Knife for salt water use

Bigfatts

Bigfatts

Joined
Mar 12, 2012
Messages
2,453
Finally got my brother into kayaking and he loves red fishing so we'll be going out in the bay and/or guld pretty refularly. I need a knife I can clip to my pfd, doesn't matter whether it's fixed or folder, something smallish but not tiny. Just a general purpose knife to have while fishing and kayaking. Since I'll be on salt water part of the time I am thinking something in one of those whiz-bang steels like H1 or something. I've heard good things about it but I just don't care for Spyderco. Does anyone else do something in H1 or something similar?
 
Japanese maker G. Sakai makes the Sabi-Knife series, all fixed blades out of H1. I have several of Spyderco's in H1 and they are excellent.
 
I did see the no care for spyderco but....in the h1 series all othe components are either h1 or titanium (like the clips)
I regularly submerse them in salt water without follow on rinsing, no issues, I really can't recommend this series of knives more...I have tried other knives that are promoted for salt water use and nothing is like h1... Btw if you are clipping to PDFs I also recommend ou look into mike sastre quick deploy sheaths, they were designed for whitewater rafting emergency use....they are top notch, but you will wait forever on your custom orders
 
Last edited:
Smokinape said:
I'd start to care for Spyderco...
Click to expand...

+1. I'd really give the Spyderco Salt series a second chance.

If you are dead set against Spyderco, Benchmade's h2O series is an option. I have their orange h2O Griptillian and it has survived the salt water so far. I was very meticulous about rinsing it after trips, but I haven't used it once since getting my Spyderco Salt I.

I wish I could be more help. Good luck with your search. Let us know what you pickup.

James
 
Ive got the H2O Griptilian with the X15 steel. Ive used it alot as my saltwater fishing knife. i always remember to rinse and ive never had a problem. Theyve since changed the steel to N680.

Ive also own the PFD compatible 110H2O as a my spearfishing back up knife. It doesnt have a point, but its still a great saltwater knife.
 
I've been kayaking for 18 years. Didn't start carrying a knife until 6 or 7 years ago. There was a seagull trapped in a fishing line that I could not free. Since then, I've lost a couple of knives to the water. Unless you tether the knife, the water will claim it eventually. Something to think about.

I use any old stainless folder. After I paddle, I wash the knife in fresh water, set it out to dry. Every few months I oil the joint and blade. Currently, I am using a Mossberg liner lock that I purchased a while back with Chinese mystery steel. The thing has a blade coating that resists rust, and teflon washers that do not corrode. It turns out to be pretty low maintenance.

My requirements are this knife can: cut rope, cut food, pop mylar balloons.
 
Last edited:
Mission MPF, it's all titanium including the blade. I do not even know if it is still available. I bought one back in the early 90's, still ahve it, paid over $400.00 for the dang thing. But it is still i like new condition. Been resharpened a few times, the blade is not really all that great at edge holding, about like 440C.
 
Some of those G. Sakai fixed blades Brisket mentioned are quite interesting, and prices aren't too bad either. Check blade thickness if you order one, though. Some models are made out of rather thin stock.

I've been using a plastic handled stainless steel Mora for rafting and canoeing, it's not special or super cool but it works really well.
 
David Boye makes folders with clip, lanyard bail, and dendritic Cobalt carbide blade. Two point styles, plain edge or serrated. Three colors. Design your own knife and add a marlinspike if you are so inclined.
 
I have been thinking about a small Ti fixed blade. I don't need a big knife so something like that might not be too bad. I see nice ones pop up in the exchange pretty regularly. And a small fb with kydex would be easy to tether. I'm also considering one of the small Spyderco H1 folders. Even though I dislike Spyderco folders.
 
Depending on your price point, you may also want to think about the NRS Pilot / Co-Pilot titanium series - both the Pilot and Co-Pilot are standard go-to kayaking knives, although I've never owned one myself... I recently bought a CRKT bear claw, blunt tip with serrations, on *bay for cheap - I feel like I will have a better chance of retaining it in rough water due to the design, but am also not out on salt water these days. Hope this helps!
 
For what it's worth I used various knives in a salt water environment for many years before any of the new "can't rust" steels were available and never had any problems with 440C, 154CM, and even ATS-34, Provided after use I rinsed off the blade with fresh water, dried it, and then oiled it.

I did find that 440C seemed the most rust resistant though.

If that's not to much trouble you can pretty much use any knife you want.
 
the salt series is good, but if it doesn't float your boat, it doesn't float your boat.
i also have a benchmade mini-grip in N680 steel i like a lot. check out benchmade's saltwater/corrosion resisant knives if you happen to like their blade styles more.

i can't remember, either spyderco started with N680 and switched to H1, or Benchmade started with H1 and switched to N680.....




ETA - agree with previous post. 154cm is stainless and an excellent steel. 440c done well is a perfectly good knife and stainless. they worked for a long long time before we all decided we had to have the super-steels (guilty :))
 
The salts are good. You seem to have special needs that (I would suggest) might warrant setting aside your "preferences" out of respect for your "needs".

That said, get anything you like and see how it works. Any plastic (or similar) handled fixed blade should work just fine so long as you take added responsibilities of cleaning and drying it after use. A bit of rust is no big deal if you simply buff it off and keep the blade oiled.

People often make a big dang deal about knives rusting...and somehow 100 years ago, guys made due just fine with carbon steel and those guys WORKED...and their knives and tools were taken care of and lasted for many years. Today, people seem to demand knives that are incapable of rust, enter the Spyderco Salt series (and others)...then people seemingly immediately started complaining about edge holding. I am not sure there is a perfect solution, but there is a best solution for each user.
 
My Cold Steel Voyager does fine as long as I rinse it off with a bottle of water when leaving the beach. I fish in the surf and so far all my stainless knives have rusted a little if I didn't clean them up after I got home.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top