Böker Thorn, designed by Jim Burke

[Kin-Luu]

While sitting at my parents during the christmas holidays, I realized that I only own american and japanese made folders.
Kin-Luu, I said to myself, this must not stand, you need to buy more european made knives in 2015.

And so I went to the vast plains of the internet, to fullfill my quest.
The goal was to find a two-handed opening folder, with titan framelock design and a blade made of decent modern steel. I also wanted a pocket clip, as I intend to use it for everday carry. Size was to be somewhere in the range of the folder I EDCed before, a Spyderco Dragonfly.

And because ve do everyzhing bettur here in Dzermäni, I looked for german made knives first.

The result of this search was something that happens dangerously frequently to me, when I go out for such a quest. I made an Impulse buy. I stumbled upon the Böker Manufaktur Solingen Thorn, which was designed by Jim Burke. And I simply had to have it.

Enough words, picture time:




Specs:

Handle Material: Titanium
Blade Material: 154CPM, basically powder-metallurgic 154CM.
Total length: 159 mm
Folded length: 93 mm
Blade length (only cutting edge): 60 mm
Width (folded): Between 25 mm and 29 mm
Weight: 84 g

It opens very smoothly if operated with two hands, but is extremely hard to open with one hand, which is quite important here. The lock is solid (about 40-45%), with a very pronounced click. The blade itself is very sharp, dead center between the scales and with a very symetric grind on both the primary and secondary bevel. The grind itself is slightly hollow, almost flat. Fit and finish is superb, absolutely no manufacuring traces left on both the blade and the scales. Pocket clip is a bit strong for my tastes, but I guess that will wear out over time. It carries quite deep in the pocket, only 6 mm will poke out. Its size is small enough to easily fit into the watch pocket of a average jeans.

All in all, my first impression is very good, it might be exactly what I was looking for. I will let you know how it does when facing the harsh reality of everday office life.

[ducttapetech]

Nice looking folder.

Nate

[derekmac]

I like it!

[JAfromMn]

Now that's a Sharp looking knife.

 

[Kin-Luu]

Now that's a Sharp looking knife.

 

It is really sharp, especially for a factory grind. Out of the box, it is the sharpest knive I have ever bought. But since I have recieved my CRK Mnandi, I have realized that the Thorn has one design element that I do not really understand.
The thickness of the blade. It is at least twice as thick as it has to be IMHO. Böker compensate this issue with a really aggressive hollow grind, that makes the blade cut (and look) really great, but it would not really have to be so thick in the first place.

If you cut very fibrous foodstuff, like for example Bell Peppers - a task that my EDC knives have to perform regulary, because I like Bell Peppers as a snack - the cutting process has the tendency to turn into a splitting process. This happens once the cut is deep enough for the not-ground part of the blade to touch the Bell Peppers. Excuse my stumbling english here.

I just do not understand, why a 60 mm blade needs to be that thick. What EDC-tasks would require a ~4 mm thick blade? I mean we are talking about a small folder here, not about an ESEE 6.

[Raukodur]

What you have hit upon is a very important point that many people miss when discussing their super steels, i.e. the other factors of a knife blade which affect the cutting, sometimes as much, if not more, than the blade metal.

And thickness of the blade, and angle of the cutting edge are two of the most important.