Sailing knife

[Guest]

I was wondering if anyone could let me know the main uses for sailing knives, as I am currently designing one for a university project.

What are the main uses?
What tools should they incorperate?
What are the weaknesses of knives you currently use, how could they be improved?

Any comments would be much apriciated.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Your starter for ten

Sharp serrated blade to cut thick ropes quickly
Shackle key
Spike for prising apart tight knots
Plain screwdriver blade
Philips screwdriver blade
(both screwdriver blades should be incorporated in such a way that real torque can be put on screws)
Meaty handle that can be easily gripped with cold wet hands
Lock, to prevent blades, etc folding back on fingers
Buoyant
With a landyard
Non-magnetic
Non-rusting

Forget clever dick stuff - leave that for Leatherman or the Swiss Army.

 

[DavidTocher]

Re: Your starter for ten

You forgot opening bottles!

 

[tcm]

Re: Your starter for ten

there are some gags to be had here, but anyway...

1. They don't float, and should, somehow, perhaps with a separate float.
2. I imagine you mean a penknife thing? I so, they need to have two retractable blades, one blade serrated and bloody sharp, other flat blade, quite convex, so that a teak floor plank could be smoothed with the blade it neccessary. You can have optional wine bottle opener and can opener but not on the flat blade.
3. The retractable blades need to be extractable even with gloves on, not like poxy swiss army knives which need another knife for blade extraction.
4. Whatever the thing is made of, it should never rust in seawater. Whatever they make diving gear of, like that perhaps. cept the handle should be plastic. Note that the worst case is a bit of seawater, not necessarily immersion. Decent stainless will be ok, and nonmagnetic for being near a compass.
5. It needs holes in it, either to attach purpose built float and or to attach to a shackle or lanyard.
6. Handle and float if needed should be dayglo colour.
7. Forget screwdrivery thing, always crap.
7. I won't buy this but christama present buyers will buy it, so it needs to be bout 15 quid tops. Or, under 20 quid but totally wonderful

 

[Mirelle]

Keep it simple.

A sheath knife is preferable.

The blade should be heavy and short, and should NOT end in any sort of point.

As for clasp knives, I reckon the French Opinel knives are as good as you will get - they are carbon steel, so they hold an edge, with wooden handles and a clever slip ring that locks the blade out and stops it folding back in use - a very important point. You can drill through the handle for a lanyard, and they are quite cheap.

I don't hold with putting gadgets like shackle keys and screwdrivers into a pocket knife. Better use the right tool.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Bottles

Thought about opening bottles, but it's probably not sensible to have glass beer bottles on a boat, most beer comes in cans anyway, and even if it is in a bottle loads of them have caps you can twist off (especially if you're wearing sailing gloves).

And, of course, when the only wine you drink is champagne, you don't need a corkscrew, or you do need a sabre!

 

[davidhand]

Re: Keep it simple.

I agree with the keep it simple approach, but would like at least a spike, and a shackle key can be located in the blade. I have a knife with the blade partly serrated and partly smooth (the outer part) this seems to work OK. Non magnetic is desirable of course but difficult to obtain, austenitic stainless is non magnetic but will not hold an edge, martensitic stainless will hold an edge (kitchen knives etc) but is magnetic.

 

[Twister_Ken]

PS

Once was in a hospital ward next to a paratrooper who'd decided to open beer bottles wiith his teeth. He wondered why he got stomach cramps the next day. His x-rays were beautiful!

 

[Twister_Ken]

Problem with Opinel...

...is that they rust solid unless you keep them well oiled. And not with Guinness!

 

[gjeffery]

Look at the Linder Heavy Duty Boat Knife - Heavy simple sheath knife, wide blade and beautifully made in Solingen, to a traditional pattern. Stainless blade that does keep its edge and sheathed with a spike/shackle key.

One aspect that is often overlooked is the lanyard attachment. I feel uncomfortable now with lanyards attached at the end of the handle, having seen a lanyard get fast and draw the knife blade through the user's hand. Have a look at attaching the lanyard to a hole in the blade, just forward of the guard.

 

[NigeCh]

Use butter, Dear Ken, Use butter

The problem with Opinel's lame acier au carbone (Aussi 'La Main Couranee' (sp?)) is not the rusting of the blade (All cooks clean and oil their blade after use) but with the swelling of the shank that stops the blade from being pulled open when required. If you use butter, even salted butter, to clean the blade then the salted fat will inpregnate the shank to stop it swelling and stop the blade from rusting too. (It will turn the blade to a dull variagated dark grey/black and it will still keep its edge)

IMO, an Opinel No 10 is the best knife for slicing onions and also for slashing through anything but Dyneema.

