Boker-Alemania

Boker specific research and history discussions, Questions & answers, Picture sharing
Post Reply
Ittsukan
Posts: 43
Joined: Sun Jun 09, 2024 11:29 pm

Boker-Alemania

Post by Ittsukan »

While cleaning up an older Böker trapper I noticed the tang stamp read BOKER
SOLINGEN
GERMANY-ALEMANIA
With the tree to the left.
What does ALEMANIA mean and does it give a clue to the date?
TIA
Attachments
1000010172.jpg
1000010173.jpg
User avatar
herbva
Gold Tier
Gold Tier
Posts: 1955
Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2018 7:18 pm
Location: The Old Dominion

Re: Boker-Alemania

Post by herbva »

Germany (officially the "Federal Republic of Germany"). No clue as to the date. That one should clean up nicely.
"Better to do something imperfectly, than to do nothing flawlessly." ~ Robert H. Schuller

Herb
User avatar
deo-pa
Bronze Tier
Bronze Tier
Posts: 1357
Joined: Thu Oct 23, 2014 7:57 pm
Location: Boston, MA
Contact:

Re: Boker-Alemania

Post by deo-pa »

Alemania is the Spanish word for Germany. Variations on that word mean "Germany" in some other European languages. French = Alemagne. Portuguese = Alemanha. The origin is "Alemanni" - a very old name given to one of the Germanic tribes. Having Alemania on the tang may very well provide a date clue, but I don't know how to decipher that.

Dennis
User avatar
treefarmer
Gold Tier
Gold Tier
Posts: 13430
Joined: Sun Oct 04, 2009 6:53 am
Location: Florida Panhandle(LA-Lower Alabama)

Re: Boker-Alemania

Post by treefarmer »

Ittsukan wrote: Wed Oct 30, 2024 7:39 am While cleaning up an older Böker trapper I noticed the tang stamp read BOKER
SOLINGEN
GERMANY-ALEMANIA
With the tree to the left.
What does ALEMANIA mean and does it give a clue to the date?
TIA
That one ought to be "humdinger" when you get it cleaned up! What is the closed length of that HOK?
Treefarmer

A GUN IN THE HAND IS BETTER THAN A COP ON THE PHONE.
User avatar
RevolverGuy
Posts: 338
Joined: Mon May 07, 2018 6:04 am
Location: North Carolina
Contact:

Re: Boker-Alemania

Post by RevolverGuy »

Alemania has been stamped on a lot of Boker's. It's Spanish for Germany. The company branched out of Solingen and started exporting, and then manufacturing knives, in Argentina and Mexico back around the same time Boker USA was started. The Argentina Boker is still active today in Buenos Aires. They're branded Boker Arbolito, which is Spanish for Boker Tree Brand. It's really hard to date some of these knives, as Boker has such a long history and a lot of their shields and tang stamps overlap.
User avatar
tongueriver
Posts: 6933
Joined: Tue Sep 16, 2008 8:01 pm

Re: Boker-Alemania

Post by tongueriver »

That is a nice knife! ::tu:: Like some other cutleries, BOKER (Germany) occasionally resurrected old tang stamps, this being one of those. I have Grandad's Boker (German) stockman with a similar tang stamp which after some research, I a am fairly sure that it dates to the 1950s. I think yours is at least that old or older.
ea42
Silver Tier
Silver Tier
Posts: 3054
Joined: Tue Oct 17, 2006 8:23 pm
Location: Wallkill, NY

Re: Boker-Alemania

Post by ea42 »

I believe that stamp was used in the 1960's, maybe 50's but for sure 60's.

Eric
User avatar
tongueriver
Posts: 6933
Joined: Tue Sep 16, 2008 8:01 pm

Re: Boker-Alemania

Post by tongueriver »

I have my Grandfather's knife. He died in 1970 and probably had not used this knife for several years, as he was spending time in a rest home and otherwise not active. That is why I think the tang stamp on THIS knife dates to the 1950s rather than the 1960s. Observe the wear. That takes time.
Boker Cal Pruett 1.jpg
Boker Cal Pruett 2.jpg
Boker Cal Pruett 3.jpg
Bokers001.jpg
Ittsukan
Posts: 43
Joined: Sun Jun 09, 2024 11:29 pm

