BONSA Question

[XBMX]

Happened on this Sweet old timer and was immediately attached to its variantl front Scale variant. Normally German Springers with Top and Bottom Bolsters sport split front Scales (a left and a right). This one is fitted with a Notched One Piece front scale, common to knives without bottom bolsters.
First time I remember seeing this, what's your shake??? I'm thinking of saving instead of flipping.

black b 3.jpeg (319.01 KiB) Viewed 10695 times

[sammy the blade]

If lever locks are your thing I think you have a keeper.

[Bill DeShivs]

The less expensive Bonsa 10CM and 11CM lever locks came with handles like that. Generally, the knives have steel liners.

[XBMX]

If lever locks are thing I think you have a keeper.

It's pictured as found, uncleaned. I thought it quite different and attractive. It came with a brother dressed in stag in normal configuration. Should look good in someone's display case.

[Bill DeShivs]

There are some Bonsas at the top of the picture.

[XBMX]

There are some Bonsas at the top of the picture.

See guys you know it's a keeper when Mr. Bill has the same one in his collection.

[gravknife]

Nice looling knife XBMX ,I would keep it .

Just one question ,Is that lever original to the knife or has it been replaced ?I just dont remember seeing the bonsa springers with that shaped lever ,only the all metal type bonsas .
Im probably wrong but could someone clarify this .

[Bill DeShivs]

The lever is original. Almost all of the last Bonsas had them, except for some of the stag models. When Klaas purchased Bonsa's assets they assembled anything they could to sell.
Numbers 5 & 6 from top left in my picture have them- you just cant see them.

[Bill DeShivs]

Here is a picture of some trapezoid lever Bonsas.

[gravknife]

Wow ...really great bunch of knives Bill .

I own no bonsa leverlocks unfortunately ,but the springers I did bid on ,or come across always had the usual style of lever ,not the trapezoid shaped one ,except when I saw it on the steel variants ,

Thanks so much for the picture showing the variants ,I am still rusty at the moment so bear with me.

Btw I really love that swinguard example

Thanks for clearing this up for me and I hope your well my freind .

Ian

[Panzerfaust]

I have one like the one in the original post. Does anyone know when these were made?

[Bill DeShivs]

They were made in the late 1960s through at least the mid 1970s. Bonsa's assetts were sold to Klaas in 1972, I believe. I bought them outfitted this way from Germany in the mid 1970s.

[javacupper]

In 1965 at age 16 on a trip to Europe with my parents I bought my 1st switchblade while in Germany. It was a Bonsa identical to the one in gravknife’s photo. Later in the trip I walked into a knife shop in Venice and bought about 4 stilettos including a trapdoor otf. Sadly I sold the otf and the others disappeared. But I was hooked!

[Tom19176]

I saw the Bonsa models for sale in the early 1970s in Italy and other countries back then. I handled a few of the trap doors and didn't like them...lol.

[javacupper]

The trapdoor was inconsistant. The blade would only lock about a third of the time. That was why I sold it.