I need a dive knife (but not an actual dive knife)

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Danimal6513

Joined
Apr 16, 2013
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I'm looking to get into some free-diving/ spearfishing, and me being a knife guy, the first piece of equipment I'm researching is the knife :D. I pretty much hate all of the knives that are marketed as "dive knives" as they all look retarded to me and most of them don't even list the steel they're made of. My requirements are that I want something stainless and not titanium, it needs to be robust enough and have a fine enough point to stab a fish, have an ergonomic handle, and be under 30.00 give or take a little ( I'd love a Spyderco H1 but i just don't have the money). I'll probably make a sheath so that's no problem. Right now i'm looking at the Mora Craftline TopQ all around and the Cold Steel Peace Maker. I like the Mora because I know it's going to be quality, but I'm not sure if it's robust enough. The Cold Steel, well it's new and I can't find anything on it. I'm not limited between these two though, and i'm open to any suggestions though.
 
All I've swore by for the river or rafting, kayaking, canoe, boat, pontoon or basically any time I have to wear something with straps that hooks it on, whether it is hiking along a river or in the river I have my Gerber River knife strapped securely to the vest straps. I have both and pick which based on what I feel will be handy that day or if I know I'll be food prepping with it or something like that but I tend to prefer the one with the flat pry end.
 
The CRKT looks interesting. The Mora knives might be a little thin but they're definitely an option. The Gerber River Knife just doesn't hit home with me.
 
Danimal6513 said:
I pretty much hate all of the knives that are marketed as "dive knives" as they all look retarded to me and most of them don't even list the steel they're made of.
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Rescue knives, dive knives included, are often made with no tip and serrated edges in order to make it easier to cut yourself, or someone else, free of entanglement. That's their main purpose. And dive and spear fishing knives are often made of no-name stainless because it's the cheaper grades of stainless that are the most rust resistant. 440A, 420J, e.t.c, will all resist rust far better than most of the steels discussed around here. And they'll be tougher, too. Same goes for titanium. Horrible edge retention, but tough and corrosion proof.
And as to the handles: dive and spear fishing knives are made to be used in an underwater environment. It makes sense they'd use different designs and materials than knives meant to be used on land.
The bottom line is, there's a reason why most dive knives are made the way they are. Look into it.

But don't take my word on it: browse some dive or spear fishing forums and see what the guys there recommend. They're far more qualified to give advice on the subject than everyone who's posted here so far, myself included. My guess is, they'll echo what I stated above.
 
I have done some research other than this thread. Design wise, most of the features in dive knives can be found in normal knives too (serations etc). As far as steels go, i'll oil my knife and rinse it off after use to keep rust off. I would rather sharpness and edge retention. Serrations are fine with me, and i understand what a dive knife is used for, but in my price range I think i could do better looking for a cheap combat knife or something of the sort. The CRKT Hammond ABC mentioned earlier looks nice though. Also on the subject of looks, it might seem ignorant, but frankly i just hate to buy a knife that i can't stand to look at.
 
Bucklite max fits your specs. Comes in small or large versions, full tang, 420HC so it should do fairly well when wet. If you want something bigger you might look at the Schrade schf3, although that runs around $40, but you can get a 6.5 " blade in either plain or partially serrated. 400 series SS. Both solid, but neither one will make you cry if you lose them. Maybe a little.
 
Hey danimal, good luck with the freediving and spearfishing. It's a lot of fun! We spearfish here in Costa Rica a fair bit and get some big fish. 20-50lbs is common, and I've done some blue water fishing 30-40 miles out for big tuna. I only tell you all of that because I want you to listen to my advice. So here it is...

You need to pay more attention to carry method than knife. Access is way more important than fancy blade shapes and steels. You need to find what works for you, but essentially, have your knife in a sheath and position that you can get to quickly and efficiently, every single time! The NUMBER ONE reason I carry a blade spear fishing is in case I spear a large fish and he manages to wrap the line or bungee around me. If you can't cut loose from that situation, it can be a life ender. That's what my knife is for when im spearfishing. Anything with a sharp edge will do...AS LONG AS YOU CAN GET TO IT! So if you want to enjoy your knife hunt OCD (which I fully understand) then fine, just focus that obsession correctly.

On a side note, I would also suggest you go do a week long freediving course! It will change your life! I can't recommend this enough! I did one a couple of years ago. It was really an awesome experience to go study and dive with a competent free diver! By the end of the week I was diving over 100 feet and had a 4:15 minute breath hold. Go do it!! You will be amazed what your body is capable of and it will make your diving so much more fun and infinitely more safe!

Here's a couple we've speared this year.

DE4A2D36-5E1A-4C29-81D2-4D3294E99F0A-1977-00000310CD3941AF_zpsfbe214d2.jpg

8BB6691B-7CC6-41BD-936F-64943F27B1E1-1977-000003108B153637_zpsd1e7f3d8.jpg

33E97B1D-4E9E-4692-885B-D4BCDB77F137-1977-00000310EED9744A_zps09241500.jpg
 
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Check out the older Tekna Dive knifes on eBay. You may have to pay a few dollars more but the quick release sheath and minimalist design has always been my favorite.
 
