Old Voit divers knife

M

marmaloon

Joined
Nov 20, 2006
Messages
28
I have an old Voit diving knife blade that I am going to put a new handle on for giggles. This knife dates from the late 1960s or early 1970s by my reckoning.

It was something like this one, but the way the butt of the knife was secured into the sheath was different.

The handle appeared to be polystyrene directly injection moulded on to the tang (extended into the handle maybe 1-1/2") with no other method of securing it.

Interestingly, near the bottom of the recess where the handle was formed around the blade, there was some light pitting probably due to salt water.

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From my own reckoning, the steel is possibly plain old 420 or maybe 316 if I got really lucky. The blade is soft and does not hold a good edge, which is fine for a throwaway diving knife of the 1960s I suppose.
 
This caught my eye because on occasion I still EDC one of the classic 'dive' knives from the '70's, a Tekna Ocean Edge. It's an original one, made in Japan, and has been with me a long time--neck, belt, boot and everywhere else.

The early 400-whatever steels are indestructible, sharpen easily, etc. My Tekna's handle design is excellent for a paracord or leather wrap, which might be an option for you if you can get the tang free and clear of glue or debris...unless it's stick or half-tang.

I hope you can make something of it. I still enjoy mine as much as always. Main thing is they go far beyond "diving" knives.
 
Choil!!! Is that the one without scales?? Smallish blade for a dive knife?? Kinda jimped down both sides of the handle?? Dagger type blade?
I dove my whole life....certified at 11 years old!! I'm pretty sure my dad let me order one out of a dive mag in the early '70s. I NEEDED it because at the time most dive knives were huge....and I wasn't!
Wish I knew where that thing wound up!!
Joe
 
^^^^^^^ Yeah, man....sounds like it. Ultimate dagger shape. About 3.75" blade, block handle with skel'd holes, billet 420(?), and the coolest sheath ever. Not jimped on the handle but the blade has unique serrations 1/2 way. That would have been the time period for it...you'd remember it best for the sheath though--ABS; spring loaded; attach anywhere clip or strap, etc.

It's real easy to Goog...photos everywhere. It's one of the classics, just forgotten about. You can still get em, today's version of them anyway.
 
Thanks for the replies. :) It is not a stick tang, if it was, I would have passed on it. The blade thickness is about 0.120", the width of it is maybe a little over 1", the tang narrows (rounded fillets) to maybe 3/4", the tang portion being about 1-1/2" as previously mentioned. I had some difficulty tracking down a pic of it. The one I found was the only such pic on the internet I could find. These things have a tendency to disappear from the online world - maybe Davey Jones has them all by now lol.
 
EChoil said:
^^^^^^^ Yeah, man....sounds like it. Ultimate dagger shape. About 3.75" blade, block handle with skel'd holes, billet 420(?), and the coolest sheath ever. Not jimped on the handle but the blade has unique serrations 1/2 way. That would have been the time period for it...you'd remember it best for the sheath though--ABS; spring loaded; attach anywhere clip or strap, etc.

It's real easy to Goog...photos everywhere. It's one of the classics, just forgotten about. You can still get em, today's version of them anyway.
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Yup!!! I remember calf strapping it! When re inserting under water that SNAP could be heard for miles!! Haven't thought about that knife in 40 years.....dam I'm old!!! It was $56 shipped!!
Definitely checking out the new ones!!
Thanks Choil!!
Sorry to the OP for going south!!
Joe
 
palonej said:
Yup!!! I remember calf strapping it! When re inserting under water that SNAP could be heard for miles!! Haven't thought about that knife in 40 years.....dam I'm old!!! It was $56 shipped!!
Definitely checking out the new ones!!
Thanks Choil!!
Sorry to the OP for going south!!
Joe
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It is all good. My older brother had one of the Tekna dive knives you are talking about. I loved how they were made. If I remember correctly, it had a very nice flat ground double edged blade with an interesting shape to the blade. Again from what I remember, parts of the knife were bead blasted & other parts were very nicely surface ground. Beautiful little knife.

Contrast this to the dive knives my dad brought home from Puerto Rico possibly around 1967. They might have come from an American PX. These were huge mothers, like a space age version of a Civil War era Bowie. I think these were more like you would see a commercial diver using. They had a big disc like pommel for use as a hammer. US Divers was the brand name, not sure of the model. The handle was black with raised diagonal crosshatching. All of these knives went awol over the years.

I believe this knife from an auction site is the exact make and model. Jacques Cousteau on the cover, what red blooded man could resist such unfair marketing?! :)

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That's the one Marm!!! Such a cool knife for that time period when all the others were monstrous!! Had a Scubapro also that was so big it went from my knee to my ankle when I was a kid!!
Like Choil mentioned, the sheath the was awesome and unique at the time! Spring loaded clip at the top that literally slammed into place!!
Joe


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I've got one of the Teknas. Used to carry it backpacking. With a cord wrapped handle it was small, light weight, and didn't rust from perspiration. It's been replaced by a S35VN blade, which is soon to be replaced by an Elmax blade.
 
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marmaloon said:
It is all good. My older brother had one of the Tekna dive knives you are talking about. I loved how they were made. If I remember correctly, it had a very nice flat ground double edged blade with an interesting shape to the blade. Again from what I remember, parts of the knife were bead blasted & other parts were very nicely surface ground. Beautiful little knife.

