Knife

[Ian Dallaway]

A paddling knife is an emergency tool to save your/someone elses life, so if you want to make sandwiches, either make them at home beforehand or bring a kitchen knife with you for that purpose, otherwise I won't be paddling with you.

Superb - you simply can't make this stuff up!

A knife is a multi-functional tool and should be used as such. There is absolutely nothing wrong with using that tool for all sorts of applications (within the normal uses of that tool).

The more times that your knife is used, the greater your knowledge and familiarity of it will be. You are also likely to check it's condition more regularly.

Nothing like leaving that 'rescue knife' in your BA pocket for that all important one occasion when it's really needed - to find it's seized through lack of use....!

[Adrian Cooper]

They look nice but can't see a price are they expensive enough?

About a fiver and can be sharpened really easily and the sheath stops them sticking through your dry-bag. Careful though, thet start off razor sharp (I can testify). Great for baguette, cheese, ham, tomatoes and onions; highly recommended.

[bombproofgoblin]

I just got one of the NRS co pilots, really like it. One side of the blade is actually designed for spreading, even tackled some lurpak with it the other day, and that stuff don't spread easy!

[scottdog007]

A knife is no good if it don't have a bottle opener on one side of it !

[Dave T]

A paddling knife is an emergency tool to save your/someone elses life, so if you want to make sandwiches, either make them at home beforehand or bring a kitchen knife with you for that purpose, otherwise I won't be paddling with you.

Superb - you simply can't make this stuff up!

Brilliant. Warning noted. Just for now I'm going to continue risking it cutting baguettes, spreading Camembert and maybe even chopping some saucisson!

Unfortunately I'll never get the pleasure of boating with you Big Henry...
Ah well.

[TomJ]

A paddling knife is an emergency tool to save your/someone elses life, so if you want to make sandwiches, either make them at home beforehand or bring a kitchen knife with you for that purpose, otherwise I won't be paddling with you.

I really hope you're 'trolling'!

For French boating, the Peak river knife and the lomo dive knife makes an excellent combination (cutting baguettes and spreading brie with the blunt tip respectively). On a slightly more serious note I would rate the peak knife highly as well, stays very sharp and the locking mechanism doesn't get too stiff so is easy to operate one handed.

[creekingmad]

I just got one of the NRS co pilots, really like it. One side of the blade is actually designed for spreading, even tackled some lurpak with it the other day, and that stuff don't spread easy!

Indeed, I use the NRS copilot too. had mine for way over a year and no rust yet.
Sandwich making aside, it has a bottle opener...

[bombproofgoblin]

It also opens oxygen canisters! I'll almost certainly never use that, but I do feel I'm ready for anything whilst making my sandwiches

[Lee.C]

KNIFE!!!!!

[TheKrikkitWars]

With knives you basically have to choose: very sharp or very rustproof

Not with modern stainless steels you don't.

You can get quite sharp and pretty much rustproof, but if you want to be able to shave with a knife on the monday, cut a rope with it on the tuesday, keep it in your ba for surfing on wednesday and then fish it out for your wet BA for another shave on the friday then you might be disappointed.

I really liked the River Shorty and River Guide (essentially same knife, the latter has a point and thus is easier to cut fruit with after you've eaten your brie and your ham and gruyère butties).

But I dropped one in a river and had the next one stolen in the alps and ended up with a Victorionox rescue tool, which is the only river knife I know of which can tighten up your thigh brace screws the night before, cut your butties in the morning, cut a rope in the afternoon, saw through a boat two minutes later, and then still open the beers when you need to commiserate over the totaled boat that evening.

[bombproofgoblin]

On a similar note, do you guys tend to have your knife on a little string or not?

[GoldTopo]

With knives you basically have to choose: very sharp or very rustproof

Not with modern stainless steels you don't.

You can get quite sharp and pretty much rustproof, but if you want to be able to shave with a knife on the monday, cut a rope with it on the tuesday, keep it in your ba for surfing on wednesday and then fish it out for your wet BA for another shave on the friday then you might be disappointed.

