
Click to expand...

I've got one of those. I bought it for whittling, but it's surprising how often it finds it way into my pocket. It's very well made with good steel. I like it a lot.
 
beagleboy said:
Hi guys,

though I introduced myself a while ago as the new moderator of the Boker Subforum here at Bladeforums, some of you might have overseen that, so I just do it once more: my name is Marc Goetzmann, I am working for Boker Solingen for 12 years now, and my job is Product Manager. I´m a knifenut for more than 35 years, and the passion for knives is what brought me to Boker and to this job.

I check the Boker subforum daily, but obviously, I should do a daily Boker search as well. ;-)

So now to the questions in this thread:

The difference between the US catalogue and the German catalogue is simply based on the different demands of these markets. It´s not the size of the markets, but more the fact that in Germany, carbon steel blades a a rare exception.

When I say there is almost no demand for carbon steel, please consider that the knife guys who are around in Forums like this one are not really representing the mass market, but are more like a minority.

The average knife buyer in the US knows about carbon steel, and accepts facts like the patina, or even corrosion, but in Germany, we always get complaints if a carbon steel blade shows those normal things, like a patina. There is no knowledge on a broader base among the average customers about carbon steel and the advantages it has.

We are aware that all the afficionados in Germany or Europe do not want to hear that, but basically, it is not possible to stock all those US models for Germany as well in an economic manner.

So ithis difference is not a matter of local knife laws (which were not described entirely correct for Germany some postings above).

We have complete restrictions on Balisongs, OTF, Pushdaggers, and automatic knives with a blade length of more than 3.34" (85mm). You can´t even own them.

And as a second law, we have carry restrictions (need of a legal reason) for locking one hand openers (regardless the size), for fixed blades with a blade longer than 4.72", and for edged weapons (daggers, bayonets etc., again regardless the size).

So all those classical models like a trapper or whatever are completely unrestricted. Just to mention it...

But I would like to explain also a little about our brand policy, and the different origins of our knives.

15 years ago, there was only Boker (made in) Solingen and Magnum. As you sure know, Magnum is the entry level, and not much of knives which would be discussed in a Forum like that. Magnum comes from China, and with many prices below 20 bucks, they are ok for those guys who look for that price range.
So everything which was not made in Solingen was labeled "Magnum".

But at some time, we saw a need for a third line. The reason was a knife I´m sure you all know: the Subcom Folder from Chad Los Banos.

For this is not Solingen made (but in Taiwan), it had to be labeled Magnum, to comply to our own rules. And indeed, the first models had been delivered with a Magnum logo.

But very soon, we had the feeling that this label wouldn´t do justice to that wonderful little knife.
So we introduced Boker Plus in 2005, to have a label which marks knives that are our own designs (respectively custom collabs, of course), but which were not made in Solingen, but elsewhere in the world.

This was made to make it more transparent for the customer to see what he buys: if it says "Boker Solingen", and has the tree logo, it is made in Solingen, and if it is Boker Plus, it is not a Solingen knife. (On top, we have Arbolito with the tree logo, which comes from Argentina, as you sure know).

So the goal was not concealment, but more transparency, and is still today.

The main thing that changed over the years is that we expanded our Boker Plus manufacturing pretty much over the world. After some models which were made for us by Fox in Italy (Boker Plus Italy), we also have the Boker Plus Patriot, which is entirely made in the USA, including a CM154 blade steel, or the very popular Kwaiken Automatic from Lucas Burnley, where we teamed up with Protech.

The latest addition on the German market is Boker Plus Spain, where we have some outdoor and bushcraft knives made for Boker Plus in Spain. These are just released in Germany very recently, and didn´t hit the US market yet.

I hope that gives you a rough idea how we work, and what our philosophy behind our different brands is.
Click to expand...
Hello, Marc. I'm glad to see a representative from Boker posting here. I collect older Boker knives, and often have questions about them.

As to the newest traditional Bokers that I see for sale at online retailers: some have "Solingen" on the shield, and I understand they are made entirely in Solingen, Germany. I also see knives that are marked Tree Brand, but have "Germany" on the shield. They are usually in stainless steel, and are not marked "Solingen" on the blades. Are these assembled in Germany from parts made overseas, or assembled overseas from German made parts? Or am I entirely confused about it all? :oops:
Thanks for any clarification you can give.

