Diving/dive knives?

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fp627

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Not sure if this is in the right place, but is there a sub-forum or ongoing thread for diving knives? Looking to get into scuba soon.

I know there isn't nearly as much to them as non underwater knives (and hence maybe no subforum), but is there anything in particular that I would need to look for when buying one?

So far the only things I've thought of:
- ease of access/use is probably extremely important
- you will be using a "lower grade" steel b/c rust resistance or a metal that isn't steel/iron, not use worrying about relatively subtle differences between steels
- make sure you can get a good grip on the thing while wet.

I also imagine I will want at least partial serrations and maybe a rounded tip.
 
Not an expert on the topic, but in general I can share a few observations:

1) Many dive knives use low end, but highly stainless steels like 420J.

2) Spyderco makes a number of knives of various types in H1 steel, it's a very good steel if you get it serrated and is literally impervious to rust.

3) Kershaw makes a couple of dedicated dive knife models, some have blunted tips and features like strap cutters.
 
the Benchmade 110H20 is a good-looking dive knife that used N680 corrosion-resistant steel similar to the H1 Spyderco uses.
 
Spyderco Caspian salt is a good choice. Skeletonized knife with FRN can get a good grip and can also do many tasks while still holding the blade. I've used mine quite a bit and it's held up well.
 
fp627 said:
Not sure if this is in the right place, but is there a sub-forum or ongoing thread for diving knives? Looking to get into scuba soon.

I know there isn't nearly as much to them as non underwater knives (and hence maybe no subforum), but is there anything in particular that I would need to look for when buying one?

So far the only things I've thought of:
- ease of access/use is probably extremely important
- you will be using a "lower grade" steel b/c rust resistance or a metal that isn't steel/iron, not use worrying about relatively subtle differences between steels
- make sure you can get a good grip on the thing while wet.

I also imagine I will want at least partial serrations and maybe a rounded tip.
Click to expand...

Victory Knives makes them with either titanium or ceramic coating. Underwater Kinetics has some with their Hydraalloy titanium. Or maybe Cressi Borg with 420.
All of those are relatively inexpensive and specifically designed for diving with choice of blunt or point tip, decent wet grip handles and leg sheaths with straps. All between $40-$80.
 
Hi fp627,


I've been scuba diving here in Hawaii since 1976 (I'm showing my age). You've already gotten some good advice; here is another Spyderco knife to consider (I don't own it, but along with the Spyderco Aqua Salt already mentioned it may be worth a look):

http://www.knifeworks.com/spydercoe...eelserratedyellowfrnhandles.aspx#.VbGhF_mRyig

It is the Enuff Salt with a serrated sheep foot blade. One thing to consider with a dive knife, besides corrosion resistance, is what the intended use is. For example, if you will be using it to "subdue" speared fish, a thin bladed knife with a sharp tip is usually best. Think "dagger".

But for general scuba diving that does NOT involve spear fishing, a very blunt tip is safer for the diver... less chance of stabbing yourself as you return the knife to its sheath is one reason... with a mask on you lose quite a bit of peripheral vision, and may not be able to see your sheath.

Entanglement in derelict fishing net, fishing line, etc., is the primary reason to carry a dive knife. You want a knife capable cutting / sawing though line that may even include steel fishing leader, so a sturdy serrated blade is a good choice... again blunt tipped is usually preferred to avoid stabbing yourself or a dive buddy you may be trying to free from a net or snarl of fishing line.

Best wishes.
 
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Where are you diving, and what are you doing? I carried a sharp and blunt tip knife when I was diving. The blunt tip is also good for prying/digging. I had one strapped to my leg and a smaller one attached to my inflate/deflate hose on my BC. My dad had a sheath sewn to one of the pocket flaps of his BC. If you need a knife while diving it is better to have a couple in different locations so you can get to at least one if you get into an entanglement or entrapment situation. If you have backups and thrash the edge of one doing something you have another sharp blade ready to go. Redundancy is important, we had a main tank, pony tank and a Spare Air when ever we went in. Take a look around your local dive shop, they should have a dozen or so dive specific knives for you to look at.
 
Assuming, wisely, you don't want a folding knife for a primary diving knife...

I've used a Tekna Ocean Edge dive knife since the '70's. It's a classic and IMO perfect. And a really rockin' lockin' sheath. Over the years I've EDC'd the knife as much or more than I've used it on the water.

As far as a blunt tip on a KNIFE...carry a pair of kiddie or kitchen shears instead. I hear a lot of divers afraid they'll stab themselves do that now.
 
My dad spearfishes, and has a divers knife.
Serrated and very dull, chisel tip.

He uses it to cut line rope or whatever he might get tangled on, since you can't use air tanks (bubbles scare fish), and the tip is for prying random stuff like shells or rock.
 
I've been diving legally since 1975 and my choice of underwater cutting instruments has morphed over the years. Time, training and multiple certifications (all the way up to instructor) caused me to rethink thing periodically. So I obviously have a biased opinion.

