River Rescue/Safety knife?

Brian Avila

Brian Avila

Joined
Jan 2, 2011
Messages
1,286
I was wondering if anyone has made a River rescue/safety knife?

You can get them from Rafting shops but I was wondering if anyone here makes them?

Stainless steel. Blunt tip. Sheath that can be attached to the PFD harness.
 
I do.

Though, as a professional guide for years, I don't do blunt tips.
Almost every time I saw an actual emergency, you needed pointy.
That's why my 1st version was a tanto.
Sucker goes right through hypalon to extract the poor bastard trapped under the boat.
A blunt knife won't do that.

Timberline will have a blunt, dive knife with the same mechanism out by years end.
 
Brian, I really like your knife. I will have to think about that one. I do fish research and I am on a raft for half of the summer. I have to decide if I can handle the "oops" factor and be comfortable with handling a pointy knife or not. I have a lot of expensive electro fishing gear on the raft and don't want to have the knife come undone or drop it and puncture the raft and there goes thousands of dollars of equipment.
 
To folks who feel that way, I always suggest carrying 2 knives.
The actual emergency knife, which is well suited to the task, and a user knife that can be carried anywhere.
The emergency knife only comes out for emergencies, and maintenance.

I'm a very strong believer in the emergency knife being pointy, as I personally would have witnessed 2 deaths if the guides were carrying blunt knives.

Pointy knives save lives.

Not trying to sell you anything here either, as I would rather not make too many more of these.
 
Sailing folks call it a rigging knife, but have the same discussion/disagreement about point vs no point. The old rules were that an enlisted man could not have a knife with an edge over 3", and the point had to be a blunt Wharncliffe style ( Usually reshaped from a broken off tip). This was to protect himself and the sails from accidental damage and injury. In actuality is was more to reduce the severity of wounds when fights broke out.

Unless a special request is for a Wharnie tip ( re-enactors and tall ship sailors), I don't make the blunt tip blades. On a rigging knife, I use a thick spine, a steep angle tanto/chisel tip, and a secure sheath.

Just a side note about the tip shape we call "Tanto". It is actually called kamasu , or kamasu kissaki. This type of tip went out of popular use on tanto blades 500 years ago in Japan, but has reappeared now as the "American Tanto". Actual tanto tips normally curve up to the spine in a smooth taper, very similar to a kitchen knife. While katana and wakizashi tips look similar to kamasu, they have different geometry.
I realize that everyone will still call this "tanto", but though some folks would like to know the actual name.
 
Having been trapped under a whitewater raft (for what felt like an eternity), I agree with Brian, pointy is better! I had my folder in my hand when the raft and I finally parted ways!
Needed air and knew the raft was between me and it!
 
Ok, after thinking about it and talking to some of the other researchers on my boat trips I would have to agree with you guys and the tip, (much to the dismay of my boss).

Brian I couldn't find how much your knives were selling for on the websites?

Stacy do you have any pictures of any of the rigging knives that you have made and a secure sheath?

I saw someone here on the forum that does whitewater sheaths, "River City Sheaths", I can't remember the maker's name. I really like his idea with a sheath for your folder like the spydercos.

I'm looking for something to replace the knife that went into the river this past october. The sheath was on my PFD and got ripped off and went into the river.
 
Customs $300 - $350 from any dealers who have them.

Productions are sub $100, from Timberline.

Again, I'm not trying to sell to you, so if you want one of my models, check the dealers and google Timberline ECS
They have 3 models out at the moment, another coming next week at SHOT I think.

I feel your frustration, as I too have lost knives to the river.
You aren't going to lose this one unless something breaks, like your PFD mounting patch.
 
Yeah, I have to look that up.

I saw some of the River City Sheaths by Mike Sastre. I like the idea of having the folder on your PFD.

Its to bad that when I did some research on his stuff that there are a lot of people who are not happy with his service.
 
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