I really liked the River Shorty and River Guide (essentially same knife, the latter has a point and thus is easier to cut fruit with after you've eaten your brie and your ham and gruyère butties).

But I dropped one in a river and had the next one stolen in the alps and ended up with a Victorionox rescue tool, which is the only river knife I know of which can tighten up your thigh brace screws the night before, cut your butties in the morning, cut a rope in the afternoon, saw through a boat two minutes later, and then still open the beers when you need to commiserate over the totaled boat that evening.

H1 steel. Say no more.

[TheKrikkitWars]

H1 steel. Say no more.

I just did some research, apparently it's corrosion resistance is almost unprecidented; but it's edge holding is only a little better than heat treated martensic stainless steel and certainly not close to Tool steels.

From what I've been reading, Benchmade (makers of fine & suitably expensive cutlery) make an excellent river knife the 100S-H20 using H1 Steel, and Boker Knives have a similar knife in comparable X15 steel.
[/knife geekery]

[Randy Fandango]

On a similar note, do you guys tend to have your knife on a little string or not?

Watched with interest once when a friend (who didn't wish to lose his knife and therefore had it on a lanyard attached to his BA) capsized in a rather surgy eddie whilst trying to do something (God knows what) with his knife -- which was obviously open.
After he'd rolled up and checked he'd somehow miraculously failed to cut off his nose or gouge out an eye I watched as (ashen faced and with trembling fingers) he unclipped the lanyard from his BA and carried on with whatever he'd been doing before.
I personally keep my knife on a lanyard attached inside my BA front pocket) but unclip it before I use it.....
Giles

[TheKrikkitWars]

On a similar note, do you guys tend to have your knife on a little string or not?

Watched with interest once when a friend (who didn't wish to lose his knife and therefore had it on a lanyard attached to his BA) capsized in a rather surgy eddie whilst trying to do something (God knows what) with his knife -- which was obviously open.
After he'd rolled up and checked he'd somehow miraculously failed to cut off his nose or gouge out an eye I watched as (ashen faced and with trembling fingers) he unclipped the lanyard from his BA and carried on with whatever he'd been doing before.
I personally keep my knife on a lanyard attached inside my BA front pocket) but unclip it before I use it.....
Giles

Ditto,
I have a little loop on my knife (just long enough to attach it with) and then a tiny krab on the little loop that's in my BA pocket. It can't be used until unclipped , but can't be lost if I'm pulling other stuff out.

I do know someone who has his on thinish fishing line though, so that it will break away if needs be... which isn't a perfect solution, but is still better than permenent attachment.

[bombproofgoblin]

I don't personally have it tied on. I'd get quite emotional if it was swinging round by my nether regions I think.

[bombproofgoblin]

On a similar note, do you guys tend to have your knife on a little string or not?

I personally keep my knife on a lanyard attached inside my BA front pocket) but unclip it before I use it.....
Giles

If it's only clipped on when it's in the pocket, I'm not sure I see the point?

[Randy Fandango]

On a similar note, do you guys tend to have your knife on a little string or not?

I personally keep my knife on a lanyard attached inside my BA front pocket) but unclip it before I use it.....
Giles

If it's only clipped on when it's in the pocket, I'm not sure I see the point?

So I can't accidentally pull it out and drop it in the river if I'm pulling something else like a sling and crab out of my pocket or if I do something really dumb like undo the pocket on a river bank and then lean far over, forgetting it's undone and spilling it's contents out. Been there done that. :-)
Giles

[bombproofgoblin]

Ah I see. Mine's in a sheath, which is good cause my pocket is full!

[immunogirl]

H1 steel. Say no more.

I just did some research, apparently it's corrosion resistance is almost unprecidented; but it's edge holding is only a little better than heat treated martensic stainless steel and certainly not close to Tool steels.

