Boye

Joss

Joss

Joined
Nov 20, 2001
Messages
7,352
All,

What do people think of the knives made by Mr. Boye? Are they well made? Do they really cut so much better than other knives?

Thanks,

Joss
 
Yes, and yes (if you're referring to his Dendritic blades). They're definitely geared more towards function than art. But some of the etchings done on his blade is pretty amazing.
 
David Boye is Matt Conable's, of William Henry knife fame, father-in-law to boot so knives run deep in that family!

Here's a couple of shots.......

Circa 1978 Chopping knife, made from L6 bandsaw-blade steel, I found on eBay and then had Francine Martin etch it with a pelican just like one pictured in David's book on how to make knives.

As purchased-
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After David refurbed it and Francine etched it for me-
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Here's a 6" Chef's knife that is cast Dendretic Damascus with a salmon spawning upstream in the moonlight-
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Here are a pair of David's original 'Tweezer' folders, both of cast Dendritic steel and both etched by Francine.....one with a bear paw, the other with bamboo on both the blade and the handle-
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I've got a few others but haven't taken any pictures yet....;)

I can personally tell you that these knives, and especially the Dendretic Damascus, are by far some of the sharpest, most aggressive cutters I have ever had. :)
 
Personally in my experience, dendritic 440C steel does cut long after it loses its razor edge. I like it so much, my medium kitchen knife is a Boye Basic. I believe the dentritic steel may be a little more prone to chipping then straight 440C, but it hasn't been a problem for me.

Boye's designs have a lot of practical thought behind them. For example, his Basic line has a brass lined sheath that can be horozontal or vertical carried, plus your blade will never cut through and its made of nylong so it won't rot. The Basic blades have a built in guide for sharpening at the correct angle using a stone. The blade is like a chefs knife so your knuckes don't hit the surface of what you're cutting. His pocket knives fit the hand well, they have a detent in the liner lock to prevent opening in "white knuckle" situations, they can be opened one handed with and w/o holes. His knives offer a different type of "art" through the etchings on the blades and the cast images in the pocket knives. Plus he has one of the sweetest flat grinds and micro edges in the business.
 
I'd never before given the Boye knives much of a look. All changed in a fell swoop !! His knives are definitely on the unusual side of the spectrum and it appears he follows his own trends. My main concerns (thats not really the correct word) is how the dendritic steel performs in comparison to other mainstream steels.

I know someone who purchased one of David Boye's dendritic cobalt sailing knives - a folder, and he raves about it. Jason.
 
(Edited out original correction)

Dawkind, those knives are TOO cool. I envy you!

I gotta get me one of Francine's work someday...!

Coop
 
You've got it Coop.......I'll edit my post.........thanks for the correction. :)

I wanted to add this pic of my EDC, a Boye cutom folder in cast 440c.....one of the sharpest knives I've ever owned and very sheeple friendly. ;)
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Here's a Boye/Loveless 'Personna'.......one of my all time favorites.........and this is the last one that David himself made.
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Scalpel-like sharpness!
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This is a special Utility knife that I had Francine etch with a bear paw and finish with an Ironwood handle just like my large Tweezer folder. :)
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I like Boye Dendritic. It is 440C or Cobalt. It is not damascus. It is created by smelting 440C or Cobalt, and pouring it into molds, where the cooling process creates the "Dendrites" or fern like crystals. The result is a "toothier" steel at the molecular level.

I used to deal the Basics years ago, they were quite stylish, economically priced, and came with the afformentioned brass lined ballistic nylon sheath. That is no longer available, Mrs. Boye told me two months ago that their supplier needed to re-do the dies for creating the brass liners, some time ago, and they simply were not moving enough Basics in volume anymore to justify the expense. Leather is your only option now. The Basics have also become quite expensive, and the size range has changed. What once was a Basic 2 is now a Basic 3, the largest size (formerly, Basic 3) is not available.

I think the reason that chipping may be a problem as mentioned, is that the edges are ground so thin for slicing usage. The BDS 440C Rockwell's at 55 or so, which is a tad on the softer side, and should not be inherently prone to chipping, I should think.

Francine Larstein is the "Official" fixed blade supplier for David Boye Knives. She does the etching and selling. Personally, I never cared for the "picture knives", but I do very much like the basic etching of the steel to reveal the molecular crystal structure.

J.P. Holmes is the one who actually makes the knives. IOW, he gets the "blanks" as poured and straightened by David, grinds them, heat treats them, and handles them. Francine does the etching per customer requests, or on spec, and manages the sales of them. The folding boat knives is the only avenue that David works directly with as far as finished product, and personal representation.

The Basic knives have always represented to me a form of modern art. That is, a knife taken to it's most basic form, without bells or whistles, giving up no functionality whatsoever, while having a unique and distinctive appearance. Kind of like a Movado watch, a Zippo Lighter or a Lava Lamp. The kind of every day object that belongs in the Museum of Modern Art. That opinion has not changed in the 11 years that I have been handling the knives, and I have used the heck out of them. They are, it should be noted, not ideal for prying or trying to cut nails, but that can be said about an awful lot of knives out there.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Kohai999 said:
I like Boye Dendritic. It is 440C or Cobalt. It is not damascus........
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It's not Damascus in the sense that it's pattern-welded steel but David was the one that coined the term 'Dendretic Damascus' years ago. He used that expression for sometime to describe his cast steel because of the dendretic-crystal patten imparted when the steel was etched, as you previously stated. ;)

The Tweezer folders were pared down, without a handle, to it's 'basic form' and what evolved was the 'Basic' line of fixed blades. :)
 
I have a Basic (like the tweezer folder but larger & no tweezer) and love it. Very solid, very sharp, holds a fine edge and is always grabby.
 
Hello I see where some of you were wondering if you could get some of D.boye folders. I know Francine has some of his folders. I saw them at the Collectors Knife Show on Saterday.You can see them on her web page or contact her at www.francineetchings.com or see them at the Collectors show. ;)
www.collectors-show.com We had a great time.
 
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