Blade – September 2019

SEPTEMBER 2019 blademag.com 79

T

he beauty of knives is there is

no shortage of variations, one of

which is the “exchange-a-blade”

model. Some come with diff erent-style

blades available, while others make it so

you never have to sharpen them. Either

way, I have always found the idea novel

and have a couple of older examples in

my collection.

Th is time the three test knives are the

Boker Optima, Outdoor Edge Razorlite

EDC and Case XX Changer. Th ey’re

neither new nor groundbreaking, but that

doesn’t mean they don’t deserve a good

once-over. Having your choice of blades

or the ability to get a sharp one without

having to actually sharpen it does have its

advantages.

SOLID PIECE of KIT

I must say the Boker Optima is a looker!

I have oft en admired this style of Boker’s

lockback. Aesthetically, the folder checks

off all the boxes for me.

At 4.75 inches closed, it is a beefy tool.

It has stainless steel liners, nickel silver

bolsters and Delrin scales. As fi t and

fi nish goes, this knife is spot on. Th e

main blade is a fl at-ground clip point. I

exercised great control over the Optima

because the handle amply fi lls my hand.

Boker provides a saw as the secondary

blade. It works well but can be too

aggressive. Th e blade’s teeth have a

positive rake to them. Such a positive rake

can cause the saw to hang up. Out of the

box, the main blade was sharp. Even so, I

am going to strop it a bit to get more out

of it.

I did a lot of test cutting on some

seasoned oak because I wanted to

“separate the boys from the men.” Th e

Optima did well and held its own with the

knife blade, but, as mentioned, it hung up

on the saw once I was into the cut.

Changing the blade was a key challenge,

and the change was straightforward.

However, I would note that with the saw

installed the blade sits too high, leaving

the teeth exposed toward the tip.

If I had to pick a disappointment about

the Optima, it would be the sheath.

Conceptually it is a good design, but, as

far as the fi t is concerned, someone forgot

to measure. Th e sheath is way too tight

and compresses the blade farther into the

handle as you slide the knife in. Using the

word slide is a bit generous. Th is would be

a great carry if the sheath just had a bit

more room. My suggestion? If you like

the knife, buy and repurpose the sheath,

which features a horizontal and vertical

carry setup. It is well made, so I will

repurpose it for a knife that fi ts it better.

As for the Optima itself, it is a solid

piece of kit; it just needs a diff erent home.

INGENUITY & PERFORMANCE

In the past when I had to change the

insert on this knife style, I found it trying

at the very least. In fact, it usually ended

with me using language that would turn

TheTheCaseCaseXXXXChanger’sChanger’sclip-clip-andand

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ground.ground.TheyTheyarearenice,nice,shallowshallow

grinds,grinds,givinggivingthetheknivesknivesa thina thin

crosscrosssection—idealsection—idealforfora numbera number

of huntingof hunting knife needs.knifeneeds.

TheTheBokerBokerOptima’sOptima’sthinthinflatflat

grindgrinddoesdoesa gooda goodjobjobwithwithaa

maplemapledowel.dowel.TheTheauthorauthorgotgot

somesomehealthyhealthyshavingsshavingswithwiththethe

Boker,Boker, even on hardwoods.evenonhardwoods.