Back in the day, all the dive knives were essentially 7 to 9 inch Bowie knives in unknown mystery "stainless" steel that still corroded if you did not DILIGENTLY clean your equipment after every dive. Most dive knives are made of some sort of stainless to this day, usually 420HC, 440A, 440C, 420HJ. ...... It all still corrodes if you don't wash your equipment

Folding knives are worthless underwater. Easy to loose, hard to open with cold-numbed hands or insulating gloves. Even in 80F tropical waters, you loose dexterity.

Large knives are bulky, get in the way, and add extra weight. That allows you to drop a pound or so from your weights, but its not worth it.

As noted above, unless dispatching speared fish, a pointy knife is a liability for both you and your dive-buddy. (Cardinal rule #1 - NEVER DIVE ALONE).

I have been a volunteer Search and Recovery Diver for 20+ years for the Sheriff's Department (we never "rescue" anyone - by the time we get called, they've been breathing water not very well for a couple of hours or days). Our team members don't carry a specific brand of anything, but we have a basic load out.

2 pairs of trauma shears and 2 SMALL, BLUNT TIP dive knives - 1 of each on each BC strap for ready access and back-ups with lanyards on all of them. We do a LOT of diving in low-vis/no-vis situations.

Almost all of our cutting is done using the trauma shears. That's because most of the cutting we run into is fishing line entanglements and we have found the shears work the easiest and the best, even when wearing gloves as the trauma shears tend to have over-sized finger holes.

We all prefer yellow, handled knives for easier (not easy) locating when dropped. Black, blue, orange and red are too hard to spot in low light situations.

Go for the cheapest knives you can get - I carry yellow McNett dive knives. If you dive any amount at all, you WILL loose knives. I would rather pay $30 for a dive knife 4x than pay $100+ for a fancy dive knife.

Fancy di-lithium crystal coated, impervium-alloyed knives are not needed. A dive knife made of the "cheaper" blah steels (440x, 420HJ,. etc..) works just fine. Doesn't hold an edge for 6 weeks of cutting?? Doesn't have a hair-popping, balls shaving edge?? Doesn't cost 3 weeks salary to buy??? Who cares?? If you use a dive knife so much on a week's worth of diving that it won't cut, you're doing something really wrong. Cheap, easily replaced, easily field sharpened, and kinda corrosion resistant is all you need.

Here's a shock - in 40 years of diving I have NEVER had to sharpen a dive knife. You just don't NEED them that often. I may make 50 dives and never pull the knife from its sheath except to wash/clean it after a dive and to put a coat of oil on it. The serrated edges are never used enough to dull and the plain edge will be just fine with a pass or two on a honing steel or small ceramic rod.

The only purpose for fancy high dollar dive knives is to make the dive knife companies and dive shops money.
 
thanks for all the detailed advice guys

i was debating blunt vs sharp tip but after reading what everyone put here, it looks like blunt for sure.

rutha - haven't started diving yet, but i anticipate that most diving will be in southern CA. will be recreational, not for anything professional, and will probably just be looking at the scenery the first year or so, no technical dives or anything yet.
 
"Folding knives are worthless underwater. Easy to loose, hard to open with cold-numbed hands or insulating gloves. Even in 80F tropical waters, you loose dexterity.
"
Finally, someone says this. :thumbup:
 
I went to Bonaire in the mid 90's and the dive masters won't allow knives to try to keep dummies from damaging the reefs. We used trauma shears, they worked very well. Nobody batted an eye at them either.
 
I've seen these on some Strider dealer sites. It's made just for diving. I know nothing about that stuff at all other than just seeing these out there.
They also come in a G-10 grip for a solid hold.

BGQETt.jpg
 
LeadTurn_SD said:
Hi fp627,


I've been scuba diving here in Hawaii since 1976 (I'm showing my age). You've already gotten some good advice; here is another Spyderco knife to consider (I don't own it, but along with the Spyderco Aqua Salt already mentioned it may be worth a look):

http://www.knifeworks.com/spydercoe...eelserratedyellowfrnhandles.aspx#.VbGhF_mRyig

It is the Enuff Salt with a serrated sheep foot blade. One thing to consider with a dive knife, besides corrosion resistance, is what the intended use is. For example, if you will be using it to "subdue" speared fish, a thin bladed knife with a sharp tip is usually best. Think "dagger".

But for general scuba diving that does NOT involve spear fishing, a very blunt tip is safer for the diver... less chance of stabbing yourself as you return the knife to its sheath is one reason... with a mask on you lose quite a bit of peripheral vision, and may not be able to see your sheath.

Entanglement in derelict fishing net, fishing line, etc., is the primary reason to carry a dive knife. You want a knife capable cutting / sawing though line that may even include steel fishing leader, so a sturdy serrated blade is a good choice... again blunt tipped is usually preferred to avoid stabbing yourself or a dive buddy you may be trying to free from a net or snarl of fishing line.

Best wishes.
Click to expand...

