Boker Plus Wasabi

Insipid Moniker

Insipid Moniker

Joined
Feb 28, 2011
Messages
27,445
Oh, man. I'm on a knife buying hiatus after spending some time in the hospital, as funds are tight, but this is very, very tempting.

https://www.gpknives.com/boker-wasabi-slip-joint-top-flipper-cocobolo-wood-01bo631.html

Classy, cool, looks to have loads of fidget factor, very affordable and legal almost everywhere. Looks like it will be quite slicey, as well, with that thin blade stock. I'm hoping this is popular enough to see a premium version with S35VN or something similar once my bank account is recovered. As is I'm gonna skip a few car trips and eat a bit more beans and rice, because this will be mine.
 
Nice looking knife. That being said, I wouldn't mind a CF/S35Vn/Blue standoff model like they did with the Urban Trapper for MassDrop.
 
Arrived home last night to find that my wife had got me the CF Wasabi (pretty awesome wife right?). It's really nice, fit and finish is great, mechanism is smooth and the slipjoint has just the right amount of lock-up to make it feel secure when it's open but still still be easy to close one-handed. Also a great EDC for big city/office carry. Agree that a premium version would be awesome!
 
Saw it in the last Böker catalog. Apart from the clip and ugly front-flipper it looks very very nice.
 
The first knife I bought that lead me down the path of collecting was one of the Katsu higonokami style linerlocks ..honestly now I'd have a hard time wanting to fork out any money on a brand with virtually no record but I use it for envelopes regularly and am honestly kinda impressed with it.... Fun to front flip...Considering grinding down the tab since the liner lock defeats the purpose of it being so long.

These look awesome and I might snag one eventually...i have been weary of boker because I read about so many f&f issues. .
 
Insipid Moniker said:
Oh, man. I'm on a knife buying hiatus after spending some time in the hospital, as funds are tight, but this is very, very tempting.

https://www.gpknives.com/boker-wasabi-slip-joint-top-flipper-cocobolo-wood-01bo631.html

Classy, cool, looks to have loads of fidget factor, very affordable and legal almost everywhere. Looks like it will be quite slicey, as well, with that thin blade stock. I'm hoping this is popular enough to see a premium version with S35VN or something similar once my bank account is recovered. As is I'm gonna skip a few car trips and eat a bit more beans and rice, because this will be mine.
Click to expand...

I hope fit and finish will be up to how cool this knife looks. Boker Plus can be pretty hit or miss I find. Damn though, that is one spicy wasabi....by which I mean sexy knife.

Amazing how sometimes these simple straight unembellished shapes seem to create the most handsome knives.
 
I had to go ahead and order one. I'm a sucker for Higo style knives and that wood with the blade shape just looks sexy/classic.

I'll post pics and impressions when I get it.
 
Insipid Moniker said:
Oh, man. I'm on a knife buying hiatus after spending some time in the hospital, as funds are tight, but this is very, very tempting.

https://www.gpknives.com/boker-wasabi-slip-joint-top-flipper-cocobolo-wood-01bo631.html

Classy, cool, looks to have loads of fidget factor, very affordable and legal almost everywhere. Looks like it will be quite slicey, as well, with that thin blade stock. I'm hoping this is popular enough to see a premium version with S35VN or something similar once my bank account is recovered. As is I'm gonna skip a few car trips and eat a bit more beans and rice, because this will be mine.
Click to expand...
Looks like a good user. What I would call a shirt pocket knife. Think Urban Trapper. I would be quite happy with the 440C. I look forward to your review when you get the Wasabi !

Until you said "fidget factor" I was going to recommend the Buck 110 LT for a low cost great knife to get next. (NOT A SHIRT POCKET KNIFE hahaha) but it is a very satisfying knife to use fairly hard. Killer great handle in the hand and they didn't skimp on the heat treat (! ! !).

Thanks for the heads up on this one.
 
mazibuko said:
the slipjoint
Click to expand...
Ohhhhhhh !
No lock. Sweet.
The more I look at this knife it is cool as hell.
More robust than the Urban Trapper (which has that big slot around the pivot that always worries me) not vulnerable to pocket lint like the ball bearing Trapper.
No creak from the frame lock like my all Ti Urban Trapper (I still love that knife to bits though; it's soooo light, long and does a lot of what I need in a knife) and it's Ti (! ! ! ).

