Boker Magnum BO460
Review by Phil Elmore
Boker‘s BO460
is one of those curious little utility knives that doesn’t fit into any
one category of design or lock mechanism. Sometimes referred to
as a “Quick Flip” or even a “Swing Blade” model, the BO460 is part of
Boker’s cost-effective “Magnum” line. This is not a “tactical
knife,” though; it’s too gimmicky for that. It might, however,
make a good daily chores knife, especially if you want something
completely self-contained that can also be carried on a neck cord.
The blade is basically a 3-3/8 inch AUS 8 spear-point blade attached
to a pivot pin. The pin is in turn affixed to grooved metal
handle halves that are spring loaded. Pushing the handle halves
together at the very end of the knife opens the space around the blade
pivot pin, permitting the knife blade to swing laterally either into or
out of the shelter of the handle halves. To complicate matters
further, there is a heavy paracord neck loop provided that is attached
to a metal clip. This clip also attaches to the blade pivot,
allowing the cord to swing out of the way when the blade opens or
closes. The knife can be yanked free of that clip, too (it is
designed for this purpose).
Overall fit and finish are good, especially for a “budget” blade. The knife was extremely
sharp out of the box. This blade style is ideally suited for a
broad range of utility chores, too. The mechanism itself takes
some getting used to, and to be honest I had a hard time figuring out
how to open it at first. Once you’ve practiced with it a little
(and decided the attached neck cord is very annoyingly in the way a lot
of time time, and can even block the pivot mechanism if it shifts too
far to one end) you’ll find it relatively easy to use, but you still
must be very careful to keep your fingers clear of the swinging blade.
I’m not sure where curiosities like this knife fit in the overall
scheme of things, but it’s a fun folder that does what it does a little
differently, which you could even carry around your neck or attached to
your belt line (as a static cord carry) if you wanted to. >>