Contrast this to the dive knives my dad brought home from Puerto Rico possibly around 1967. They might have come from the PX at Roosevelt Roads. These were huge mothers, like a space age version of a Civil War era Bowie / buckler. I think these were more like you would see a commercial diver using. They had a big disc like pommel for use as a hammer. US Divers was the brand name, not sure of the model. The handle was black with raised diagonal crosshatching. All of these knives went awol over the years.

I believe this knife from an auction site is the exact make and model. Jacques Cousteau on the cover, what red blooded man could resist such unfair marketing?! :)

s-l1600.jpg
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Love it!!
Met his son, Philipe C, at a seminar in Hunter College in the '70s. Awesome guy........him and his dad brought diving into our living rooms!!
I found the Tekna site and got a pic. It's up to $200, but it's Ti!! That blade is just too cool!!
And that sheath is just flat out bad a$$!!!
And Marm!!! We were both right!! Serrated both sides half way up and check out the jimping down each side of the handle!!
Joe

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palonej said:
Choil!!! Is that the one without scales?? Smallish blade for a dive knife?? Kinda jimped down both sides of the handle?? Dagger type blade?.....
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I dropped back by to tell you....I was looking at my Tekna last night and it IS jimped down the sides of the handle. Hadn't noticed before.....

Those damn things are up to $200 now?? I guess that's OK for ti, last I saw the regular ones were around $100. Also, saw what Tim37a posted.....
 
AND you were right also.....I forgot the serrations!!
Yup....$200 for the Ti LE and it is sweet!! The sheath still looks sick!
I'm feeling that 'I NEED another knife.....NOW!!
Joe


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tim37a said:
I've got one of the Teknas. Used to carry it backpacking. With a cord wrapped handle it was small, light weight, and didn't rust from perspiration. It's been replaced by a S35VN blade, which is soon to be replaced by an Elmax blade.
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So do you still carry it at all? I rarely meet anyone who still has one. I wrap my handle too, currently in leather. You don't mean they are making the knife in those steels now do you?
 
I didn't see that Choil.......420 and solid titanium......$119 & $200 respectively.
I'm not sure how Elmax and s35vn would do in salt water. I do remember the 420, prob what they used back then, did great! Rinsed it and it never even pitted.
Joe
 
palonej said:
AND you were right also.....I forgot the serrations!!
Yup....$200 for the Ti LE and it is sweet!! The sheath still looks sick!
I'm feeling that 'I NEED another knife.....NOW!!
Click to expand...

Really, I wonder if there's much difference in edge retention between the ti and the regular 420 steel on that knife. Be interesting to find out. Mine holds an edge better than I'd ever expect, but I do need to hone it occasionally. It's one I really enjoy stropping as mine is flat ground and double edged. I think they come single-edged new.
 
This is from the site.....mine was double edge too!!

3 blade types

Symmetrical (dagger-type) blade
Blunt tip diving knife with line cutter (silver only)
Black teflon-coated Symmetrical (dagger-type) blade
 
palonej said:
I didn't see that Choil.......420 and solid titanium......$119 & $200 respectively.
I'm not sure how Elmax and s35vn would do in salt water. I do remember the 420, prob what they used back then, did great! Rinsed it and it never even pitted.
Joe
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NEVAH, EVAH a speck or hint of rust. It's out of the question. :)

That's up $20 from last time I checked. They must be selling again. Sounds like the ti's must be in stock again too.

Yeah, pretty sure my original is 420, supposedly out of Seki City back then. Tell ya what, it's a gas of an EDC when I do carry it. It's the only fixed I find handier than my original HEST fixed by Rowen (the one I brag on a lot around here) to just grab and go.

I wanna see what Tim says about his experience with one.
 
I'm curious also how it held up for him in the woods!
Come back Tim!!
Joe
 
palonej said:
I'm curious also how it held up for him in the woods!
Come back Tim!!
Joe
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I never used mine as a real woods or bush knife...it was packed or carried but in those cases only as a personal blade. Now, when I EDC it, it's mainly urban and random task stuff.

I don't think it would be that handy for the woods being double edged and, over a week it would need sharpening a few times for sure.
 
I carried it for years on backpacking trips. We always had a Svea gas stove so I only used it to cut line, clean fish, and once in a while make a feather stick to start a fire. Never had to fight off a bear or anything serious. I think mine is SS, exactly like palonej's picture. It was a good knife for the time, but now that I'm making knives out of some far superior steel, it sits on the shelf.

420 SS is about the bottom of the stainlesses and only used for fairly cheap knives. The lowest grade of stainless used today is probably 440C. It has approx 16% chrome and no vanadium. It is typically hardened to Rc 58/59. S35VN is a much better steel with 14% chrome (Cr) and 3% Vanadium (V) for wear resistance, hardened to Rc 60. The next step up would be Elmax, with 18% Cr for corrosion resistance and 3% V., hardened to Rc 60 for a dive knife or any knife where you need high toughness. If you are making kitchen knives, where toughness is not so important, you could harden it to Rc 62. The top of the heap would be M390, with 20% Cr and 4% V. In order to keep it's toughness, you would only want to harden it to Rc 60. This is just my opinion, and among knife makers, you can find as many opinions as there are knife makers.
 
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