Review of the Knives Used in Boating » Yachts & Boats

Rescue Knives on the Boats
Necessity of a rigging knife (rescue knife) on a boat is undoubted - almost every instruction of a good marine practice has an item which says there must be a knife on a boat.
The basic and practically unique task of the knife on a boat or yacht is to cut quickly a plant or synthetic rope or a strap, not hurting anybody and not damaging anything at that. Therefore an excellent boat knife should have a sheepfoot shaped blade with "aggressive" serrated edge.

Fixed Blade or Folding Knife?
There is nothing more reliable and better than a fixed blade knife. But it takes a lot of space. The knife should have a longer blade to become more effective chopper, but it wouldn't be very comfortable to “whirl” on a yacht with such a hatchet on a side.

The main advantage of the clasp-knife, in the case of an equal blade length, is that the clasp-knife is much smaller in a folded state. A clasp-knife handle actually plays a part of its scabbard. The clasp-knife yields to the fixed blade one in all other parameters.

It is also possible to take such a decision: to put a fixed blade resque knife of sufficient size on watch, that is in cockpit within reach of a steersman, and to provide all of other crew members (or at least sailors on duty) with clasp-knives.

The River/Rescue or River/Dive model 100 of the American company Benchmade is the most advanced among fixed blade rescue knives. The knife is not a big one, blade length is 80 mm at general length of 190 mm. This can be considered a minimally reasonable size. Although the blade should better be 100-120 mm. X 15-t.N steel (it's also called H1 stainless steel) is used for the blade of this knife now. This kind of steel is declared by producers as the most corrosive-resistant (due to the very small carbon maintenance, high firmness of the blade is provided at the same time with microalloying by nitrogen comprising additions). The knife has sheepfoot shaped blade and partially serrated edge. Plastic scabbard provides reliable knife holding by means of thumb toggle lock and various fastening methods to the carrier.

Scuba Dive Knife
One can examine scuba dive knives. Their blades are usually made of ordinary stainless metal. But all these knives are not cheap (for example Benchmade 100 costs approximately $100), therefore I would recommend you to pay attention also at kitchen knives from the series of bread knives. They comply with specification mentioned above – a blade of sufficient length (150-180 mm) with the sheepfoot shaped blade and very "aggressive" serrated edge. But bread knives with a good sharpening usually have too flexible blade, what makes use involving strength not effective or even unsafe. There is also a problem of sheath absence. But you can do it yourself.

Folding Rigging Knife
Folding rigging knife, besides the rounded edge and serrated blade, must have a reliable blade fixing in the unfolded state and provide possibility of blade extraction with one arm. It's also desirable that a knife had a carry-clip and a lanyard hole in a handle.

A reliable blade lock of a folding knife has a primary value. Safety of knife and of your fingers depends on the blade lock. Therefore, at seeming simplicity, folding knives lock require exact concordance of mechanism and well adjusted production, what cheap Chinese imitations can not boast of. Check reliability of a lock when you purchase a folding knife. Knock the back of a blade at anything hard to check the reliability of the lock (hold the knife in your hands so that in the case of blade folding not to hurt your fingers!).

There also is no doubt that the blade of folding rigging knife should have possibility of one-hand opening. Suffice it to recall an old marine saying "One arm for a ship and another one for yourself". For one-armed blade opening different kinds of sprigs, disks and holes in a blade are usually used, which should be hooked on with a thumb. We may recall switchblade knives here, but I would not recommend them. Firstly, switch knife has enough difficult mechanics, for high-quality execution and reliable functioning of which prominent western manufacturers take a lot of money. Cheap Eastern switchblade knives do not guarantee any reliability. Secondly, automatic knives actually are outlawed.

A clip provides the comfort of knife carry not increasing sizes of its carrier. If carry a folding knife in a sheath on a side it tries to catch on anything constantly when moving on board. Lanyard hole is also very useful thing (for the folding and fixed blade knives). Since I had sunk one of my knives I began to tie knives and instruments to myself when I am aboard. And it's much more convenient to do that if there is a lanyard hole in a handle.

Spyderco Knives
A review of folding rigging knives should begin with the products of American Spyderco company. This company is acknowledged to be the leader of the world knife industry. The C02 Mariner became the second knife produced by this company in 1982. This folding rigging knife includes all of the requirements mentioned above (plus a slot-spanner for shackles in a steel handle). This knife is not produced already, but its baton was taken by the C14 Rescue knife in 1990. It had the series of modifications since then, but they touched materials mainly which blades and handles are made of. The knife ideology remained without changes.

It has a sheepfoot shaped blade of 93 mm long, serrated edge and Spyderco trademark round hole for one hand opening. The blade is made from stainless chromium high-carbon steel VG-10 (by the factory standard of the Japanese producer) presently. This steel provides high enough blade firmness and does not require the special care unlike analogues (for example the ATS-55 Japanese steel, what rescue blades were made from before). Diameter of the one hand opening was enlarged from 12 to 14 mm in the last versions, that allowed to operate with a knife even in gloves. The blade is fixed with a lever lock in the unfolded state.

Knife handle depending on performance is made from fiberglass-filled Zytel or from stainless steel. Plastic handles are of black, dark blue or orange color. Clip can be affixed to a handle from either sides. It is affixed by a double-sided hollow barrel screw that double as a lanyard hole. Any instrument will go for attaching/detaching of the clip, even usual coin.

Other Knife Manufacturers
Other manufacturers also try to keep up with Spyderco company in the production of folding rigging knives, often using term “Rescue“ in their names. For example American Benchmade company produced the Rescue Stryker knife (914 model) by the construction of known American knife designer Allen Elishewitz. Cold Steel American company resumed manufacturing of the Land & Sea Rescue knife (but serrated edge of this knife is too shallow. I saw as such serrated blade stuck in a hemp rope at an attempt to cut it).

Rigging folding knife

American Buck company in its series of CrossLock folding knives produced a quite good knife by the River Rafter name. But as it's difficult to find this knife in shops now, pay attention to the Double Blade knife (from the same series) which has two blades: one is traditional with a smooth blade and another one is a sheepfoot shaped with serrated edge. German Eickhorn GmbH&Co began the production of the PRT knife (including in automatic version). American Timberline company produces the EMT knife (Emergency Management Tool). Another American SOG company began the production of Search/Rescue knife, equipped with a rapid unfolding system. First Response is made under the Smith&Wesson trade mark, etc...

Boatswain knives of high-tech style can also serve as good rigging knives if their blades can be opened with one hand and they have the reliable lock and serrated edge. The cheap Far-Eastern articles can let you down at the most unsuitable moment. But at a critical juncture anything in your hands is better than nothing because a knife is good for that, who has it, and woe to that who doesn't have it at the right moment!