BO01BO080: LRF, Cocobolo
Boker Plus
With his first project for Boker Plus, the Wasabi, Japanese knifemaker Kansei Matsuno gained many fans. The Boker Plus LRF is another one of his designs, a gentleman's knife with decidedly Japanese design inspiration. The blade of the LRF is opened with a front flipper and moves smoothly on ball bearings. The slender build is based on stainless steel liners encasing the liner lock. Thanks to the large lanyard hole and clip (tip-up/right carry), this lightweight knife is easy to carry. The VG10 blade boasts a vertical satin finish for added elegance.
About the Designer: Kansei Matsuno
The Japanese knifemaker Kansei Matsuno is a master of his craft and his designs undoubtedly have their own style. He's been making knives since 1992 and exhibited his designs for the first time at the Seki Outdoor Knife Show just one year later. The skillful combination of Japanese style elements with the features of modern pocket knives convinced Boker right away. The mostly slim and lightweight constructions, together with the straightforward designs and the classic Japanese blades make extremely elegant knives for everyday use.
VG10 Stainless Steel
The Japanese VG10 is a cobalt alloy (just like the N690) and has been used in the knife industry for many years. Spyderco in particular uses VG10 for most of their models produced in Seki, Japan. Its performance data exceed those of 440C.
Liner Lock
The liner lock is a locking mechanism mainly used for one-handed knives. Knives equipped with this mechanism are usually called liner lock knives.
The liner lock was invented in the late 19th century in the United States and patented there in 1906. This early version of the liner lock could not be opened with one hand though. The first truly one-handed liner lock knife was only developed after the patent for the original liner lock version had expired. The one-handed liner lock knife was designed by Michael Walker, a US knifemaker. In the 1980s, he introduced an improved liner lock knife first called the "Walker Linerlock".
The special feature of this liner lock is the plate between the handles scales used to lock or release the blade. The mechanism derives its name from this plate or liner. The liner is slightly curved inward. In the front, it extends past the bottom of the handle scales so that it can be operated from the outside. Usually, the plate of a liner lock is made from very hard metal such as stainless steel or titanium, because it needs to hold the blade in place even under great pressure.
The liner lock mechanism works as follows: When the blade is closed, it pushes the liner to the side. When the blade is opened, it makes room for the liner pushing towards the inside and locking in place below the end of the blade. In order to release and close the blade, the liner must be moved to the side manually. Modern liner locks, available since the 1980s, can be operated with one hand, which made this locking mechanism very popular.
Cocobolo Wood
Cocobolo is a type of wood used for the production of knife handles. It has an orange-red hue that becomes much darker with processing. Most Cocobolo knife handles have a rich dark red color.
Cocobolo is the trade name for the lumber of several related Dalbergia or rosewood species. Most of the wood marketed as Cocobolo comes from the Dalbergia retusa, a mid-sized tree that grows to a height of 15-20 meters. It can be found on the Pacific coast in Central America from Mexico in the north to Panama in the south. The freshly cut heartwood of the Dalbergia retusa shows a wide range of colors from dark orange to a rich dark red. The young sapwood, on the other hand, is still light yellow. Only the dark heartwood is used to make knife handles and other high-quality wood products. Cocobolo is a hardwood that is difficult to split yet easy to process. Cocobolo wood is characterized by its irregular, slightly wavy grain and somewhat variegated coloring with lighter and darker sections. They create a beautiful texture reminiscent of marble.
Cocobolo has an exceptionally high oil content that gives the wood an intense floral scent. Thanks to this high oil content, Cocobolo holds up well to moisture. Processed Cocobolo wood has an exceptionally smooth surface that can be polished to a high gloss.
The warm, intense color and striking texture combined with favorable physical properties make Cocobolo wood a popular material most often used for wooden elements that need to be decorative but also stand up to intensive use – knife handles, for instance. Apart from entire items made from Cocobolo, this tropical hardwood is also very popular for inlays.
