Hermann Boeker

[woody 73]

If you ask several GJ members who is Hermann Boeker maybe 9 out of ten times you will get a look of I don't know that name.

Should you find yourself in a web group of people that collect pocket knives it would be the reverse where several members know that name and maybe one is not sure.Or better yet if you were in a sewing web group and you asked the women I would think several women will know that name.

So who is Mr. Boeker well he went through a name change coming to America and he just dropped the letter E making it easier for Americans to pronounce his name "Boker".

The Family started in the 17th Century in Remscheid Germany making sabers, then later scissors, razors, knives, and eating utensils; Hermann and his brother Robert were very busy men producing over 2000 items per week.

Hermann came over to New York in 1837 and founded the H. Boker & Co. for a more detailed History please be sure and look at all the links telling the story from start to finish plus be sure and see the you tube link for a fun look at all the knives.

In my reasoning that many GJ members do not see his tools is that they do not come to light very often. The following tools are vintage except the pocket knife that comes from Taiwan.

https://www.boker.de/us/index.php?c=2003

http://www.strazors.com/uploads/gallery/Boker_History.pdf

http://iknifecollector.com/group/bokerfans/forum/topics/the-history-of-boker-knives

http://www.worldknives.com/info/knives-of-solingen-germany-43.html

http://www.trademarkia.com/boker-baumwerksolingen-75381765.html

 

[woody 73]

A few more pictures I hope you enjoy the story and if you have any knives or tools please show us.

PS: I added the red grips and the blue ones are from plastic dip the tools never came with any handles sorry if this caused you any confusion.

 

[rlitman]

I actually just recently bought a set of Boker linesman pliers at a garage sale, and they look like they were easily as nice as my Klein 9's. I've had Boker knives for some time.

As for dropping the "e", it was never really there, and it never went away.
Look at the logo in your first link:

See the diacritical mark over the O (two dots). It's an umlaut.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diaeresis_(diacritic), and it represents a vowel shift.
My understanding is that it is that Boeker is a valid substitution for Böker. In this sense, they're actually both the same spelling. If you're a fan of the cheese, Münster = Muenster in the same way.

 

[woody 73]

rlitman very interesting about the vowel shift, the stories talked about him dropping the E which I thought was very interesting.

Anyway could we please see some pictures of your linesman plier and knives ?

 

[rlitman]

Pictures as requested. I've got some modern Boker kitchen knives in my parents' kitchen, but no pics of those.

Yeah, I could have sworn those red grips were made by Klein.

 

[bonneyman]

I only knew about Boker pliers, never knew about the spelling change. They seemed like solid tools.

Thanks for the history!

 

[d42jeep]

I have run across some Boker items in the process of collecting WW2 tools.
-Don

 

[Ganymedes]

Since more than 30 years I have a Heinrich Böker end pliers ,chrome,with orange transparant isolation, 16cm , about 6 1/4" long; a nice tool! Then made in Germany

 

[twertsy]

If you ask several GJ members who is Hermann Boeker maybe 9 out of ten times you will get a look of I don't know that name.

Should you find yourself in a web group of people that collect pocket knives it would be the reverse where several members know that name and maybe one is not sure.Or better yet if you were in a sewing web group and you asked the women I would think several women will know that name.

So who is Mr. Boeker well he went through a name change coming to America and he just dropped the letter E making it easier for Americans to pronounce his name "Boker".

The Family started in the 17th Century in Remscheid Germany making sabers, then later scissors, razors, knives, and eating utensils; Hermann and his brother Robert were very busy men producing over 2000 items per week.

Hermann came over to New York in 1837 and founded the H. Boker & Co. for a more detailed History please be sure and look at all the links telling the story from start to finish plus be sure and see the you tube link for a fun look at all the knives.

