Need a new Sailing knife, recommendations?

C

Climb14er

Joined
Dec 16, 2003
Messages
244
I sail on the inland lakes in eighteen ft Buccaneer Class boats and on occasion, head down to Ft Lauderdale and San Diego for some bay and off-shore sailing.

I'm looking to purchase a sailing knife that will last me (if I don't lose it) for many years.

I'm a Benchmade or Spyderco guy and have also noticed the Myerchin B300P, 440 Stainless, serrated with marlin spike folder. This is a recommended knife from what I've read.

To all of you sailors out there, and please, let the sailors reply as they have the 'real' sailing experience, should I get the Spyderco H1 steel folders, plain or serrated, or a combo knife with the marlin spike like the Myerchin?

The knife will be used to cut rope, clear rigging or safety/rescue if I need it and the occasional use for hard cheese, salami, etc.

I'm used to plain blades, non-serrated, keep my blades sharp on a Spyderco Sharpmaker, water stones, but understand with all the high tech rope, the serrated might come in handy.

Thanks in advance.
 
I'm not a sailor but I have collected sailors knives all my life and the best one I ever bought is the A.G.Russell SeaMaster.

I would suggest if you don't get the SeaMaster to look at the Myerchin line and find a good one there among their variety of knives. They make some real work horses also.

The Boat Knife offered by David Boye is not a bad little knife either but the spike is not quite along the same lines as the others.

STR
 
AG Russell sell one of the best of its type, as said above. Get also an Atlantic salt in PE and you are covered.
 
Hi Climb14er,

I sail a Moore 24 (Dillon Lake). Always have serrated Salt with me on the boat. Modern line is resistant to plain edges. I use a separate tool for shackles, or (I hate to admit) I use the pivot end of the salt for shackles.

sal
 
Sal took the words out of my mouth! H-1 all the way!

Also you get the added benefit of a knife that will become harder overtime. Something like 58RC at the begining and 64 at the end.
 
Extreme dinghy/skiff sailer here...total high speed adrenaline junkie. I prefer a Myerchin fixed blade system with the spike. Somehow, I just feel naked sailing without a spike along. I don't like folding rigs for sailing because deployment and retention are more positive with fixed systems...if things get really hairy then its one hand for yourself, and one hand for the knife. I prefer to rig the Myerchin knife right to my vest or harness so it is quick to draw with either hand.

I don't as a rule care for serrations, but the Myerchin serrations cut real fast and fairly clean. You will be whipping/burning any frayed cuts anyway, and besides, if you have to slash your way out of a dangerously tangled mess you won't care much how ragged your cuts are...you just want to get through it in a hurry.

I like the A001P Offshore system with white micarta handles...fairly flat, nice sized spike with a shackle pin cutout. I would suggest rigging a safety lanyard from the spike to one of the holes in the sheath.
 
Sal Glesser said:
Hi Climb14er,

I sail a Moore 24 (Dillon Lake). Always have serrated Salt with me on the boat. Modern line is resistant to plain edges. I use a separate tool for shackles, or (I hate to admit) I use the pivot end of the salt for shackles.

sal
Click to expand...

I do the same with my yellow SE Salt 1. The shackles don't seem to damage the scales either;)
I find I rarely need a marlin spike, but at least one on the boat use one with it. Don't remember the brand of that knife though.

Sverre

PS! I sail mostly sail offshore multihulls.
 
I own serveral spydies and kershaw's , i also own a myerchin navigator light knife and it's the best sailing knife you could, i my line of work ( u.s. coast guard) a knife has to withstand a lot of abuse and this by far exceeded my expections. hope it helped
 
When I was in the Reserve(Navy) the issued knife was the Grohmann #3. Our Coast Gaurd is also issued them(or at least made available). You can get the system with seperate spike as well. The knife can come partially serrated and is a well-proven design. Good price, too.
 
Thanks everyone, I'm going to order in a Spyderco Atlantic Salt Yellow Serrated 89SYL.

Sal, maybe I'll see you on Lake Dillon.

I've got a Buccaneer 18 on order from http://www.nickelsboats.com/ and will either have it delivered or I'll take a run and pick 'er up in late March.

Happy Holidays folks! :thumbup:
 
I'm in the Coast Guard, and I received a Myerchin when I became crew qualified. Everyone spoke so highly of them (I had a folding rather than a fixed). The knife sucked. I guess they use to be higher quality, but the craftsmanship was shody, and it started to rust soon after. It now is waiting to be engraved for a "memory piece" rather than be used as a tool. A couple of guys still have the older Myerchins, and they seem to hold up well, but out of the whole shipment of 20 knives that we received, 6 were sent back immediately due to very poor quality. Out of the remaining 14 knives, I can vouch that at least 8 of those are no longer being used because of either rust issues or craftsmanship issues. 2 of them are still in service merely because they hang on the belts of folks who never use them.

When my BM1 (who knows I like knives) asked me what type of knife we should get, I immediately thought of Mr. Glesser and his Salt series knives. I used to carry a Byrd Meadowlark after Mr. Glesser recommended it to me and it was a great knife. I told this to my BM1 and he found that Spyderco gives a military discount through GSA. We ordered about a dozen knives to try out. It's an amazing knife, not a spot of rust on any of the knives currently being carried by crew members.

Sorry for the long story. My wife is watching Bravo network and I'm bored.

mike
 
Not only did I order the Atlantic Salt Serrated from New Graham, I also ordered the Delica 4 in ZDP-189 and the Limited Edition Stretch Carbon Fiber CF also in ZDP-189.

Spyderco, great knives! ;)
 
Thanks for letting us know what you bought! You got some fantastic knives!! CONGRATS!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top