Beach Wear

OK, I've got a (stainless) dive knife which is good when I'm out in the water. I'm looking for a folder that I can carry on my trunks when on the beach and even into the water. I just don't want the thing to rust very quickly, nor do I want to wipe it down every hour. I'll be in Hawaii next month and just feel terrible when I don't have a knive on me. What's a good choice?
 
CYA

CYA

Joined
Jul 21, 1999
Messages
105
Hawaii! Alright! Just be careful. The waves are big at this time of season.
 
Off the top of my head, I`d say a Boye folder of some sort would be just the ticket. Dendritic Cobalt isn`t bothered by salt water.
 
I swim with a Spyderco Endura clipped to the waistband of my swim suit, in back, near the kidney. Being right handed, I set up the clip on the left side of the handle, which seems to work fairly well in terms of comfort and accessibility. (My swimsuit material is a bit too thin for normal in-pocket clip carry.) Before heading to the beach I treat the blade with Sentry Solutions Marine Tuf-Cloth , and apply Tuf-Glide to the nooks and crannies where the cloth can't reach. As soon as possible after swimming I rinse the knife thoroughly in fresh water, dry it off as much as possible and blast the pivot with a bit of WD-40. Depending on how long you're in the water, you may get some minor rust spots. But hey, it's just an Endura, so who cares, right?

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AKTI Member # A000846
Stop when you get to bone.
 
Well, if you're going to be on Oahu, you might wany to check out Tom Mayo's shop. He makes some pretty sweet looking Talonite blades (he made one for a Baywatch stuntperson). But, like me, you probably wouldn't spend that kind of money and take it into the ocean. I'd say get something decent, but cheap that you're not going to worry about. Afterall, you do run a high risk of not only loosing the blade to rust, but the whole knife to the ocean.

~Mitch
 
for a second, i thought this would be about shorts and bikinis!

i agree w/the Boye suggestion. The Boye zytel handle lockback w/Dendritic Cobalt (cast stellite) is the most price-friendly "superalloy" -- edge-holding nearly till hell freezes over, and total imperviousness to saltwater corrosion.

Glen

PS corrosion resistance might not be your only (or even primary) concern at the beach -- keep in mind that it is pretty difficult to keep SAND out of your folder; and once in, it will likely scratch up your blade and possibly mess up your locking mechanism. So I'd suggest keeping to lower priced, easily replaceable knives. Why not carry something, then, like a Spyderco Dragonfly? No worry about weight, and you could even carry it in your change pocket!

[This message has been edited by storyville (edited 07 December 1999).]
 
Kit Carson #18 with 4" Talonite (r) blade. The scales and remainder of the knife, including screws, are all titanium. Toss this sucker in the ocean, and 20 years later it would still be ready to go.

Or, if you were concerned about weight, Kit Carson folder with Stellite (r) blade (blade length 4 1/4"). The scales are c-fiber. Inlaid titanium liner lock. Screws titanium. Weight under 3 oz.

Darrel Ralph Apogee with Talonite (r) blade, titanium scales.

One final possibility; the first pattern Sebenza in ATS-34 that was black Teflon (r) coated by Les Robertson.

Hope this helps, Walt

 
Sorry; an afterthought. Steve Harvey found some delicacy of the edge on the Boye dendritic Co folder. It turned, albiet slightly, when cutting through the bottom of a plastic drink bottle. Of course, YMMV. Walt
 
While on Oahu in mid-November of this year, I took along a Mission MPF titanium which served our purposes well. Salt water did not corrode the knife in any way, but sand and salt did get stuck in the pivot pin area (not a problem after cleaning it in the hotel room sink). To me, the blade is large for beach wear (4" blade) especially at a crowded beach, so I used it with discretion. I didn't worry about losing it since I have shorts with a back zip pocket. Weighs about 4.3 oz.

Couldn't get hold of a titanium La Griffe before I left, though it was waiting for me at UPS when I got back.

- Jerome
 
I'll be in Oahu and Maui, may stop on one other island as well. What are the knife laws there? I know the gun laws are rather strict.
I was looking for something lite-weight as I'd like to keep my trunks closer to my waist then my knees. Also, something not too large so that people won't think I'm real happy to see them
smile.gif
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Maybe Ken Onion has a new Boa he needs someone to try out (sand and water test). I could do that.
wink.gif

 
You said it. Don't bring a gun, unless you'd like to check out the accomadations in jail. The knife laws aren't too bad. No autos though. I wouldn't bring anything too big either, just in case. (Definately not a Sifu) Just be discreet, no one will get on your case. I've carried my Spyderco Wegner at home without problem.

