Marlin Spike Usage

[Maverick299]

I have been eye balling some of the Victorinox "Sea" patterns here lately but was wondering how often I would actually put the marlin spike to use.

Anyone here have one they carry on a regular basis and found that they use it or have found some interesting new things to use it for? Those marlin spiked knives don't come cheap and I want a daily user not a safe queen, just wondering if I wouldn't be better off with a different tool.

 

[collim1]

Unless you spend a lot of time sailing or climbing I would not want that space taken up by a marlin spike. They are very useful if you need to untie a knot in heavy rope that has been weighted but other than that I can't think of anything else I would use that tool for. I would rather have that space taken up by a file or saw.

 

[Mahoney]

If you are not rigging with screw pin shackles or doing rope work like splicing, whipping, etc. the marlinspike will likely have little utility. I suppose you could use it as a big needle for sewing burlap bags shut in an emergency. I carry a Swisstool and the pliers serve as a shackle key when needed. I have marlinspikes and fids in the tool box that I get out and use when I need one, but don't see the need to carry one on a daily basis. But I don't live on a boat. YMMV

 

[popedandy]

I use them for help in untying knots that have been pulled tight enough that I have trouble untying them with my fingers, but that's about it. If you are going to be tying/untying a lot of knots one might be useful, but as others have said, it is something that I don't use very often.

 

[Frank]

I think we have one in a toolbox somewhere but I haven't used one in years. I carry a Leatherman, Swiss Army knife, Spyderco Endura or a folding utility knife instead.

 

[iSaur]

If you are talking about the spike on the alox models, it looks too thin to be useful. A marlinespike needs to be well tapered and thick enough to force the strands apart to loosen a knot or pass another strand through when splicing. The shackle opener/marlinespike on the 111mm models (Skipper and Helmsman) looks to be better for those specific tasks, but it really doesn't have any other uses. I much prefer a separate spike anyway. Sometimes you need to apply a lot of leverage.

OTOH, my father's WW2 issued knife sat in our kitchen drawer for years, and the marlinespike was ideal for piercing cans of condensed milk. So there's that.

 

[Maverick299]

Thanks for the input guys. I've been looking for another 2 layer alox to make a daily carrier. I currently have a electrician and have not once used the awl so I wondered if I would get some use out of the spike. I camp and kayak a fair amount and do have the occasional "stuck" knot on my hammock and rain fly.

 

[Jonathans]

A marlin spike can also be utilized as a fid, used to spread the lay of a line when splicing. However, in absence of a proper fid, you could whittle one out of some hardwood in a pinch.

 

[gadgetgeek]

I've used the corkscrew more than a few times to loosen knots in smaller cord. No help if you are looking at alox versions. I've also used the closed jaws of my leatherman on tape knots and bigger stuff like that, where it was still possible to open them up, but annoying.