Scarce, Early Boker Damast Damascus Boot Knife or Dagger! 1988 Manfred Sasche!

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NOTE: The knife will be shipped insured which is included in the shipping costs. Please note that the shipping terms are five business days. I usually get things out much quicker, but due to health issues (Multiple Sclerosis) I have to allow for the occasional days when I'm not able to do much. Keep this in mind if trying to contact me as well. I will respond but at times it may take a bit longer. Shipping costs will be slightly higher than usual due to the amount of insurance required. Offered for your consideration is a scarce vintage Boker Damast 1988 damascus boot knife or dagger. Boker is one of Solingen's oldest and most respected firms and their famous "Tree Brand" logo is one of the most recognizable in the industry. In fact, the tree in the logo is actually a representation of the Chestnut tree that stood outside the original factory from the late 1600's until it was struck by lightning in 1925. The knife offers full measures of the fine quality and craftsmanship one expects from Solingen, Germany. Their limited edition "Damast" series features an damascus collector knife and this series is very popular with collectors. I believe this series began in 1987 or possibly 1986 and it continues today. The earlier knives have become very difficult to come by and for some reason, this model is particularly elusive. This example in numbered 588 and the Damast series knives are limited to a maximum of 999 pieces worldwide. The blade was forged by Manfred Sasche who owned a small forge in Monchengladbach, which is about fifty miles from Solingen. As far as I know, Mr. Sasche was the only source of Damascus anywhere near Solingen at that time. He supplied blades for Anton Wingen Jr., Boker, Hubertus, and others. He wrote the book on German Damascus...quite literally, as he authored one of the most comprehensive books ever written on forging Damascus. At this time Damascus was very new for "factory" knives and this offering was very innovative and way ahead of its time. In fact, very few custom makers were even using Damascus at this time, with Bill Moran really "forging" the path for others to follow. Sasche forged the blades for Kershaw's stag-handled Damascus dagger that was made by Anton Wingen Jr. in 1986. He's an industry legend in Germany, where Damascus forging was nearly forgotten about after WWII and the likes of Peter Muller were no longer forging elaborate Damascus artwork for the Third Reich. The knife has not been used, carried, or sharpened and remains in excellent condition with just a bit of light storage wear as shown. It has not been buffed or polished and remains original. The knife comes in its original hardwood storage/display box and includes its original information card, although it's printed in German. Though I've has several of the Damast knives in the past, this is the first example of this model that I've seen. The knife was beautifully crafted and represents the finest in quality and craftsmanship that Boker had to offer. It presents an elegant, refined image while maintaining a very aggressive, "all business" kind of profile. The thick, sturdy blade was skillfully forged from 300-layer Damascus steel and it was deeply etched to bring out the gorgeous grain pattern. The upper edge was aggressively ground to facilitate sharpening if so desired. The markings remain bold and strong with great contrast against the finish. The Boker Chestnut tree logo and date were polished to a deeply mirrored finish and really stand out against the grain. The bolsters were crafted from thick nickel silver and they were highly polished. They're free of any marring or damage with just some light tarnish as shown. The tang was scored on both sides in an "X" pattern along the bolster curvature to improve grip. The handle is of highly polished bone and has a unique, unusual look. I thought it was standard cattle bone, although it may be Giraffe or another exotic bone. It was highly finished and the surfaces display a deep, glossy luster with a beautiful grain. It looks a lot like ... read more

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