Lifeguarding/Sailing knife

I'm working at a camp over the summer where I will be lifeguarding and teaching kids how to sail and canoe. I need to get a small knife that can cut rope in an emergency but is _very_ low profile; knives are still fairly taboo, esp. serrated.

I'm looking at a serrated carbon fiber dragonfly, but my concern is that water will get in behind the CF scales and rust the steel liners. (I'll probably be in the water alot.)

Does anyone have experience with CF knives around water, and know if this is a problem? Any other knives to recommend? (Zytel comes to mind, but it looks like it would ride higher in a swimsuit waistband.)

Thanks!
-Chris
 
Guyon

Guyon

Biscuit Whisperer
Super Mod
Joined
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Colquhoun,

You might try a Calypso Jr. in micarta. It's a very thin knife since it doesn't have a liner and it rides extremely low because of the clip placement. With the micarta, you wouldn't have to worry about liner rust. It's been discontinued but you can still find them around. May be a little bit bigger knife than you want though (2 3/4 inch blade).

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Guyon
AKTI Member #A001044

"The hardest knife ill used doth lose his edge."
-William Shakespeare, Sonnet 95
 
Calypso JR LTWT w/ VG-10 blade would be my first choice.
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The Zytel won't rust and is even lighter than the std JR in micarta. The LTWT at 2 ounces weights nothing and won't pull your swimming trunks down.
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Ray 'md2020'

ATKI member #A001042
 
Wow, is it that light maddog?

You're right then; the Lightweight would be a better choice. I don't have it yet (though it is going to be the next Spyderco I get), so I wasn't sure whether it had a liner or not. Is the FRN as thin a handle as the micarta?

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Guyon
AKTI Member #A001044

"The hardest knife ill used doth lose his edge."
-William Shakespeare, Sonnet 95
 
MadDog and Guyon,
I agree that the Calypso Jr. Ltwt is a great knife - I have one in my pocket right now
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However, it's a little too big to carry around curious kids, and the CF dragonfly looked like a good alternative (gotta love the tip-down carry!). Does anyone know of any other very low profile knives, or is the CF dragonfly about as inconspicuous as a Spydie gets?
 
How about a Spyderco Rescue Jr.? Maybe the emergency-service orange one that doesn't try to hide out, since it says "non-ninja totally benign life saving tool" all over it. Look - no point - can't stab!
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And the nasssty looking teeth are for cutting a kid loose from rope or some other entanglement that's trying to drown him.



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- JKM
www.chaicutlery.com
AKTI Member # SA00001
 
That's a really good idea James! Hide it in plain sight and by making it appear to be what it really is!
 
How's this for low profile: Get yourself a Ladybug II. (Ladybug w/serrated sheepsfoot blade.) Carry it on your whistle lanyard. Don't underestimate the cutting power in spite of the size. It's unobtrusive, a great cutter and inexpensive enough that you won't cry if you lose it. (Well... maybe just a few little tears...)

Other than that, I second the Rescue Jr. in Orange...

...although the Ladybug II in orange would be nice... (HINT, HINT!!!)
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Ben

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"If you're upside down and burning, you probably went too fast."
 
No doubt the "Rescue" would be the easiest to apologize for. Nevertheless, I'd probably go with a serrated Endura or Delica and a black swimsuit. And don't forget the Tuf-Cloth: Marine grade if you know you'll be in the water.

Knives save lives.

David Rock

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AKTI Member # A000846
Stop when you get to bone.
 
Chris~
My first thought for you was the orange handled Rescue Junior. Very appropriate for the job. However, if it's the lightweight carbon fiber handles that you like perhaps a CF Cricket. It looks more like a money clip then the sharp, functionable tool that it is.
Patti @ IDB
 
Thanks for all the advice! I never really considered an orange Rescue (Sometimes the best place to hide something is in the open
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), but that seems like an ideal choice. I really like the look of carbon fiber, and might pick up a cricket or dragonfly anyway. CF dragonflies seem relatively common, but I can't find any CF crickets. Anyone know any sources for the CF crickets?
 
Colquohoun~
From what I understand there is another run being made of the CF Crickets and they will be available to us all in the near future. Stay tuned........
Aloha~
Patti @ IDB
 
If you're still interested, there is one more thing you might want to consider...

A knife used by a lifguard might need to be used to cut things that have entangled people (rope, seaweed, etc.), and as stated earlier, serrations are probably the way to go. But for some First Aid/CPR purposes it may be necessary to remove (cut) clothing into pieces (to stop bleeding) or even cut clothes off of someone's body. Even though most people swim with very little clothing they might wear shirts, pants, sweats, sweatshirts around on the beach and if they do wear shirts in the water it may be hard to cut off of them when it's wet and sticks to the body. If you've ever tried to cut something off of a person's body you'll know that it is much easier with a sheep's-foot blade like the Rescue Jr. or all serrated Ladybug. I think one of those is your best choice - they are all serrated, and would be better if you ever had to cut through the clothes someone was wearing.

[This message has been edited by Frag (edited 04-26-2000).]
 
Thanks to all for the well-thought out information.

Today I received a Rescue and a Rescue Jr. in the mail to see how big they really are before I pick one (I was intending to keep one and send back the other). I like the heft and blade size of the Rescue better, but it's just too big to carry comfortably in any of my swim trunks. The handle of the Rescue Jr. is superb, but the orange I ordered was shipped in black by accident!
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Back to the store for both of them then, and I hope the orange Jr. comes soon!
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-Colquhoun

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When you educate a man in mind and not in morals, you educate a menace to society -- Franklin D. Roosevelt
 
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