Lucas Burnley Returns to Kwaiken for Stiletto-Inspired Riff

The Kihon isn’t the only Lucas Burnley knife seeing a line expansion this fall. His famous Kwaiken model also gets a totally new flavor, called the Kwaiken Sym. The Sym sees Burnley infusing the traditional Eastern-inflected Kwaiken model with some of the hallmark characteristics of Italian stiletto knives.

With a catalog as expansive and diverse as the Boker Plus lineup, it’s hard to hold up a single model as the flagship; but that being said, the Kwaiken comes as close as any other knife in that vast selection to snagging the title. It wasn’t the first, nor the last, folding knife to take some inspiration from Eastern design philosophy, but the Kwaiken really resonated with users and, in addition to a large fan base, has been lucky enough to appear and reappear in many different variations.

And you can add one more notch to its belt with the advent of the Kwaiken Sym, which may be the most adventurous variation yet. That’s “Sym” as in “symmetrical,” and the Kwaiken’s usual drop point is replaced with a stiletto-style dagger blade. At 3.48 inches, it runs out to the same length as the default Kwaiken and, while the new shape has a major impact on the aesthetics, we figure the Sym should be good for the same expansive suite of everyday carry-type chores as its illustrious predecessor.

The Sym is still a flipper, but its tab has a corresponding protrusion on the channel side to make it, well, symmetrical, and to function as a double guard in traditional stiletto fashion. Also traditional is the steel, the venerable 154CM. It’s nothing new at this point, but 154CM has forgotten more than some of these new super steel whippersnappers ever knew: it may not compete in raw metrics but it’s going to be a reliable performer for anybody who isn’t committed to only the highest of the high octane steels.

The handle is a two-parter, with a titanium bolster up top and black 2/3rds G-10 scales beneath. A liner lock construction allows for symmetrical scales on both the show and off-side, although the off-side has the pocket clip attached, which is non-reversible. In total the Sym weighs 4.34 oz.

It is available now.

Knife in Featured Image: Boker Plus Kwaiken Sym

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