Boker Kalashnikov Bayonet Damascus

'In 1947 Mikhail Kalashnikov presented his AK-47 assault rifle to the Red Army, quickly winning approval for its development. Two years later the now‑famous weapon was officially adopted as the "7.62 mm Awtomat Kalashnikova obraztsa 1947". Its simple, reliable gas‑operated system with a rotating bolt, widespread use of quickly and cheaply produced stamped sheet metal parts, and the choice of an intermediate cartridge class—pioneered by the Wehrmacht’s StG 44 and lying between submachine‑gun and rifle rounds—set a design trend that endures today. These features helped make the Kalashnikov system the most widely produced firearm in history, with an estimated 100 million units worldwide.\n\nWhen the revised AKM appeared in 1959 it brought a bayonet that was as influential as the rifle itself. Inspired by a knife originally developed by R. Todorov for combat swimmers, the design moved away from long stabbing bayonets toward a short, mountable utility knife with insulated wire shears and a multifunctional back saw. In 2002 Mikhail Kalashnikov personally visited the Boker manufactory in Solingen to formally introduce the Boker Kalashnikov line of knives.\n\nNow, more than 70 years after the AK‑47 entered service, Boker presents a special edition: the Boker Kalashnikov Bayonet Damascus. It features a unique Damascus blade forged from steels equivalent to the Soviet Army’s 6Ch3 and 6Ch4 bayonet steels (GRAU index) and bears General Kalashnikov’s signature. The stainless Damascus, made by Chad Nichols, comprises 80 layers hand‑forged in a Virus pattern, producing an unusually intricate surface through a tightly controlled forging process. The blade, adopted from the bayonet with a pandur tip, opens via a thumb stud and is secured by a robust liner lock.\n\nThe handle is CNC‑machined from 6061‑T6 aluminum and hard‑coat anodized black. Stabilized hornbeam inlays, echoing the wood of the rifle’s stock and shaped to mirror the forend’s distinctive vents, are CNC‑milled from solid stock, color‑matched to the original Russian amber shellac, and fitted by hand. All screws and the clip (tip‑up, right) are black anodized. Each knife is handmade at the Boker manufactory in Solingen and delivered with an elegant floating display, a certificate of authenticity, and an individual serial number.'