Aquatec Solid Titanium Scuba/Kayaking Knife

[Planterz]

I don't know what h1 is, but if it's a type of steel, it has no relation to titanium. I've heard H1 is rust-proof, but if it's steel, it has iron. Titanium is a different metal altogether, apples and oranges. This knife works great and holds its edge well.
Now that I think about it, I've heard that there are "stainless steels" with no iron. I have trouble wrapping my head around that. What are they, zink?
Sounds to me like H1 is a super high chromium stainless. I have no doubt it's useless and brittle. All stainless is useless and brittle. best used for folders, not real knives. Might as well go for old 440 if you want stainless. Al least it's cheap

I didn't mean to diss H1. Obviously, I have no experience with it. I just don't like stainless. I don't know why. I don't like the way it feels, or sharpens. Recently, I bought my first ever stainless revolver to walk in the heat with. I like it, but it doesn't have the magic of blue steel.

I know that every kayaking knife I've ever had has rusted badly (I do buy stainless kayaking knives). Some rusted so badly they stuck in the sheath. I always use serrated knives on the water and the serrations seem especially prone to rust damage.
I used to keep a couple of very-cheap folders around as back-up. Folders are always crap. They rust closed where you can't open them, or they rust where they won't lock.... They're guaranteed to fail, especially if you need them..

Salt water is a killer, even if you rinse the knife afterward, clean it and sleep with it on your pillow, it's going to rust. Let alone keep it in your lfe vest or kayaking bag

Dismissing a steel you know nothing about, have no personal experience with, and have no 2nd hand anecdotal account of. Yeah, that'll blow over really well here. I realize that a dive knife is hardly Practical/Tactical and discussion doesn't belong in your preferred haung, but bringing your attitudes from that forum into this forum will do you no favors.

 

[gazz98]

This is why I don't get into the water. My wife just hits me with the pressure washer every now and then. My rubber ducky sits on my nightstand.

 

[shinyedges]

As a kayaker and fellow water enthusiast who is also a knife nut, I have had knives around the ocean, everglades, rivers, lakes, waterfalls my entire adult life. Rust isn't as big a deal as people make it out to be.

Unless your knife is O1 and you submerged it in salt water and left in the sheath, rust is delt with rather easily with a little care.

3v steel has been a favorite for years now of mine, I butcher more than a few animals every year on my farm, leaving a knife bloody over night will certainly cause corrosion spots on most non stainless knives. 3v hasn't rusted on me after being left bloody over night. And it is a carbon steel.

Point is, knives are in use all over the world that aren't nitrogen steels, or even 420j2, or even stainless! And with a little care last a life time.

I don't own a single stainless fixed blade other than my spyderco ark in H1. I don't even use the ark, it sits in a drawer.

I grab my infi swatmandu when I go to the outdoors and water. And I never seen it rust, even being wet all day.

And by the way, strength to weight ratio Ti is very strong. It doesn't out perform all steels in strength.

 

[shinyedges]

And one more thing, without a layer of carbides deposited on the Ti it's low hardness will have edge rolling and poor wear resistance.

 

[Cereal_killer]

Don't forget Nitro V (another nitrogen [true] stainless) with extreme toughness and age retention...

 

[Chris "Anagarika"]

H1 isn’t brittle.
https://postimg.org/image/i8xx62gdr/

Lots of testimony here:
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads...ean-stories-pics-and-all-things-salt.1098269/

 

[number9]

OP, thanks for the review. For clarification, how often do you actually use the knife to cut things? Is it in regular use? Or does it usually sit in the sheath, ready for an emergency or entanglement? If primarily for emergency use, I can certainly see the value in a rust proof knife with a keen edge that is always ready for deployment. Edge stability isn't a first priority. I'm not a serrated edge fan, but appreciate their usefulness with rope. If the knife is used regularly, then I'm curious how it holds an edge and how it is to sharpen (regular knife concerns.)

I also spend a lot of time in a kayak, though mostly fishing in fresh water. Although my primary cutting tools are line nippers and a Rapala filet knife, the NRS pilot has intrigued me for some time (Santa???) If I did whitewater, I'd have one. I can see the need for an easily deployed, reliable tool for emergency use. Most of the reviews of the NRS knife are positive, but acknowledge that it is most often used to spread peanut butter at lunch.

