John, much like sse, when I first saw that knife I thought it was almost certain to be a "Marbles", but with the markings you described there is no doubt but what you a true Boker.
A very desirable collectors piece!I suspect an old Buckskinner such as yourself already knows whats to follow, but again maybe not.
I recall as very young man in back the 1940's that if you didn't own a Boker or a Marbles, you didn't own much of a knife, things haven't changed all the much insofar as store-bought knives... IMHO.
Boker was the leading competitor against Marbles during their heyday. Today some "real" collectors feel it was nothing more than a very clever marketing scheme, and the Marbles knife was indeed nothing more than a differently shaped, and differently stamped, Boker.
Still yet, both are one of the more sought after knives of today, and that trend is not likely to stop.
One of Boker's better known folding knives was the "Hawk Bill" a single bladed working knife designed for a number of chores from the Farrier to those laying Linoleum Tile. It can still be found in tool boxes throughout the country.
I believe, actually I know, that Boker and Tree-Brand are one of the same, and
that is where many of the so-called experts become confused. However, I admit that is only my opinion and everyone is free to believe what they like about the much older Marbles and Bokers..
I also think Tree-Brand are a bit less expensive and are of a lot lower quality that those stamped BokeR...Here is a link to history of Boker knives....you can actually see where the Tree-Brand actually started in Mew York, when Boker couldn't meet supply & demand.
http://www.boker.de/us/history.htmlAlso, Boker is very famous for its Straight Razors dating from 1869 on to their demise.
I own a couple Boker Straight Razors, one with Abalone handles, and one with Tortoise Shell, both made before the 1900's. I used one of them as a Patch Knife for years, until I was informed of its value...it hasn't served that purpose for some time now but it is still in my bag.....
That's a wonderful knife you have, and its background only adds to the pleasure of owning it.
Here is a little history I picked up while researching my Razors from Boker.
"Since the beginning of the Boker manufacturing plant in 1869, high quality straight razors were produced in Solingen, Germany. At that time, we were already focused on the usage of nothing less than the best in materials, and it was of the utmost importance to maintain the highest production standards available. With that background, the success came quickly, and this gave Boker straight razors an impeccable international reputation. After World War II, the manufacturing of straight razors gradually came to a stop. Today, an original Boker catalog from 1906 is the oldest document in our archives about the razor blade product line of that time.
More than 100 years later, a new lineup is being manufactured in Solingen, reviving the old tradition. Through 170 individual production steps, the new and exclusive Boker straight razors are created. A guarantor for the highest quality is the successful "finger nail test". Only the edge of a perfectly ground blade can be visibly bent on your thumbnail and returns immediately to its original shape when released. Cheap blades are too thick to do this, and for that reason they are refered to as "axes" by the experts."Uncle Russ....
Topic: A few of my knives (Read 1332 times)