- Joined
- Jan 11, 2021
- Messages
- 2
Do the Sog "Seal" series of knives work good as dive knives?
-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is $300 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Dive knives
- Thread starter LastDitchSurvival
- Start date
- Joined
- Jan 11, 2021
- Messages
- 10
yeah why not? stainless, good grip, not to heavy, decent size - so a good choice in my opinion
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2012
- Messages
- 29,050
The older AUS6 Seki made versions are much more stainless than the Aus8 Taiwanese or the 8cr-whatever Chinese versions. I'm speaking about the Seal team and Seal pup, not sure of anything else more recent. They'd perform fine with proper care. I'd prefer something more stainless like something from the Spyderco Salt line or a less expensive knife designed and sold as a dive knife.
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2019
- Messages
- 654
For a real dive knife, a 9cm / 3.5" serrated spearfishing dagger worn at 12:00 on the best is all you need.
See Riffe Stubby Wrangler
See Riffe Stubby Wrangler
- Joined
- May 21, 2000
- Messages
- 6,214
Not really.
I taught SCUBA diving for years and this was my choice for a dive knife.
I taught SCUBA diving for years and this was my choice for a dive knife.
The term "Dive Knife" is thrown around as if one particular knife design/style/size covers all. I do not believe it does.
It depends upon the type of diving one does, scuba or free diving, and what activities are carried out in what types of environments.
Back in the 1980s when I dove in the Caribbean and off the Channel Islands where the visibility was high I remember carrying a relatively small Scubapro knive on my lower right outside calf. 1/8inch suits in the Caribs and 1.4in in the Pacific. All very light. Saw lots of small Wenoka knives used. When I dove off NY/NJ on wreck dives I wore a Buck 185 (below)strapped to my upper right thigh over my DUI drysuit. With it's 7.2 inch blade it looked almost ridiculous but nobody on the diveboat knocked it. We were down 80-100ft on wrecks in poor visibility and were constantly cutting our way through old fishing line. Everyone wore the biggest thing they could, mostly big Scubapros, US Divers, Dacors.
Eventually I mounted a Tekna on my BCD vest, handle down as a backup. I spent some time with a guy in the Bahamas who spearfished a lot, and he wore a typical spearfishermen's dagger style knife and wore really long fins. Seem to remember they were ether Cressis or Beauchats.
For knife guys who have no experience with diving they quickly lead to the now rust resistant steels like H1 which is of course fine. But dive knives have existed and been in use for a very long time before such new steels. Divers wash off all their gear with fresh water meticulously after each dive. Well, at least I did and everyone else I knew. With our life support systems relying on rubber hoses nobody wanted to leave their gear "unmaintained". So Rust is rarely as big an issue as one might think.
To return to the OPs question, I have seen an Aus6 Seki SOG Seal Pup in it's kydex sheath (the one with the line cutter) used as a scuba diving knife. I don't doubt it served it's purpose just fine.
It depends upon the type of diving one does, scuba or free diving, and what activities are carried out in what types of environments.
Back in the 1980s when I dove in the Caribbean and off the Channel Islands where the visibility was high I remember carrying a relatively small Scubapro knive on my lower right outside calf. 1/8inch suits in the Caribs and 1.4in in the Pacific. All very light. Saw lots of small Wenoka knives used. When I dove off NY/NJ on wreck dives I wore a Buck 185 (below)strapped to my upper right thigh over my DUI drysuit. With it's 7.2 inch blade it looked almost ridiculous but nobody on the diveboat knocked it. We were down 80-100ft on wrecks in poor visibility and were constantly cutting our way through old fishing line. Everyone wore the biggest thing they could, mostly big Scubapros, US Divers, Dacors.
Eventually I mounted a Tekna on my BCD vest, handle down as a backup. I spent some time with a guy in the Bahamas who spearfished a lot, and he wore a typical spearfishermen's dagger style knife and wore really long fins. Seem to remember they were ether Cressis or Beauchats.
For knife guys who have no experience with diving they quickly lead to the now rust resistant steels like H1 which is of course fine. But dive knives have existed and been in use for a very long time before such new steels. Divers wash off all their gear with fresh water meticulously after each dive. Well, at least I did and everyone else I knew. With our life support systems relying on rubber hoses nobody wanted to leave their gear "unmaintained". So Rust is rarely as big an issue as one might think.
