A knife to hand at all times?

[Cerebus]

Sailing with friends this weekend and we pulled into the marina.

Skipper wanted a piece of rope cutting and asked who had a knife.

I was the only one out of 5 of us. A brightly coloured, stainless blade, half serrated. Always on me when I sail.

I was surprised.

Thinking about it, I don’t know where else on board except galley (not exactly tool knives) any knife could have been found. Don’t know where skipper keeps tool box; I should know and will find out for future reference.

 

[Roberto]

I have several knives everywhere (cockpit, mast, steering pedestal, etc), probably the most useless piece of equipment as I never used any of them. A bit like insurance maybe, unseless until you need it.

 

[RunAgroundHard]

I keep one at the wheel pedestal and one at the mast, as safety knifes. Also have my own and a couple in the stuff drawer.

Knife carrying has diminished these days, more to do with the lack of need, compared to years ago, than any other reason.

 

[Seastoke]

Sailing with friends this weekend and we pulled into the marina.

Skipper wanted a piece of rope cutting and asked who had a knife.

I was the only one out of 5 of us. A brightly coloured, stainless blade, half serrated. Always on me when I sail.

I was surprised.

Thinking about it, I don’t know where else on board except galley (not exactly tool knives) any knife could have been found. Don’t know where skipper keeps tool box; I should know and will find out for future reference.

You sound like a London teenager.

 

[Mark-1]

Sailing with friends this weekend and we pulled into the marina.

Skipper wanted a piece of rope cutting and asked who had a knife.

I was the only one out of 5 of us. A brightly coloured, stainless blade, half serrated. Always on me when I sail.

I was surprised.

Thinking about it, I don’t know where else on board except galley (not exactly tool knives) any knife could have been found. Don’t know where skipper keeps tool box; I should know and will find out for future reference.

Weirdly, in decades I have no recollection of needing a knife when sailing and never carried one. Occasionally I'd fetch a kitchen knife or use a Gerber tool I keep below.

About a year ago I started to carry a combined knife, flat screwdriver, marlin spike and shackle key. Since then I seem to use it all the time.

Not sure what to conclude from that.

 

[Hadenough]

Sailing with friends this weekend and we pulled into the marina.

Skipper wanted a piece of rope cutting and asked who had a knife.

I was the only one out of 5 of us. A brightly coloured, stainless blade, half serrated. Always on me when I sail.

I was surprised.

Thinking about it, I don’t know where else on board except galley (not exactly tool knives) any knife could have been found. Don’t know where skipper keeps tool box; I should know and will find out for future reference.

So why did he need a rope cutting??

 

[Seastoke]

A few years back at the all Wales boat show in Conwy, there was a girl doing a demonstration on the river using a jet ski to power one of those attachments that power up in the air using the thrust off the jet ski . She went up in The
air then did a dive in the river and she was suppose to come back up strait out the water , but she never came out she was tangled in a mooring line under the water there was panic everywhere lucky for her there was a fisherman on a pontoon quite close who took his knife dived in and cut her loose. She still nearly died , but had he not got his knife she would have died.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

I always used to wear a sheath knife in my younger days, especially on a boat, but quite often when hill walking or other outdoor activity. Still got one, but don't usually wear it. But I've got several pocket knives, and can always find one quickly. At home, I use one several times a day - routine things like opening parcels. At sea, I regard it as essential equipment for routine ropework; things like tidying up a frayed end of a rope.

On at least one occasion I was very glad I had a knife to hand, to cut a rope quickly in a dangerous situation.

Perhaps worth noting that it was expected that we would have penknives at school, to sharpen pencils!

 

[Cerebus]

So why did he need a rope cutting??

He is a plonker.

He did not have enough warps and wanted to cut a long length to a shorter length (sacrilege!) not the way I skipper a boat but there you go.

 

[neil_s]

I always used to wear a sheath knife in my younger days, especially on a boat, but quite often when hill walking or other outdoor activity. Still got one, but don't usually wear it. But I've got several pocket knives, and can always find one quickly. At home, I use one several times a day - routine things like opening parcels. At sea, I regard it as essential equipment for routine ropework; things like tidying up a frayed end of a rope.