In my reasoning that many GJ members do not see his tools is that they do not come to light very often. The following tools are vintage except the pocket knife that comes from Taiwan.

https://www.boker.de/us/index.php?c=2003

http://www.strazors.com/uploads/gallery/Boker_History.pdf

http://iknifecollector.com/group/bokerfans/forum/topics/the-history-of-boker-knives

http://www.worldknives.com/info/knives-of-solingen-germany-43.html

http://www.trademarkia.com/boker-baumwerksolingen-75381765.html

You might find some more info here.............http://toolarchives.com/node/3125

 

[jayrush13]

View media item 36357
This is all H. Boker and I also have a set of shears and a broken straight razor

 

[woody 73]

Wow you are off to a great start.

 

[Mintgrun]

This pair of pliers appears to have been made by hand.
Very well made, I might add.

 

[Provincial]

Jayrush13, that pair of slip-joint pliers with the odd handles and large curved jaws were built for unscrewing the lock nut on Cannon multi-pin connectors.

"Cannon Plugs" were very common on aircraft, radio, and electronics in an earlier time. They have been replaced by plastic versions.

 

[rlitman]

Jayrush13, that pair of slip-joint pliers with the odd handles and large curved jaws were built for unscrewing the lock nut on Cannon multi-pin connectors.

"Cannon Plugs" were very common on aircraft, radio, and electronics in an earlier time. They have been replaced by plastic versions.

I saw those, and the battery terminal pliers under them. But I've never seen cannon plug pliers without soft jaws, and they seem to be made for something with too large a diameter. I'm not totally convinced.

 

[jayrush13]

Jayrush13, that pair of slip-joint pliers with the odd handles and large curved jaws were built for unscrewing the lock nut on Cannon multi-pin connectors.

"Cannon Plugs" were very common on aircraft, radio, and electronics in an earlier time. They have been replaced by plastic versions.

I saw those, and the battery terminal pliers under them. But I've never seen cannon plug pliers without soft jaws, and they seem to be made for something with too large a diameter. I'm not totally convinced.

I always figured they were for oil filters or something similar but good to know

 

[Fretters]

See the diacritical mark over the O (two dots). It's an umlaut.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diaeresis_(diacritic), and it represents a vowel shift.
My understanding is that it is that Boeker is a valid substitution for Böker. In this sense, they're actually both the same spelling. If you're a fan of the cheese, Münster = Muenster in the same way.

I was told similar. In the absence of using an umlaut, the convention is to add an e instead.

 

[Provincial]

I saw those, and the battery terminal pliers under them. But I've never seen cannon plug pliers without soft jaws, and they seem to be made for something with too large a diameter. I'm not totally convinced.

I have seen quite a few without soft jaws, all of which were pretty large. All of them were military issue. The jaw teeth are fine and uniform, designed to grip the ridges (straight knurls) on the military nuts. The civilian ones with soft jaws may have been for diamond knurl nuts.

 

[safariknut]

Don't believe I have any Boker tools but I do have several knives. I mainly collect older knives and my latest is dated(according to a chart I checked)no later than 1920.It has an added feature in that attached to it is an old style chain with a loop end to snap over a button on your bib overalls.It looks to be original to the knife. The others are later models and all I believe are German made.

 

[woody 73]

Very nice knives just over the top in the wow factor!

Like I first reported most people know about the knives and a lot of women know about their scissors, but not many know about their hand tools.

 

[Macduf]

Found a few weeks ago not sure what it was intended for.

 

[safariknut]

Found a few weeks ago not sure what it was intended for.

Looks like a set of poultry shears.Most of them have curved blades but it is possible they made them with straight blades.Here is a pic of a bunch of different ones, The Boker set is the second from the right.

 

[jayrush13]

Found a few weeks ago not sure what it was intended for.

They look like medical shears for cutting of bandages and casts and they are stainless so they could be sterilized

 

[Mintgrun]

If I had to guess what Macduf's cutters were, I'd say they may be for an EMT to cut back clothing, to access wounds. The notched cutter could be for wedding rings. Now I will go a googling, for such things.

