ContinentalOp
Member
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2009
- Messages
- 6,315
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- 12,811
I'd never really been interested in auto knives. I had an assisted-opening knife, a Kershaw Leek, for a while. Good knife, but I wasn't completely comfortable with it in my pocket without the safety engaged and the safety was awkward to engage/disengage one-handed. I ended up selling it.
However, I could see the advantage of having an automatic knife, particularly with gloved hands. Recently, I decided to get one. However, having limited funds, I had to do a lot of research to find something that I thought would suit me without breaking the bank.
I ended up getting a Boker Plus Strike:
3.25" drop-point D2 blade with a black coating and black handles. Normally I try to avoid "tacticool" products, but I gotta say, I like the looks of this one. It's got a nice heft to it without being too heavy, though noticeably heavier than my Delica. The handle texture feels good in the hand. The safety is close to the activation button, allowing me to disengage the safety and release the blade in one motion. I can close it with one hand, though it is a bit tricky; I'm sure it'll get easier with time. The blade locks in place with no perceptible play.
The one downside is that the edge was, at best, working sharp out of the box. Had difficulty slicing a sheet of paper. A few passes with my Sharpmaker's ultra-fine rods and some stropping, and it was making nice, clean cuts in paper. Since D2 is only "semi-stainless," I did apply a little Lubriplate oil to the edge. One of the reasons I chose to go with a coated blade.
All in all, my initial impression is that it's a pretty solid knife, and a good value at less than $50. Time will tell if that impression holds up.
Here's the Boker with my current EDC, a 2.5" Delica for comparison:
I don't know if it will replace my Delica as an EDC knife, but I'll be carrying it for at least the next few days to see how it goes.
And now I'm thinking about getting an OTF.
What have I gotten myself into?
However, I could see the advantage of having an automatic knife, particularly with gloved hands. Recently, I decided to get one. However, having limited funds, I had to do a lot of research to find something that I thought would suit me without breaking the bank.
I ended up getting a Boker Plus Strike:
3.25" drop-point D2 blade with a black coating and black handles. Normally I try to avoid "tacticool" products, but I gotta say, I like the looks of this one. It's got a nice heft to it without being too heavy, though noticeably heavier than my Delica. The handle texture feels good in the hand. The safety is close to the activation button, allowing me to disengage the safety and release the blade in one motion. I can close it with one hand, though it is a bit tricky; I'm sure it'll get easier with time. The blade locks in place with no perceptible play.
The one downside is that the edge was, at best, working sharp out of the box. Had difficulty slicing a sheet of paper. A few passes with my Sharpmaker's ultra-fine rods and some stropping, and it was making nice, clean cuts in paper. Since D2 is only "semi-stainless," I did apply a little Lubriplate oil to the edge. One of the reasons I chose to go with a coated blade.
All in all, my initial impression is that it's a pretty solid knife, and a good value at less than $50. Time will tell if that impression holds up.
Here's the Boker with my current EDC, a 2.5" Delica for comparison:
I don't know if it will replace my Delica as an EDC knife, but I'll be carrying it for at least the next few days to see how it goes.
And now I'm thinking about getting an OTF.
What have I gotten myself into?