Re: Boker-Alemania

Post by Ittsukan »

treefarmer wrote: Wed Oct 30, 2024 1:30 pm
Ittsukan wrote: Wed Oct 30, 2024 7:39 am While cleaning up an older Böker trapper I noticed the tang stamp read BOKER
SOLINGEN
GERMANY-ALEMANIA
With the tree to the left.
What does ALEMANIA mean and does it give a clue to the date?
TIA
That one ought to be "humdinger" when you get it cleaned up! What is the closed length of that HOK?
Treefarmer
It's 5½ inches closed.
It would have been a great knife but I think this one may be beyond my skill level to save.
The second blade is missing. It looks like someone cut the pin inside the bolster and bent it to get the missing blade out. Not even sure if I can get a replacement blade without a year or model number.
User avatar
thegreedygulo
Gold Tier
Gold Tier
Posts: 708
Joined: Tue Jul 19, 2011 4:09 pm

Re: Boker-Alemania

Post by thegreedygulo »

Hey Cal,
Your Grandfather's knife was made sometime between 1932 - 1950. This is based on Goin's book of tang stamps and Mark Zalesky's Boker article. Boker did use that tang stamp later on in reproduction knives, but yours is an original. The Heinr. Boker & Co. Baumwerk - Solingen Germany - Alemania stamped on the front of each tang with a tree on the reverse of each tang dates it. The reproductions are easy to spot because they are not near the same quality as the originals and the stamps look a little different. The Boker Solingen Germany - Alemania stamped knives were made from 1950 - 1960 range. Hope this helps. ::tu::
A pocket knife is still an intimate personal possession of the individual who carries it and consequently deserves the best of materials, finish and workmanship in its production. (Quoted from Boker's 1928 cutlery catalog).
User avatar
tongueriver
Posts: 6933
Joined: Tue Sep 16, 2008 8:01 pm

Re: Boker-Alemania

Post by tongueriver »

thegreedygulo wrote: Thu Oct 31, 2024 1:09 am Hey Cal,
Your Grandfather's knife was made sometime between 1932 - 1950. This is based on Goin's book of tang stamps and Mark Zalesky's Boker article. Boker did use that tang stamp later on in reproduction knives, but yours is an original. The Heinr. Boker & Co. Baumwerk - Solingen Germany - Alemania stamped on the front of each tang with a tree on the reverse of each tang dates it. The reproductions are easy to spot because they are not near the same quality as the originals and the stamps look a little different. The Boker Solingen Germany - Alemania stamped knives were made from 1950 - 1960 range. Hope this helps. ::tu::
I am grateful for that information. Grand Dad was born a week before Custer got acquainted with karma and was in his '30s before he saw indoor plumbing, a car or an airplane. Now I am an old man as well. Meanwhile, I know from years back and sneaking in on your collection that you have the most beautiful Boker collection ever. I am in awe.
Edit: There must have been a gap in the war years?
Ittsukan
Posts: 43
Joined: Sun Jun 09, 2024 11:29 pm

Re: Boker-Alemania

Post by Ittsukan »

thegreedygulo wrote: Thu Oct 31, 2024 1:09 am Hey Cal,
Your Grandfather's knife was made sometime between 1932 - 1950. This is based on Goin's book of tang stamps and Mark Zalesky's Boker article. Boker did use that tang stamp later on in reproduction knives, but yours is an original. The Heinr. Boker & Co. Baumwerk - Solingen Germany - Alemania stamped on the front of each tang with a tree on the reverse of each tang dates it. The reproductions are easy to spot because they are not near the same quality as the originals and the stamps look a little different. The Boker Solingen Germany - Alemania stamped knives were made from 1950 - 1960 range. Hope this helps. ::tu::
Would you say the one I posted is one of those reproductions or still in that 1950/60 range?
User avatar
thegreedygulo
Gold Tier
Gold Tier
Posts: 708
Joined: Tue Jul 19, 2011 4:09 pm

Re: Boker-Alemania

Post by thegreedygulo »

Ittsukan wrote: Thu Oct 31, 2024 10:16 pm
thegreedygulo wrote: Thu Oct 31, 2024 1:09 am Hey Cal,
Your Grandfather's knife was made sometime between 1932 - 1950. This is based on Goin's book of tang stamps and Mark Zalesky's Boker article. Boker did use that tang stamp later on in reproduction knives, but yours is an original. The Heinr. Boker & Co. Baumwerk - Solingen Germany - Alemania stamped on the front of each tang with a tree on the reverse of each tang dates it. The reproductions are easy to spot because they are not near the same quality as the originals and the stamps look a little different. The Boker Solingen Germany - Alemania stamped knives were made from 1950 - 1960 range. Hope this helps. ::tu::
Would you say the one I posted is one of those reproductions or still in that 1950/60 range?
Yours is an original. 1950 - 1960 range.
A pocket knife is still an intimate personal possession of the individual who carries it and consequently deserves the best of materials, finish and workmanship in its production. (Quoted from Boker's 1928 cutlery catalog).
Post Reply

Return to “Boker Knife Collector's Forum”