Günter Böhlke Ironfinger

bquinlan · Sep 27, 2003

I have never posted in this area before and thought I would correct the oversight.

Here is my new finger-hole knife from German knifemaker Günter Böhlke. I had a few unusual features in mind for this knife and Günter did a great job of integrating them into an elegant design.

The blade is a 3-1/4" hollow ground recurve with a false edge made from 0.147" thick S90V. The scales are ironwood. Overall length is 6-3/4" and weight is 3.4 oz.

Günter makes his own leather sheaths, but at my request he found someone to produce a neat horizontal belt sheath in kydex for this one.

This picture should give you a sense of size and of how the grip actually fits. The double guards were added partly for defensive use, but mostly to provide additional stability. They curl around the natural positions of the thumb and middle finger to improve both leverage and fine control.

--Bob Q

Robert Hankins · Sep 27, 2003

Pretty slick!

JensJ · Sep 28, 2003

Nice to see one of Günthers knives on the international forums. I've had the pleasure of meeting him and fondling some of his knives-they are very well made and he is good at working to customer specs.

bquinlan · Sep 28, 2003

Blinker: Thank you!

JensJ: Corresponding with Günther was a pleasure. He comes across as a genuinely nice person.

And he managed to take my ideas and turn them into a knife that was what I really wanted but didn't know enough to design for myself. That takes a special kind of genius. He deserves broader recognition among the knife community.

--Bob Q

JensJ · Sep 28, 2003

Originally posted by bquinlan
That takes a special kind of genius. He deserves broader recognition among the knife community.

Have to agree with that. He has quite a following over here, as he is capable of making nearly everything, from neckknives to swords. And he knows a lot about steels, metalurgy and so on. A great knifemaker.

bquinlan · Sep 30, 2003

Originally posted by JensJ
He has quite a following over here, as he is capable of making nearly everything, from neckknives to swords. And he knows a lot about steels, metalurgy and so on. A great knifemaker.

I couldn't agree more! He helped me select the steel, he integrated my features into the design, and then he turned out a perfectly functional work of art.

Even my non-knife-person friends get a look of surprise on their faces when they take this one in hand. And every one of them says that it feels more natural than any knife they've handled. Most of my knife-person friends just smile and ask for Günther's email address.

Murnax · Oct 5, 2003

Hey bquinlan...could you measure the hole and let me know what the diameter is? I'm working on a finger hole design knife and am curious. Thanks.

bquinlan · Oct 5, 2003

Originally posted by Murnax
Hey bquinlan...could you measure the hole and let me know what the diameter is?

Sure! The hole measures out to exactly 1" in diameter. (Which is kind of funny, since I imagine Günter was working in metric.)

What kind of design are you working on for yours? I hope you'll post the results when you get it done.

--Bob Q

Murnax · Oct 6, 2003

I'm working on a balisong design with an index finger hole. If it works out I'll definitely post pictures. Thanks for measuring that. 1" was the size I had in mind, and that confirms that it should be a good size.

Danbo · Oct 6, 2003

I would like to see a version of that knife, only with a much pointier blade.

bquinlan · Oct 6, 2003

Originally posted by Danbo
I would like to see a version of that knife, only with a much pointier blade.

You could always order a variant of it for yourself. I chose the blade design that I consider most versatile, but different people have different needs and preferences. I'm sure Günter could make you anything from a trimmed-down recurve to a narrow dagger blade.

--Bob Q