I already have a spyderco pacific salt, so I was thinking to get a kydex sheath so I could carry the knife "open" on my waist or leg. Would make a good dive knife. You could probably do the same with any decent fixed blade...just make a custom sheath. Dont worry about the steel too much. Wash it and oil it when you get home and it will outlive you.
 
Have you looked at the Kershaw Amphibian? 420 J2 stainless, 3 3/4" blade. Kind of looks like a boot knife.
 
I was talking to my SCUBA buddy today, he uses a broken off steak knife.

He had some reasons that make sense, like not being tempted to go after it while low on air, I can probably get him to comment since it's not my area of expertise. Makes sense that the lower end steel is better for corrosion resistance.
 
Surfingringo sweet pics! That's the type of stuff I've been fantasizing about lately :rolleyes:. I'd love to take a Freediving class too, maybe once i'm out of school, *sigh*. As far as the knife goes I'm leaning toward the stainless Mora or the Bucklite Max at the moment. A steak knife isn't a bad idea though. I'll be making my own sheath for sure.
 
Surfingringo said:
Hey danimal, good luck with the freediving and spearfishing. It's a lot of fun! We spearfish here in Costa Rica a fair bit and get some big fish. 20-50lbs is common, and I've done some blue water fishing 30-40 miles out for big tuna. I only tell you all of that because I want you to listen to my advice. So here it is...

You need to pay more attention to carry method than knife. Access is way more important than fancy blade shapes and steels. You need to find what works for you, but essentially, have your knife in a sheath and position that you can get to quickly and efficiently, every single time! The NUMBER ONE reason I carry a blade spear fishing is in case I spear a large fish and he manages to wrap the line or bungee around me. If you can't cut loose from that situation, it can be a life ender. That's what my knife is for when im spearfishing. Anything with a sharp edge will do...AS LONG AS YOU CAN GET TO IT! So if you want to enjoy your knife hunt OCD (which I fully understand) then fine, just focus that obsession correctly.

On a side note, I would also suggest you go do a week long freediving course! It will change your life! I can't recommend this enough! I did one a couple of years ago. It was really an awesome experience to go study and dive with a competent free diver! By the end of the week I was diving over 100 feet and had a 4:15 minute breath hold. Go do it!! You will be amazed what your body is capable of and it will make your diving so much more fun and infinitely more safe!

Here's a couple we've speared this year.

DE4A2D36-5E1A-4C29-81D2-4D3294E99F0A-1977-00000310CD3941AF_zpsfbe214d2.jpg

8BB6691B-7CC6-41BD-936F-64943F27B1E1-1977-000003108B153637_zpsd1e7f3d8.jpg

33E97B1D-4E9E-4692-885B-D4BCDB77F137-1977-00000310EED9744A_zps09241500.jpg
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How do you even stab a fish that big ?? holy hanna those are beautiful.
 
As SurfingGringo stated in his post, the main reason for carrying a knife is to cut yourself free from anything ranging from old fishing nets to your own line. I do not use a knife to dispatch fish, instead i use the spike on my fish stringer. That being said, in my cold waters, we do no have fish as large as those in found tropical waters.

When im out spearfishing, i carry a Spyderco H1 Jumpmaster on the inside of my right shin and a Benchmade N680 H20 dive knife on my weight belt. Both knives are reachable with both of my hands.

When getting a knife, make sure you can handle it with your neoprene gloves. I got the Jumpmaster in part because the handle is big enough for my 7 mm neoprence-clad hands.

Theres nothing wrong with the dive knives on the market. Sure, theyre ugly and 420J is a crap steel in terms of edge retention, but they're cheap and work fine.
 
Yeah, the tuna on the right went about 150. I have to tell the truth though, those guys are good friends and they are all ex-seals. They are obsessed with spearfishing and come down here and I take em out because I know the spots around here. All the good shots are THEIR fish though. My fish look pretty puny in comparison. :o. Whatever, it's fun diving with them. We dove 40 miles out last year on dolphin pods. We'd run ahead of the dolphins and dive to about 40 ft and sit and wait on the dolphin pod to basically swim through us. Dolphins will often be "herding" small schools of tuna. It was pretty insane being 40 miles out in 5,000 feet of water watching a hundred dolphins fly past you on every side! Beautiful.
 
Danimal6513 said:
The CRKT looks interesting. The Mora knives might be a little thin but they're definitely an option. The Gerber River Knife just doesn't hit home with me.
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Mora makes a Rope Knife that has serrations. I have not seen that but it's meant for boaters. I'll tell you something, I have a set of Victorinox steak knives. They're not expensive but they sure are nice. They are fully serrated. They are a little flexible but I am really intrigued at the idea of using one for outdoor uses. Wouldn't pry even in an emergency though.
 
I actually believe that i have settled on the Kershaw Bear Hunter II. It has decent stainless steel, a handle that i can definitely hold onto underwater, and I like the idea of being able to use it for different purposes in or out of the water. I actually wouldn't have found it without you guys though because it showed up in the related products bar when I was checking out the Bucklite max. Now i guess its time to buy some long fins and all that other fun stuff, and if i still have enough money to pay for gas to get to the ocean, i might just actually spear some fish lol.
 
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