On at least one occasion I was very glad I had a knife to hand, to cut a rope quickly in a dangerous situation.

Perhaps worth noting that it was expected that we would have penknives at school, to sharpen pencils!

My woodwork teacher would happily sharpen penknives if asked!

 

[Cerebus]

Knives are tools in my h. o.

My boat has them dotted around.

On a new (to me boat) I started engine and cast off from busy mooring field only to find I had not unlashed the tiller.

I had used fiddly paracord. A nearby knife saved me ramming the boats all around.

An examiner once asked me to show him my knife. He grilled me about many things in fact; a stressful examination.

 

[ingenious]

Sailing with friends this weekend and we pulled into the marina.

Skipper wanted a piece of rope cutting and asked who had a knife.

I was the only one out of 5 of us. A brightly coloured, stainless blade, half serrated. Always on me when I sail.

I was surprised.

Thinking about it, I don’t know where else on board except galley (not exactly tool knives) any knife could have been found. Don’t know where skipper keeps tool box; I should know and will find out for future reference.

Was something I always had from my Broads days and I have one about me now. Thought I was going to have to jump in the water with it yesterday as we got some bits of a plastic sack round one of the props but it came off with a bosthook

 

[Ian_Edwards]

I'm surprised at how many who have responded to this thread don't carry a knife.
I carry a Swiss Army knife all the time, and I use it most days. It’s a handy utility tool, two blades, sissers, screwdriver, tooth pick, small magnifying glass ...etc. I keep one in the pocket of my wet weather salopettes, teathered by some thin shot cord.
I consider it to be an important item of safety gear.

 

[thinwater]

I don't carry one.

There is one at the mast, near the winches, in the tool box, and obviously, in the galley. For me, that is safer than having to transfer it every time I change clothes. Each one has a long lanyard, is very easy to find, and very hard to lose. If someone asks, "blue lanyard, inside the companionway on the right."

No need for the Swiss army or multitool fiddlyness; there is a small tool kit in the same companionway location. Much better.

 

[dunedin]

Have never carried a knife and never needed one. On rare occasions needed, I know there is one beside the pliers and a couple of screwdrivers in the top drawer at the chart table, Can’t see how one is needed on a well maintained boat, except when doing maintenance jobs when other items area also needed (eg whipping twine and pliers).
Different if was racing a trapeze dinghy, but I don’t these days.

 

[ash2020]

I hang one just inside the companion way hatch. A ceramic one with the point blunted off.

 

[Alicatt]

I carry one on the waist strap of my life jacket and keep a small lazer serrated knife by the helm while underway.
The risk of getting hung up on a bollard in a canal lock is greater than 0, especially a floating bollard they can stick and then spring up or jam on the way down then suddenly drop a few meters, it can be quite disconcerting when you watch the bollard stay still while you are dropping away from it, getting ready to release the rope when the bollard drops past you with a splash.
I think the majority of crew in our club have knife to hand while navigating the canals.

 

[Plum]

I have one mounted just inside the companionway hatch and a J-knife always attached to my lifejacket. In 25 years I only once needed one in anger and that was last year so my policy paid off.

 

[alahol2]

Always have a Swiss army knife in my pocket. Remembered to take it out before visiting a court but forgot the teeny one on my keyring, had to wait for a month to get that one back.

 

[Cerebus]

I'm surprised at how many who have responded to this thread don't carry a knife.
I carry a Swiss Army knife all the time, and I use it most days. It’s a handy utility tool, two blades, sissers, screwdriver, tooth pick, small magnifying glass ...etc. I keep one in the pocket of my wet weather salopettes, teathered by some thin shot cord.
I consider it to be an important item of safety gear.

My only tin opener is my Swiss Army knife; it is stainless and always works unlike the dozens of others I have used including manky kitchen electrical ones.

Tweezers handy.

Tooth pick handy.

Tiny screwdriver for spectacles handy.

The big flat bladed screwdriver is handy for all sorts such as opening tins of paint.

Two very sharp knives too (usually used to open parcels).