P-51 Damast

Timeless engineering combined with experienced history! Inspired by a true classic of the air, Boker Plus presents the P-51 Damast by Steve Kelly as a designer knife with exceptional character. Based on the North American P-51 Mustang, the knife reflects the material, shape and colour of the fighter plane from the 1940s and thus almost creates a replica of its historical model.

Between 1940 and 1948, around 15,800 examples of the low-wing aircraft were produced in various versions, making it still one of the most frequently built military aircraft in the world today. The P-51 D is the most common series, with just under 8,000 pieces. The special features of the P-51 Mustang, whose "P" in the name stands for Pursuit, lie in its aerodynamic full-metal construction with the characteristic countersunk studs, which in combination with the massive Packard Merlin V-1650 engine enabled a top speed of 700 km/h with an extraordinary range of up to 3,300 km. These achievements were considered as groundbreaking at the time, which eventually brought the United States Army Air Forces air supremacy during the Second World War.

The single-engine propeller plane was armed with six 0.50 Browning MG53-2 machine guns in the wings and a choice of ten 12.7 cm missiles or bombs weighing up to 900 kg.

It was not least the unmistakable lines of the Mustang P-51 that prompted Boker's development department to undertake this exciting project. The challenge was to transfer the design language and performance of the fighter plane to a knife without compromising on elegance and practicality.

The heart of the Boker Plus P-51 Damast is its distinctive spearpoint blade made of 80-layer Damascus, which was forged by Chad Nichols in the U.S. and consists of original parts from the historic fighter plane. When viewed from the side, the blade has a number of visual reminiscences of the historic fighter-bomber. The thumb hole, for example, is reminiscent of the Plexiglas canopy on the cockpit, which allowed the pilot an ideal all-round view.

Another highlight is the titanium handle, which replicates the studded light metal plates of the aircraft in great detail. The blue blade axle screw, which bears the Silver Star of the US Army, and the red anodised screws, which are based on the colour scheme of the tail rudder, are striking. Extreme reliability is promised by the titanium framelock with a stainless-steel inlay, which holds the blade securely in place even during difficult work. Despite the clear lines, the handle lies comfortably in the hand thanks to ergonomic cutouts. The titanium clip is machined from solid and allows for tip-up (r) carry, while the lanyard hole offers further attachment options. A must for all knife collectors and friends of historic aircraft. Supplied with a high-quality nylon pouch for storage.