Dive knives - what to get?
 

Just for snorkeling/kayaking about in open warm water...

I'm thinking that Titanium is the way to go. (?)

Are any dive knives designed to neutral(+) buoyancy?

Dive knife != river knife

If you're looking for something to use for paddling, I would highly recommend the Gerber river shorty or a spyderco rescue knife.

Perfect justification for buying yourself a Randall Model 16 Dive :D

(stainless/micarta)

http://www.agrussell.com/images/Biggest/RA-M16DIVE.jpg

Well there's this one on eBay...

VINTAGE VIETNAM ERA RANDALL KNIFE #16 SAWTEETH / LOW S - eBay (item 350285628037 end time Dec-27-09 18:26:13 PST)

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1260576965.jpg

with a 'Buy it Now' price of only US $2,950.00


I like the no-fold, but a bit spendy for that tool.

... And, to quote Jerry Seinfeld, But I don't wanna be a pirate.

I use one like this for kayaking. Its a wenoka, you have to squeeze the tabs to release the knife. Some have complained about the sheath breaking but I havent had any issues.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1260579171.jpg

do you really need a "knife"? or would stainless shears / scissors do?

The one that Dave just posted is very similar to mine, you want a blunt tip so you don't stab yourself or wetsuit, and better to pry with........for nets or fishing line, the built in line cutter is a must.........

.......but you have to ask what your application is, and there are some good medic type stainless shears on the market.

Mission Knives makes the only Ti knives worth having.

Unless you spear fish and need the tip to finish off large fish the blunt tip is the way to go. That said, be careful where you put these, some free divers get hung up on the knife and drown. Especially when diving in kelp, I would recommend a knife to be on your chest, in a custom sewn pocket where it is easily accessible and can not hang up.

Have fun and be safe out there,

George

Yeah, the old Randall knives get real spendy. Retail on a new one is probably ~$300 with a 5 year wait, tho. There is a long time dealer local to me who sells them for $100 over current retail. I can't remember which, but he has either a 16 Dive or a 16 Special Fighter in stainless/micarta right now. Shoot me a PM if you want his contact info, or if you want me to verify what he has. He can order you anything you want from Randall with a ~6 month wait.

Buck 110 is the only knife I need. But then again, I'm not foolish enough to swim with creatures that want to eat me.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/86/23...8df52ca125.jpg

Abalone Knife My Favorite

Mines 30 Years old

This is a descent one

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1260598325.jpg

Sorry This one


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1260598661.jpg

I find the whole blunt tip thing bizarre. What good is a knife if you can't stab a big-ass fish with it?

Hehe.

Another vote for the blunt tip. Regarding the Randall, its a very nice knife but how are you going to carry that one with you? In a leather sheath in the water? Nope...

That is very much like what my brother (RIP) carried when he worked on a dive boat (he died in bed not in the ocean)

I know you are just joking but essentially as a rescuer you need a knife so that if you were pulling someone out of the water and something went wrong (they were going to be swung into a sieve, major hole etc) you would cut the rope. As a rescuee you have a knife in case a rope gets caught around your neck or was otherwise endangering you. In the end, if you have a rope you have a knife.

Part of the reason for the blunt tip is so that you dont stab yourself but also so you dont puncture a dry suit and have it fill up with water.





http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1260649250.jpg