Kenneth C
Towson, Md

Nov 16, 2012

Pros: Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

Initial Impression: Awesome!

I once bought a cheap $6 slip joint knife from a gas station because I was fascinated by how the blade disappeared completely into the handle except for the cut out for the blade nick. I went on a quest to find a higher quality knife with the same design but had no luck. I happened to read about this knife a week ago and knew I had to have one. My initial impression is that I like everything about this knife. There are a few things that you have to think about before you buy this item though. If you want something that deploys lightning fast, forget it. The disc opening is hit or miss at best. Be careful of the blade tip too, although the blade is completely swallowed by the handle, if you run your finger down the opening (starting at the clip end) the tip of the blade will poke your finger. While the IKBS makes for smooth opening and zero blade play, BE CAREFUL WHEN CLOSING THE BLADE, once the liner lock has been moved aside the blade can be at you thumb in a flash if you rush the operation. I still love the knife and am glad I purchased it, the quality is top notch for a Taiwanese knife. I will definitely try to get my hands on a Burnley original.

Rickey D
texas

Feb 26, 2013

Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Blade Material, Overall Quality, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Pocket Clip

use of knife: carried in the line of duty as a backup weapon and used as a general pocket knife for daily duties and functions. things that are great about the knife: the overall length and weight of the knife balances out well. the design and construction of the knife is similar to that of one that cost much more than the knife list for. the pocket clip secures the knife adequately. the locking mechanism secures the blade well and is functional and easy to use. components that need to be tweaked a bit: the placement of the belt clip (is on the same side as the as the tip of the knife) which increases the possibility of poking or cutting yourself while securing the knife in a pocket. the circular blade attachment on the top of the knife blade that is designed to be utilized to open the knife is mounted flush in the handle and does not afford itself to be used for the purpose it was designed. conclusion: Overall Boker did an exceptional job designing and constructing the knife. I would recommend the knife for both daily or duty use.

Jerry W
Edmond, OK

Dec 06, 2012

Pros: Handle Material, Pocket Clip, Overall Quality, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Weight

Stiff initial actuation

New knife has a fairly stiff initial, actuation. With repeated opening, actuation becomes much more user friendly.

Jason C
MN

Dec 26, 2013

Pros: Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

Pretty good, but could use some revisions

Overall, the Boker Plus Kwaiken is a very good knife both in function and aesthetics. It has a blade of a functional length for a multitude of uses and the blade shape lends itself well to slicing everything from steak at the dinner table to whittling wood into tinder. The IKBS bearings make the blade action incredibly smooth without any side play and the liner lock locks up nice and tight. Steel liners and micarta scales make up the handle which is shaped well and is comfortable to hold. The liners are solid, giving the knife a bit of heft. I can say that clipped to my jeans pockets, I hardly notice it is there. The pocket clip came pretty tight out of the box, but a little flexing outwards loosened it up just enough to my liking. Some complaints I have about the knife are as mentioned by the other reviewers. The handle of the knife is so minimalist that it leaves the blade dangerously close to being exposed on two areas - the tip and near the pivot. My knife had a strong detent that kept the blade tip from being exposed, but it is possible for a fingertip or other bit of flesh to sneak in between the liners and get nicked. On the spine side, the sharpened edge near the pivot is just barely flush with the liners. A firm grip can allow the flesh to be squeezed in between them and contact the blade. I have not yet experienced any cuts from handling the closed knife, but I did come close to nicking myself on the tip. I would have preferred a slightly larger handle that would enclose the blade a millimeter or two more for an added margin of safety. I found the thumb disc to be a tad too small to allow me to readily open the knife up quickly and easily. I felt I had to dig the tip of my thumb under the disc in order to pop the blade out past the detent so enough would be exposed for my thumb to fully grasp and deploy. I found out Boker USA offers a larger thumb disc for the Kwaiken that can be had by simply contacting them. For the money, I would have expected to see a higher end steel, but AUS-8 is in plenty of my other knives and I have never had any issues with it. The knife came shaving sharp out of the box and has only required a little touching up occasionally to remain that way.

Doulbledee
Northwest Suburbs - IL

Feb 02, 2019

Pros: Handle Material, Overall Quality

Cons: Pocket Clip

As with many - Needs deep carry pocket clip & delete lanyard hole

In my opinion. This gentlemen's edc folder would greatly benefit from a deep carry pocket clip. It's advantageous to have a discreet carry option. In a market with an overabundance of knife choices these days, I don't know why manufacturers still limit their product to a "1 only" standard exposed carry. They could easily supply two types of pocket clips if possible based on where it mounts - one standard one deep carry. Probably because they in my opinion ruin 90% of the knives out there by putting the seldom-used lanyard hole exactly where you could mount the clip higher up or make a useful discrete gentlemans deep carry clip.

Kniferookie
Arkansss

Mar 14, 2022

Pros: Weight, Handle Material

Cons: Pocket Clip

Great knife, but watch out!

Love the knife itself. Very visually appealing, but comes with a price. I had it clipped in the same pocket as my keys. When I reached in my pocket to get to my keys, the blade is too close to protruding from the liner and cut myself pretty good with the knife closed and clipped my pocket. Not a deal breaker, but it’s no longer a pocket carry.

Lyle Berry
Fort Pierce, Fl

Apr 09, 2013

Pros: Handle Material, Blade Material, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Pocket Clip

NIce Design but Watch Your FIngers!

Overall, this is a good-looking, stylish design with very sharp edge and point. My biggest beef is the blade point remains "peeking" up from the end of the liner when closed, such that you can get a nasty cut if you reach for it clipped to your pocket and forget that the point is not completely hidden.. Also, this makes it vulnerable to opening on its own when the tip catches on your pocket material, etc. so you could reach in to get it (unclipped) and again wind up with some unplanned surgery. This flaw should have been eliminated during design and never been introduced to the market. Use with a sheath should be okay, if you are careful.

Galen M
Maryland

Jan 07, 2013

Pros: Ease of Opening, Handle Material

Cons: Pocket Clip

Beautiful Knife.

This is a very nice knife, I like the simple design, and Japanese tanto blade. The micarta handle is very comfortable in your hand. The worn looking micarta handle and the stone wash finish on the blade give it a custom knife look. I only have two things I don't like about it. First and most important, the tip hangs out of the handle slightly and I cut my thumb and index finger, as I tried the pull in from my pocket. All of the knives must be made that way, according to other reviews I have read. Second the clip is too short and too tight, making it very hard to remove from your pocket. I bought it mainly for my collection so that is not so important to me. I think if I decide to carry it I would probably use some sort of case. Over all I like it and glad I bought it.