What's the deal with Boker?

T

Trout Tamer

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Jan 20, 2004
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I recently received a Boker/Magnum catalog in the mail and, after having looked through it, am left with some questions about the company and their knives. At a glance, their products do not seem to be superior to any of the more popular manufacturers, like Spyderco and Benchmade, yet the Boker knives are often priced at or above $200! :eek: What gives? Is Boker really that nice, or are they just full of themselves? I have heard that Solingen, Germany is famous for their knives. Is that due to current, ongoing quality of service and product, or is that reputation based on tradition alone?

Any and all info on Boker and their stuff is appreciated. Thanks in advance.
 
I would guess that two factors are responsible for the seemingly high prices. One, you are looking at a catalog price, an MSRP, and you may be comparing that mentally to street price on other knives. Two, Boker being European, the exchange rate between the euro and the dollar will also inflate their price here.
 
I too just recieved the Magnum catalog. I just purchased a couple of the knives also. I have the Magnum Kalashnikov's. One with a liner lock and the other with the push button. I just gave each knife a a satin finish (I hate bead blasts). My pushbutton model has been made into an automatic. The blades are AUS-8A. They're .116" thick. 6061-T6 aluminum handles give these a nice feel. The only thing missing, are pocket clips. You can get either of these models for well under $40. It would be hard to beat these compared to CRKT or Gerber. These models are made in Taiwan. It really is a step up for a Magnum.
 
Boker is a age old Solingen company that is trying to offer a multitude of different products to satisfy different market niches. I don't own any of the magnum line but I would guess are meant to satisfy the tactical crowd with a lesser priced Taiwanese made tactical style folder that won't break the bank as let's face it the majority of the knife buying public would hardly be willing to shell out $100.00 for a quality folder.

Boker also offers a line of traditional stag handled folders/lockbacks/slipjoints that are still made the old fashioned way. I only own one Boker, a double blade stag handled folding hunter that is a superb knife. The fit and finish are top notch and the stag handles are beautiful. Take a gander at the AG Russell catalog for some more traditional Bokers.
 
Gorlank is right. Boker has done what a lot of company's are doing by offering a line of lower priced knives usually made at another facility with lower manufacturing cost. It's what the industry calls staying competitive. It's sad to say but alot of US companies are doing the same. It' all a part of business.The Magnum line is just that. Boker knives, as far as I know are still good quality pieces. It's a shame that Puma's are not any more. :(
 
I still have a Boker Titanium 1 model folder that I got from Sharper Image catalog back in the late eighties. This was before I got bit by the Knife Knut bug years later, but might have helped pave the way.
 
Thanks for the repies that have come in so far. I understand the idea behind the Magnum line of knives, that being to offer a knife that is both financially and functionally appealing to the casual knife user. I guess my real question concerns Boker itself. How does Boker's quality compare to, say, Benchmade? The MSRP's of the two companies seem to be generally comparable, so how do the fit, finish, and durability of the two compare? What I am looking for is the answer to the question - is Boker a high- quality knife manufacturer?
 
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