A couple of knives just arrived, and I admit I've been waiting for them.
The first is a collector’s knife from CobraTec. Their auto Trapper with a hidden bolster release has been out for a while, but they just released one with Abalone scales. The deep, iridescent color jumps out at you and draws you in. This Trapper has been upgraded from D2 to a 154 CM blade. The 3.1-inch blade is 0.11 inches thick at the spine. The blade has a high shoulder, with a saber flat grind and a saber clip point. This is one of the more useful grinds for a pocket knife.
Abalone grips
The stainless steel clip makes
the knife suitable for deep right pocket carry, but in all honesty, I don't
expect anyone to make this their EDC knife.
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| CobraTec Trapper with hidden release |
The knife is 0.48 inches thick (excluding
the removal Clip) and weighs in at 4 ounces.
The blade is released by sliding
the checked front bolster sideways. The
bolster moves slightly and the knife opens.
The same action unlocks the blade so you can close the knife. There are other bolster-release knives, but
CobraTec claims they have applied for a patent on this mechanism.
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| The opening /unlock mechanism is activated by sliding this bolster towards the knife's spine |
It's a nice knife. I really love the amazing display of unearthly colors. I only wish both bolsters had the same appearance, one is checkered and the other polished. Some knives don't need a lot of extra glitz. They benefit from not distracting you from their one amazing feature. This is one of them. You can find it on the market for $130.
You can get yours at https://cobratecknives.com/collections/hidden-release/products/trapper-hidden-release-abalone-with-154cm.
This is a knife you'll be passing
on to your grandchildren.
Boker's Slike
I've seen advertisements for Boker's Slike, and it just arrived. The Slike is a light-weight sliding dagger. The double-edged blade manually slides out of the handle. The blade locks in three positions. Fully closed, fully open, and half-way. The lock is controlled by a raised button located in the butt end of the blade. The release button is spring-loaded and needs to be depressed to slide the knife blade in or out.
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| Slike's clip. |
The knife is a sandwich consisting of a metal back (aluminum?), the D2 steel blade, and a G10 top. The knife's overall weight is less than 1.3 ounces. The dagger blade has a fuller on both side that makes the dagger really pop! The G10 has an attractive light texture. The blade is very thin, measuring 0.087 inches thick at the fullers. The frame, excluding the clip is 0.2 inch thick. This is a light duty knife so don’t expect to use it with abandon.
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| The Slike has a lock/stop that allows you to partially extend the blade |
The knife is assembled with Torx-X screws, and it looks like you might be able to move the wide, open frame clip to the other side. Frankly, I don’t know if this will void your warranty.
One of the problems with out-the-front knives is that retracting the blade brings dirty stuff, food, blood, you name it, back into the knife. This material will find its way onto the blade's track. The open handle will allow the crud to fall away from the blade and help keep the track clean. It appears the knife can be washed clean and blown dry when needed. I wouldn’t use anything but a dry lubricant, like a moly disulfide/graphite powder, to lubricate the track.
Clip side of Boker's Slike
What do I think? I like it with some reservations. It’s a gent’s knife. (But I associate daggers with women!) What are most of our cutting needs? We could open sealed snack packages, cut
articles or coupons out, and slice pizza.
You could open cardboard packages with it, but I wouldn’t expect to be
able to reduce the cardboard shipping box to nibbles with it.
Yes, you could defend yourself
with it. The blade is just under 3
inches in length and Boker knives are out of the box sharp. But it wouldn't be my choice when I go off
the pavement.
Get yours at https://www.bokerusa.com/slike-01bo411
for $84.