 

[Mirelle]

Three in One

A few drops on the end grain of the business end of the handle are soaked up by the wood and released slowly; I put a bit on mine when I think of it, which is not very often.

 

[webcraft]

Re: Sailing knife - lifesaver?

Recently read the new edition of 'Total Loss' (excellent book about yachts lost at sea in various circumstances).

One thing that stood out was the number of people who had used a knife in anger to save their lives in a sudden emergency.

I want to purchase and wear on a lanyard a knife that:

a) can be easily opened one handed

b) is safe (severing an artery never helps in a crisis)

c) Has a phenomenally sharp blade

Apart from that I don't care. If it has a shackle key as well that does not in any way interfere with its primary function, then that would be good I guess.

Recommendations?

<font color=blue>Nick</font color=blue> -

BlueMoment.Com
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.bluemoment.com/>http://www.bluemoment.com/</A>

 

[dk]

Agree with most of the postings, ie keep it simple, 2 sharp blades (one serrated, one plain), a spike and a shackle key. Make the blades easy to open with gloves on, and incorporate a proper blade lock. Buoyancy is a waste of time IMHO - it's difficult enough to pick up a baseball cap let alone a floating knife unless you keep a fishing net on board.
I must also stress the importance of one-handed use. Nearly every time I have used a knife in anger on board it has been whilst holding on for dear life with the other hand! All functions should be usable with one gloved hand only.

 

[vyv_cox]

What are they used for?

I think I have three or four knives on board, plus one I always carry in my pocket. I cannot remember the last time I used one of them aboard, apart from a bit of splicing or whipping. Jill asked for one about five years ago, it is in her oilskins pocket and I doubt that it has ever been opened. The most useful feature on my pocket Swiss Army is the toothpick, folowed by the screwdrivers and bottle opener.

So what am I missing? Why were people hanging on for dear life and cutting with the other hand? Why this insistence on ultra-sharpness, serrated blades, one long one and one short one? Maybe something is missing from my sailing experience? I would love to be told.

 

[claymore]

Think of your Market

Boats are extraordinarily expensive. It therefore follows that the owners are all fabulously rich. Fabulously rich people don't get there overnight - it takes time. Yes - we are all advancing in years - so, lets look at the ageing process. two things fail - well, three actually but I wouldn't be using a knife on the third.
Eyesight. Would it be possible to have one that is big so that when you get hold of the blasted thing you can see the bits you are trying to operate?
Memory. A lanyard is insufficient because that assumes that we are all disciplined and would hang the knife around our necks. dangerous assumption - the neck is already festooned with glasses, medi- alert medallion and plastic wallet with money in. Can you build in a device that when it hears the bad tempered mutter of "Now where did I put that blasted knife....?" A voice shouts 'Here' and continues with an audible buzz until knife and owner become reunited?
hope this helps

regards
Claymore

 

[ccscott49]

Re: Think of your Market

Bluidy brilliant! Like one of those car key finders you shout at and it buzzes, have to be an inteligent one though, so it doesn't get mixed up by "where did I put my effin gklasses or my cup or winch handle etc. etc. I think I have a boatergiest, who steals things and hides them! I still haven't found that torch I lost two years ago! or the mobile phone, I kid you not!!

 

[qsiv]

Re: Your starter for ten

But that would be promoting an act of gross illegality under the proposed new Transport Act, and therefore the maker/designer would be liable to a fine not exceeding £10,000,000 or life imprisonment....

 

[tcm]

Who cares?

The idea of a sailing knife must be to sell sailing knives. Now, i have not really heard of such an item BUT if there was one in a chandlery shop ESPECIALLY in a nice heavy duty blister packet with pictures of boats and boating all around saying"the essential sailing knife" and suchlike , i would probably have at least two for christmas presents.

 

[qsiv]

Re: Sailing knife - lifesaver?

I have to say I usually have one round my waist - and I ALWAYS keep one attached to my foul weather trousers (Musto have a suaitable anchoring point inside their pockets).

I prefer to keep it in the oily trousers as I a)often wear these w/o the top and B) find the jacket pockets more difficult to access with harness/lifejacket and c) it makes the handwarmer pockets less comfy.

The rationale behind the second knife is that I usually forget to detach the knife round my waist when putting oilies on in hurry/dark/rough weather - so I prefit one where I know I'll need it.

As for knife - I use a lockspike style - with the shackle Key opening in the handle - I dont find the spike derivative that useful as most ropes that need splicing (on my boat anyway) need fids, sticky tape and hot knives to splice.

Also have a bigger serrated knife taped to the rod kicker which is fairly central to the area with most string.