There’s just something about a slipjoint knife. It’s a traditional design. Uncomplicated, maybe even boring. Yet, for all its seeming blandness, they’re incredibly cool. And this Coffin from Böker is a great example of just how cool they can be.
The Böker Coffin
I don’t have a lot of experience with Böker, but I’ve known them to be dependable, with great quality components and intelligent designs. I had this knife sitting in my wish list at DLT Trading for a while before I finally pulled the trigger. Honestly, I was trying to convince myself that I didn’t need it. But I finally got tired of arguing with myself and placed the order.
Design and Materials
The Böker Coffin gets its name due to the style of the handle. While this one is a bit more rounded than a traditional coffin handle, the shape is definitely still there. You can see the handle narrows as it goes from butt to the pivot. It’s a comfortable handle shape
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The scales are denim micarta. The handle is surprisingly light. It almost feels like plastic. I’d have preferred the micarta to be left just a little rough, personally. They have a little texture to them, but I like my micarta left a little more unfinished. I love the color, though. It’s a medium blue that stands out without being obnoxious.
There is a pocket clip that’s reversible. There’s just one screw to undo, and the clip slides out of the handle. Flip it around, then put it in place and secure it with the screw. Out of the box, it’s configured for right-side, tip-up carry.
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The MagnaCut blade is 3.15 inches long. It has a spear point design, with a subtle swedge. The steel has a brushed finish. I’d love to see this in a stonewashed finish. The blade has an extended nail nick for opening. Closed, the spine doesn’t rise up very far from the handle, so the nail nick is definitely needed. There’s not enough blade exposed to just pinch it open.
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The Coffin has an interesting ricasso design. This is the part of the blade that’s between the sharpened edge and where the handle begins. On the Coffin, there is a sharpening choil on one side and a matching curve on the other. This gives the knife a nice, balanced look.
Performance
I haven’t had the Böker Coffin all that long, but I’m pretty impressed with it. It’s light, just shy of two ounces. So, it’s easy to grab and drop into a pocket on the way out the door. I don’t often bother with pocket clips for an EDC folder.
The blade is thin and easy to control. The overall size of the Coffin is perfect for a pocket knife. The blade is long enough to do just about anything you’ll need it to do without becoming clumsy or awkward.
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“Walk and talk” is a phrase we use in the knife world to describe how a slipjoint opens and closes. The walk is how it feels as the blade pivots into position. The talk refers to the sound the blade makes as it snaps into position. With the Coffin, the blade moves smoothly, with a very positive stop at the 90-degree point. The talk isn’t loud, but it’s definitely there. No complaints from me on either aspect.
In addition to doing some routine knife chores over the last several days, I did two actual tests with the knife. First, I pulled out some leather scraps and sliced them up. Applying firm pressure, the knife had no trouble slicing through the material. Then I grabbed an old rubber bungee cord and began slicing it into pieces, which the Coffin handled quite easily.
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I don’t always look for a slipjoint for my daily carry. I mean, I do love my automatics and the occasional assisted-open folders. Not to mention the pocket carry fixed blades that I tend to favor. But when I’m in the mood for something traditional, but with modern sensibilities, the Böker Coffin will do the trick quite well.
The Böker Coffin, as equipped here in denim micarta, runs about $176.
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