Dive knife comparisons

Looking to buy a dive knife, is there a site/sites that compare the
various dive knives available?

On Sun, 27 Jul 2003 15:24:06 GMT, TacoFreak <nospam@please.com> wrote:

>Looking to buy a dive knife, is there a site/sites that compare the
>various dive knives available?

I can't imagine what you must go through when
it's time to buy a toothbrush.

bullshark

Dude, you have no idea. The anxiety I experience deciding whether to buy
the left-handed toothbrush vs. the right handed kind keeps me awake for
days
:^)



bullshark wrote:

> On Sun, 27 Jul 2003 15:24:06 GMT, TacoFreak <nospam@please.com> wrote:
>
> >Looking to buy a dive knife, is there a site/sites that compare the
> >various dive knives available?
>
> I can't imagine what you must go through when
> it's time to buy a toothbrush.
>
> bullshark

Nice answer, TF. In truth, the only differences you need to look at are
stainless v. titanium and then price. And that's really the only differential.


TacoFreak left this mess on Sun, 27 Jul 2003 22:19:31 GMT for The Way to clean
up:
>
>Dude, you have no idea. The anxiety I experience deciding whether to buy
>the left-handed toothbrush vs. the right handed kind keeps me awake for
>days
>:^)
>
>
>
>bullshark wrote:
>
>> On Sun, 27 Jul 2003 15:24:06 GMT, TacoFreak <nospam@please.com> wrote:
>>
>> >Looking to buy a dive knife, is there a site/sites that compare the
>> >various dive knives available?
>>
>> I can't imagine what you must go through when
>> it's time to buy a toothbrush.
>>
>> bullshark
>

Tao te Carl

"It takes a village to have an idiot." - Carl (c) 2003

"de Valois" <devalois@nailedandused.com> wrote in message
news:bg1lif01oo0@drn.newsguy.com...
> Nice answer, TF. In truth, the only differences you need to look at are
> stainless v. titanium and then price. And that's really the only
differential.
>
>

I've never *had* to use a knife when a pair of EMS shears would not have
been better and much faster.

However there are a few differences other than material when picking a
knife.
Size, blade length, serrations or not, line cutter, blunt point or sharp
point, sheath, overall construction, intended use, emergency or working ....
as a start.

The most important feature in a dive knife is the catch on the sheath. Get one
that won't fall out. Also don't spend too much on it so you won't feel too bad
when it does.

Michael Painter wrote

> I've never *had* to use a knife when a pair of EMS shears would not have
> been better and much faster.

You've obviously never had to kill something that was trying to drag you all
over the ocean (spearfishing reference). Actually, neither have I, but I
know of at least one spearfisherman that didn't get a clean kill on a rather
large cobia and used his knife to rectify the situation before the fish
turned the tables on him.

> However there are a few differences other than material when picking a
> knife. Size, blade length, serrations or not, line cutter, blunt point or
sharp
> point, sheath, overall construction, intended use, emergency or working
.....
> as a start.

There are differences and, until you posted this, I would have said that
they were all matters of personal preference. I would have been wrong. I
don't know where you'd get this information except by trial and error, but
there are a few things it would be nice to consider in advance:
1. How well the knife will take and hold an edge. I use stainless knives,
two name brands, two knock-offs. All of them take and hold an edge well.
Not all knives I've owned over the years did.
2. For those of us that prefer knives to shears, as I do, at least one with
serrations is highly recommended. They cut heavier line much, much better
than one without them. The downside is that they are harder to sharpen.
3. I've never found a use for the line cutter feature on any knife. The
blade has always worked better, much better, and line cutters, like
serrations, are hard to sharpen with the tools most of us have around the
house.
4. Size and blade length are, in my opinion, a personal preference. If
you're going to kill with it, as my spearfishing friend did, it needs to be
large enough to be effective. The small ones, which is what I have, aren't.
5. I carry two knives, both small, on opposite sides of my waist strap. One
is a blunt point, the other is a pointy point. To everything, there comes a
season. There are things each will do better than the other. I maximixed
versatility by carrying one of each.

Lee

"Michael Painter" <m.painter@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message
news:q4_Ua.74085$3o3.5011448@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
> I've never *had* to use a knife when a pair of EMS shears would not have
> been better and much faster.

Actually, I'm pretty happy with the Dive Rite Z-knife. It will do most
everything EMS shears will without the bulk.

James

Lee Bell wrote:
[....]


> 3. I've never found a use for the line cutter feature on any knife. The
> blade has always worked better, much better, and line cutters, like
> serrations, are hard to sharpen with the tools most of us have around the
> house.

More than once I've taken advantage of a professional blade sharpening
service. I found mine in the Yellow Pages, though most knife shops
also can provide references.


[....]


--
jer email reply - I am not a 'ten' ICQ = 35253273
"All that we do is touched with ocean, yet we remain on the shore of
what we know." -- Richard Wilbur

Lee Bell wrote:
>
> "jer" <gdunn@airmail.ten> wrote in message
> news:3F251F87.3090907@airmail.ten...
> > Lee Bell wrote:
> > [....]
> >
> >
> > > 3. I've never found a use for the line cutter feature on any knife. The
> > > blade has always worked better, much better, and line cutters, like
> > > serrations, are hard to sharpen with the tools most of us have around
> the
> > > house.
> >
> > More than once I've taken advantage of a professional blade sharpening
> > service. I found mine in the Yellow Pages, though most knife shops
> > also can provide references.
>
> Funny, that never occurred to me. I have a set of moon stone rods that keep
> all my knives sharp, at least as long as I don't let them get real dull
> between sharpenings. I sharpen and lubricate them pretty much every time
> they get used. Since I'm big on collecting fishing line and the like from
> the bottom, that's more often than I think I'd like to pay somebody else for
> a service I really should be able to do for myself. The rods work fine for
> the serrations on my knives, even if they do require a bit of extra
> attention. They don't work very well for the line cutter. Their diameter
> is too large.

For this type of sharpening, as well as that of the serration's portion,
there are specialized sharpeners commonly available.

The ones that I have (two different diamond coated grits) are rods that
are conical, tapering in 4" from a base wide part of 1/4" down to a
point at the tip. By selecting small portions of the cone to use, one
can sharpen even the intricate Spyderco serrations with accuracy.

In dive gear, additional considerations apply such as platings (ever the
blade) and the super hard Titanium metals.

The standard ceramic rods that you reference are fine for finish work,
and it's best to clean them from time to time with a scouring pad and
Ajax, etc.

Razor knives (seat belt cutters) should have cheaply replaceable blade
inserts and an adequate holstering system. Some have neither.

A dive knife, by deffinition, and per se, should be huge, shiny and be
capable of cutting the exhaust hose on Mike Grey's two hose reg before
you lose it during the grappling fight to the death. Supersize it, it
cuts down on lead weights.

>
> Lee

--
Doc _(:)0

"I'm hiding in Honduras, I'm a desperate man,
Send Lawyers, Guns & Money...The sh*t has hit the fan"
-Warren Zevon