Boker reproduction of 1943 US M3 knife design
- Thread starter toughguy
- Start date
The M8A1 scabbard that came with the knife, in all the online photos I've seen, should come marked "Made in Germany"; mine has the companies name "Boker" in place of the made in Germany, which is not there.
I noticed the guard on my knife says china on it, I'm assuming which is the country of manufacture. I know a lot of companies are making knives in Taiwan, china, etc. I was wondering if at one point if this knife was made in Germany, hence the made in Germany stamp, then changed production to a china factory which would explain an absence of made in germany.The only other thing I can think of would be that the Boker Co. changed the stamp to the company name part way through the production.
I guess i'm just thinking here...I would appreciate any knowledge you could bestow upon me.
thx
I noticed the guard on my knife says china on it, I'm assuming which is the country of manufacture. I know a lot of companies are making knives in Taiwan, china, etc. I was wondering if at one point if this knife was made in Germany, hence the made in Germany stamp, then changed production to a china factory which would explain an absence of made in germany.The only other thing I can think of would be that the Boker Co. changed the stamp to the company name part way through the production.
I guess i'm just thinking here...I would appreciate any knowledge you could bestow upon me.
thx
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- Nov 11, 2004
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Hello, the knife has always been made in China, but originally, the sheath was made in Germany. The sheath is now made in China as well, by the same factory, for ease of shipping and packaging.
I would like to point out that the knife is part of the Boker Plus line, which denotes it being made in the far east, not in our German factory.
Thanks, Terry
I would like to point out that the knife is part of the Boker Plus line, which denotes it being made in the far east, not in our German factory.
Thanks, Terry
I have a question.... why is the scabbard made of what appears to be die cast metal? Holy cow! I swear it's heavier than the knife. I have original M8A1 Scabbards and honestly this one only superficially looks like the real thing and the real one certainly isn't metal. If you were going to use an alternate material why not nylon or Kydex? They can cost anymore and surely weigh less so would reduce shipping in bulk and are way closer to the original than this clanky heavy thing. The knife is nice even if it is made in China (which I'd prefer it weren't) but the scabbard is just plain weird...
There are unfortunately a few versions out on the market:
First: came from Germany, original sheath
second: came supplied with the knife from China, too light and plastic
third: came from Germany again
fourth: comes from China, solid metal
Sorry for the confusion...
First: came from Germany, original sheath
second: came supplied with the knife from China, too light and plastic
third: came from Germany again
fourth: comes from China, solid metal
Sorry for the confusion...
Oh the only confusion is why Boker would allow their name to be stamped on the metal monstrosity LOL. Not that I ever intend to carry the knife but if I do it will be in a real M8A1 scabbard. Whoever approved the metal design should probably be summarily slapped as silly as it is LOL. I suppose the consolation is that the scabbard would make a heck of a decent weapon in it's own right.
OK The curiosity got the better of me, I had to put it on the scale. Just so those that don't own one get an idea of what I mean. The Knife weighs in at 8 3/4 oz. The Boker Scabbard weighs in at 11 3/8oz. An authentic M8A1 scabbard weighs in at a mere 5 1/8oz, just under half of the metal monstrosity LOL.
The Knife
The Metal thing it came with. Notice it's flat and not rounded at all except the edged, among the other differences from the original design. No need for the metal endcap for example, it's ALL metal...
One of the originals. Note the rounded contour, the metal cap on the end. The metal on the ends of the retaining straps etc. But mostly notice how much less it weighs.
Creative place to hide the made in China marking.
Still, scabbard aside, the knife is a beautiful thing. I'd actually buy it again and I'd recommend it to others. I'd still think the scabbard is a bit of a joke and I'd warn anyone I recommended it to about that part but I would recommend the knife.
It's got some differences from the original blade but then IMO it should have. Enough people already fake age these things and try to pass them off as originals on eBay and the like. These differences at least make it possible to tell the real originals from the fakes/reproductions if you know what to look for.
The Knife
The Metal thing it came with. Notice it's flat and not rounded at all except the edged, among the other differences from the original design. No need for the metal endcap for example, it's ALL metal...
One of the originals. Note the rounded contour, the metal cap on the end. The metal on the ends of the retaining straps etc. But mostly notice how much less it weighs.
Creative place to hide the made in China marking.
Still, scabbard aside, the knife is a beautiful thing. I'd actually buy it again and I'd recommend it to others. I'd still think the scabbard is a bit of a joke and I'd warn anyone I recommended it to about that part but I would recommend the knife.
It's got some differences from the original blade but then IMO it should have. Enough people already fake age these things and try to pass them off as originals on eBay and the like. These differences at least make it possible to tell the real originals from the fakes/reproductions if you know what to look for.