Hen & Rooster or Boker Knives: Which One Should You Choose?

There are plenty of different knives that you can use for different purposes. Two brands that seem to be quite popular when it comes to pocket knives or simply cutlery, in general, are Hen & Rooster and Boker. There are plenty of similarities between the knives that these two brands sell. However, which one of the two should you choose if you will buy yourself a good pocket knife that you can use for a wide variety of purposes?

If you are looking for pocket and tactical knives, the better choice would be to go for Hen & Rooster because they specialize mainly in those knife types. Meanwhile, Boker seems to be the better choice for kitchen knives because they have a wide array of knives that you can use for cooking.

As you can see, while both Hen & Rooster and Boker are good knife brands in their own right, they have their unique niche markets where they specialize. Of course, they also have some similar knives, but it will be more of a matter of personal preference at that point. Now, let’s get to know more about these two knife brands.

Hen & Rooster – All about it

Hen & Rooster has been around since 1845, but its ownership has been passed on from different people and companies since its inception. The company’s origins can be traced to how these knives were connected with the poultry business because the original owner, Carl Bertram, owned a poultry business in Solingen, Germany. Since then, it has become one of the most popular brands of pocket knives, which were only manufactured and made in Solingen, Germany. Today, the Hen & Rooster is owned by Frost Cutlery, which still makes sure that the Hen & Rooster brand follows the same traditions of excellence it has been following since the 1800s.

The first thing you would notice about Hen & Rooster is that this brand specializes more in pocket knives, although it originated from a man who owned a poultry business. That’s why most of the products you see in the Hen & Rooster lineup are more likely to be pocket knives that can be used for a wide variety of purposes, which include self-defense, outdoors, and utility purposes. Of course, you can also use Hen & Rooster’s pocket knives in the kitchen for simple purposes that these small knives can handle.

Hen & Rooster also has a good lineup of tactical folding knives that are great for the outdoors and tactical purposes. Of course, not to be outdone, Hen & Rooster comes with few choices of kitchen knives that are surely going to be quite useful for at-home or even professional cooks out there.

Most of the products you see in Hen & Rooster’s product lineup can retail from somewhere close to $100 to a bit more than $200. The pocket knives that have more knife choices, such as the Congress knives, tend to be on the more expensive side, and these are the knives that come with a handle that has a finish that is quite elegant and high-quality. Of course, we can’t stress enough the quality that the German-made steel these knives come with.

Boker – All about it

The Boker brand is one of the oldest knives globally, as its origins can be traced back to the 1600s. In fact, the chestnut tree logo that Boker carries is actually a homage to the chestnut tree growing over the small Broker hardware factory back when the company was still in its early days during the 17th century. Since then, it has become quite the popular knife company in Germany and many other neighboring countries all over Europe. However, as time passed, the company went on to take its business to Solingen, Germany, and, in time, the United States, which eventually became its biggest and most important market.

One of the standout features of the Boker brand when it comes to its products is that it has a wider range of offerings that include kitchen knives, fixed knives, razors, swords, and even axes. That means that choosing the Boker brand will allow you a wider range of options. The company even offers premium products that are made using Damascus steel, which promises to be more expensive and better than the ordinary steel you see in most knives.

So, there is nothing that Boker doesn’t have when it comes to sheer product offerings when you are looking for a knife. Regardless of whether it might be an everyday kitchen knife or a knife that you can carry in your pocket and use for different all-around purposes, you can find it all in Boker’s lineup. Of course, the quality of the steel used is also high-quality considering that Boker’s knives are made in Solingen, Germany.

In terms of the price, due to how varied Boker’s products are, you cannot simply box the prices of their knives in a price range. Some knives can cost somewhere close to $20, while others can easily be more expensive than $400. In short, Boker’s knives come in all sorts of shapes and sizes that vary in terms of their uses and their price.

Which one is better?

Now that you know more about Hen & Rooster and Boker, you might be wondering which between the two brands you should choose. So, in our books, it becomes a matter of which between the two brands specialize in designing and manufacturing certain knives.

For one, Hen & Rooster seems to have a better lineup of pocket knives that come with multiple knives in one foldable set. This makes Hen & Rooster pocket knives better for those looking for all-around knives that they can use for a wide variety of purposes. Meanwhile, the prices that Hen & Rooster knives come with can be boxed in a certain price range somewhere near $100 to a bit over $200, depending on the size of the knife and how many blades it comes with. For instance, a Hen & Rooster Moonshiner Congress knife that is 3.5 inches long can come in at less than $100.

However, for those who are looking for different types of knives, such as the ones that you can use for the kitchen, you can’t disregard Boker’s wide array of choices as they have more knives that you can choose. Even if you are not looking for kitchen knives, Boker also offers pocket knives, fixed blade knives, and even swords. 

So, in terms of overall variety choices, Boker seems to be the better brand for you. But if you are strictly looking for pocket knives, there aren’t many companies that can beat the quality and choices you have when you look for a pocket knife in Hen & Rooster’s roster of blades.