Expedition Barlow opinions

M

Murdamook

Joined
Nov 3, 2010
Messages
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I’ve been drooling over the expedition Barlow by Böker now for a while. It’s a really awesome looking knife. My problem with it is that it’s extraordinarily expensive for what you get. I understand that being interested in traditional knives tends to put me in a zone in which total cost may come out to significantly more than the sum of any knife’s parts. That said, it’s quite a bit more than a brand new GEC. I understand that “worth” is a very subjective term, but in terms of fit and finish, how do these stack up to something from GEC and, in your opinion, is the knife worth the asking price? Thanks in advance.
 
what you might be seeing is price hikes now that Boker isn't producing slip joints in Germany anymore.
Someone correct me if that's not the case.

Unless you're a collector, I agree- they're not likely worth the money.
 
EngrSorenson said:
what you might be seeing is price hikes now that Boker isn't producing slip joints in Germany anymore.
Someone correct me if that's not the case.

Unless you're a collector, I agree- they're not likely worth the money.
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Where'd you hear that?
 
EngrSorenson said:
what you might be seeing is price hikes now that Boker isn't producing slip joints in Germany anymore.
Someone correct me if that's not the case.

Unless you're a collector, I agree- they're not likely worth the money.
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Boker Tree Brand knives are still made in Solingen, Germany. As to what constitutes a reasonable price for a knife, that is entirely subjective. My experience has been that they are very well made, but I do not have any of the new barlows, so take that for what it's worth.
 
JohnDF said:
Go price a GEC Barlow on eBay right now... and then come back here and tell me the Bokers are over-priced.
Better yet, go find a GEC Barlow sitting on a retailer's shelf right now. 🤣
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This has nothing to do with availability or secondary price. I’m asking if, in user’s experience, the quality is on par with something from GEC. I referenced GEC purely for factory pricing relative to Böker’s own factory pricing.
 
I've been eyeing the barlow myself for quite some time too. From what I can understand it's a very well made (in Deutschland) knife, just a hair or two below GEC quality.
 
I have the boker expedition barlow (just got it this month) and I'm not super happy with it for the price. The thing that's irking me is the lack of care on the bolsters from the factory. The blade is slightly off-centered which I'm alright with but the bolsters make me wanna sell it.
 

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SteveD12 said:
I have the boker expedition barlow (just got it this month) and I'm not super happy with it for the price. The thing that's irking me is the lack of care on the bolsters from the factory. The blade is slightly off-centered which I'm alright with but the bolsters make me wanna sell it.
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Is that epoxy?
 
Yes Boker is still making slipjoints in Germany. In fact, they just recently released a new Micarta integral liner Barlow that's made in Germany.

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I love my Boker Barlow Expedition. One of my favorite Bokers. I would put the fit and finish of Solingen made Bokers on the same level as GEC knives. Their quality control is closer to Case's level though, if that makes sense. More stinkers slip through the cracks at Boker than at GEC... But the majority of the German Bokers are every bit as good as a good GEC.

I can't comment on the price really, as I certainly didn't pay KnifeCenter prices. This isn't the place to talk about it, but if you look around enough, you can likely find better deals on most Solingen made Bokers.

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Murdamook said:
My problem with it is that it’s extraordinarily expensive for what you get.
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This hasn’t been my experience with Boker knives Murdamook. I own a lot of Boker knives, mostly Barlows and have been very satisfied with what I got relative to what I paid.
Murdamook said:
That said, it’s quite a bit more than a brand new GEC.
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This would depend on where you get the new GEC, or even if you can get one. I understand that you aren’t considering availability, but with all due respect, I feel like it must be a consideration if you are contemplating a purchase. As JohnDF JohnDF points out, GEC are very expensive if you actually want to buy one. It doesn’t really matter what the factory price is if you can’t get it for that price.
Murdamook said:
I understand that “worth” is a very subjective term, but in terms of fit and finish, how do these stack up to something from GEC and, in your opinion, is the knife worth the asking price? Thanks in advance.
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Bottom line, I have found the F&F of Boker to be worth the asking price. Here are the last three Bokers I bought. In my opinion, they are all extremely high quality and worth what I paid. 😊60D2647B-6A0F-44C4-BF8B-993DB1AEF57B.jpeg
 
SteveD12 said:
I have the boker expedition barlow (just got it this month) and I'm not super happy with it for the price. The thing that's irking me is the lack of care on the bolsters from the factory. The blade is slightly off-centered which I'm alright with but the bolsters make me wanna sell it.
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I don’t blame you for being unhappy with that quality at any price from any maker. Who wouldn’t be? Have you tried to contact the dealer to see if something can be worked out?
 
mbkr said:
That one sent me on an internet search. A little more (ok, a lot more) than I'd pay, but what a beauty of a knife it is :thumbsup::thumbsup:
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I haven't had much chance to carry it just yet, but I've definitely been admiring it since I got it, lol. The desert ironwood is nice, but what really makes it crazy is the damascus. Not only was it forged by the legendary Chad Nichols, but it was forged from steel salvaged from the barrel of a stinking Leopard tank!!
 
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Fixall said:
I haven't had much chance to carry it just yet, but I've definitely been admiring it since I got it, lol. The desert ironwood is nice, but what really makes it crazy is the damascus. Not only was it forged by the legendary Chad Nichols, but it was forged from steel salved from the barrel of a stinking Leopard tank!!
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Nice to have you back around Brian! 😊👍
 
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