afee,
Thanks for thinking of us! TALONITE of course would make a great material because of the total lack of corrosion, but the TALON is probally lacking in design for what would be a great river knife. First off, as you questioned about, sheath retention. For a knife that will see extreme 'gyrations' like bouncing around in a raft, upside down in the water, etc., plus the nature of the water acting as an additional 'lubricant', I too would have sheath/knife retention worries. You see, the knife was designed as a classic, trim, skinning utilty knife. No big guard or deep finger grooves. Clean lines. But, this is not a good thing when it comes to ultimate sheath retention. There is not alot for the Kydex to 'lock onto' if you know what I mean.
And for a 'River Knife' I would think that you would want the instant access that a molded retention fit sheath would provide, as long as it was secure. This sounds to me like our CQB series, either the CQB1, with the 5.75" blade, or the CQB2, with the 4" blade. Maybe get the partially serrated version for the fst cutting of rope and webbing. The steel is ATS-34 with slick matte finish, the scales are canvas micarta. With the occasional wipe down with MARINE TUF CLOTH, you shouldn't have any corrosion problems. The sheath on the CQB series, which features pronounced finger groove and slight top guard, locks onto the knife, but will turn loose wtih a sharp tug. This would be the pick of our line-up for a river knife. Next, I might look at the ARCLITE, f I wanted a lower cost utility neck knife. the sheath is plenty secure on this knife and the 420HC offers great corrosion resistance.
Have a great summer!
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Stay Sharp!
Will Fennell
Camillus Cutlery
www.camillusknives.com
