Thread: Brand new Boker razor, terrible?

Hey guys, how are you?

I am a big Dovo fan, but decided to give Boker a try. I bought the Tree Brand canvas micarta razor.
It cost me about 120 + bran new from an authorized dealer, in which I have been buying from for years.

Razor arrived today, I opened all the factory seals and was very excited!
Upon inspecting the razor, the first thing I noticed is wow... there is NO edge on it at all. It was hardly ground. Edge does not even catch my fingernail!

Also to my extreme disappointment, not only is the hollow grinding really slight, but the bevel does not even come close to sitting flat on a hone! not even close. Its about as bad as my chinese ZY razor I got for 8 dollars.

Its a half hollow, I thought it was supposed to be a full hollow razor but perhaps I was in correct. The edge portion beyond the hollow grinding is SO THICK!
I don't think I will ever buy a boker again. Here is some pics: has anyone else noticed this with bran new bokers?


Should I even bother honing this thing? I wonder if I can return it.

If your not happy with the razor contact the authorized seller and return it. Dont know nothing about new Bokers but the old ones are very good shavers.

Originally Posted by glytch5

Should I even bother honing this thing? I wonder if I can return it.

I would contact the vendor and tell him before I did anything, I've not had a new Boker but every company has a dud slip through QC now and then.

If you have been reading the forum much you already know brand new razors from most production factories aren't honed. And my guess is yes you could hone it and shave, as long as your competent at your honing, Boker has always had a decent razor.
As to the grind, I don't know, if you ordered a full hollow then you should return it to this dealer who you have done so much business with for an exchange, and stop buying from him till he learns to hone,, or just know you will have to do the work or send it up. Tc

I bought it from knifeworks.com
I enjoy honing my own razors so I rarely buy from places like SRD who hone them for you, it takes the fun out of it for me, and normally this would be a nice challenge, but one side of this thing sits very awkwardly on the hone. It rocks forward and back. The edge is twisted and bent. I realize that spines are rarely straight, but this is kinda bad.
Every dovo I have bought out of the box came with a decent factory sealed edge on it, so I can't say I agree with you that razors do not come honed from the factory, can't agree at all! I have a video showing one with a great edge I got from this same vendor.
If you look up google images of this particular razor, the heel doesn't look right on mine at all, its squared, the pics show it more rounded. ARGH! you pay your hard earned money for something, then have to wait for it to arrive, just to pay return shipping and wait for it to go back... very irritating.
I'm ganna have to return it I guess, just super disappointing! this happens to me way too often with products! Thanks dudes.

That is a full hollow grind, not a half hollow, so you got what you paid for.

The factory edge can vary from factory to factory, but usually they need to be honed anyway. Unless it was listed as shave ready, you got what you paid for.

If the blade is not straight, then don't consider putting that blade near a hone. Return it for exchange, because you did not get what you paid for.

Originally Posted by Utopian

That is a full hollow grind, not a half hollow, so you got what you paid for.

The factory edge can vary from factory to factory, but usually they need to be honed anyway. Unless it was listed as shave ready, you got what you paid for.

If the blade is not straight, then don't consider putting that blade near a hone. Return it for exchange, because you did not get what you paid for.

Right on man. really? thats hollow? It almost seems to go hollow, then convex, its strange. Do places usually take returns on straights? I hope so. They are pretty nice at knifeworks, a bunch of cute voiced southern girls that work the place.

Most are ground with a double hollow, as is this one. There is a hollow below the spine, then a widened area called the belly that provides strength to the blade, and then the second hollow that runs from the belly to the edge.

Originally Posted by glytch5

I bought it from knifeworks.com
I enjoy honing my own razors so I rarely buy from places like SRD who hone them for you, it takes the fun out of it for me, and normally this would be a nice challenge, but one side of this thing sits very awkwardly on the hone. It rocks forward and back. The edge is twisted and bent. I realize that spines are rarely straight, but this is kinda bad.
Every dovo I have bought out of the box came with a decent factory sealed edge on it, so I can't say I agree with you that razors do not come honed from the factory, can't agree at all! I have a video showing one with a great edge I got from this same vendor.
If you look up google images of this particular razor, the heel doesn't look right on mine at all, its squared, the pics show it more rounded. ARGH! you pay your hard earned money for something, then have to wait for it to arrive, just to pay return shipping and wait for it to go back... very irritating.
I'm ganna have to return it I guess, just super disappointing! this happens to me way too often with products! Thanks dudes.

From what I've been hearing, Boker has been having the worst quality-controll issues.

figures... I typed into google many times "should I buy a boker razor" haha. I know a lot of people like the modern ones, and they have some interesting razors! I was getting bored with dovo 5/8 half hallows, thats 80 percent of their stuff. Boker also claims to have all these hand made steps. It is scary how bad this thing came out. I try to keep low expectations on things I am not familiar with, but this goes much lower than I was prepared for!