Scuba knife

K

kristopher

Joined
May 28, 2005
Messages
77
Hello all,

I'm in the market for a nice dive knife, and am not sure which one I'd like to get. I've looked at the Benchmade and the Spyderco knives and am not too convinced. Does anyone else know of some really good quality dive knives? I'm interested in a fixed blade and do not want a double edge.....other than that I'm pretty open. Any tips would be great.

Kristopher
 
316qnb4.jpg


This custom scuba knife is made from n678 steel. You should look from a custom job sow that you get exactly what you need.
 
That's a great looking knife! I think that custom might run into more $$ than I want to drop, but I'll keep that route in mind.

Kristopher
 
I looked at this one by Boker and thought it was nice. It comes like this with half serrations or just a plain edge. But both versions are double edged which I know you dont want.

BK-BO501.jpg
 
You can NOT go wrong with a fixed blade Spyderco H1 model.

But if you really want to spend money consider an all titanium fixed blade made by Mission Knives.
 
Hi there!

Well first of all, I think you might want to come up with a list of the characteristics you are looking for in your knife,

Blunt tip or sharp tip?
Plain edge or serrated edge?
Do you really want a double edge?
If you are worried about getting entangled in lines or rope, would you prefer a rescue hook or a serrated edge?
What size of blade would you prefer?
How important is corrosion resistance for you, are you diving in the sea or only in white waters?

I ask you all this because being a kayaker myself, when buying a knife to bring along on my trips I found that what many companies label as Dive Knives are often quite dangerous designs. (e.g. the Kershaw Amphibian which is more of a tactical dagger)

I personally like the Benchmade H20 series and the Spyderco Caspian, however if those didn't fill your eye you could try Underwater Kinetics Knives, they're especially designed for divers and made of titanium, haven't tried them first hand but heard good things about them and the price is not so high.

http://www.uwkinetics.com/knives/overview

If you are just looking for a cheap knife to use in and around water you could try the Kershaw Sea Hunter (blunt tip), the CRKT A.B.C. Aqua or the Gerber River Shorty, all these are little cheap knives, their quality is not the best but they're useful.

Best of luck
 
I've heard one of the best options for folks who dive regularly and want something practical rather than something showy is to get a few of the cheap Victorinox serrated paring knives with the red handles and grind the point off. They sell a sheath to carry them too (or at least, they used to).

The reasoning behind this, as I understand it, is that, among folks who dive often, there is very limited use for a dive knife. However, when the knife is needed, it's likely to be an emergency situation where you need your knife to cut yourself or someone else loose from some kind of obstacle or entanglement in a friggin' hurry. In such a situation, chances are very good that you're going to end up dropping your knife or otherwise losing it in the drink somewhere. When that happens, it's going to suck if you've spent a ton of money on a showy, fancy dive knife. On the other hand, my understanding is that the cheaper option is great because it does what's needed of it and it's no big deal if you lose it or not.

I'm no expert on dive knives, though. Just sharing what I've heard from friends and other folks.
 
Titanium or H1 is the bomb for diving.

I use a Wenoka Big Squeeze. Full titanium blade.

bigsq.jpg




Not the best for edge retention, but I hardly use the thing so it's not really a problem for me.



Check out Spyderco's dive knives in H1.

Edit: Well... take a look at Spyderco's again. ;)




I have seen plenty of dive knives and dive tools that are encased in rust because people don't take care of them. I like titanium because it's one less thing I have to really look after.
 
Last edited:
I sometimes carry a stainless mora fixed blade when diving, but most of the time I find myself just carrying my sebenza. It is as stainless as you need (titanium handles and s30v blade) so I don't really have to worry about corrosion and it's my normal edc so I am used to cutting with it.
 
Guess I better give input as well. I use the Wenoka Texas just recommended, I attached it to my inflator hose. I also Use the Benchmade BHQ, It has great retention.
 
RyanW said:
Guess I better give input as well. I use the Wenoka Texas just recommended, I attached it to my inflator hose. I also Use the Benchmade BHQ, It has great retention.
Click to expand...



The retention system on the big squeeze is what I love about it. :thumbup: I've lost two other knives before this one. :( I'm confident the big squeeze won't be going anywhere on its own.


For the OP... the big squeeze is named for it's retention system. On the picture you can see the blue parts on the sides of the black grip. You have to squeeze in both blue sections which will release the blade from its sheath.
 
NJerzy154 said:
I sometimes carry a stainless mora fixed blade when diving, but most of the time I find myself just carrying my sebenza. It is as stainless as you need (titanium handles and s30v blade) so I don't really have to worry about corrosion and it's my normal edc so I am used to cutting with it.
Click to expand...

You dive with a Sebenza? :eek:
 
Knifein said:
You dive with a Sebenza? :eek:
Click to expand...

Maybe he doesn't go real deep?


One slip up... and there goes your dive knife to the murky depths. Which in both cases for me have been over 1000 feet down. :barf:

I wouldn't use a folder anyways... being in some situations underwater can already be cumbersome enough. Especially if you have gloves on.
 
Last edited:
Dorito Monk said:
I've heard one of the best options for folks who dive regularly and want something practical rather than something showy is to get a few of the cheap Victorinox serrated paring knives with the red handles and grind the point off. They sell a sheath to carry them too (or at least, they used to).
Click to expand...

This is exactly what I use for a dive knife. By far the best dive knife I've ever used. Make a kydex sheath for it and you are good to go. Mount it centerline, on the waist strap for easy ambidextrous access.

For some reason, people think that they need a dive knife to open sunken pirate chests and fight sharks. You are far more likely to use your knife to cut fishing or discarded guide lines.
 
kristopher said:
I've looked at the Benchmade and the Spyderco knives and am not too convinced. Does anyone else know of some really good quality dive knives? I'm interested in a fixed blade and do not want a double edge.....other than that I'm pretty open. Any tips would be great.
Click to expand...

In what way are you not convinced?

Benchmade and Spyderco are of excellent quality. I haven't heard much about BM's blades made from X15T.N or N680. X15 reportedly isn't quite as rust proof as Spyderco's H1, but should still hold up unless you leave it soaking in its sheath between seasons (better edge retention than H1).

The only dive knife Spyderco makes is the Caspian Salt (the Aqua Salt is more a utility knife). The finger hole makes it less likely to drop. It's not double edged, it just has a large swedge. Available tipped or blunt.

When it comes to cutting performance, the Benchmades and Spydercos will far exceed that of knives with blades made from titanium or 420J (or worse) steel.
 
I would go with spyderco's H1 series of Knives. I own the Pacific salt and I love it, so I assume the aqua salt and rock salt(both fixed blades perfect for diving) would be amazing also!!
 
I have both the UW kinetics and the Wenoka both in full titanium, the price is right for the chance of potential loss and the maintenance is non existant.
 
For almost 40yrs, I've used an old Aqualung Master that I bought at the PX in Pensacola. It's been used and abused in more bodies of water than I can count. Freshwater, saltwater...it doesn't care. I've pried, hammered, stabbed, sliced, and chopped damn near anything you can find in the water and it has never let me down. Saved my butt on more than one occasion, too. Just wipe it off with an oily rag when you get back on the boat and it'll last for ever. I'm pretty sure my grandkid's grandkids will be using this knife long after I'm dead and gone.

dk1.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top