From what I've been reading, Benchmade (makers of fine & suitably expensive cutlery) make an excellent river knife the 100S-H20 using H1 Steel, and Boker Knives have a similar knife in comparable X15 steel.
[/knife geekery]

The spyderco salt series knives are made with h1 steel. I've had a couple of them attached to our pfds for the last 4 years. They've been in a ton of salt water and other water and have never been cleaned or rinsed. I just lay my pfd out to dry. No rust on either knife.

They're both still sharp knives, but the reality is since I only use 'em kayaking - they get used occasionally for cutting some rope and otherwise they cut cheese or peel mangos or something like that. Nothing that I'd expect to make them duller.

[mantamx]

been keeping an eye out for some but they never seem to come up on the secondary market - and paying £40+ for a knife seems a bit excessive. any suggestions re buying second hand?

[Yew]

As long as you keep your knife sharp, (and keep brie out the locking mechanisim) it doesnt matter what you cut with it...

[Mal Grey]

http://www.ewetsuits.com/acatalog/Lomo-bcd-knife-bc-compact-hi-vis-yellow.html

I use a Lomo diving knife - very sharp, just the right size to mount on a BA shoulder strap and bargain at £12.50

Wasn't impressed with mine the locking system to keep the knife in the sheath kept jamming most likely because its made of cheap naf plastic.

Mine too. Lomo offered to replace it, but I no longer trusted it. Instead, I broke off the locking mechanism, and it is held in place with the flap if my pfd pocket. With the sheath tied into the pocket, with one hand I can quickly release it. This is my touring pfd, open canoeing. As I seem to be getting dragged into the white water thing, I am intending to buy a new pfd and will treat it to a new rescue knife too.

[Chrace]

Just a heads up from me on this thread.

I kept losing my knife in various places (no, not in the back of my victims...) so decided to go for cheap and cheerful and see what I could get. So I ordered 2 of these babies and simply cannot fault them.

One-handed opening, locking, blunt tip, serrated edge, very light (certainly compared with the Peak UK knife), quite sharp - and very, very cheap. Also has a hole to attach a line if you like that sort of thing. Does the job for me, and when it some day starts locking up or get's rusty I'll demote it to butter knife and break out a new one.

I got the teflon coated blades. It lives in my BA, and gets checked once in a while, but so far after 6 months there is not a speck on it.

[thetangoman]

Just a heads up from me on this thread.

I kept losing my knife in various places (no, not in the back of my victims...) so decided to go for cheap and cheerful and see what I could get. So I ordered 2 of these babies and simply cannot fault them.

One-handed opening, locking, blunt tip, serrated edge, very light (certainly compared with the Peak UK knife), quite sharp - and very, very cheap. Also has a hole to attach a line if you like that sort of thing. Does the job for me, and when it some day starts locking up or get's rusty I'll demote it to butter knife and break out a new one.

I got the teflon coated blades. It lives in my BA, and gets checked once in a while, but so far after 6 months there is not a speck on it.

I have had one of these as my river knife for a few years now. Like you I am unable to find fault.

[Jon317]

Hey,
thought I'd post in here instead of making a new topic.
Has any one had any experiance with CRKT's renner neckola knife?? have been looking around for a nice small sheath knife for kayaking for a while an this one seems to fit the bill..

http://www.heinnie.com/Columbia-River-Knives/Fixed-Blade-Knives/Columbia-River-Renner-Neckolas/p-0-129-977-3978/

Cheers

Jon

[Gyates]

It looks good, its similar to the bear claw, http://www.gustharts.com/02cr2515-crkt- ... ampaign=gh whats really nice about these knives, is the hole for your finger. So when you are holding it its much more secure and harder to loose.

[Jon317]

In the end I bit the bullet an ordered one. Is a great little knife, VERY secure in the sheath (it wont release until you pull and squeeze the 'bar' on the sheath at the same time), easily extrated onehanded, very sharp and gets through rope, webbing etc in no time ( had fun testing this :P), as said before secures into sheath with a very positive click. The finger hole is a great idea as it keeps the blade secure in your hand.
Jon