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Böker Brings Out Bigger Outdoorsman Fixed Blade

August 28, 2018

Böker is scaling up its affordable Outdoorsman fixed blade. The Outdoorsman XL adds nearly an inch of blade length, which moves it into a different use category for adventurers on a budget.

The original Outdoorsman impressed with its 3.6-inch 12C27N cutting edge and robust full tang construction. “The smaller and compact size of the original Outdoorsman was a nice feature for many users, but others rated it as too small,” explains Böker’s Marc Goetzmann. Additionally, the Outdoorsman’s blade coating and black handle didn’t necessarily scream ‘outdoorsman’ to some. “Many hunters and outdoor guys prefer something brighter.”

A 20% boost in blade length to 4.4 inches makes the Outdoorsman XL suitable for a broader range of outdoor chores. The handle benefits from the growth spurt too, and in total the XL is about 1.5 inches longer than its little brother. Due to that extra length, the Outdoorsman XL weighs about 3 oz. more, but Goetzmann suspects that the extra length on the (still 12C27N) drop point blade, as well as the bigger handle, will be appreciated by anybody out on their own in the wild. “The rubberized handle gives you a lot of grip and a secure handing, and the bright orange of the handle, together with the satin finished blade, makes it easy to spot the knife when it´s put on the ground out in the nature.” The XL also comes with a new and improved nylon sheath. It now sports a plastic insert for added retention and a front pouch for extra stowage. “On top of that, the sheath is now MOLLE-compatible and ambidextrous (meaning it takes the knife with the cutting edge in any orientation).”

Böker runs a famously – some would say infamously – large catalog, with prices that run the gamut from entry-level to collector catnip. As a knife in the Böker Plus line, the Outdoorsman XL caters to users, rather than collectors. Its sub-$100 price tag hits a core part of the Böker audience: the value-conscious user. For those who use their knives hard, spending a mint on something fancy doesn’t always make sense. “Not every camper, hunter or survivalist is willing to spend far more than 100 bucks for his knife,” Goetzmann notes. “There’s a huge number of high quality outdoor knives, no doubt, but there are only a few on the market which offer that broad spectrum of key features like our Outdoorsman XL, in the same price range.”

Knife featured in image: Böker Outdoorsman XL

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