K, here is a modern example, complete with ring cutter : )

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BHZJA58/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

From my Uncle Pat's estate... He most certainly purchased these either during his time at Purdue in the late 1950s or later in the early to mid 60's after his stint in the service / Laos ~ Cambodia ~ Vietnam

View media item 66065
View media item 66066
View media item 66067

 

[safariknut]

They look like medical shears for cutting of bandages and casts and they are stainless so they could be sterilized

Good catch;I hadn't thought of that.

 

[rlitman]

They look like medical shears for cutting of bandages and casts and they are stainless so they could be sterilized

Looks like that to me. Especially with the flattened blunt lower blade tip.
The ring/wire cutter pretty much clinches the deal for me.

Lower blades are often blunted on commercial poultry shears, but usually with a ball shaped tip. The flattened tip is made to fit under bandages.

 

[RubiconJK]

Resurrecting this old thread with a flea find from this morning. I will always pick up pliers when I see the "U.S." marks and have found H. Boker before, but these were in really great shape.

 

[Targa68]

H. Boker & Co, found at a military surplus outlet in Norway

 

[Bottlecapdigger]

I had a boker pocket knife when I was a kid on the farm, bought it at a garage/farm sale.
That was one of the best knives I ever had, really holds an edge. I think the newer models had like a image of a tree on the blade and where called "tree brand" anyone else seen these? BCD

 

[d42jeep]

I grabbed these Boker letter punches at a reasonable price on eBay.
-Don

 

[Jc2043]

Here are my 8”, 7”, and 6” H Boker & Company linesman pliers. I picked up the 8” today and discovered they’re made in Germany not USA like the other two.




Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[d42jeep]

Here is a pair that I have. Very good quality.
-Don

 

[Packard V8]

I think the newer models had like a image of a tree on the blade and where called "tree brand" anyone else seen these? BCD

The first knife my dad gave me at age 7 when I was going to YMCA summer camp, was a Boker Tree Brand.

As stupid kids do at camp, I got into a knife throwing contest and broke the tip of the largest blade. Nearly seventy years later, I'm still ashamed of disappointing my dad.

jack vines

 

[Jc2043]

The first knife my dad gave me at age 7 when I was going to YMCA summer camp, was a Boker Tree Brand.



As stupid kids do at camp, I got into a knife throwing contest and broke the tip of the largest blade. Nearly seventy years later, I'm still ashamed of disappointing my dad.



jack vines

Packaged,

I have a similar story. When I was a pre-teen my grandfather gave me a Solingen pocket knife. He said “look after that knife because it is one of the few that can truly keep an edge”. Sure enough I lost it. Fifty years later I too still regret it.


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[Downwindtracker 2]

Just going by memory, Boker was an importer as well as having a stake in the knife company in Solinger Germany. Tree brand was the company's mark. I have jackknife from the late "60 that's a Boker Tree brand. German.

 

[RubiconJK]

H. Boker never seems to get much attention, but I pick them up when I see them. Found this pair in really nice condition today at the flea.

 

[woody 73]

H. Boker never seems to get much attention, but I pick them up when I see them. Found this pair in really nice condition today at the flea.

It is a good thing they never get any attention, because when everyone is grabbing snap on, vises, block grinders and craftsman, old woody is picking up Boker...

 

[four.cycle]

just seeing this thread for the first time, Woody.

Boker / Hermann Boker / https://www.boker.de / http://alloy-artifacts.org/other-makers.html#boker / http://toolarchives.com/index.php/node/66 / https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/hermann-boeker.336993/ /

I do not have a lot of material for "Boker". The "Ellin" wrench (made by Footprint) is a bit intriguing.


1909 H.S. Howland & Sons Co. catalog Boker Ellin E.H. Ashcroft Brown Vaughan & Bushnell ad pp 713

1909 H.S. Howland & Sons Boker Ellin ad pp 713 - 1926 Thos. R. Ellin Footprint wrench

1937 C.M. McClung catalog Boker Crescent Klein Pexto ad pp 70

 

[d42jeep]

I found these dykes last Saturday. The evaporust made them look much better.
-Don

 

[19Vert64]

Just came across these while straightening the shop up