What went wrong with the Kershaw Boas?

I don't have an official answer, but I would guess the selling price made sales low, this was before Kershaw was well known for making great high end blades. People probably wondered why so much for a Kershaw and passed it by.

I had one but didn't much care for it, too heavy and the Speedsafe was quite slow compared to other Kershaws.

If they had used a cheaper blade material and put a lower price on them, things might have gone differently for the Boa.
 
Actually, they were around for several years, and have had a good reputation. The Boa was an early AO, perhaps the mechanism has improved since then. The ones I handled were OK, and the colored handles were beautiful. But eventually, sales drop off, new models are more exciing, and economics dictates that even well-liked knives get discontinued when the market isn't as interested any more.
 
Esav Benyamin said:
...sales drop off, new models are more exciing, and economics dictates that even well-liked knives get discontinued when the market isn't as interested any more.
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I think this is it in a nutshell. Models with high sales numbers and large quantity distributor orders waiting to be filled are not the ones that get the axe.
 
Used one of these everyday for 4 or 5 years straight. About my only criticism is that the enclosed back - while it did make the thing really strong - tended to collect pocket fuzz in the lock. Once I made it a habit to inspect and remove whatever had settled in there each time I sharpened it - this was a really hard tool to beat.
IMHO - a modern classic.
 
I carried one for a few weeks last summer and really liked it. If I didn't have other knives that I wanted to try, I would still be carrying it. Nothing wrong with it at all, probably just slow sales. With the other knives that Kershaw has been putting out the last few years, the Boa had a lot to compete against.

Tom
 
IRON HEAD said:
Or maybe to many people got in trouble for saying they have a boa in their pants.
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Hahaha, I'm pretty sure this is the only logical explanation.

I really like the BOA. Its a pretty beastly folder, probably the stoutest folder they made until the ZT line came around. I always really liked the aluminum backspacer and how the big belly pulled the edge into whatever you were cutting similar to a Spyderco Kukhri.
 
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