Kershaw Ken Onion designed Boa!!!

Dexter Ewing

Dexter Ewing

Joined
Oct 3, 1998
Messages
4,670
Lookie what just slithered in today! One of the protos for the forthcoming Kershaw Ken Onion designed Boa. Please be patient with letting the pics download - they are worth it! First off, the Boa's blade is about 3.5" in length and hollow ground out of 1/8" 440V stock. Let me tell you, the grinds on this puppy are excellent! I love the recurve and the belly on the blade. Looks like a great user. Handle is of anodized T6-6061 aluminum, liners are of 410 stainless. Here's a pic:

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And here is a view from the clip side:

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The Boa when closed. Note the flipper extension protruding from the handle spine. Just hit it with your index finger and BAM!! The Speed Safe mechanism kicks in and out she comes!

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Last bit. Even the handle's spacer is anodized to round out the overall look of the handle. Very nice touch IMO.

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IIRC Kershaw is going into full scale production on the Boas in April. If this wild lookin' multi colored one is not to your liking, there is an all-black version as well. Looks like I'm gonna have to get me one just like this proto when they are finally out. Seriously nice piece here! Both versions retail for $185.

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Dexter Ewing
AKTI Member # A000005

Living life "on the edge"



[This message has been edited by Dexter Ewing (edited 03-14-2000).]
 
Thanks for the pic. I love the colors. Any problems with pocket carry? Looks like a possible problem accidently opening when clipped in the pocket.

Cheers,
Damon
 
Damon - Yes, a viable concern. Probably more so with this particular one I have here, as it is a bit "hair trigger". Kershaw has informed me that they are going to tighten up on the action to where the blade does not fire as easily as this one does. I suppose if you carry the Boa in your left pocket - to where the closed blade butts up against the seams - this "locks" the blade in and prevents unwanted openings.

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Dexter Ewing
AKTI Member # A000005

Living life "on the edge"
 
Goodbye to black G-10!

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AKTI Member #A000832

"A man's got to know his limitations." - Dirty Harry
 
I love it! My only concern would be accidental opening in the pocket due to the "flipper". But, Kershaw is an excellent company and they have probably already thought of it. I would like to volunteer to test one before release.
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Dennis Bible
 
Cool! Looks like a micro-Khukri! hehehe..
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But seriously, I like it! The blade caught my attention big time. And yes, goodbye to black G10, hehehe.

Dan
 
Time for a little progress report. I've been carrying the Boa for several days and it has opened in the pocket only once. I want to reiterate that this particular Boa is a bit hair trigger on the deployment and the production versions will be tightened up to prevent this. When it did go off in the pocket, I had the knife clipped to the right pocket with the index trigger butting up against the pocket seam. Then I accidentally brushed up against an armrest of my chair. No blood was shed thank goodness. Had this been a regular production model, this wouldn't have happened. My point is that the knife is pretty safe to carry in the pocket, in spite of some concerns expressed by some about accidental opening. Hope this helps!

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Dexter Ewing
AKTI Member # A000005

Living life "on the edge"
 
Dexter,

Please define 'pretty safe' for us
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Seems to me that a knife opening itself in your pocket even very rarely wouldn't qualify as 'safe'.

JLM
 
Justin - you just have to experiment around with the way the knife is carried in the pocket. I found that if the Boa is carried in the right hand pocket but does not butt up against the seam, the chances of bumping the index trigger and initiating opening are very slim. Or you can choose to carry in in the left hand pocket which will "lock" the blade closed with it butting up against the pocket seam. I have not played with one from the production run yet, but Ken and a Kershaw rep have told me - they are aware of this and have corrected it. Each Speed Safe equipped Kershaw Onion I've played with are very secure - the SS holds the blade shut.

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Dexter Ewing
AKTI Member # A000005

Living life "on the edge"
 
I love the blade shape, the trigger opening and Speed Safe, choice of steel and the work done on the backspacer. And while I am in favor of something other than the standard black G-10 fare, when will somebody offer something on the middle ground? First BM offers the Ares in that wild black/red,maroon,pink,whatever mix and now Kershaw offers this fluorecent choice along with the black. I would buy this knife (and probably the BM also) in an instant if their choice of color scheme was a little more reserved. Just one man's opinion.

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It's only a mistake if you fail to learn from it!
 
Well, if they get the kinks worked out, I expect I will be buying one of these. Actually have been waiting for this sucker for awhile now, since I first saw it in a magazine about a month. I had given some thought to getting an Avalance, but I am kind of a big dude (six foot ten) and I just don't dig small knives so :p At any rate, I would agree Dex, VERY nice piece there from Kershaw/Onion!
 
Very cool, can't wait!

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You could put nacho cheese sauce on it...
 
Is that pocket clip going to be reversible so us lefty's can use it?

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The thorn stands to defend the Rose, yet it is peaceful and does not seek conflict
 
Get one of these before the Feds declare them inappropriate and ban them to "save the children".
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It's always darkest before the dawn. So if you plan to steal your neighbor's newspaper, that's the time to do it.
 
fudo - AFAIK there are no plans for placing anotehr set of clip holes on the left side of the handle. In the future, Kershaw may decide to do a lefty version of the Boa, as they've done with the Random Task and Mini Task. Time will tell!

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Dexter Ewing
AKTI Member # A000005

Living life "on the edge"
 
Beautiful . . . the color patterns seems kind of wild for my tastes, but I doubt too many people around me would feel like mentioning that a quick opening knife of all things has a strange color scheme
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Simon Yu

"I look at it this way. If things get much worse I'll be too dead to care."
 
Dexter,

I was reading a special edition of Blade Magazine today (Boa on the cover) and read something to the effect that the Boa's "Coming Out Party" is going to be at the Blade Show in June. Does that mean no examples will ship until after then? Thanks man
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