To return to the OPs question, I have seen an Aus6 Seki SOG Seal Pup in it's kydex sheath (the one with the line cutter) used as a scuba diving knife. I don't doubt it served it's purpose just fine.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2017
- Messages
- 9,054
Whatever you pick, I would recommend something that’s highly visible. I’ve dropped my gear many times, sometimes on purpose, only to not be able to find it.
Something bright helps, but sometimes when reef diving it is still gonna get lost if dropped.
Also, as mentioned above, it will depend on what your use is. Dispatching fish? Scraping off limpets? Cutting tangled line? Cutting and removing balls of rope and trash? Defending against seals, sharks, barracuda, eels, etc?
Something bright helps, but sometimes when reef diving it is still gonna get lost if dropped.
Also, as mentioned above, it will depend on what your use is. Dispatching fish? Scraping off limpets? Cutting tangled line? Cutting and removing balls of rope and trash? Defending against seals, sharks, barracuda, eels, etc?
- Joined
- Mar 23, 2006
- Messages
- 207
Dunno about that one. My atomic titanium, no tipped dive knife worked great for me. I use EMT schears with my dry suit.
- Joined
- Dec 6, 2009
- Messages
- 34,252
Nice knife for cheese.
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2018
- Messages
- 2,877
I used an original AUS6 SOG Seal Pup for diving in both fresh and salt water. It worked just fine and the sheath was excellent.
I don’t know how the new AUS8 versions would hold up to salt water. If buying something new, I’d probably go for a spyderco salt model.
I don’t know how the new AUS8 versions would hold up to salt water. If buying something new, I’d probably go for a spyderco salt model.
- Joined
- Jan 11, 2021
- Messages
- 2
Thanks for y'all's answers. I'm really looking for a knife that can be used as a dive knife but would also be just as practical for normal use on land, rather than the more traditional single perpouse dive knives
- Joined
- Mar 3, 2000
- Messages
- 4,798
As stated, divers get all their gear meticulously maintained right out of the drink. We depend on the stuff literally with our lives.
I used a purpose built dive knife, but you could literally use any knife you wanted and be okay if you get to rinsing it off every time.
The Spyderco Salt stuff won't mind if you let it sit awhile. The old AUS6 blades will hang for awhile too.
420J2 is not at all quality stuff for a user, but for a dive knife it would work fine. The Kershaw Amphibian comes to mind.
Mossyhorn
that Mission Ti would be the absolute ultimate! I bet @Mecha could brew up a corrosion proof dive weapon that would wow as well.
I used a purpose built dive knife, but you could literally use any knife you wanted and be okay if you get to rinsing it off every time.
The Spyderco Salt stuff won't mind if you let it sit awhile. The old AUS6 blades will hang for awhile too.
420J2 is not at all quality stuff for a user, but for a dive knife it would work fine. The Kershaw Amphibian comes to mind.
Mossyhorn
that Mission Ti would be the absolute ultimate! I bet @Mecha could brew up a corrosion proof dive weapon that would wow as well.View attachment 1490971 View attachment 1490970
The diving Smurfs also like the Mission Ti knives.
As stated, divers get all their gear meticulously maintained right out of the drink. We depend on the stuff literally with our lives.
I used a purpose built dive knife, but you could literally use any knife you wanted and be okay if you get to rinsing it off every time.
The Spyderco Salt stuff won't mind if you let it sit awhile. The old AUS6 blades will hang for awhile too.
420J2 is not at all quality stuff for a user, but for a dive knife it would work fine. The Kershaw Amphibian comes to mind.
The diving Smurfs also like the Mission Ti knives.
- Joined
- Mar 3, 2000
- Messages
- 4,798
I can see why! That's one cool piece right there.
K KenHash I wonder if I swam past you once or twice out at the Channel Islands. I was stationed at Pt. Mugu in the 80s and loved diving there.
It wasn't until I was long gone from there that I learned on TV that the Channels are a big Great White breeding ground.
I have spent most of my life swimming in Lake Michigan and other smaller fresh water lakes. When I was a kid, we could drink water right out of the lake. I don’t get excited about salt water swimming. I heard they had some fresh water sharks in Lake Nicaragua. Not tempted to find out if it’s true.
The Spyderco Fish hunter that was mentioned is a good choice, as well as many other H1 knives by Spyderco. Falkniven makes an affordable knife in H1 that would make a great choice as well.
This is laminated vg10. The model is the H1, meaning hunter model #1. Solid knife though and would work just fine for stated application!!!