Aloha,
Mitch
 
How about one of the Boye Basics in either the Dendritic Cobalt or the Dendritic Stainless (440C?). That eliminates the concern with sand getting in the works.
wink.gif
Plus, I'd rather have the fixed blade anyway. If you ordered quickly (Discount Knives has them), you could probably get a custom kydex sheath from one of the makers on here, with a clip and everything. The only problem is even the Basic I, which Discount only has in the steel, is 5.5 inches OAL. Maybe not that great an idea after all.
redface.gif
But it is an idea, and one that I just might follow up on for myself, since I'm heading over there in March, supposedly.

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It just a ****ing staple!!
Guess who...
St. Mary's County, Republik of Marilundt


[This message has been edited by rockspyder (edited 07 December 1999).]
 
I follow David Rock's advice exactly. I don't bring an expensive knife on my swim trunks -- much too easy to lose it in the surf.

I've brought a number of folders, but an endura98 or delica98 are both great choices. Maybe tighten the metal clip a bit so it stays on real tight. With tuff-cloth, it'll do nicely in the water. When you get home for the day, wash it in fresh water. No problem. And if for some reason you do have a problem, hey, it's only an endura.

Joe
 
Oops, I just re-read your original requirements, clocker, and I guess the Boye Basic is out of the question. Oh well, it's gotten me off on a tangent, looking for what I want to carry when I go... if I go. I'm leaning WAY toward a Boye Basic 1, even though it is the dendritic steel, or Basic 2 in the cobalt. 5.5 and 6.5 inches OAL, respectively.

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It just a ****ing staple!!
Guess who...
St. Mary's County, Republik of Marilundt
 
rockspyder, fixed is my first choice in the water (I used to keep one on the outside of my forearm and one above my ankle)...Great when diving but land dwellers give strange looks.
I think I'm going to pick up some thin ballistic nylon and make a pouch, sew it on the inside of the swim suit. I'll clip it on the pouch and have a velcro tab over the top with fork tongue going around the clip.

I'm wondering which lock type the sand would bother the least. Does the black coat on benchmades guard against rust? Seems like it would. Is there a plastic handle material that Does Not get slick when wet?
 
From what I gather, any plastic will get fairly slick when it get's wet, although the "Volcano" grip of the Spyderco's would appear to have the best chance of still being somewhat secure.
G10 with the proper texture, a la most Spydercos, seems to stay pretty grippy when it get's wet. Heck, the G10 of my BF Native stays grippy even with light oils on the scales, like Rem oil, etc.
The black teflon coating on the Benchmades is supposed to protect again salt-water corrosion, and is supposed to maintain a decent level of protection even when it starts to wear off somewhat. It is supposed to penetrate the surface level of the steel a little.
I am really leaning toward a Boye Basic to take with me if/when I go to Maui next March. It looks like, for me, an ideal set-up, except for the fact I'd have to make, or have made, a concealex/kydex sheath for it, so I could clip it.
I took another look around for the Boye folders. Those are really nice.
Oh, and for lock resistance to crud... I think that the liner lock set-up, when it is done correctly, is the most resistant to crud, based on a quick test that someone did not too long ago. I don't remember the name of the thread, unfortunately, but I think it was less than 3 months ago. The test include, IIRC, a lockback and the rolling lock as well. I think the rolling lock was the most susceptible to fouling by crud, with the lockback in the middle.

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It just a ****ing staple!!
Guess who...
St. Mary's County, Republik of Marilundt
 
I hate to say it, but this could be an occasion for carrying a cheap POS knife.
Gets rusty, throw it away, buy another.
Lose it, same thing.
Probably buy a new one every day, and it'd still cost less than an Endura.
That's gotta be value for money
smile.gif


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"..it is foolishness and endless trouble to cast a
stone at every dog that barks at you.."
 
You might consider an Outdoor Edge Wedge. The 420-J2 surgical steel doesn't hold an edge well but the blade geometry is so good it cuts fairly well even when dull, and the blade, handle, and sheath are all about as immune to salt water and sand as you could get. It's cheap, too.

-Cougar Allen :{)
 
Do not forget that one of the main considerations is weight.

When in beachwear, you want the lightest possible knife, as heavy knives will sag your swimming trunks, and having a bigger moment of inertia (sorry, I'm a mechanical engineer!) they run a higher risk of flying away when for example a large wave throws you down when you try to enter the sea.

Enough theory: I have been carrying a Lightweight Spyderco Cricket clipped to my swimming trunks last summer and I recommend it as a really great solution.
 
clocker,

Any concealed blade has to be under 4". Balis are legal, autos aren't. If you want to carry something bigger than a 4"(blade). It needs to be visible or unconcealed. Not to sure about the gun laws(all I know is that you have to be 21 to buy any gun. Rifle or not).

Hot tip: Watch out. Oahu's north shore is producing 15 footers.
smile.gif
 
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