What folding knife for a sailor?

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rturpin

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OK, folks, I am not a knife buff. I have long carried an unserrated Spyderco. It suffers from two problems. (a) It quickly loses its edge after a few cuts through line. Any exotic fiber such as especially seems to dull it. (b) The salt air is corroding the blade. Yeah, I know, it says "stainless." If you sail on saltwater, you quickly learn that most stainless rusts.

So .. I'm looking for a better knife, better at keeping an edge, better at not corroding. The ancillary requirements are clip-on, one-handed opening, single-edge, non-serrated, blade less than 3.5". The last two requirements are so I can carry it when I fly. I know a serrated blade cuts better, but airport security will not let it pass. And yeah, I keep a rigging knife on the boat. But somehow, it's the knife you carry everyday that gets used most of the time.
 
First off welcome to the blade forums
second it seem to me that the Buck ionfusion series knives would be a good deal for their salt water resistannce there are many different models and you could find one with the right type of handle for your needs just keep an openmind and do a lot of searching.
the forums have a large links page you could start there.
Have fun and most of all enjoy the forums
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The most dangerous knife is a dull one,
www.alansattik.twoffice.com
 
Welcome rturpin,
Let me ask first off what kind of a budget you've established for this purchase. That will really help narrow down the suggestions. Secondly, I'd just be curious to know which model Spyderco you've been using. I'm not a huge Spyderco guy myself, but the company has earned a good reputation, and the performance you've been experiencing sounds like something of an anomaly.

One suggestion that I'll throw out there in the meantime is for you to take a look at some of the knives in the Benchmade series of Axis lock folders. These knives feature good blade steel (usually ATS-34), sizes in the neighborhood you're looking for, one of the strongest and most innovative locking mechanisms to come along recently, and most of these can be had with Benchmade's black BT2 blade coating which will help with the corrosion problem. A lot of folks around here hate blade coatings, but if you're unable to do even the most basic preventative maintenance to your blade, this coating will help. Good luck
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Semper Fi

-Bill
 
I was going to say a Spydie Harpy or merlin...do you already have a Spydie hawkbill? I'm pretty sure the only cure for corrosion is keeping it clean after use.
 
Look no further than a Masters of Defense Trident. An awesome utility knife designed by a former sailor Jim Watson.

Jeff
 
If you have an older Spydie, It may have AUS-6 steel. Newer models have better edge holding steel, ATS-55, CPM 440V, VG-10. You may also want to look at the David Boye line of denditic cobalt folders. Rusting should not be a problem with these.

Paul
 
When I was on ships the Captain onlt authorized a buck 110 or a case 2 bladed knife(I do not know which one0 there were no other options available.
I think that if the option is open, carry a good quality fixed blade of about 4-5" blade length. On the second ship I was on, the old man didn't care what you carried, within reason. I found that as a working knife (Navy) a middling sized fixed blade was safer and more useful than a folder. In an emergency, of which I saw several, the ability to get the knife out and use it with one hand and without needing to open it cannot be overstated.
Just my $0.02.

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Although it does not mindfully keep guard in the small mountain fields, the scarecrow does not stand in vain
Bukkoku
 
For cutting performance and absolute corrosion prevention, look at David Boyes dendritic cobalt knives. He makes some really nice folding knives which are fantastic edge holders and the cobalt based cast alloy will not rust.
http://www.boyeknives.com

Paracelsus
 
I'd opt for a Benchmade 812BT or 905BT, great single hand use knives with good blade steel and black t II coating. With minimal maintenace one of these should work for you without breaking your budget.
 
I would try another Spyderco in ATS-55, or a Benchmade Ascent in ATS-34, with coating. With or without blade coating, it sounds like a marine tuff-cloth and some tuff-glide would be a good investment for you.
 
About the corrosion, I have a friend in the Marines that says a little Vaseline rubbed on your blade might make it gooey, but protects it like a charm.
 
Welcome to the forum,

I'm a knife knut, but my true love in life is boating be it sail, power or paddle. IMHO the Benchmade 705 is the best choice for your stated criteria. It truly is a go anywhere do anything type knife.

[This message has been edited by Richard M. French (edited 10-23-2000).]
 
So seratted knives aren't an option here,although best for the job of cutting rope.I would have to say,if you maintain your knives daily with tuff cloth,that should work well to prevent corrosion.There is of course like has been said,knives with a corrosion resistant coating on the stainless steel.Another option since the issue just isn't corrosion,I believe maybe a blade of talonite,folder or fixed may be a good choice.Talonite does not rust,holds an edge a long time,easy to resharpen,the material also is strong and not brittle,as compared to say a ceramic blade.I have never owned a Talonite blade,but I've heard nothing but positive attributes for the material.
 
No one has mentioned the Myerchin line, which makes knives primarily for sailors. Most of their models come with a 'marlin spike,' which is of great aid in undoing wet rope. I assume that since they know their knives will 'go to sea,' that their stainless is up to the task. I have only seen one, one of our church elders had one, and he used it at work for everything. He gave it a good report.--OKG
 
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