BOKER Plus 01BO010 Credit Card Knife with 2-1/4 in. Straight Edge Blade, Black

I was a bit worried by that video review showing the blade on one of these knives folding back the wrong way while the user tried to cut paper or cardboard with it. But as with all the things I buy, I go with the weight of the reviews and ignore any outliers, no matter how complimentary or alarming. Meaning, since there were far more positive reviews than negative for this knife, I bought it, and would have even had someone posted a video review showing the thing exploding into flames when used. The knife shown in the video review was either a rare but unavoidable defective product, or the knife was misused and damaged, OR was deliberately tampered with to make it fail. The one I bought is strong enough to whittle oak with, and locks open with a satisfying snap. I tried to make mine fail the way the video reviewer's did, and could not.Having said that, left-handed users might inadvertently push in the frame lock without realizing it and have the knife close on their fingers. But I'll explain later.As for the already-mentioned alarming and negative video review, you can safely ignore it, as I did. You can also safely ignore the frequently-raised concern about cutting yourself with the knife while it's closed. I deliberately and firmly rubbed my thumb over the blade's edge with the knife closed, and never got so much as a scratch. I TRIED to cut myself with the closed knife, and failed. Besides, CRKT has been selling a knife that is pretty much identical in design (e.g. a chisel-ground blade flat on one side, mated to a frame made of a single piece of steel, with the lock integral with the frame) called the KISS for many years, tens of thousands of knives, and I haven't heard of anyone slicing themselves on a closed one of those either.Another worry I saw raised is with the "rivet" that serves as the pivot pin attaching blade to frame. Well, it isn't a rivet. What it is is a steel pivot pin, that has the center milled out to save weight. As in knife-grade steel. Abuse the knife enough to break that pivot, and you'll probably have ruined it already in several other ways. Besides, if the pivot pin did somehow fail--unlikely, but possible--anybody with a Brownell's catalog and just the barest minimum of handyman skills could get it working again with no problem.One more word about the quality: I have owned several Boker folding knives, and have handled many more. The quality of the knives has been uniformly high and this knife is no exception. It's actually a factory-production version of a custom knife called the Creditor, made by John Kubasek (whose logo also appears on the Boker-made ones). The custom version is popular and reviewed well, and costs a LOT more than the Boker version. There is simply no way Boker would ever sell a knife that routinely failed in the ways stated.For what it is, the knife is fantastic. It's a thin and very light knife that you could carry comfortably in your wallet, if you remove the pocket clip. Or leave the clip on and use it as a money clip. Your keys probably weigh a lot more than this knife does. As stated it locks open strongly, and stays locked open until you press the lock for closing. Another nice touch; there's a bump milled into the lock bar that mates with a dimple on the side of the blade, which serves a detent to keep the knife closed until you're ready to use it.It's strong enough that you could add some Micarta grip scales to either side and use it as you would any folding knife.Keep in mind, the knife is just two flat and small pieces of metal, each about the thickness of a dime, It's much harder to grip securely than a conventional folder, and a lot less comfortable in the hand. That makes it more difficult to use than a conventional folder. But it _is_ usable. Even as a last (very last) ditch weapon. What you lose is comfort and the secure grip of a nice meaty handle. What you gain is a knife that can be concealed practically anywhere, even if you went around in your underwear all day.I've been practicing various grips with mine, and have settled on just one for any vigorous use. Grabbing it in a fist, and tightening my grip until the thin metal digs in to my fingers and palm. The knife is so short you can only get two fingers on the grip (you should resist the urge to grip it with three fingers, because that will have your index finger partially up on the sharpened edge) and if you take a good swing at something you could easily wrench it from your hand unless you have a death grip on it. I have no doubt such use of the knife would be painful to the hand. But it can be used that way if you need to.A caution: I've found that when gripping the knife like that with my left hand, my fingers invariably mash the frame lock, unlocking the blade. It could be just the way my hands are built (very small) but lefties should definitely experiment with grips to make sure they don't unlock the blade and get cut.The blade on my knife came shaving-sharp. Literally. I was so pleased at how keen it was I got a little carried away and now have a nasty case of knifefighter's mange on my left arm. The blade is a chisel-grind (flat on one side), and chisel grinds have a little peculiarity in how they cut. They are not at their best when the cutting motion is flat (meaning the blade is perfectly perpendicular the the material being cut). They cut best if there is a little angle to the cut, and it varies depending on blade design and--most importantly--which side of the knife is beveled. You'll just have to experiment with it, but it's not something to get worried about. It will cut well enough when used just like a conventionally beveled blade.For those who are baffled (as I was) about the proper way to sharpen a chisel-ground blade, it's simple. You sharpen the beveled side just as you would any knife. On the flat side, you don't sharpen it with a stone, you strop it on leather or rough cardboard (like the back of a legal pad). Sharpen one side, strop the other. Simple.Honestly, if you want a fighting folder, get yourself a six-inch serrated Spyderco and hack away. If your clothing or environment won't permit you to carry a nice big folder, well this Boker is much better than no knife at all. Or if you simply like cleverly designed and well-crafted knives, you get a lot of both for the little money you'll spend on this knife. I love mine, and recommend it to friends, and now you.

