knife for cutting climbing rope?

[SCTorrero]

that might be the way to go.short lanyard with a bead to make it more stiff and a carabiner.

i'll probably go with the rockjumper...i wish it came with orange g10 scales..

If you went with a similar Spyderco (like the Endela), you could get custom scales. Don't know if such scales are available for the Rockjumper, but I haven't seen them.

 

[King of the Cheese]

Cold steel tuff lite serrated.

 

[GAGL]

If you went with a similar Spyderco (like the Endela), you could get custom scales. Don't know if such scales are available for the Rockjumper, but I haven't seen them.

i already did a search for custom scales for the rockjumper...no luck so far.

i like the rockjumper because it has a bigger handle than most other spydies.i wear glove size 11

 

[eveled]

Probably not what you are looking for. But this knife cuts rope like a laser. For under $10 you can give it a try.

 

[afishhunter]

Not trying to be a jerk here, but I gotta say a buck 110 may possibly be the worst possible knife for climbing I could ever imagine. Most climbers aren’t looking for a small baby to lug with them that takes two hands to open securely.

3.4 ounces (LT's) are "heavy"? Even the brass and wood is a half pound. Can't feet it on your belt.
Why do you need one hand opening to cut climbing rope while climbing? People where two hand opening knives while climbing long before one hand opening knives were invented, by the way. Climbing isn't a recently discovered activity.

I'm out of the conversation.

 

[DocJD]

Thanks for the reminder !

Just want to add that the Cold Steel Tiger Claw is actually a very good utility / working knife .

The more open curve is not ideal for a weapon karambit , but great for utility .

Demko designed this knife with utility use in mind .

The blade , including the tip , is strong enough for most usage .

 

[Murphjd25]

Any Spyderco serrated will be perfect. Try to find a Spyderco Snap-it if you can.

 

[gadgetgeek]

Biggest factor I've seen with any climbing knife was not the deployment or the cut, it was the "now what" afterward. I used a Leatherman CX with a modified tip for a long time, and the rescue one would do well I think. It gives an easy option to both close the blade and clip it back away (though mine lived on a leash anyway). If you ever climb with people below you, dropping a knife is a good way to lose friends. And I've seen so many near misses because the person with the knife didn't have an easy place for it to go, it will find the worst possible place to end up.
I was supplied with a Gerber Zip, it uses a stanley blade, and they are alright, but the sheath leaves a lot to be desired, and forget about accurate or delicate cuts (ever have to clip just a prussic, and not the main?)

I'm not the biggest fan of liner locks, but this is where they tend to shine. Compression locks work too, but there is that added dexterity needed to one-hand them closed. Style of climbing is going to matter some as well, I did a lot of challenge course work and so a cut-away was easily on the menu, where as if you are a lead climber, there is much less chance of having to cut a loaded rope under duress, more like cutting out a really set knot or clearing old tape. So consider that as well. Nothing wrong with having a utility knife if that's all you expect to use it for,
To me, it's retention, closing, cutting, opening, in that priority order. If I was looking to buy a rescue knife today and could pay US retail, I'd be looking at some of the lower-end spyerco liner locks and finding out who had a belt or grinder to do some modifications. I don't think climbers design good knives, and I don't think many knife guys are climbers. If they are, they are also white-water guys who design gear for that, and I don't think they are entirely compatible, but then I'll admit I come at it from a very different point of view than most.

And if anyone thinks I'm being dramatic, its okay, I'll rescue myself thanks

 

[jfk1110]

As a former tree climber\ removal guy I carried an auto OTF a lot.. Also any Spyderco with the curved serrated blade works well.... I also used the Boker Batman knife.
Another option is to send whatever you buy out to Tom Veff and have him add his serrations cause they are the best I've used at cutting 5\8" & 1" arborplex rope!!
Most any knife will work well on 9-12mm or 1\2" rope, braided or sheathed!!
A karambit would work well too!
Good luck!
Boker batknife is on the right side

 

[DangerZone98]

Question from a non-climber: Wouldn’t fixed blades be preferable to folders? Assuming I needed to cut something one-handed and the stress starts kicking in, it seems simpler to pull something out the sheath than possibly fumble a thumb stud.

 

[220-9er]

Unless you're out where there is no electricity, get an electric knife rope cutter and cut to length ahead of time.
Cuts it and melts the end in one operation.

Electriduct Electric Hot Knife Cutter for Rope, Sleeving & Foam

www.electriduct.com

 

[Skar]

I would go with a endela or delica serrated wharncliff lc200n.
I would think a lanyard with a carabiner would solve your attachment problem.

That would be a big upgrade from what you have been working with, by the pictures.

 

[fishface5]

FWIW, years ago a climber friend wanted a rope knife and we settled on a recurved neck knife that I modded by blunting the tip - in case it got dropped and hit someone below - and then added semi- circular serrations. He taped it onto his gear for easy removal and insertion, and said it was fantastic and the envy of his fellow climbers.

 

[GAGL]

Cold steel tuff lite serrated.

damn..tuff lite has been my favorite work knife for years but somehow i never thought about taking it to the mountains..guess thats what happens when you own "too many" knives.

