boker's 440c and 440a finished stuff coming out of china and g4 questions?....

jbmonkey

jbmonkey

sure sure
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first off i am new to this site for the most part and especially to this forum, but not so much boker knives. i own more than a handful and my favorite being my afd, and then on the chinese made side my krein pocket bowie. both are two of my all time favorites for very different reasons. so i am not attacking boker rather asking questions, and since i do not know the culture on this forum i am covering my rear, and i hope you'll take my questions as just that questions, from a boker owner who likes most of his bokers.

okay on to my questions/comments. on the 440c or 440a, i assume, steel for the boker plus stuff...i heard a rumor it was being shipped in by boker cause of the known issues with 440 anything stock coming from china being far from 440 anything? true or not?

on that topic still, i have one of the steel mariners in 440c, it was the dullest knife i have ever bought, but more importantly it will not take an edge well. i have used both the sharpmaker with diamond and the other 3 sticks, brown up to the ultra fine...focusing on the courser sticks..... and then i took it to my belt sander and it helped significantly reset the very different factory edges. that was the ultimate problem with the knife....the edges were set all wrong along each side of the plain edge side of the knife. they varied greatly from the factory and made getting it sharp very, very hard, until i reset the edges properly. the steel itself though, doesn't sharpen like any other 440c i've ever done? it is amazingly tough to get it to take an edge and hold it for very long at 40 degree or 20degree per side?

then i have a boker highlands ranger, that came sharp but had very uneven grinds. took a long time to get that one sorted out as well, and compared to other brands 440a steel, this one rolls very easily.

is or was boker using some chinese not quite 440c and 440a steel in their plus and magnum lines? reason i ask now is.....

i just bought a g4 banos knife as i wanted a wharncliffe folding knife and for the money it seemed to be a great deal, but that chinese 440c steel is making me weary....i am hoping this one will sharpen as i know 440c can and will correct my warped image of boker plus 440 stuff. anyone own a g4? opinions? thanks in advance....
 
i see 30 views, but no one knows? i'd be happy with close guesses...i know on brand forums no one wants to stick their tongue out to get bitten off by a expert a few days later, but i'm a newbie and any feedback i'll take. beggars can't be choosers.....

if i am the only known soul to get a weird steel marked 440c or 440 so be it, i'd be happier knowing my next purchase will be a-okay.

if no one knows, so be it. i will continue my hunt for past comments, and this sparks another question...boker doesn't seem to get allot of attention in general forums...in either good or not so good feedback? why is that? any one have an opinion? thanks in advance.
 
Here is what I have experienced from 440A in general, it is a terrible steel, rolls easy regardless of who is using it on what cheap knife. Bokers' 440C on the other hand actually holds an edge keener than the 440C I have used from Entrek or the Sandvik 12c27 which is also well respected on the forums. In practical use on my two AK101's the steel is on par with Cold Steels AUS8a, in edge holding but less brittle and alot tougher in terms of corrosion resistance.
 
I wouldn't by any made in China, but their 440C knives made in Taiwan, seem to be very good. (Taiwan is NOT part of China, even though the Chinese think it should be)
 
From what I gather, it's all about quality control. And Boker's quality control appears to be excellent. So I don't much care where Boker performs its manufacturing as long as their knives are constructed of alloys I consider acceptable. And I DEFINITELY consider Boker's 440C acceptable. :thumbup:

.
 
jbmonkey said:
on that topic still, i have one of the steel mariners in 440c, it was the dullest knife i have ever bought, but more importantly it will not take an edge well. i have used both the sharpmaker with diamond and the other 3 sticks, brown up to the ultra fine...focusing on the courser sticks..... and then i took it to my belt sander and it helped significantly reset the very different factory edges. that was the ultimate problem with the knife....the edges were set all wrong along each side of the plain edge side of the knife. they varied greatly from the factory and made getting it sharp very, very hard, until i reset the edges properly. the steel itself though, doesn't sharpen like any other 440c i've ever done? it is amazingly tough to get it to take an edge and hold it for very long at 40 degree or 20degree per side?
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I also have one of the 440C Boker Plus Steel Mariners that simple refuses to take an edge period.The plain and serrated edges on my NIB Boker knife came completely dull as a butter knife and after reprofiling it to a 25 degree edge, it would still not take an edge...... regardless.....total garbage.While my Boker Plus Besh Wedge Neck Knife in 440C on the other hand does take a edge.
 
bld522 said:
From what I gather, it's all about quality control. And Boker's quality control appears to be excellent. So I don't much care where Boker performs its manufacturing as long as their knives are constructed of alloys I consider acceptable. And I DEFINITELY consider Boker's 440C acceptable. :thumbup:

.
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I agree on their german made stuff and some models like my plus krein. they are excellent, but the magnums I own are low quality products and that steel mariner is one step from frost quality steel. I love design, but the steel is terrible and the quality just isn't there. For the others I mentioned for the low dollars I paid I can live with the low quality. Seems another person experienced this with boker chinese 440c steel. Appreciate your feeback, sir.
 
razorburn said:
I also have one of the 440C Boker Plus Steel Mariners that simple refuses to take an edge period.The plain and serrated edges on my NIB Boker knife came completely dull as a butter knife and after reprofiling it to a 25 degree edge, it would still not take an edge...... regardless.....total garbage.While my Boker Plus Besh Wedge Neck Knife in 440C on the other hand does take a edge.
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Good to know. Maybe its just this one model or only ones from a certain factory? Seems to be good feedback from my searches on the g4, so I am looking forward to it. Thank you for your feedback on your steel mariner.
 
Had a couple of G4s and both were razor sharp. However, I didnt like the linerlock and blade not being centered.
 
