- Joined
- Mar 8, 2005
- Messages
- 141
Boker CLB Trance Review by Sifu Jan L. Miller
I recently received from Boker a knife called the Trance designed by Chad Los Banos for testing and review. I am very impressed with the latest creation from knife designer Chad Los Banos. The Trance might very well be the perfect knife for EDC. The blade length just under three inches made from AUS 8 is unique in shape and design. At first glance one thinks is it a Tanto blade?...No!...is it a Wharncliffe blade?....No!...is it a Spearpoint blade?...No!...Then what is it? It's like all of those blade designs rolled into one! The blade design just drives me wild! Not only is it pleasing to look at but it functions superbly. The Trance shares some familiar features of Chad Los Banos's ever popular recent release by Boker called the Subcom F, with a host of interesting concepts incorporated into this new knife.
Imagine taking a Subcom F and pressing it into a lump of Silly Putty then stretching it out to 6 1/2 inches. Absent from the Trance is the aggressive jimping at different points around the handle found on the Subcom F. That absence makes this knife very comfortable to hold in the hand. The handle design is perfect for Pakal Grip (ice pick grip) with the blade facing outwards. The slight downward curve on the upper handle towards the blade just fits the palm so well making it perfect for this grip position. Pakal grip blade facing inwards become more difficult especially for those with large hands as the Carson Flipper will get in the way, for those with smaller hands this is not a problem. The handle which widens out in just the right places provides for a very strong Hammer Grip hold.
The knife incorporates large thumb studs on both sides of the blade making it user friendly to both right and left handed people. The fit and function was perfect, there was no blade play and lock up was solid as a rock. I would have liked the thumb jimping on the spine to have been a little more aggressive, but it does do the trick to secure the knife in ones hand. Out of the box the Trance was scary sharp, and able to cut through anything I put in front of it with ease. The clip is nice and long and keeps the knife in place wherever one clips it, even on light material like a shirt pocket. The clip can be positioned for a tip up or tip down carry. There are four holes on the backside of the handle which are nicely countersunk, taking some weight out of the knife and can be used as pivots for the fingers while changing grip positions.
Adding a Carson Flipper to the Trance makes opening this knife a breeze and lots of fun to practice with. My only concern would be that when using a tip up blade position in the pocket the flipper could hit against objects in the pocket and open up exposing the blade tip...so be careful what you place in the pocket alongside the Trance.
In the final analysis the Trance might very well be the perfect EDC knife... Its light enough to carry all day long, a real light saber when it comes to cutting, and is very comfortable using as it fits the hand like a glove. Chad Los Banos can be credited with giving the knife community another creative unique design and Boker can be credited with producing that design in a well made knife that should give the user many many years of satisfaction. I give the Trance two big thumbs up and Kudos to Boker and Chad Los Banos for a job well done.
Sifu Dr. Jan L. Miller Dragon Tiger Kung Fu Center, Smithtown N.Y. 11787
I recently received from Boker a knife called the Trance designed by Chad Los Banos for testing and review. I am very impressed with the latest creation from knife designer Chad Los Banos. The Trance might very well be the perfect knife for EDC. The blade length just under three inches made from AUS 8 is unique in shape and design. At first glance one thinks is it a Tanto blade?...No!...is it a Wharncliffe blade?....No!...is it a Spearpoint blade?...No!...Then what is it? It's like all of those blade designs rolled into one! The blade design just drives me wild! Not only is it pleasing to look at but it functions superbly. The Trance shares some familiar features of Chad Los Banos's ever popular recent release by Boker called the Subcom F, with a host of interesting concepts incorporated into this new knife.
Imagine taking a Subcom F and pressing it into a lump of Silly Putty then stretching it out to 6 1/2 inches. Absent from the Trance is the aggressive jimping at different points around the handle found on the Subcom F. That absence makes this knife very comfortable to hold in the hand. The handle design is perfect for Pakal Grip (ice pick grip) with the blade facing outwards. The slight downward curve on the upper handle towards the blade just fits the palm so well making it perfect for this grip position. Pakal grip blade facing inwards become more difficult especially for those with large hands as the Carson Flipper will get in the way, for those with smaller hands this is not a problem. The handle which widens out in just the right places provides for a very strong Hammer Grip hold.
The knife incorporates large thumb studs on both sides of the blade making it user friendly to both right and left handed people. The fit and function was perfect, there was no blade play and lock up was solid as a rock. I would have liked the thumb jimping on the spine to have been a little more aggressive, but it does do the trick to secure the knife in ones hand. Out of the box the Trance was scary sharp, and able to cut through anything I put in front of it with ease. The clip is nice and long and keeps the knife in place wherever one clips it, even on light material like a shirt pocket. The clip can be positioned for a tip up or tip down carry. There are four holes on the backside of the handle which are nicely countersunk, taking some weight out of the knife and can be used as pivots for the fingers while changing grip positions.
Adding a Carson Flipper to the Trance makes opening this knife a breeze and lots of fun to practice with. My only concern would be that when using a tip up blade position in the pocket the flipper could hit against objects in the pocket and open up exposing the blade tip...so be careful what you place in the pocket alongside the Trance.
In the final analysis the Trance might very well be the perfect EDC knife... Its light enough to carry all day long, a real light saber when it comes to cutting, and is very comfortable using as it fits the hand like a glove. Chad Los Banos can be credited with giving the knife community another creative unique design and Boker can be credited with producing that design in a well made knife that should give the user many many years of satisfaction. I give the Trance two big thumbs up and Kudos to Boker and Chad Los Banos for a job well done.
Sifu Dr. Jan L. Miller Dragon Tiger Kung Fu Center, Smithtown N.Y. 11787
