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“Stay ‘unreasonable.’ If you
don’t like the solutions [available to you], come up with your
own.”
Dan Webre
The Martialist does not
constitute legal advice. It is for ENTERTAINMENT
PURPOSES ONLY.
Copyright © 2003-2004 Phil Elmore, all rights
reserved.
Boker Lambda
A Product Review by Phil Elmore
Boker
is a German company. One would, therefore, expect to see the word “Solingen”
on the blade of a Boker knife. My new Boker Lambda, however, does not
have a Solingen steel blade. It doesn’t have a steel blade at
all, in fact. No, the Lambda has a blade of “Cera-Titan” that is made in
Japan.
The Boker Lambda, which has a Cera-Titan blade.
According to the product literature, Cera-Titan
is made through a contemporary sintering technique that combines titanium,
“extremely hard elements,” and “silver particles,” producing a very light,
very durable blade hardened to prevent chips and cracks. In theory this
is a metal blade whose performance approaches that of ceramics which
possesses none of the weaknesses of brittle, hard-to-sharpen ceramic blades.
I showed my Lambda to a couple of people, only
one of whom is a knife enthusiast. Both commented, unprompted, on how
light the knife is for its size. At 4.75 inches closed and 8 inches
overall, the Lambda weighs less than three ounces. Boker markets
the Lambda as a “full-sized, do-it-all folder” and designates it the #189.
The Lambda’s handle is ergonomically contoured
and fit my hands well. Rounded grooves are molded into the frame above
and below of the blade pivot as well as on the rear ventral portion below the
lanyard hole. A small Kraton insert on the non-clip side of the frame
improves traction, as the Zytel is otherwise smooth and slippery.
Kraton insert in smooth plastic handle improves grip
traction.
The Lambda is shipped configured for
right-hand, tip-down carry only. The pocket clip has good tension and
works well. It has an unusual shape that reminds me of a musical note.
It is not set up for quick removal, as it is secured as part of the blade
pivot assembly.
Boker Lambda pocket clip.
The blade pivot and therefore the blade
tension is adjustable and accepts a Torx driver. Out of the box, the
blade was fairly tight; the liner lock engaged the tang fully and
towards the center of the tang. After I adjusted the blade to open more
smoothly, the liner engaged consistently all the way to the right of the tang.
The liner itself is easy to disengage and easy to access. There was no
significant blade play in my sample.
The liner lock engagement out of the box, before
adjustment.
A non-adjustable plastic nub, permanently
affixed for right-hand use, serves as a thumb stud. It is a smooth divot
of Zytel that appears to be melted in place on the opposite side of the blade.
I would prefer the nub be textured, larger, or both, but it works fine as it
is.
Plastic opening nub appears to be melted in place on
opposite side.
The Cera-Titan blades cuts amazing well while
retaining its edge. Factory edges often do not stay razor-keen while
cutting strips of paper from the corner, but the Lambda kept right on cutting
while I went through several sheets. The drop-point blade has good belly
for utility cutting and even defensive slashing. The tip is somewhat
rounded, making it less ideal as a thrusting tool. I see the Lambda as a
utility EDC (every day carry), not necessarily a self-defense blade, so this
is not a problem.
The Boker Lambda cut strip after strip… and kept on
cutting.
The Lambda’s liner lock has no detent or
retaining mechanism. Only the tension on the blade pivot keeps it in the
closed position. This would be a significant problem for tip-up carry,
but for the Lambda’s tip-down-only setup it should not prove troublesome.
Do keep this in mind, though, if you live in a state whose knife laws require
such a detent to prevent the knife from qualifying as a “gravity knife.”
The first Boker I ever owned was a front-open
Boker-matic, which I carried in college for some time. Over a decade
later, it’s good to see that Boker is still around and still innovating.
It may be made in Japan, but
the Lambda is definitely a Boker.