Which Knife?

Apart from a wee knife gaffered to the steering column for despatching fish heads, the only time I have ever 'needed' a sharp knife I used the bread knife to free a potline, having lured it to the surface using a dinghy grapnel and line then another line with a rolling hitch, taken to a cockpit winch to relieve the loading on the propellior and shaft.
I was thus able to free us without getting into the water, at night:)
 
Leatherman Wave is as good as any on board.

For going over the side the shop that sold me my diving gear recommended a cheap £18 Commando type dagger with sarrated edge on one side worked fine for first year then SWMBO bought me a proper expensive divers knife. Struggling to use it effectively freeing up a prop wrap I dropped it so back to the cheapee that frankly works best! I think a serrated kichen devil is a good as any but lacks the macho image!!

Regarding prop wraps. Some you will free with a knife but a lot like polythene sheet wraps and lines that have melted with friction require a serrated knife and long nose pointed plyers and I have even used waterpump grips to get some real leverage on bits. Can be very tiresome. Luckily had none for 3 years but one year cruising CI and France I picked up four!

Having dived mid channel with rope around waist and other places I find it ironic that where its safest to dive, in a marina, they don't let you as they have granted the licence to a local diver I believe. I just get on and do it!

Apart from the macho image of a big divers knife straped to your leg (with lanyard is best) if you are getting mixed up with nets and lines the most important knife is a small divers knife placed at a position you can get to in case you also get wrapped up! I have mine near the top of my BCD. The image of divers going down fastoned with knives -James Bond eat your heart out - but its the slight pot belly that ruins it for me!!
 
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knives

I find a good folding branch saw and a hack saw covers most things, branch saws are cheap, viciously serrated and cheap enough from a garden centre and go through any size of rope like butter.
 
You certainly do not need a commando knife.
Fairburn Sykes stilettoes are designed for one purpose only.
Most, ok every diver in the north sea uses a knife called a green river.
They are awesome. Not flash, or fancy looking, but do the job, and we use them daily. I've had mine for about two years now, and still not ready for replacement. Cheap too...

A good thumbs up to h1 steel as well. Much better than most so big thumbs up for spiderco from me...

Failing that... A good old kitchen devil
 
I have the Gerber ez out and it's never needed more than one swipe to get through a rope so I'd highly recommend it. It can also be opened and used with thick gloves on.
 
Robg71 said:
You certainly do not need a commando knife.
Fairburn Sykes stilettoes are designed for one purpose only.
Most, ok every diver in the north sea uses a knife called a green river.
They are awesome. Not flash, or fancy looking, but do the job, and we use them daily. I've had mine for about two years now, and still not ready for replacement. Cheap too...

A good thumbs up to h1 steel as well. Much better than most so big thumbs up for spiderco from me...

Failing that... A good old kitchen devil
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You misread my post I said it was like a commando type dagger BUT with a serrated edge down one side. I would describe the serrated edge as halfway between a kitchen devil and a hacksaw blade. I went back to guernsey diving to buy another as they were so cheap and worked but only expensive diving knives for sale.

I note green river knives do not have anything to stop your hand slipping forward onto the blade ~not good IMHO
 
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Cheap plastic handled steak knives from Auchan, 6 for €4.50. Drill hole in handle for lanyard.

Cut through 12mm nylon in proverbial fashion.

1 taped to life raft, the rest in the ready use locker (cutlery drawer).

In the past I have found the "Ideal" bread knife...the one with the small serrations...very effective.
 
Sailfree said:
You misread my post I said it was like a commando type dagger BUT with a serrated edge down one side. I would describe the serrated edge as halfway between a kitchen devil and a hacksaw blade.
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I used to dive as a teenager, and my old diving knife sounds a lot like you describe. It's probably still lurking somewhere in my parents' shed. Not a bad knife, but not what I'd choose as a dive knife today if I was still doing it.

My dad had an enormous hollywood shark-fighting bowie knife thing, which he'd bought when he'd first started learning and was rightly regarded as ridiculous by all serious divers.

Pete
 
Vara said:
Cheap plastic handled steak knives from Auchan, 6 for €4.50. Drill hole in handle for lanyard.

In the past I have found the "Ideal" bread knife...the one with the small serrations...very effective.
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I have (unfortunately) had to get quite a bit of stuff off various props and shafts in my time. It's not all about neatly cutting line. Sometimes you need to pry at it, which steak and bread knives are no good at at all. Sometimes you have to saw it (melted plastic and sometimes some wire), which leads you to a specialized serration. It is in fact handy to have a decently long blade (not something short or typical folding length or one of those hook knives), both to get a decent length saw stroke and to be able to reach across a big ball of ****.

