Boker is a German company.  One would, therefore, expect to see the word "Solingen" on the blade of a Boker knife.  My new Boker Lambda, however, does not have a Solingen steel blade.  It doesn't have a steel blade at all, in fact.  No, the Lambda has a blade of "Cera-Titan" that is made in Japan.

The Boker Lambda, which has a Cera-Titan blade.

According to the product literature, Cera-Titan is made through a contemporary sintering technique that combines titanium, "extremely hard elements," and "silver particles," producing a very light, very durable blade hardened to prevent chips and cracks.  In theory this is a metal blade whose performance approaches that of ceramics – which possesses none of the weaknesses of brittle, hard-to-sharpen ceramic blades.

I showed my Lambda to a couple of people, only one of whom is a knife enthusiast.  Both commented, unprompted, on how light the knife is for its size.  At 4.75 inches closed and 8 inches overall, the Lambda weighs less than  three ounces.  Boker markets the Lambda as a "full-sized, do-it-all folder" and designates it the #189.

The Lambda's handle is ergonomically contoured and fit my hands well.  Rounded grooves are molded into the frame above and below of the blade pivot as well as on the rear ventral portion below the lanyard hole.  A small Kraton insert on the non-clip side of the frame improves traction, as the Zytel is otherwise smooth and slippery.

Kraton insert in smooth plastic handle improves grip traction.

The Lambda is shipped configured for right-hand, tip-down carry only.  The pocket clip has good tension and works well.  It has an unusual shape that reminds me of a musical note.  It is not set up for quick removal, as it is secured as part of the blade pivot assembly.

Boker Lambda pocket clip.

The blade pivot – and therefore the blade tension – is adjustable and accepts a Torx driver.  Out of the box, the blade was fairly tight;  the liner lock engaged the tang fully and towards the center of the tang.  After I adjusted the blade to open more smoothly, the liner engaged consistently all the way to the right of the tang.  The liner itself is easy to disengage and easy to access.  There was no significant blade play in my sample.

The liner lock engagement out of the box, before adjustment.

A non-adjustable plastic nub, permanently affixed for right-hand use, serves as a thumb stud.  It is a smooth divot of Zytel that appears to be melted in place on the opposite side of the blade.  I would prefer the nub be textured, larger, or both, but it works fine as it is.

Plastic opening nub appears to be melted in place on opposite side.

The Cera-Titan blades cuts amazing well while retaining its edge.  Factory edges often do not stay razor-keen while cutting strips of paper from the corner, but the Lambda kept right on cutting while I went through several sheets.  The drop-point blade has good belly for utility cutting and even defensive slashing.  The tip is somewhat rounded, making it less ideal as a thrusting tool.  I see the Lambda as a utility EDC (every day carry), not necessarily a self-defense blade, so this is not a problem.

The Boker Lambda cut strip after strip... and kept on cutting.

The Lambda's liner lock has no detent or retaining mechanism.  Only the tension on the blade pivot keeps it in the closed position.  This would be a significant problem for tip-up carry, but for the Lambda's tip-down-only setup it should not prove troublesome.  Do keep this in mind, though, if you live in a state whose knife laws require such a detent to prevent the knife from qualifying as a "gravity knife."

The first Boker I ever owned was a front-open Boker-matic, which I carried in college for some time.  Over a decade later, it's good to see that Boker is still around and still innovating.

It may be made in Japan, but the Lambda is definitely a Boker.