The ultimate sail-around-the-world knife

Q

qpush

Joined
Jan 16, 2009
Messages
66
Hi All

I am planning to sail around the world starting less then a year from now and with all the equipment that is needed you cant start too early...

I am basically looking for 2 knives that would cover the whole range of events that could occur during a longer trip on the oceans combined with island visits etc etc.
1 main knife, preferably fixed blade of descent size + 1 back up folded knife whenever needed.

I have been looking into Titanium knives as the are absolutely corrosion free and therefor require very little maintenance except for sharpening (which I understand is needed more often then with a modern steel knife)

Is Titanium the way to go or are there any other materials that would be suitable?

The knives would be used from anything from diving, cutting rope, killing fish, opening cans (in case of emergency), chopping wood if needed etc etc etc.

I have looked at knives made by "mission knives", "fox" as well as custom solutions from "raidops" but have yet to make up my mind.

All opinions are welcome and people with experience from this particular situation/environment are even more welcome with advice.

Best Regards and thanks in advance
 
First of all, I think you should include a multi-tool like the Leatherman Wave and/or Victorinox One Hand Trailmaster/Trekker. I would stay away from the so called "Titanium" bladed knives as they are not traditional knife steels.

A good stainless steel blade (440 series, 154CM, S30V) and even minute maintenance will most likely suit your needs.

Fixed blades that come to mind:
Bark River Bravo 1 in CPM154
http://www.knivesshipfree.com/Bark-River-Knife-and-Tool-Bravo-1-SS/c465_634/index.html
Fallkniven A1 or S1
http://www.fallkniven.com/a1f1/a1_en.html
Randall #16 Diver (long wait, "expensive" on the secondary market)
http://www.randallknives.com/catalog.php?action=modeldetail&id=23

Folding knives that come to mind:
http://www.benchmade.com/products/product_list.aspx?category=28
Benchmade 710
Benchmade 630/635
Benchmade 940
Benchmade 551/556
Chris Reeve Sebenza
http://www.chrisreeve.com/sebenza.htm

That's all for now.:thumbup:
 
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I would take a Spyderco Caspian Salt and another of the Salt series, probably a folder. They are 100% rust proof and I'm pretty sure they have better edge retention than Ti blades.

A multitool is also always a good choice but I like the Swisstools. They are more rust resistant than the Leatherman tools because they are polished, but if you keep your knives oiled and clean, rust should not be an issue.
 
carrot said:
I would take a Spyderco Caspian Salt and another of the Salt series, probably a folder. They are 100% rust proof and I'm pretty sure they have better edge retention than Ti blades.

A multitool is also always a good choice but I like the Swisstools. They are more rust resistant than the Leatherman tools because they are polished, but if you keep your knives oiled and clean, rust should not be an issue.
Click to expand...

In that case, a Leatherman Charge Titanium with S30V blade would be more than substantial for weather resistance. Although, from my own experience, my Supertool 200 and Wave haven't had any of problems.

http://www.leatherman.com/multi-tools/full-size-tools/charge-tti.aspx

:D:thumbup:
 
Just buy the knives that 'Sufler' and 'Knife_Geek' recommended and you'll be all set.

I too would recommend both fixed and folders from Spyderco's Salt series (I have one of the folders for white water rafting -excellent!).
And, a Ti Leatherman with the S30V blade - also excellent!

Good luck and regards,
Mike
 
This knife has caught my eye many times looking at A. G. Russell's catalogs

The Seamaster

AGSA-118TI.jpg
 
Thanks.... wow, really impressive amount of recommendations in so little time!

When Spyderco say "New! H-1 Will Not Rust!" does that really mean that it WILL NOT rust if left in a bucket of saltwater for 3 weeks or does it require some kind of maintenance after coming up from the big blue such as rinsing with fresh water?

I dont like when things are harder then they have to be and the last thing I want to think about is rinsing every time after coming up from the sea.
btw... can the Rock Salt be ordered with partially serrated blade? Serrated blade can be of quite an importance for cutting rope...

(Check) the Leatherman Ti is added to the list.
 
From Spyderco's current catalogue :

"What IS H-1?

H-1 is an alloy that does something no other available blade steel can do, it remains 100% rust free and it actually holds a sharp cutting edge. It’s a precipitation-hardened alloy with .1% nitrogen instead of carbon. Nitrogen performs like carbon in the steel’s matrix, raising its hardness and edge retention. The cocktail of nitrogen and chloride, and absence of carbon, physically cannot induce rust production. Independent testing by Crucible Steel Inc. concluded H-1’s edge retention and sharp quotient compares to premium carbonbased knife steels and it work-hardens at the cutting edge when processed or sharpened. Processing friction increases its Rc hardness further elevating tensile strength and durability. Simply put H-1 stays 100% rust free in fresh/saltwater and humidity and is hard enough to take and keep a performance-sharp edge. If you get wet, get H-1. A rust free blade is irrelevant if the rest of package falls apart at the sight of salt or liquid. So, Salt Series knives’ internal components,
sheaths and clips are also rusting impervious.

There is No Rust for the Weary"

- regards
 
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If you let me come sail with you won't have to worry about anything knife related. I'll even put a shaving sharp edge on your propeller.