I could go on, but there is a best knife for this application and it is unfortunately not a cheap kitchen knife nor a fishing knife nor a pocket knife/leatherman, nor a garden or hack saw. You can of course 'make do' with any of a number of these tools. But there is a proper tool for the job, that will give you a good likelihood of going down and getting the job done no matter what you find.
 
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estarzinger said:
I have (unfortunately) had to get quite a bit of stuff off various props and shafts in my time. It's not all about neatly cutting line. Sometimes you need to pry at it, which steak and bread knives are no good at at all. Sometimes you have to saw it (melted plastic and sometimes some wire), which leads you to a specialized serration. It is in fact handy to have a decently long blade (not something short or typical folding length or one of those hook knives), both to get a decent length saw stroke and to be able to reach across a big ball of ****.

I could go on, but there is a best knife for this application and it is unfortunately not a cheap kitchen knife nor a fishing knife nor a pocket knife/leatherman, nor a garden or hack saw. You can of course 'make do' with any of a number of these tools. But there is a proper tool for the job, that will give you a good likelihood of going down and getting the job done no matter what you find.
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Well, nice cliffhanger, any chance of a link or even a name?

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My trusty steak knife sorted this out on Friday, but I did get some tongue pie for putting it back in the cutlery drawer after use.
 
estarzinger said:
. It's not all about neatly cutting line. Sometimes you need to pry at it, which steak and bread knives are no good at at all. Sometimes you have to saw it (melted plastic and sometimes some wire), which leads you to a specialized serration.
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It's the prying and the serrated edge that make the commando shaped divers knife that I have good.
 
Vara said:
Well, nice cliffhanger, any chance of a link or even a name?

Look just a short ways back up the posts, and you will see what I use. And yes, it does cost rather more than a steak knife.

As I mentioned I have had the knife for quite a while (more than 15 years), so there may be better choices today. But at the time it was designed for and won rather extensive (Seal team) trials against the other major 'working' knife manufacturers. These trials were primarily designed to test knifes as working tools - for prying open pallets, ripping 55 gallon drums and cutting all sorts of ropes and wires - rather than as fighting/'commando' knifes.

My trusty steak knife sorted this out on Friday

mmmm . . . .anchor warp? . . . . it is a bit easier to sort that out when the prop is out of the water than when you are free diving to cut it.

The last mess I had to dive and cut was a large fishing net when we were cruising off mexico. It was wrapped around both our prop and rudder. I was not so worried about the prop because we could sail onto anchor but it was progressively jamming our rudder/steering. No way to pu;l it loose with a boat hook, so I had to go diving at sea to free it.
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Robg71 said:
Most, ok every diver in the north sea uses a knife called a green river.
They are awesome. Not flash, or fancy looking, but do the job, and we use them daily. I've had mine for about two years now, and still not ready for replacement. Cheap too...
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You've made me spend some money !

I really like that dive knife. Some places sell it cheaply, others are more expensive.
SMP ltd want you to fill in a form to give you a quote before you get to see the price.

But I just bought 3 other totally different safety knives INSTEAD plus a bit of extra gear to get free postage, until I can find an outlet for the Green river knife. I like the blunt ended Green River version and the sheath looks practical too.
 
tim_ber said:
You've made me spend some money !

I really like that dive knife. Some places sell it cheaply, others are more expensive.
SMP ltd want you to fill in a form to give you a quote before you get to see the price.

But I just bought 3 other totally different safety knives INSTEAD plus a bit of extra gear to get free postage, until I can find an outlet for the Green river knife. I like the blunt ended Green River version and the sheath looks practical too.
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I'd like a Green River too but does anyone know of an outlet without jumping through SMP's hoops?
 
I tried some long handled pruning shears the other day, side cut, they would not go through a 12mm rope, I think the anvil type would, you would need to test it. The local lifeboat used to carry a home made ripper, a stainless knife blade welded to a pole, with a crook welded to the blade rather like the top of a number 1, if the blade were serrated that would be ideal. (It could all be drilled and bolted rather than welded)
 
I shall see what i can do. SMP will try and whack the price up too....
how many want green rivers.... give me some idea of numbers and get back to me and i can get some in...
hang on, i best find out how much they are first...
 
geoid96 said:
I think the YM best knife was the Gerber E-Z Out Rescue Knife. We have one in the grab bag, but have not needed to use it in anger yet.
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I use one of these at work, we bought a large batch after trying various types. It is great quality and has a razor sharp serrated blade.

I also have one on our boat, great knife and won't let you down;););)

Just a point, use caution if attaching a lanyard, dependant on flow of water could be a dangerous situation having a knife floundering around in the water, if you are in there as well,!!!
 
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