224477 said:
Had a couple of G4s and both were razor sharp. However, I didnt like the linerlock and blade not being centered.
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thank you for your feedback. i own one now since starting this thread. my blade is centered, but i have seen others say this across the web...not dozens, but maybe two or three. mine didn't come razor sharp though. it came sharp enough, but nothing noteworthy, but it was 20 something bucks, who can complain. a few minutes on my sharpmarker, and it was razor sharp....glad this 440c steel can take an edge unlike my steel mariner.

so far it's allot of bang for the buck. although once again the infamous chinese made boker lack of quality showed it's head. the torx screws were not tightened down so the scales shifted very slightly when gripping....and one of the spacers(for a lack of a better word or proper knife term) wasn't seated at all and i had to take it apart and polish the hole in the liner so it would seat. once fixed and assembled i've been carrying it everyday and i am impressed, but i wish boker would straighten out their chinese factories and get the quality across the board on all their chinese made models. other readers/poster....before you hammer me on price points and what do i expect routine..... spyderco seems to have figured it out on their tenacious, etc and byrd line, at similiar price points so i know it can be done and not raise prices by much if at all.


update, my blade is not straight either. went home and looked last night, and while not far off, it is angled slightly. hard to see in the wrong lighting, but in good lighting...very easy to see. doesn't bother me though. seems solid and as long as it works i am a happy camper. good info though and i appreciate the heads up. is it a design issue that causes it or something else?
 
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As far as I know the 440C that is used for the Boker Plus series is the real thing, and not a Chinese variant. Like some other manufacturers, Boker has found an excellent partner in China. Everyone of the Chinese manufactured Bokers I have have come to me with excellent fit/finish, and very sharp edges. Heat treat is the important thing in getting a razor edge and the blade holding the edge, my expierence with the Boker Plus 440C has been great! I will not hesitate to purchase a Chinese made Boker.:thumbup::)

I had the G4 and gave it as a gift to a friend. It is a lot of bang for the buck. Far as the off centering issue goes; Loosen the pivot a LITTLE bit. Pushing on the flat of the blade, push the blade towards the side it is closest to when closed, close it, check the centering, if what you want then retighten the blade. If you decide to do this, let me know how it turns out.:)

Meant to add that I had actually ordered 2 of these today. Giving one to my cousin, and I'm keeping the other. I love the design!
 
Um...I have a G4...LOL!!!

Keep us posted on how you like, or dislike it.

God bless and mahalo guys!
 
Does anyone know where the new Kressler Sub Hilt Integral is being made? I know it's 440C and it's part of the Boker Plus line but all the other knives from this series state "Made in China" and this one doesn't. Any info?
 
Daywalker said:
Um...I have a G4...LOL!!!

Keep us posted on how you like, or dislike it.

God bless and mahalo guys!
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Sir, so far it's been a very good knife, once i fixed the minor production issues with it. excellent design without a doubt. i have become a big fan of your designs....but alas i am too poor and too lazy to ever be a good rank and file true fanboy.:) sorry bout that. keep up the good work. can't wait to see what you come up with next.
 
I'm curious about Böker's Chinese 440C, too. I just got a Subcom Titan in 440C today (excellent knife so far, don't know how I missed it for so long), which should be an upgrade over the standard AUS-8. But I also know that Chinese 440C is often way off spec, and is actually 8Cr13MoV or 9Cr13MoV. To use foreign steels in Chinese products, China places some pretty heavy tariffs on the steel, so I'm not sure that Böker (or anyone else, for that matter) can afford to use real 440C in a titanium framelock and price it under $35 street. It would be great if they really are using high quality US or German steel, though... can anyone from the company confirm this?
 
Tsujigiri said:
I'm curious about Böker's Chinese 440C, too. I just got a Subcom Titan in 440C today (excellent knife so far, don't know how I missed it for so long), which should be an upgrade over the standard AUS-8. But I also know that Chinese 440C is often way off spec, and is actually 8Cr13MoV or 9Cr13MoV. To use foreign steels in Chinese products, China places some pretty heavy tariffs on the steel, so I'm not sure that Böker (or anyone else, for that matter) can afford to use real 440C in a titanium framelock and price it under $35 street. It would be great if they really are using high quality US or German steel, though... can anyone from the company confirm this?
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BOKER PLEASE RESPOND TO THIS -- What are you using in your Chinese/Taiwan-made knives that are labeled 440C?

Thanks.
 
flash900 said:
BOKER PLEASE RESPOND TO THIS -- What are you using in your Chinese/Taiwan-made knives that are labeled 440C?

Thanks.
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Boker -- will you kindly answer: What are you using for 440C steel in your Chinese-made knives?

Do you import a 440C? Or is it some form of Chinese steel?

Thanks.
 
ndeezl said:
Does anyone know where the new Kressler Sub Hilt Integral is being made? I know it's 440C and it's part of the Boker Plus line but all the other knives from this series state "Made in China" and this one doesn't. Any info?
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It's made in China.
 
flash900 said:
Boker -- will you kindly answer: What are you using for 440C steel in your Chinese-made knives?

Do you import a 440C? Or is it some form of Chinese steel?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Hmm, maybe they're researching? Last time I asked a question, it took a couple weeks before they had an answer.
 
I think it's fair to say that the lower priced items in the Boker Plus line are a hit and a miss. While the higher priced items like my M3 with sk-5 steel and EFK fix blade are just as perfect in every way.

Didn't mention this before but of the two Boker Plus Knives that I bought recently, the Besh neck knife came with horribly large wire edge and the Titanium Subcom came with a severely unevenly grinded blade that resembled a chisel.
 
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