Yup, the enuff would be a solid choice. And if you wanted a larger option there's the Jumpmaster. One thing that is worth mentioning is the effect of corrosion on edge retention. I am on the ocean about 40 hours per week and I use mostly H1 because it just will not rust at all. It is not that hard to keep the rust off of a fixed blade in other stainless steels, however, the must vulnerable part of the blade is the edge. I can go out in my kayak with an s30v blade that is tree-topping sharp and 6 hours later when i come in, the edge will still scrape shave but has lost most of its bite. There will also be spots on the edge that look like tiny chips. They are not chips but simply spots that have been eaten away by corrosion. They are almost invisible to the naked eye but are easy to see with a loupe and can be felt with the fingernail. The point is, when dealing with a salt environment, just because you are keeping the surface from pitting doesn't mean the salt isn't playing hell on your edge. Serrated H1 is my solution to this issue.
 
If you are going to be diving 8n the areas that have the kelp forests (I can't remember if they are North or South) you might want to look at a decent sized blade that is serrated in case you get tangled up in the kelp. The serrated blade will cut through that stuff easier. That also lends to having more than one in different areas of your gear. If your foot and head happen to get tangleD at the same time (probably highly unlikely) you won't be able to get to a leg mounted knife. I have seen some people with them on a leg, their BC and another strapped to the forearn. You can get lots of good info by talking to people in dive shops that dive the area frequently. Talk to the instructor that is out there every day and ask about conditions and risks specific to the area you are going. Knowledge is key at lowering the risks. Have fun though, diving is an amazing experience. Most of my diving was up in Washington in the Puget Sound, cold and dark. Learning underwater Nav. was important and taking bearings before going down was a key part of my pre dive planning. Knowing which way to shore by using only the compass came in handy a few times.
 
Rutha73 said:
If you are going to be diving 8n the areas that have the kelp forests (I can't remember if they are North or South) you might want to look at a decent sized blade that is serrated in case you get tangled up in the kelp. The serrated blade will cut through that stuff easier. That also lends to having more than one in different areas of your gear. If your foot and head happen to get tangleD at the same time (probably highly unlikely) you won't be able to get to a leg mounted knife. I have seen some people with them on a leg, their BC and another strapped to the forearn. You can get lots of good info by talking to people in dive shops that dive the area frequently. Talk to the instructor that is out there every day and ask about conditions and risks specific to the area you are going. Knowledge is key at lowering the risks. Have fun though, diving is an amazing experience. Most of my diving was up in Washington in the Puget Sound, cold and dark. Learning underwater Nav. was important and taking bearings before going down was a key part of my pre dive planning. Knowing which way to shore by using only the compass came in handy a few times.
Click to expand...

Back when I was still teaching, this is one of the basic items I would impress on my students.

With the minimalization (or dumbing-down as I call it) of entry level certification, many students are not trained well in during Basic Certification, re: underwater navigation. Possibly because many newer instructors are just as clueless as their students at navigation. I'll admit that my initial certification training was overkill - 53 hours of class room instruction, 30 hours of pool instruction and 5 check-out dives, one of which was night navigation (same set course as was used for the morning navigation check-out dive). The cut-down certification classes certainly boosted sport diving, as it was designed to do, but I feel it leaves a lot out that is important.

I have always advocated carrying at least 2 cutting instruments just in case 1 was accidentally lost during a dive. It really sucks to get hung on a fishing line, reach down for your knife and find it gone, even though you KNOW you had it when you got in the water. I was frequently looked at as insane for carry 2 knives (years before I started S&R diving). But then I already advocated carrying 2 blades and had a personal habit of carrying 2 fixed blades. I just transferred that habit to diving, even back in 1975.

I showed up for my first check-out dive with 2 of those 7" blade Bowie bladed dive knives, one on my left inner calf and a spare on my weight belt, taking the place of 1 of my weights. The instructor asked why and I said because I might loose 1 and still need a knife. The instructor told me to take one off, I didn't need 2. He had never lost a knife in 5 years of diving. Since he was the instructor, I complied. Had to borrow an extra 1 lb weight from another student for my check-out dive to compensate. At the end of the day, the instructor came over an apologized for making me take the 2nd knife off. Seems that at some point during the various student check-outs, he lost his knife and didn't realize it. Never needed one, but he admitted that it was possible.
 
You need to be thinking about blade shape and accessibility. Stop thinking fending off a shark and start thinking cutting monofilament line you're tangled up in at 70' that if you don't cut, well, you know. You want a blunt tip fixed blade dive knife with a serrated blade and a gut hook/line cutter on the back side. You want a scabbard with adjustable rubber straps to carry on your arm or leg where you can feel where it is, without seeing it. Also most have a metal base at the end of the handle so that if you get into trouble you can signal others by banging it on your tank. As far as the steel, wgaf? If someone made a knife in this configuration it sure as hell isn't going to rust so long as you wash the salt off and dry it until the next dive. Anyone one who tells you to dive with a dagger or Bowie has obviously never been diving. BTW I think mine's a benchmade 110H2O
 
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