Your cart is currently empty
Product image slideshow Items
Tradition and modern lifestyle are no counterparts in the knife industry, which would exclude each other. Currently, there is a trend in the knife community to transfer timeless classics to a more modern appearance by changing details in the product design, without ignoring the basic concept of the knife. This approach of the so-called "Modern Traditionals" is the basic idea behind the Boker Uno series. The models Trapper and Delicate (this model) have been classic products for more than a century, and important items in the product lines of international manufacturers of traditional knives. Both models are originally double bolster knives. By limiting to one bolster (uno), both models have a more elegant appearance. They are no longer pure working horses for the ranch or construction work, now they convince as dressy EDC knives in the barbershop. The handle scales, made of desert ironwood (certified import), fit perfectly and are riveted on the brass liners. The blade is made of 440C steel and doesn't lock (slipjoint). Adorned with the reproduced, historical Boker Tree emblem.
While it was still a high-end steel several decades ago, 440 is a very decent middle-grade steel today. Many users still see it as the perfect "magical trifecta" of edge retention, corrosion resistance and easy sharpening.
Desert ironwood (Olneya tesota) is a type of fine wood used to make handle scales.
Desert ironwood is indigenous to the southwestern United States and the very northwest of Mexico, especially in the Sonora desert. It belongs to the Olneya genus, a member of the papilionaceae family. Desert ironwood grows as a shrub or tree. The plant can grow up to ten meters tall with a trunk diameter of approximately 60 centimeters. The gray bark of younger trees is smooth and develops cracks as the tree ages. Desert ironwood is an evergreen plant that can still cast off its leaves in sustained cold temperatures below 2°C or during a dry spell in order to reduce its water consumption.
Desert ironwood is very sensitive to frost and dies in cold temperatures of less than -9°C. The sapwood of desert ironwood is yellow and unsuitable for the production of handle scales. The heartwood presents a range of colors from delicate grayish brown to a rich dark brown hue. Sometimes, it is almost pure black. The wood has a striking pattern with a mottled or marbled look. Desert ironwood is relatively heavy, very hard and rather tough. Due to these properties is difficult to process but makes up for it by being rather resilient and weatherproof. Therefore, it is the perfect material for handle scales.
The wood can be finished with various wood oils, though it is not very absorbent. Desert ironwood is extremely rare and expensive. To protect the small tree population, only deadwood, i.e. the wood of fallen trees, can be processed legally. Apart from handles scales for knives, desert ironwood is also used for artisanal work such as carvings and inlays.
The slipjoint is a mechanism for folding knives. Slipjoint knives do not possess a mechanical locking mechanism. Instead, the open blade is locked only by means of a spring attached to the end of the spine. Slipjoints are one of the most common locking mechanisms for folding knives.
A slipjoint has a small spring at the back end of the spine that keeps the open blade in place. The knife is closed by putting pressure on the spine of the blade to overcome the resistance of the spring holding the blade in place. Once the spring no longer holds the blade, it can be closed very easily. Unlike other locking mechanisms, a slipjoint is not actually locking the blade, which means there is a heightened risk that the blade might close as it comes in contact with a hard object. For knives with this locking mechanism it is of vital importance that all parts are firmly and securely fitted together.
The slipjoint is regarded as the classic locking mechanism for folding knives. Before the other locking mechanisms were invented, e.g. the lockback or the linerlock, just about all folding knives were equipped with a slipjoint. This is the main reason why slipjoint knives remind many knife collectors of "grandpa's pocket knife". A pocket knife carried by people of our grandfathers' generation would have had a simple slipjoint mechanism.