to: The Goose
Do you have an Emerson Lagriffe? It looks like 3 types available; 1 plain blade and a white water serrated and an impressive titanium which is too much moola! They are out of stock until end of Jan most places. If you have one, which one, and is it meant to hang around your neck? or where can you put it kayaking? That knife looks impressive!
A practical, cheap alternative . . .
– Last Updated: Nov-22-08 12:59 AM EST –
We were spending so much money outfitting ourselves for sea kayaking and the expensive name brand knives were daunting for their expense.
I made the decision to put small folding knives in our PFD pockets, figuring there had to be some non-name-brand stainless steel knock off out here. I found them in our local Ace Hardware store for about $16 - in fact, had a choice among a number of stainless steel knives they carry. The knives have been out in salt and fresh water all summer and look like they did when we first put them in our PFDs.
I plan to carry my Puma, as well, on expeditions.
Boye knives
This would be perfect except for the price. Confusing that the word spyderco was mentioned in the info. on the boye knife in an ad!?
Has anyone dealt with knifesupply.com - they have some good prices on some of the knives mentioned. I haven’t dealt with too many online dealers, mostly big name companies or manufacturers, so I am comfortable with their quality merchandise. I wonder if some sell less quality ie repaired or 2nd quality and don’t advertise it as so.
One Dealer…
that I can vouch for>>>
http://www.knifecenter.com/kc_new/store_detail.html?s=SP106PYL
SpyderCo is mentioned with Boye folders because of the use of the “hole” opening. SpyderCo was the first to design, patent and the round hole (one hand) opening design. Some manufacturers went around it by making their hole oval, triangular, square, etc. to get around the Spyderco patent. Boye chose to honor the concept instead.
sing
I have a titanium, its never sharp enoug
even after i had it professionally sharpened
Curious… Who Makes The Knife?
“Boye” and “Spyderco”
– Last Updated: Nov-21-08 6:40 PM EST –
Boye also shows up with Spyderco because Spyderco refers to a "David Boye Dent" on their front lock folding knifes. This comes from the Spyderco glossary page:
http://www.spyderco.com/edge-u-cation/popup.php?id=46
"David Boye Dent: Custom knifemaker David Boye removed a small arc or dent of metal from the lock bar lever of his knives. This removed piece lessened the possibility of gripping the handle hard enough to depress the lock and accidentally unlock the blade while using the knife."
Great price on Myerchin A500
In stock at Defender.com for $42.99.
http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|118|119|312085&id=78450
Great, functional dive knife at a great price.
Ok now that I am overwhelmed
with all these nice knives (perhaps obsessing a little too!) Here is another question
for example on the Spyderco salt knives which may end up being my folder:
Should I buy serrated or non serrated? ughhhh I am leaning towards serrated only because it looks like it would cut better faster but I really dont know. Anyone have both and can comment?
Out of business
The company closed its doors forever in 2004. The assets, including some of the patterns and the trade name, were purchased by smoky Mountain Knife Works of Tennessee. SMKW does not really make knives. They sell a bunch of them and contract for manufacturing with some Chinese companies.
So your father’s Schrade is no more. The name alone survives, on crap knives.
Get serrated
– Last Updated: Nov-21-08 3:30 PM EST –
The serrations hold their edge better than plain edge in H-1 steel. Also a serrated blade will be better for cutting rope or line in an emergency situation. I carry a Tasman Salt in a River City Sheath on the side adjusting strap of my PFD. It is showing absolutely no signs of corrosion after repeated dunkings in salt water and minimal maintenance. Highly recommended.
cheers,
clay
Don’t have to choose with the…
Wenoka…again. It has one side serrated with a line hook and one side regular blade.
I would not get a folding knife for you PFD (especially not put it in a PFD pocket). JMHO, but a PFD knife, in my mind, is primarily and emergency device to cut yourself or someone else out of whatever situation you are in. I know most of us use them more to gut fish, as I do, but I alwasy encourage folks to think of a worst case scenario and then from that figure you which piece of equipment would work best in that situation.
If you are in a time crunched scenario (can’t breath as don’t have gills) do you really want to be fumbling around underwater trying to open that pocket and then open your folding knife? That’ll never happen to me, right? I make a living helping people that thought that same thing.
