I was never a Boy Scout. My mother thought I would get bored, and she was probably right. However, around 10 years old, I started carrying a Swiss Army Knife (SAK) wherever I went. When you’re an adventurous kid, you need a multitool and a knife, and the well-thought-out SAK combines the two quite nicely.
Time has shown that the old red-handled SAKs can get the job done in the outdoors. However, folks who find themselves surrounded by wilderness more often than not might want something a little more robust. The Boker Naturensöhne MK II NXT is designed to scratch that itch.
Boker introduced the MK II NXT earlier this year to address a need in the bushcraft world for a hardworking pocket tool. Compact and versatile, the MK II NXT has replaceable G10 handle scales and a pocket clip so that it doesn’t get lost in your pocket or pack.
In short: The Boker Naturensöhne MK II NXT is a ruggedly built pocket multitool in the vein of the classic Swiss Army Knife, but intended for core outdoor use. Boker chose materials that can take on the elements head-on, and tools that address common needs (with some niche needs for survivalists). That said, while the tool looks the part, I am not quite sure that the onboard tools address the needs of the bushcraft crowd.
Specifications
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Top-notch ergonomics
- Outdoor-specific tool assortment
- Built to weather the elements
Cons
- No scissors
Boker Naturensöhne MK II NXT Review
Design and Features
The Naturensöhne MK II NXT takes its name from a popular German YouTube bushcraft duo named Andy and Gerrit. They teamed up with Boker to make a line of tools aimed at outdoor adventuring. The MK II NXT is their interpretation of a pocket tool designed for survival. With the inclusion of G10 handle scales, the use of 12C27 steel on the drop point blade, and an all-around stonewash finish, these guys hit the mark.
The MK II NXT only has 7 tools, keeping the bloat down and making field operation simple. The wood saw is designed not only for wood, but for bone and antler. The awl will come in handy when working with wood and leather. The 2.8-in. 12C27 drop point blade will stave off corrosion and abrasion while holding a decent edge. The handle houses a tweezers, toothpick, and pocket clip. There’s also a glass breaker on the butt of the MK II NXT, and finally, one oddball: spring-assisted, combination pliers.
I was a little befuddled by the inclusion of pliers, as scissors would strike me as more appropriate. But this implement began to reveal its purpose during testing.
First Impressions
When I first saw the MK II NXT on the Boker site, I was drawn to the juxtaposition of the forest green G10 handle scales against the stonewashed tools, pocket clip, and hardware. When the tool finally arrived, my admiration for the build and overall feel only grew. The MK II NXT is stout. It fills your hand in all the right places, due to the way the handle arcs and angles down. This provides a grip that feels natural, especially when using tools like the blade, pliers, and saw.
I also liked the fact that those tools don’t lock. They’re all slip-jointed so that the MK II NXT is legal in more places. This is a smart move for a global company like Boker, which has a heavy fan base in Europe where knives and tools are scrutinized. Though knife users in the U.S. have enjoyed the benefits of locking blades, there’s a little heritage baked in here that gives the MK II NXT a bump in appeal to me.
In The Field
Sometimes I need to be in the moment to figure out why things are the way they are. And I tell you that I appreciate the pliers on the MK II NXT now that I see their purpose, and the use cases are both varied and practical:
- Picking up a hot lid from a cook pot.
- Pulling old barbed wire off a post you have to move.
- Removing a nail from a board.
- Taking off a bottle cap when you don’t have a bottle opener.
- Closing a zipper after the zipper pull has broken off (my favorite).
For these reasons and more, this is why there are pliers on the MK II NXT!
That said, I would still like to see a pair of scissors on the next iteration of this tool, if there is one. But instead of replacing the pliers with scissors, I would opt to remove the knife blade. As I see it, many bushcrafters and outdoor enthusiasts will already have a knife on them.
Once I understood the pliers, I was happy to find that the Naturensöhne MK II NXT functions without flaw. The saw and awl are the most impressive tools of the bunch, with the full-size tweezers heading up the rear. I will add that I thought the toothpick was glow-in-the-dark for the longest time — it isn’t. But it still comes in handy after eating a handful of pumpkin seeds.
All in all, I carried and used the MK II NXT for nearly a month, and now it is a staple in my pack. And you know what the main deciding factor was? The pliers!
Conclusion: Who’s it For?
Boker is a true grit brand that I always enjoy. Its tools have an old-world feel with a modern flair. Still, nothing is as important as dependability, and I knew the moment I opened the box to the Naturensöhne MK II NXT that it was dependable; it was just too heavy not to be!
Where I started on this review questioning if this really was a tool designed for bushcrafting, I am ending it with a resounding “you bet your bippy!” This starts at the stonewashed metal components and weaves its way around the onboard tool selection and G10 handle scales, then through the arc in the handle, which keeps it comfortable in your hand.
That said, where I don’t see the need for the glassbreaker, it’s probably because I just haven’t encountered that situation yet.
