Boker Plus 02BO1942 V-42 Replica Devils Brigade Knife with 7 in. Straight Edge Blade

This is as close as you're going to get to the real thing....in a quality reproduction.I can't emphasize enough how EVIL the tip is on this thing. I won't buy a knife that uses crappy steel so I was happy to see that this one went the extra mile and used the SK5. For that reason I'd say you could actually use this for it's intended purpose if the need ever arises. I can't imagine anyone carrying this thing outside of a very specific combat role but the steel should be up to the task. I'm not sure how the tang is on this knife but I wish I did.As a complete package I was very happy with everything. The patch and the sticker were a nice touch and the sheath was top notch. I'm not a fan of the long sheath but it seems historically accurate and it's part of the knife's history so I'm all smiles to have it.- The knife arrived sharp (but not as sharp as a Kabar)... That aside , the beauty of the knife is really in the insanely dangerous tip. I would imagine this would pierce anything (or anyone) you put in front of it within reason.- The "skull cracker" pommel is my favorite thing about the knife. I think it's genius as an offensive weapon or a back up. I don't know why more knives don't utilize this feature. I would imagine you would have no difficulty knocking and enemy unconscious or breaking bone with a well connecting shot.- The only points I would deduct would be the grip. The leather washers are largeer than those in the original and not ground in the way the originals were. While aesthetically it looks nice.... it's probably practically inferior to the rougher grips of the originals and on some other V-42's of lesser quality. Again, It looks great and is well done but I would have preferred the more historically accurate rough texture. The grip on the Boker is rather smooth.- The finish on the knife looks good. It's a charcoal black finish that gives the blade an aged kind of look. Oddly it "sparkles" in the sunlight. Not like glitter.... and it's nothing distracting or that would be reflective in low light conditions but it does kinda sparkle in the same way that some sand paper might. Thats the only way I know how to describe it. The knife was shipped inside of a paper sheathe and to my surprise it shipped with this thick black grease. I'm not sure why they chose to ship the knife with this grease but it was something I would rather not deal with again. I cleaned it with some CLP and by the time I got all the gunk off of it there were a few places where I could tell the finish had worn. It didn't wear off.... but you could tell it had thinned out slightly in certain spots. Not a big issue but just putting that out there.- I was pleased Boker used a good sized piece of leather under the guard. Other companies have omitted this piece of leather all together or used a very thin piece. The original was used as a cushion for the hand upon thrusting strikes so I'm glad to see it's present and accounted for here.- The size of the knife is deceptive. When it arrived it was smaller than I imagined.... but it's really not. When you hold it up to a Kabar the size difference isn't that much from the tip of the blade to the pommel. I think the narrow profile of the blade and the small handle just make it seem smaller. I have small hands and feel like this knife was made for me. It fits my hand very well but because the handle is narrow I can imagine guys with larger hands wishing they had a more substantial handle. The knife feels VERY light and fast. Perfect for piercing / thrusting strokes.... probably not so great for slashing. The long piercing blade is long enough and sharp enough to accomplish any mission it was designed for. It's easy to see why this designed was used for the Devil's Brigade in WWII. This knife is to the point and all business.If you're a fan of the history behind this knife or just a fan of Fairbairn - Sykes style daggers then you can't go wrong with this one. As far as I'm concerned it's the best reproduction currently available.

It is a knife. But not for slicing bread. This is a very well made knife by a company with a terrific reputation for making knifes. It is a fine replica of the original, but it is not the original. It was made for two reasons. Display is the first. I do not think I would go into war with this, but you could if you really had to. The steel sharpens well and takes a good edge. It is not an axe or a hatchet, it is a knife. Very pointy and strong. It will cut meat fairly easily. I like the coating especially. Balance is good. Construction excellent. The leather "washers used to create the handle are great. The finish coat on them is too smooth for my liking. They need a little ruffing up to make a good gripping surface. Leather on the grip side of the guard is very thick, much better than the cheap copies out there. It appears to be a "working" knife. A full tang that ends in a well shaped and very pointy but is a great addition. The sheath is quality leather and well worked. Nothing about this knife appears to be "cheap". Even the red Canada patch is quality work. Velcro backing would have been better. I guess they were striving for authenticity. Which is why they include the "death card" meant to be left behind to put the fear of the first special forces unit into the hearts of whoever had to clean up the mess made with it. It is a fine addition to my collection, at a respectable price. It even has a faithful reproduction of the thumb grip on the surface of the blade. It is pretty easy to tell the Boker from the cheap knock off. (The knock off is on the left in case you were confused). The best part? I am very pleased with this. My girlfriend gave it to me on my birthday.

Exactly as pictured, exactly as listed. Delivered on-time. Deliverd sharp-ish, but not really sharp. Though the point is quite scary.It's a Boker Plus, so it comes in the presentation box Boker Plus knives, pens, etc come in. It makes it more giftable.It's an excellent knife if you want to have a reasonably priced, high quality reproduction of an extremely rare, extremely expensive and highly sought after military collectible. The quality of this reproduction is actually high enough and well enough made you could use it for its intended purpose.The knife's intended purpose is - well, it's a knife exclusively designed for killing people from ambush. It doesn't have much practical value for any other purpose. The blade is too thin and fragile for bushcraft, hunting or utility purposes despite being made of decent steel and taking a very nice edge (since I have no earthly use for it beyond it being a collector's item, I have no experience with its edge retention, but it's a Boker, and it's made of high quality steel, so it will be just fine).Since you're probably not planning on killing anyone either, you're probably like me and are never actually going to use it for anything. Well... you could always use it as a letter opener, I guess. Using a 7 inch bladed dagger as a letter opener would be one hell of a conversation starter.But you're not spending your hard earned money on this thing if you needed a knife, or even a letter opener. Just about any other knife ever made would suffice for any need you have that isn't sliding a knife between someone's ribs, and for less money too.You're buying it because it's a well executed reproduction of an original V-42 Fighting Knife (of which all the above criticisms also apply). And yes, because it is fairly accurate reproduction that means that it even has some of the original WWII cost and production saving measures incorporated.In this day and age, you wouldn't expect a $115 knife to have a stamped and pressed sheet metal cross-guard. But that expedient was an original feature, not a modern bug.The leather pad under the cross-guard is nice and thick - if you ever needed to stab anyone, it would cushion your hand just as designed. And the thumb-print choil on the blade does allow you to easily adopt a modified saber grip. I'm not sure the skull crusher pommel was all that effective on such a light knife to begin with, but it's present on the reproduction and its relative utility on the original is a debate for people who know more about killing people than I do.The reproduction 1st SSF is a nice touch; the reproduction "calling card" sticker is down-right cool.The sheath is also the original design and a well-executed reproduction. That means it will hang impractically low for you if you ever decide to actually wear it (the sheath was designed to be worn hung from a pistol belt you'd be wearing under a parka, which means easy access puts the pommel at mid-thigh. Even on my leg, the tie down point is below my knee, and I'm 6'1").When I say the original design, I'm being specific. Original V-42 sheaths had a problem. The point of the knife is needle sharp. It can and will penetrate the leather sheath and can injure your leg. This was enough of a problem during WWII that the sheath was eventually upgraded by re-enforcing the end of the sheath with metal. This sheath has not had that done.But then again, you were probably never going to wear it anyway, right?All in all, if you're the kind of person who wants a reproduction V-42 as a collector's item, you'll be extremely happy with your purchase. If you're looking for a knife for any useful purpose, it's a lot of money for something totally impractical.