Dive knife recommandations?

[Uncle Pug]

I hate to be repetitious....
Well... truthfully...no.... I really like it.....

Commercial quality kitchen utensiles have all of the above characteristics in the optimum balance....

My little paring knife will still shave the hair off the back of your hand and is not rusting and will do 99% of what most divers need a knife to do but 0% of what 99% of divers want a knife to do....

Culturally knifes are a status symbol....
If you can get around that one then a $2.95 paring knife really is the ticket....

For the 1% of jobs it is inadequate....
There are other kitchen utensiles that will fill the bill...

Listen to your Uncle....

 

[blacknet]

Hello,

This is so true. Modern culinary knives are composed of some seriously high tech material that composes of the best of all worlds. A few things to note about these knives. They are not designed for heavy duty prying. As for sharpness it's not really a question of shaving hair. It's a question of cutting the modern high tensile strength fishing line, steel leaders, fishing net, 1" webbing and the like. One good test for sharpness is shave paper. Lay the paper flat on a cutting board and shave it horizontaly. What you'll get is a uniform cut with no holes when the knife is very very sharp. If it's less than idea then you will have holes and gaps appearing. If it's not sharp at all it will rip the paper.

Ed

 

[Uncle Pug]

Sharp is not for cutting s.s. leaders.....
That is what shears (EMT or otherwise) are for.....

Prying is best done with a.....
What are you prying stuff for!!!!

Anyway prying is best done with a genuine Pry Bar....
If you really gotta pry use the right tool!!!

For wreck robbers there are hammer/chisel/pry tools all rolled into one neat package...

For abalone robbers who haven't figure out how to knock them off the rocks with their fist, there is the Ab Iron....

For rock scallop robbers, best just use the fillet knife to cut the abductor muscle and take only the half shell... no prying necessary....

For oyster robbers.... see wreck robber tool above....

ect....

IF your dive plan involves prying ...take a pry tool... other wise leave the junk at home...

 

[Scottri]

Don't spend a lot of money on a dive knife, it's the most common piece of gear I find.


Scott

 

[devjr]

The type of knife is important and as stated by an earlier poster is specific to the diver and his dive plan. A kitchen knife is usually not suitable. A blunt knife with a five inch soft, 300 series SS blade is best for prying scallops and oysters. The steel is non magnetic. They may(rarely) bend but can be straightened later without breaking. The spearfisherman, freediver needs a pointed stilleto for killing big fish. These may be hard to find but Riffe and a few others sell them. If possible, get one made from hard 400 series SS. This steel is magnetic and can be identified with a magnet. If not available, bear in mind that the softer, chromium white 300 steel is hard to sharpen. Common to most 300 steel, the blade can be straightened successfully. Both of these knives can be used to cut line and kelp. Either knife should have one serrated edge for general purposes such as cutting rope. Finally, the stilleto is best for prying and cutting a line which is wrapped around a prop.

 

[BadFish]

I just carry a two handed sword and a shotgun.

Thats the ticket.

:idea:

 

[Uncle Pug]

Originally posted by devjr
Finally, the stilleto is best for prying and cutting a line which is wrapped around a prop.

Try your stilleto on the melted plastic donut formed by nylon or poly that has been friction molded to a prop hub.....

And you will see why Uncle recommends the handy kitchen meat saw...

 

[devjr]

Digressing here on the subject of fouled props. Aggressive sawing or hacking is dicey and may not be practical in the sometimes tight space afforded. Prop removal may be necessary. Now, back to the subject at hand...

For those on a budget, there is a kitchen knife which some old time spearos used successfully. This is the "sani safe" made by Dexter Russell. This company makes a wide variety of marine grade knives with magnetic SS blades. They will hold an edge and the steel, although thin, is quite springy. The advantage is that one knive can be used for diving purposes and fileting fish. The diver will have to improvise a sheath.

There are many variations, but I carry the knife strapped inside the left calf. Others put them in a custom pocket in their wet suit or use waist belt carry.

 

[Uncle Pug]

Originally posted by devjr
For those on a budget, there is a kitchen knife which some old time spearos used successfully. This is the "sani safe" made by Dexter Russell...

The diver will have to improvise a sheath....

Thanks for the reminder....
Uncle's gotta go make another sheath....
To go on the harness of my other BP/wing set up....

That way I can switch my knife back and forth without having to switch the sheath....

At $2.95 I don't want to be buying extra knives!!!

BTW the sheath is simply a length of weight belt webbing (2") folded over and sewn to make a belt loop.... The other end is folded up on the opposite side and sewn along the edges. This forms a tight pocket that holds the little curved blade paring knife securely by friction fit.

This knife works great for all line cutting with the exception of steel leaders/cable (use shears.) It also works great for cutting the gills of fish so that they bleed out (better meat that way.) It also works great for sharpening your pencil...which big clunky knives don't do well. It is small on the waist belt and doesn't poke the gut when bending over and unlike a knife strapped to the fore arm or leg, does not pose and entanglement hazard. The little knife also has a paradoxical effect on status....

 

[ScubaDuke]

What a lot of choices. I would say first off don't spend to much just incase it gets lost, it happens.
Secondly, carry two - knife & shears, 2 knifes, etc. - a backup is always good.

Personally I carry a UK Remora on my lp inflator hose and a larger knife on my leg. Soon the larger knife will be replaced by shears on my BC.

Untill you what your specific needs are go inexpensive but effective.