Get a PFD knife that’s as easy as possible to get into action, but balance that with the need for safety (don’t want it to fall out of sheath, etc.).
Thanks.
I plan on having a folding knife inside my pocket as a backup - if i needed it. I know what you mean about the time it takes as a panic situation is just that - pure panic and probably a body response for air and I am not sure if I would have the sense to think about opening the pocket - retrieve knife - open etc.! I also plan on having a knife outside and the Wenoka looks pretty nice but i was hoping to see one first to see if it is bulky.
I know to some this is overkill but I did make the news in a negative way a couple of years ago needing river rescue at the Dauphin Narrows stuck on a rock in swift moving dangerous waters of the Susquehanna. It took 2 river rescue boats to help me as they couldn’t get near enough to me due to the current. They went to an island and threw me a rope which i used to get me and my boat off the small rock i was on for many hours. This taught me a valuable lesson. Firstly trust people who know the river, and scout it yourself first to see if you are capable of managing it. We were told it was a nice family float!!! We never know when something unexpected will happen - maybe not quite my experience as that was my fault for being ignorant of the river, I was paddling on. I am a beginner and that made all the difference. A knife could save your life - I didnt need one that day but who knows whats to come - or even to help a fellow paddler.
Do you know if it the Wenoka is less bulky than the Gerber River shorty?
Wenoka/Gerber
I believe the Gerber is shorter than the Aqua Lung Wenoka (BTW, the Wenoka also comes in a SS version that is cheaper–would work fine for fresh water–check out leisurepro.com), but whereas the Wenoka is thinner profile, the River Shorty has a bit more thickness to the handle, if I recall correctly. Just had a friend sent his Gerber back as it rusted terribly after just one dip in the saltwater–he forgot to wash it off afterwards. Personally, I don’t care for the Gerber as the handle is too small to securely grasp it and I don’t have large hands. If you have small hands and are only going to be in fresh water, the Gerber River Shorty may be the knife for you. I think I’d still pick the Wenoka in Tit. or SS, if only in freshwater, but that’s just me. There is a noticeable difference in weight, if that’s an issue for you, between the SS and Tit. blade material. I like to do everything I can to keep my PFD as light as possible while still carrying what I think is necessary. Good luck!
wenoka
Wenoka squeeze lock with the tanto blade. Almost a knife made for kayaying. SS or tit, your choice.
wenoka
Based on all the advice in this thread I just picked one up in stainless steel. Nice knife!
Great suggestions
And thanks for the help and I am happy to know that this thread is helping not only myself but other fellow paddlers too!
Silly really
The knife you suggested I look at is silly. Remember.We are talking about a knife that stays secure, is durable,remains sharp, requires little maintenance, and fits unobtrusively on a PFD. When I reach for my titanium knife it does all that I need it to do in an emergency situation.PERIOD
sharpening titanium…
I only have the one knife in titanium and it was not very sharp from the factory. I spent quite a bit of time with my ceramic rod knife sharpener and finally got it to shave hair off my arm. Not as easily as I’m used to with my other knives, however. I certainly don’t claim to be an expert sharpener.
This titanium seems to be soft and rolls the edge easily from one side to the other requiring keeping the angle very precisely and softly working side to side until the rolled over part was gone and the side to side angles were very consistent. A bit of a pain, but it’s plenty sharp now and now that I know what to do and have the angles established, touching it up should be a cinch. Not as easy as other knives, though. Have to really be paying attention to what is happening with each stroke more than with other knives I’ve sharpened. Just my experience…
My other knives, kitchen and otherwise, are sharpened to easily and cleanly shave hair right off my arm. I’ve found that this test indicates a knife that is plenty sharp for my purposes–scary sharp as far as I’m concerned. More than one relative has sliced themselves at gatherings not being use to sharp knives…ahem…
Last night
while training in my thin racing kayak, I was collecting bobbers for a friend. I needed to cut line with my Spyderco pocket clip folder. As great as it is, a fixed blade would have been tons easier. I always have a Gerber River Shorty in my drybag & probably need to to let it out of the bag. Good luck.