Chuck Gedraitis Pays Tribute to Famous Fighting Knives with the Atropos

Custom knife maker Chuck Gedraitis has a new collaboration model with Boker set to release later this year. Check out the Atropos, a large and in charge tactical folder that pays homage to the most famous fighting knives of the 20th century.

Putting the historical considerations to one side, the Atropos certainly earns the “tactical” designation on the basis of its specs alone. The spear point blade here measures 4.13 inches, pretty near where all but the most extreme folding knives top out in length. Self-defense is obviously an intended use with the Atropos, but it is certainly possible to employ it as an EDC too; in any role the VG-10 steel used here will provide decent edge retention and high corrosion resistance. There is no flipper in sight on this historically-minded blade; the Atropos is opened solely with a thumb disk.

The Atropos’ symmetrical spear shape pays homage to the designs of Col. Rex Applegate, whose vision for fighting knives in the mid-20th century had an ongoing effect on fixed blade and folder design for decades to come; his influence is still felt up to the present day. Boker has always had a particular fascination with Applegate’s work, having produced quite a few production versions of his designs over the years. In fact, back in 2021 Boker tapped Gedraitis to create the Pocket Smatchet, a folding tribute to a fixed blade of the same name that was originally designed by Applegate’s frequent collaborator and mentor, William E. Fairbairn.

The Atropos’ handle too echoes the symmetrical, rigid look of historical Applegate/Fairbairn precedents. The tan Micarta scales evokes the mid-century military aesthetic without going over the top in historical obeisance; underneath the hood there’s a liner lock, and on the off-side scale we’ve got a sculpted, non-reversible pocket clip. Despite its imposing look and size, Gedraitis managed to keep the weight on the Atropos reasonable at 5.11 oz.

According to the European Boker page, the Atropos is slated for release on August 2nd. It may take longer to show up in North America.

Knife in Featured Image: Boker Plus Atropos

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