My oldest Boker:
veRX2zX.jpg

Newest:
dsaLCB7.jpg
 
beagleboy said:
Hi guys,

though I introduced myself a while ago as the new moderator of the Boker Subforum here at Bladeforums, some of you might have overseen that, so I just do it once more: my name is Marc Goetzmann, I am working for Boker Solingen for 12 years now, and my job is Product Manager. I´m a knifenut for more than 35 years, and the passion for knives is what brought me to Boker and to this job.

I check the Boker subforum daily, but obviously, I should do a daily Boker search as well. ;-)

So now to the questions in this thread:

The difference between the US catalogue and the German catalogue is simply based on the different demands of these markets. It´s not the size of the markets, but more the fact that in Germany, carbon steel blades a a rare exception.

When I say there is almost no demand for carbon steel, please consider that the knife guys who are around in Forums like this one are not really representing the mass market, but are more like a minority.

The average knife buyer in the US knows about carbon steel, and accepts facts like the patina, or even corrosion, but in Germany, we always get complaints if a carbon steel blade shows those normal things, like a patina. There is no knowledge on a broader base among the average customers about carbon steel and the advantages it has.

We are aware that all the afficionados in Germany or Europe do not want to hear that, but basically, it is not possible to stock all those US models for Germany as well in an economic manner.

So ithis difference is not a matter of local knife laws (which were not described entirely correct for Germany some postings above).

We have complete restrictions on Balisongs, OTF, Pushdaggers, and automatic knives with a blade length of more than 3.34" (85mm). You can´t even own them.

And as a second law, we have carry restrictions (need of a legal reason) for locking one hand openers (regardless the size), for fixed blades with a blade longer than 4.72", and for edged weapons (daggers, bayonets etc., again regardless the size).

So all those classical models like a trapper or whatever are completely unrestricted. Just to mention it...

But I would like to explain also a little about our brand policy, and the different origins of our knives.

15 years ago, there was only Boker (made in) Solingen and Magnum. As you sure know, Magnum is the entry level, and not much of knives which would be discussed in a Forum like that. Magnum comes from China, and with many prices below 20 bucks, they are ok for those guys who look for that price range.
So everything which was not made in Solingen was labeled "Magnum".

But at some time, we saw a need for a third line. The reason was a knife I´m sure you all know: the Subcom Folder from Chad Los Banos.

For this is not Solingen made (but in Taiwan), it had to be labeled Magnum, to comply to our own rules. And indeed, the first models had been delivered with a Magnum logo.

But very soon, we had the feeling that this label wouldn´t do justice to that wonderful little knife.
So we introduced Boker Plus in 2005, to have a label which marks knives that are our own designs (respectively custom collabs, of course), but which were not made in Solingen, but elsewhere in the world.

This was made to make it more transparent for the customer to see what he buys: if it says "Boker Solingen", and has the tree logo, it is made in Solingen, and if it is Boker Plus, it is not a Solingen knife. (On top, we have Arbolito with the tree logo, which comes from Argentina, as you sure know).

So the goal was not concealment, but more transparency, and is still today.

The main thing that changed over the years is that we expanded our Boker Plus manufacturing pretty much over the world. After some models which were made for us by Fox in Italy (Boker Plus Italy), we also have the Boker Plus Patriot, which is entirely made in the USA, including a CM154 blade steel, or the very popular Kwaiken Automatic from Lucas Burnley, where we teamed up with Protech.

The latest addition on the German market is Boker Plus Spain, where we have some outdoor and bushcraft knives made for Boker Plus in Spain. These are just released in Germany very recently, and didn´t hit the US market yet.

I hope that gives you a rough idea how we work, and what our philosophy behind our different brands is.
Click to expand...
Howdy Marc thanks for the information. Happy to see you here on the forum. Böker tree brand is one of my favorites. Actually trying to pick out a Trapper so many nice woods bone and stag to choose from appreciate all the choices.
 
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