I've lived on the shores of the Mediterranean all my life. We used French made carbon steel Opinel knives for everything from cutting bait to old salty rope. This was before I became a knife nut.
Carbon steel used in Opinel knives has no corrosion resistance at all, infact it will discolor just by peeling an apple. The discoloration is actually a form oxidisation, an not corrosion. It does hot harm the blade and actually helps a bit to prevent rust. We never had a problem with knives rusting because we washed them in clean water and wiped them with oil before being put away.

My point is you do not need titanium. Titanium does not hold an edge well. It is siutable for a last-ditch diving knife, but not a utility knife that will be used everyday. Modern stainless steels such as 154CM, VG10, and S30V hold an edge for a long time yet still offer excellent corrosion resistance if preoperly maintained.
 
qpush said:
Thanks.... wow, really impressive amount of recommendations in so little time!

When Spyderco say "New! H-1 Will Not Rust!" does that really mean that it WILL NOT rust if left in a bucket of saltwater for 3 weeks or does it require some kind of maintenance after coming up from the big blue such as rinsing with fresh water?
Click to expand...

They mean 100% rust proof. I have a Tasman Salt that I carry all day, every day in coastal SE Florida. I go swimming with it, surfing with it, exercise and sweat all over it, use it in the yard, etc. etc. I also have a Rock Salt for yard use as well as kitchen use that regularly gets coated in nastiness that would surely lead to staining/corrosion/rust on "stainless" steels. But with the Salt series, the ONLY thing you have to worry about as far as maintenance is sharpening. Period. I really, truly don't think you will find a better series of knives for your exact purpose. They make several folders with different blade shapes and configurations as well as 3 great fixed blades so I'm sure you will be able to find the perfect combination(s) for your high seas adventure. Which is very cool, by the way.
 
You have to understand that there is no such thing as a completely stainless steel knife. Stainless steels will rust because they have carbon content necessary to allow dexterity and edge retention.

AG Russell states H1 as

"
H1 Steel

H1 steel is a stainless steel that is precipitation-hardened and contains nitrogen instead of carbon, which cannot rust.

Carbon-0.15%, Chromium-14.00-16.00%, Manganese-2.00%, Molybdenum-0.50-1.50%, Nickel-6.00-8.00%, Nitrogen-0.10%, Phosphorus-0.04%, Silicon-3.00-4.50%, Sulfur-0.03%"

So, it does in fact contain a small amount of carbon. But, most importantly, it has an RC hardness of 65 which most likely means it's somewhat difficult to sharpen.

Of course, I don't know... I've no experience with that particular knife and I'm a fan of Spyderco.
 
At least one of your knife choices should be a Spyderco Salt series folder. You'll have enough things to worry about without the additional task of knife maintenance.
 
I would definitely recommend Spyderco's Salt series of knives. The Rock Salt doesn't come with a serrated edge, but the Caspian Salt and Aqua Salts both do (or plain edge, depending on your preference). Both are good fixed blades that are made from 100% corrosion resistant parts.

A folder from the same series, or perhaps a David Boye marine knife (if you want a Marlin Spike) would serve as a suitable backup folder.
 
Salt Series all the way. I just got back from 10 days in Kauai, and I had a spyderco pacific salt clipped IWB to my boardshorts the entire time. In and out of the water, never so much as rinsed it and it did not rust.

I would make it three knives and they would be

Sypderco Aqua Salt: this is a 5" fixed blade and is serrated. Primary knife while on ship

Spyderco Tasman Salt: Hawksbill blade shape, I would go with serrated as well. I would keep this small of back clipped to waistband as a backup while on ship. I imagine this shines while cutting line.

Spyderco pacific salt: I would go with this in PE for general use/ use on shore.
 
Sufler said:
You have to understand that there is no such thing as a completely stainless steel knife. Stainless steels will rust because they have carbon content necessary to allow dexterity and edge retention.

AG Russell states H1 as

"
H1 Steel

H1 steel is a stainless steel that is precipitation-hardened and contains nitrogen instead of carbon, which cannot rust.

Carbon-0.15%, Chromium-14.00-16.00%, Manganese-2.00%, Molybdenum-0.50-1.50%, Nickel-6.00-8.00%, Nitrogen-0.10%, Phosphorus-0.04%, Silicon-3.00-4.50%, Sulfur-0.03%"

So, it does in fact contain a small amount of carbon. But, most importantly, it has an RC hardness of 65 which most likely means it's somewhat difficult to sharpen.

Of course, I don't know... I've no experience with that particular knife and I'm a fan of Spyderco.
Click to expand...


H1 will not rust. Period. It can be left for weeks in salt water and will not stain,discolor or oxidize. H1 is also not hard to sharpen and will take an excellent edge. I have had a Salt 1 for 4 years and it still remains my go-to knife. In fact, at first it may have to be sharpened slightly more often as H1 will "work harden" becoming better as it is used. The OP could not ask for a better combination of price, availability, quality and configuration than the Spyderco Salt Series.
 
Spyderco Folder H1 steel.
Leatherman
Falkniven S1 or A1 and a cheap stainles mora (545?)
 
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