Biggest factor I've seen with any climbing knife was not the deployment or the cut, it was the "now what" afterward. I used a Leatherman CX with a modified tip for a long time, and the rescue one would do well I think. It gives an easy option to both close the blade and clip it back away (though mine lived on a leash anyway). If you ever climb with people below you, dropping a knife is a good way to lose friends. And I've seen so many near misses because the person with the knife didn't have an easy place for it to go, it will find the worst possible place to end up.
I was supplied with a Gerber Zip, it uses a stanley blade, and they are alright, but the sheath leaves a lot to be desired, and forget about accurate or delicate cuts (ever have to clip just a prussic, and not the main?)

I'm not the biggest fan of liner locks, but this is where they tend to shine. Compression locks work too, but there is that added dexterity needed to one-hand them closed. Style of climbing is going to matter some as well, I did a lot of challenge course work and so a cut-away was easily on the menu, where as if you are a lead climber, there is much less chance of having to cut a loaded rope under duress, more like cutting out a really set knot or clearing old tape. So consider that as well. Nothing wrong with having a utility knife if that's all you expect to use it for,
To me, it's retention, closing, cutting, opening, in that priority order. If I was looking to buy a rescue knife today and could pay US retail, I'd be looking at some of the lower-end spyerco liner locks and finding out who had a belt or grinder to do some modifications. I don't think climbers design good knives, and I don't think many knife guys are climbers. If they are, they are also white-water guys who design gear for that, and I don't think they are entirely compatible, but then I'll admit I come at it from a very different point of view than most.

And if anyone thinks I'm being dramatic, its okay, I'll rescue myself thanks

yes,the "now what" moment is why i don't want to use a fixed blade.
90% of my climbs and skitours are solo missions, so dropping my knife on somebody isn't that big of a concern to me. i never was a fan of leashing stuff to my body but maybe i should give it a try.loosing a knife sucks.
my first "propper" knife i bought was CRKT m16 and i lost it maybe 2 weeks after on a climb.
that was 16 years ago and it still bothers me

you're totally right about liner locks for climbing. i never liked them for edc use but they sure have an advantage for one handed use.

on a side note: i just discovered the Beal Rescuer a couple days ago and i'm blown away.might get that one.can't believe i never heard of it before.

thanks for your reply,really appreciate it!

As a former tree climber\ removal guy I carried an auto OTF a lot.. Also any Spyderco with the curved serrated blade works well.... I also used the Boker Batman knife.
Another option is to send whatever you buy out to Tom Veff and have him add his serrations cause they are the best I've used at cutting 5\8" & 1" arborplex rope!!
Most any knife will work well on 9-12mm or 1\2" rope, braided or sheathed!!
A karambit would work well too!
Good luck!
Boker batknife is on the right side

i was looking at OTFs last night and discovered an OTF karambit.sadly,OTFs and automatics with a blade length over 3inches are illegal in switzerland.
Böker Batman is a classic design that always appealed to me, hard to find nowadays.

thanks for the suggestions!

 

[GAGL]

Question from a non-climber: Wouldn’t fixed blades be preferable to folders? Assuming I needed to cut something one-handed and the stress starts kicking in, it seems simpler to pull something out the sheath than possibly fumble a thumb stud.

yes and no.

the problem is, where do you attach the sheath?

can't wear it on a belt because of the harness and don't want to strap it on to my shoulder straps.

 

[GAGL]

I would go with a endela or delica serrated wharncliff lc200n.
I would think a lanyard with a carabiner would solve your attachment problem.

That would be a big upgrade from what you have been working with, by the pictures.

so far the serrated RockJumper is on top of my list because of its bigger handle. love wharncliff blades in general.

 

[catspa]

Not trying to be a jerk here, but I gotta say a buck 110 may possibly be the worst possible knife for climbing I could ever imagine. Most climbers aren’t looking for a small baby to lug with them that takes two hands to open securely.

Not trying to be a jerk either, but I carried a 110 for years on job sites and many search and rescue missions. It may not have been the ideal knife for rope work, but it was what I always had with me.

Just so you know, soldiers and cowboys, truckers and carpenters, have been opening 110s one-handed for decades. With gloves on. In the snow.

Yee haw.

Parker

 

[lawp]

I have many knives. I was a rock climber long ago and now I sail when the ice is off the lake. A few years ago in a sailboat race I created an overlap on the genoa winch and I could not grind it out. The situation became dire, heading the wrong way near the shore with the sail backwinded. I had to go forward and cut the line near the clew. The line tension was tremendous and so was the crew tension. I had an original Spyderco Salt in my pocket, as usual, which cut the 5/8" line in one quick swipe. Amazing! but we did not win the race. The H1 blade is full serrated in a wharncliff shape with a rescue-style tip. Sailing line is substantially the same as climbing rope, and I can cut slack rope almost as easily. You won't go wrong with a Spyderco Salt.

 

[King of the Cheese]

What about a Kershaw blur? Assisted opening for easy one-hand use, recurve blade for pulling into rope, closes easily one-handed. They have an s30v version as well.

 

[mattmanyam]

Wharnie Endelas are just announced. Very similar size to Rockjumper.