Boker Wasabi . . . hmmmmmmm . . .
 
Hackenslash said:
I had to go ahead and order one. I'm a sucker for Higo style knives and that wood with the blade shape just looks sexy/classic.

I'll post pics and impressions when I get it.
Click to expand...

If you like Higo style knives might I highly recommend you check out Katsu knives which are made in Japan. The guy who sets the prices there must be completely drunk off sake because the prices are way too low for the amazing quality product you get from them. My example was absolutely flawless.

61ZQ5Or3ajL._SY355_.jpg


katsu_damascus_knife_1.jpg

82cb63ce8b5bb41560ea75bbbf79ce06.jpg


They even have a Ti framelock Higo for 100$. Their titanium framelocks are outstanding.
61HNOydzB8L.jpg
 
Pogonasong said:
These look awesome and I might snag one eventually...i have been weary of boker because I read about so many f&f issues. .
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Oops . . . some of that was me . . .
It seems they can't make traditional Stockmans for beans. Three out of three with serious issues over a two year period of trying to get a decent one.
Although I must emphatically add that my recently purchased Boker Urban Trapper in drilled Ti is perfect . . . zero problems. :thumbsup:
 
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Noice.

Would prefer to have it in for example white paper steel instead of 440 but know, that Im most likely in the minority on that one.
 
BladeScout said:
Noice.

Would prefer to have it in for example white paper steel instead of 440 but know, that Im most likely in the minority on that one.
Click to expand...

If it were available I'd happily buy this in some high end stainless or tool steel... while quite aware that the steel makes almost no difference. The likelihood of me using this knife to do more than open a package or slice an apple is almost nil. 440 should do just fine.
 
T.L.E. Sharp said:
If it were available I'd happily buy this in some high end stainless or tool steel... while quite aware that the steel makes almost no difference. The likelihood of me using this knife to do more than open a package or slice an apple is almost nil. 440 should do just fine.
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Ohh, Im not dissing 440. Im sure, itll do fine.

Its just that this begs to be a slicer with a fine edge (at least were it mine) and I just like the properties of WP.

Its also in keeping with the Asian inspired theme ... and I like the patina.

Price would be different though.
 
A very generous forum member sent me a Wasabi with cocobolo scales, so I'll work on getting some good pics and a mini review up. First impressions are pretty positive.
 
BladeScout said:
Noice.

Would prefer to have it in for example white paper steel instead of 440 but know, that Im most likely in the minority on that one.
Click to expand...
I'd go for one, preferably clad.

I don't normally go to GP Knives, but I happened to go there earlier this week. This caught my eye too, nice idea to combine front flipper with a slip joint.
 
I got my Wasabi in the other day and I'm mostly impressed.

The blade is nicely done with a blade ridge and a secondary ridge near the tip in classic katana style. The edge came fairly even on the grind and reasonably sharp. The gimping is nicely done and the blade spine is smoothly radiused.

The cocobolo handles are nicer in person than they appear in the pictures. The wood grain is even and well distributed with none of the gaps and boo boos I'm used to in Boker Plus wood. The handle slabs aren't flat; the upper and lower thirds are beveled a little to give the scales a more round feel. Very nice. You can kind of see it near the pivot on the last picture.

The fit and finish is as good as I've seen on a Boker plus. The liners are skeletonized and the backspacer fit is nearly perfect. Blade centerin is almost perfect.

The ergos are OK. Its what you have to expect with a very straight, slender style of knife. The pocket clip is surprisingly effective and retains well. Deployment, for me, is a little finicky. It acts like a front flipper but sometimes I can only get the blade part way out and have to finish it off with a second movement. Honestly, that's probably on me. As I get older it seems to take me longer to develop muscle memory and get good with a certain knife.

My only area of concern is the closing torque. The opening torque is fine; it takes a little build up of pressure to flick the knife open. The closing torque is VERY light. I know it's intended for the hand to apply pressure to the tang while the blade is out and the knife is being used but wow...a very light tap on the blade spine while free will send that blade on a closing arc fast and free. I might try to tighten the pivot to see if it helps, but I'm afraid that would make opening harder and I don't want it much harder.

All in all, a nice effort by Boker on a great design. I'm not sure if the Wasabi will fight it's way into my carry rotation but I'll give it a shot.

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