 

[Icehawk]

That looks like a terrible choice to me - way, way too pointy. That would be fun to try using to untangle myself when diving and I bet real safe trying to use it while afloat and stuck in the middle of rapids. I'm sure there is a use case for it since plenty of dive knifes are pointy but for the life of me I can't think of one unless you plan on taking on Jaws with it - in which case I'd hope I brought Mecha's itty bitty blade

 

[GatorFlash1]

Look for the Spyderco Native Salt with LC200N coming later this year.

If you are really anal about a folder that might rust then get a Spyderco Pacific Salt or one of the other salt models. They will flat not rust, and are not made of titanium.

 

[91bravo]

My wife and I kayak every summer down Terrapin Creek. I always carry a Delica or Endura in simple vg10. Never had any rust issues, but I always do touchup/maintenance on my knives when finished playing outdoors. Also, I don't kayak in salt water, so never had that experience before. @Surfingringo will give you all the info you need to know about Spyderco knives and salt water...

 

[Lapedog]

Titanium diving sword for shark protection:

Do your local shark species train in the shaolin temple?

 

[DeadboxHero]

OP, thanks for the review. For clarification, how often do you actually use the knife to cut things? Is it in regular use? Or does it usually sit in the sheath, ready for an emergency or entanglement? If primarily for emergency use, I can certainly see the value in a rust proof knife with a keen edge that is always ready for deployment. Edge stability isn't a first priority. I'm not a serrated edge fan, but appreciate their usefulness with rope. If the knife is used regularly, then I'm curious how it holds an edge and how it is to sharpen (regular knife concerns.)

I also spend a lot of time in a kayak, though mostly fishing in fresh water. Although my primary cutting tools are line nippers and a Rapala filet knife, the NRS pilot has intrigued me for some time (Santa???) If I did whitewater, I'd have one. I can see the need for an easily deployed, reliable tool for emergency use. Most of the reviews of the NRS knife are positive, but acknowledge that it is most often used to spread peanut butter at lunch.

That's what I used on the River Rescue Team. The NRS Co-pilot. They
worked great for cutting rope and line in the River so people didn't get tangled. Fast deployment without losing the knife. We would lose all these other dive knife types because really the sheath retention on alot of these knives SUCKS. The NRS knife is the only one we didn't lose all the time on the river.

 

[Uath]

I just love knives. I don't NEED a Titanium knife, I mean, come on. Rust problems I have are all caused by my neglect and leaving the knife wet in the bag somewhere. It is kind of cool to have a knife that will never rust, no matter what.
I got into titanium and bought several bars, coins, and doo-dads. Just an intellectual exercise, to research and learn. Far from a hobby, or collection, I just thought titanium is a good thing. As an investment, I still do. It's mega-expensive to produce and absolutely necessary in several essential applications for military, medical, and flight.

I haven't seriously invested, but it may be worth your while to buy a couple of hundred dollars worth of .999 titanium. I buy the 1 pound coins. I'm not anyone you should listen to however...

I carry a forged carbon knife for everything. If I go in salt water, I rinse it off

 

[DeadboxHero]

I've in invested in titanium already. I keep a piece inside me at all times. It holds my tibia together and it never rusts. It's great at that.

 

[Danke42]

I love Ti myself. It's a real miracle material and on my bikes and motorcycles I have more than a small amount. Same for EDC gear like flashlights, pry bars, knife scales.

I don't think Ti ingots and coins will be an investment like gold. It's a user material for me.

 

[Lapedog]

That's what I used on the River Rescue Team. The NRS Co-pilot. They
worked great for cutting rope and line in the River so people didn't get tangled. Fast deployment without losing the knife. We would lose all these other dive knife types because really the sheath retention on alot of these knives SUCKS. The NRS knife is the only one we didn't lose all the time on the river.

Couldn’t you lanyard the knife to yourself, so that way if you drop it or it falls out the sheath you just pull it back up?

 

[strategy9]

All this Ti vs. Steel, no love for Boye's dendritic cobalt folders and fixed blades?

Just wanted to add fuel to the fire.

 

[number9]

Couldn’t you lanyard the knife to yourself, so that way if you drop it or it falls out the sheath you just pull it back up?

I haven't done river rescue. But, as I said, I've spent some time in a kayak. It's not a bad idea to lanyard everything. My paddle and my fishing rod both cost more than my knife. Losing a paddle really sucks. But the lanyards get tangled and are at best a PITA. At worst, a real entanglement hazard.

 

[Danke42]

Yeah, too long and entanglement hazard, to short and you're risking cutting yourself up.

 

[DocJD]

They used to make Ti dive knives for working around mines ( Mission ?) that steel might set off .