OK . . . . . .time for a little reality as I experienced it.I was put off by the negative review video. I decided not to buy the knife. Partly because I THOUGHT (wrongly as it turned out) that the handle slab of this knife was made of glass fiber reinforced plastic or some such.THEN, fortunately, I discovered later at another knife vender's web site that the handle slab is Titanium.I know titanium and specifically thin wall Ti. and it is pretty butch stuff.I rethunk the purchase and ordered my knife.I AM GLAD I DID.so far.I have only had the knife a few hours but I think I can contribute a few thoughts here :The knife is NOT flexy or wimpy like in the video.The knife is not a one hand open knife. At least not without a strong and dextrous paw and a lot of practice. The pivot works well but the lock locks when closed as well as when open and is very firm. I don't need this to be a one hand knife so I am happy. (PS: I can just do it but is clumsy so far)PPS: I'm getting it now.PPPS: No problem (though not as easy as say . . . my small Cold Steel 20MT Mini Tuff Lite Plain)I am guessing our nay saying friend started working his over to free up the one hand open aspect and over did it. Just guessing.Before I bought this knife I saw a YouTube about it. I was concerned when I noticed a significant gap in between the blade and the handle.There is indeed a thin high quality washer between the blade and the handle.It is not a problem. The lock tang on the handle and the stop screw (where sir nay shows it slipping past) are still well overlapped enough to securely lock the blade from accidentally folding closed or over extending.NOW HEAR THIS ; the pocket clip reinforces the area between the lock stop and the screw stop; removing the pocket clip could / will make the structure less rigid. If you are going to use your knife to bush whack new passages in the Amazon I recommend you leave the pocket clip in situ.If you are, as I am, used to dealing with and respecting the limitations of fine ultra light structures ( such as road racing bicycles, hang gliders, air craft, Ferrari sports cars . . . you get the idea) THEN you may do fine removing the pocket clip and being slightly more careful how you cut with this knife.Again . . . if you find it difficult to get to the grocery store and back without destroying your ride and have found a D-10 is the only thing that can take that kind of punishment . . . then leave the pocket clip in place.: )If your knife does loosen up like in the vid a simple solution is to remove the pocket clip, put a large, tapered center punch in the rivet, strike the punch a tap or two with a hammer to TIGHTEN UP THE RIVIT. Or better yet use a snap setting punch. If that is too "technical" then maybe using a pocket knife is too technical as well.As far as cutting up the box; I cut up the entire corrugated cardboard box the knife was shipped to me in into roughly one inch wide strips. My knife is sound. The rivet is quite sound. THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. (by the way it took a fair amount of force; though the knife is sharp it is thicker than a box knife blade and combined with the single bevel design it isn't the best box cutter though no worse than a small, regular, every day, folding knife with a pocket clip.NOW . . . as far as the "Think cheese grater or mandolin" where it has been suggested here that the blade edge is too exposed when closed. In the case of the knife I am holding in my hands THERE IS NO PROBLEM. The maker may have changed the grind slightly to compensate (the YouTube seems to show an edge bevel on the handle side of the knife that mine does not have). My knife is a single bevel grind ( the side facing the handle has no bevel). The side of the blade facing away from the handle has a wide main bevel and then a fairly large secondary bevel on the same side.Sliding my thumb perpendicular to the edge (knife closed) I can not feel ANY cutting edge. Every thing is just fine.Sliding my thumb along the length of the edge (knife closed) I can not feel any cutting edge. Every thing is just fine.If you are still with me, here are some additional fun facts :The blade thickness: Max ~1.38 mm, most of it is ~ 1.36mmOn the other side of the blade from the "BOKER plus" label acid etched into the blade is : John Kubasek, maker, East Hampton, MA, 440 C Stainless Steel.Apparently this knife could perhaps be made in the USA.The titanium handle is medium gray in color, the pocket clip is black and made of steel (not Ti).If, with time and use, I find I hate this knife I will up date and eat crow but, so far, I think I have a winner here.If you are the type who could bind an an elephant with a spider's web, rather than stun him with a kick then you many find the subtleties of this knife intriguing. (= roughly a movie quote)