Friday, March 30, 2012

Boker Plus Jim Wagner Reality Based Knife Review


This personal tactical folder designed for Boker Plus by martial arts instructor Jim Wagner may be just what you need if you carry a knife for urban emergencies like cutting yourself out of a safety harness or smashing an occasional car window. Although the Boker Reality Based Blade serves well enough for that, if you use a knife for standard purposes, the special design of the blade might seem awkward.

The first thing I noticed about this knife is the overall feel and construction; this is not a lightweight blade! At 6.2 ounces it weighs a trifle more than my Spyderco Gunting, but the difference is largely nominal and would make little difference in EDC. The Boker features nylon scales with full steel liners for strength.

The lock on this knife is very robust, to say the least. In fact, the closest comparison I can make to another factory blade for lockup strength would be a very expensive Extrema Ratio I once handled! One note – You are NOT going to flick this knife open with a wrist flick, though a thumb flick is quite possible after it loosens up a bit!


With a stout, piercing point that Boker describes as gladius-style, the blade plunges through tough materials easily. A concave cutting edge on the anodized high carbon stainless steel blade hooks straps and cord for quick cutting, but won't be quite so easy to use if your applications involve paring and slicing. Whether a knife makes good sense for everyday carrying depends on how well it matches your daily chores, and if you're an electrician or a handyman, you might miss the old drop point.

The 3-7/8 inch blade is manufactured of 440C steel, and is marked “Made in Taiwan”. It is extremely sharp and has already caused one injury to a friend of mine who was examining it.

With the Boker Plus Jim Wagner Reality-Based Blade, you have the advantages of a hawkbilled blade in opponent control and defensive cutting, while also enjoying the advantages of a tanto point for thrusting, penetrating cuts. This gives this blade the best of both worlds, at least in my opinion. The blade is available in both plain edge and serrated edge.

For the urban survivalist more interested in clambering out of car wrecks than in peeling apples, this design does make good sense. Deep finger grooves in the fiber reinforced nylon grip give the knife excellent grip strength in difficult circumstances, and the wide handle provides torque for the strong 3-7/8-inch blade. The knife blade swings out with a push on the thumb stud, and locks securely into open position for a working length of 9-1/16 inches. Underneath the FRN (Fiberglass Re-enforced Nylon) handle scales, you'll find a strong framework of stainless steel. The pommel includes a hardened steel insert useful for smashing window glass.


This knife also has great potential as a self-defense tool in the closed position, having several protrusions for use in giving an assailant a good smack to deter further aggression. The glass breaker would also excel at such non-lethal persuasion.

It carries very well in the pocket – a bit thicker than some knives, I admit, but a great deal more comfortable in the hand due to the ergonomics of its thicker grip.

In my estimation, with the purchase of this knife you essentially are getting the features, ergonomics and construction of a blade easily two to three times this price for a very reasonable cash outlay. The Boker Jim Wagner Reality-Based Blade has found its way into my EDC (Every Day Carry) rotation and will likely remain there for quite a while.


To buy or get more information on the Boker Plus Reality-Based Plain Tanto Blade Knife with 3-7/8" Plain Blade, click the link below.

Boker Plus Reality-Based Plain Tanto Blade Knife




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