Dive Knife

S

Stu_Hert

Joined
Sep 15, 2002
Messages
52
Hi,

I am looking to buy my Father a Dive Knife for Christmas, however, it seems that all the marketed "Dive" knives out there are pieces of garbage that I wouldn't want to spread butter with, let alone dive with. This led me to the SOG Seal series of knives, which seem that they would do the trick, however their sheaths so not seem conducive to strapping on to an ankle in the traditional fashion. Being that these knives were designed with the navy seals in mind, who would undoubtdly take them into the water, does anyone know if there is an alternative "Dive sheath" available for these knives? Thanks,

Stu
 
Hi Stu,

The Seal 2000 is the best choice for diving. Not too small, not too big. The Tigershark should be nice as well, but you have to be willing to sacrifice storage and drawing convenience for blade length. As a gift, get the Tigershark because it is a very impressive knife, but just make sure you state its drawbacks. Hope this helps in making your choice.

Spearfish
 
As for the sheath: forget ankle straps, they loosen up at increasing depth and cause dangling. Tighten them too much and your veins meight get in trouble long term. The SOG sheaths are just fine as long as you know where to put them (on the weight belt or the BCD are best). The SOG sheaths have a double safety mechanism, one being the button down strap and the molded synthetic knife guard lock built in the sheath itself. Just make sure it is easy to draw and that its extremely sharp at all times, the latter requiring obligatory maintainance.

Spearfish
 
NKG-Webmaster, that is good advice, I am having one made for my SOG Revolver, horizontal carry.

Spearfish, it does make sense that the sheath would loosen as pressures increase underwater. I have never done this type activity deeper than about 10 feet, but would give my right............toe nail :rolleyes: to do it. It sounds like so much fun, but I have ear problems from firing ranges over the years, so I don't think my ears would take it.
I have over the years been under water in the river near my house, using mask and fins, I often wondered if a knife on the ankle would not interfere with leg kicking ?
Robbie Roberson ;)
 
Hi Robbi,

I also carry the Tshark horrizontally. I am sure that spending time on the shooting range will not prevent you from going diving unless overdoing it without ear protection. I tried shooting without ear protection but I really think this is not good for regular hobby purposes (it really hurts!)
By the way, you must be a great marksman! I think Sogs have much in common with Sigs (Hammerlis, not the new ones)

Spearfish
 
Spearfish said:
Hi Stu,

The Seal 2000 is the best choice for diving. Not too small, not too big. The Tigershark should be nice as well, but you have to be willing to sacrifice storage and drawing convenience for blade length. As a gift, get the Tigershark because it is a very impressive knife, but just make sure you state its drawbacks. Hope this helps in making your choice.

Spearfish
Click to expand...

I'm confused Spearfish, you start off stating that the Seal 2000 would be best, but then sugest the tiger shark. Which do you prefer?

The Seal Pup was actually the model I was looking at. Forgive my ignorance, but what would be the advantage of having 9" of steel to wave around at the fish?

Thanks,

Stu
 
Stu, beeing a scuba diver myself i would like to suggest something, a diver should at least carry 3 knives ( we do this because we dive in murky water). You should not go for a knife on the lower leg but two attached to his BC vest. The waterpressure does not interfere with the sheath, the water will get into the sheath and make an equilibrium. I would suggest a Spyderco Salt http://www.spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=40, or an orange resque http://www.spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=72 tied with a long lanyard to one of the eyelets on his BC vest, a Benchmade 100SH2O River/Dive with Yellow handle http://www.benchmade.com/products/product_detail.aspx?model=100SH2O ( Yellow one) attached to his left forearm or vest and http://www.crkt.com/abcaqua.html to his vest. The Syderco salt or resque is great (get SE) for "small" cutting thru fishing nets, while the others have prying capabilities also. This might seem a lot of knives, but they have to be positioned so each arm can reach and withdraw at least one knife from each side of his body blindly, the Syderco Salt or resque is his "cutting" task hand knife. Attached with a string to his BC vest. Even in pitch black he just has to reach to the place of fixture and let the line slide thru his hand untill he reaches the knife. The other two are hacking and prying (treestumps) and emergency knives ( bright coloured handles). Don't carry knives as a "defensive" means underwater, u will never be atacked by another diver, and very rarely by sealife. As long as u don't touch anything nothing will bite back. Get Blundnosed if possible, u don't want him to puncture his BC vest or drysuit! And let him train drawing the knives (under supervision) without his mask. Diving is not a game, in Belgium we dive in deep, cold 10 °c water, murky and dark water, with lots of current, old cables and fishing nets . He might dive in the Bahamas, but u can't risk him losing his only knife.

Don't go for any "SEAL "knives, they are designed as weapons and then as dive knives, your dad isn't going to do LRRP underwater or will not fight with other divers on boats and the shore. He will need a safe knife to cut himself lose when he gets caught underwater. just my two Eurocents
 
Hi Stu,

I suggest the Seal 2000 because its most functional and has a Kryton handle. The Tigershark is nice but a bit too bulky for diving. I use it for diving because its the only fixed blade I have and I use it for chopping on land as well.

Loki,

Off course the sheath does not get affected by pressure, its the straps wich loosen up as the neoprene gets thinner with increasing depth around the calfs.
Yes, backup knives are good. But for the main diving knife the seal series are excellent, no reason whatsoever not to have one for this purpose. The extra "combat features" may seem fancy but they do make the Seals extremely sturdy e.g. blade thickness and prying/ twist capabilities.
Must be nice diving in Belgium, I hear the Oost Terschelde is a popular dive site there. Very murky and high current, if you can dive there, you can dive anywhere I´m being told.


Spearfish ;)
 
yep indeed i always go to the Oosterschelde, i also sometimes do wreckdiving on the Northsea (CURRENT!!!!) , and cavediving. I stopped with cavediving when i got kids due to the rather high "mortality rate" . Although the sealife is obviously "cold water" it is still beautifull in it's own way. But indeed it is one of the more difficult places to learn to dive. When we go to Egypt it's like "wow, i am in a fishtank", too much fish at the same time! :D I would like to go to florida and dive with the manatees and my dream is diving at "Truk Lagoon"

Indeed sorry about the comment, misunderstood , neoprene does compress, thats why i try to mount my diveknives permanently on somethings that don't compress. I don't doubt that the SOG are great diveknives at all.


I would go for as much serrated edge as possible though, because most things u will have to cut underwater are fibreous, and u need to get a PE REAL sharp to get the same underwater cuttingpower as a SE

Greetz
 
Gosh, what good info. from everyone, sounds like a lot of experience talking. I guess if I were a diver, I would probably carry so many knives, I would not need a weight belt :rolleyes: .


Robbie Roberson ;)
 
Stu,

The handle of the Seal 2000 is made out of Zytel, extremely tough. The Tigershark´s handle is hardened Kryton, less tough. Sorry for the wrong info before.

Loki,

Unbelievable diving you are doing up North. I only dive in the Mediterranean but I can imagine that the North Sea will be a most adventurous experience! Yes, your completely right about the serrated edge, an absolute must for dive knives.

Robbie,

How are you doing. I haven´t been round the shops out here yet but I´m gonna visit one coming week. Hahaha, yeah I bet you would carry knives only instead of led!!! Not a bad idea, if this continuous I might start becoming a collector myself!

Greetings all,

Spearfish :)
 
Spearfish, sorry to say but I think your hooked :D , the Tiger and Seal are awsome knives to say the least. :)

Robbie Roberson. ;)
 
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