COAST Knives

I like to fancy myself somewhat of a prepper and survivalist. Not one of the conspiracy theory living in an underground bunker types but more of a guy who likes prepping for tragedy. Tornadoes, hurricanes, floods and any of a dozen other disasters can cause a person to rethink his or her level of preparedness for the protection and well-being of the family in which they are charged with caring for.

Recently I took on the task of testing and evaluating some gear in which not only the hardcore prepper might find useful but the average Joe or Joline as well. I took to task many knives and utility blades. I received a few very well made blades with a price which was about par with their quality. The old saying “you get what you pay for” is very true in the knife category to the inth degree.

In the mailbox one day I received a box marked COAST Knives and addressed to me. Inside I found a midsized lock blade. Honestly I thought I would destroy it in a few days time. It was very light and usually in the knife world light equals poor quality. Non the less I tossed it in my bag and slated it for a field test or two. This little knife stayed in my bag most of deer season because I had received several other knives ahead of it to test. The only way I knew to be fair about my testing was to test them in the order I received them in.

About a month ago I had a big fishing trip planned with my brother in law John Alford down on the Sabine river. I packed the little lock blade and a couple of back up knives just to be on the safe side. I was giving this COAST knife the business over the next few days. Arriving in camp I decided to strap on the knife. The COAST BX300 lock blade came with a nice hard molded nylon covered belt sheath which its self was very light and comfortable on the belt and around the waist. I hit the already quite sharp blade on my medium diamond stone until it was shaving sharp with just a hint of coarse pull to it. The BX300 comes with a 9cr18mov stainless steel blade. This is a very high quality stainless found in surgical equipment and many high-end blades. It’s not the hardest of steels but it sharpens easy and the edge retention is acceptable for anyone who knows blades. My blade standards are high to say the least and I found it pleasing to use and pleasant to sharpen. The semi soft rubber covering the handle was surprisingly hardy and proved very easy to hold onto, even when wet.

Over the next few days we set out many throw lines. I cut nylon cord and trimmed branches where we tied the lines onto. I even used it to cut hooks out of the mouths of big Blue cats and cut up a few Gasperghou (Drum) for cut bait. The BX300 performed without a flaw. I was truly impressed at every turn. In the mornings upon return from running our lines I used the BX to skin our catch. Only after 2 days of continued use and abuse did I return the blade to stone and it took no more than 3 draws on either side to regain the razor edge to the BX300.

At the end of 3 hard days of camping and fishing I was very impressed with the little COAST BX300. So much so that I often find myself sliding the nylon case onto my belt as my EDC knife. You know you have a good knife when you pass up a drawer full of knives which cost hundreds of dollars more. The weight is a key factor for me. Most knives of this quality weigh in at 3 or 4 times as much as the BX300.

I highly recommend that everyone please check out the exceptional line of COAST knives. Do not let the very economical price tag trick you into thinking the quality is not there. I am not saying go out and hammer staples in a barbed wire fence with them but I am saying they are up to the task for just about anything less…

Check them out at coastportland.com.

Story by Jeff Stewart