Working dive knife

R

RANCD

Joined
Jun 15, 2016
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19
Hey fellas,

I'm an occupational diver, after snapping my last blade(s), a SOG Seal Pup (two in a week), I'm looking for something a bit more high quality, I've heard Spyderco makes some decent dive oriented knives, but I'm after something pretty specific so just wanted to check up with people more familiar with the brand.

Knife needs to be completely salt water resistant, and able to handle the water pretty much every day for extended periods.
Needs to be partially serrated, able to cut; wire, fuses (cleanly), thick rope (nylon, polypropylene etc), will also be used for fairly heavy prying, scraping rust and being stuck in the sand when I'm too lazy to re sheath.

I'm not looking for a superknife, just something that won't snap or chip at the wrong moment. Also preferably nothing too rare/expensive (around the $100-200 mark), I tend to buy 4-5 at once and just bin/shelve them when they get worn out.


Thanks
 
J.K.L said:
They come either fully serrated or plain edge. Good blade thickness, good sheath also.
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Thanks for the response, I was looking for something in a half serration, cutting can become difficult underwater when the edge gets a bit dull so I like to have the option available. I suppose I could always buy a full serration/plain edge and wear them both, always good to have redundancy.

Just curious how the Aqua Salt works as a crowbar, it looks pretty skinny so don't want it snapping on me when I inevitably need to pry something open with it.
 
Spyderco also makes the Jumpmaster and Enuff each in H1, they are about 4.5" and 2.8" respectively. Most people here will tell you that H1 works best in a serrated blade.
I cannot speak to the toughness of the fixed blades, but Spyderco does tend to grind their blades for optimal slicing rather than prying ability; even though it's the shortest blade, the enuff is 4mm thick vs 3mm in the other two.
 
Don't know much about dive knives, but if you want something other than Spyderco, I know this topic has discussed a few times in the past.

Per your statement "stuck in the sand when I'm too lazy to re sheath" that's a sure recipe for a dull blade. No knife that will take salt water and prying will be hard enough to protect the edge from the abrasiveness of sand.
 
Hi Rancd, there are a few knives in the salt line you will want to have a look at. The Jumpmaster and Jumpmaster 2, the Aqua Salt, and the enuff salt. There is not currently a combo edge salt knife, however, there is a new Aqua Salt being released this year called the "fish hunter". It will have a dagger like grind with se on one side and pe on the other. The pe side will not come sharpened but that's easily remedied. From the sounds of what you are describing though, that design might not be robust enough for you. If you are cutting lots of line and rope and don't need a knife for puncturing then I would suggest taking a long look at the regular Jumpmaster. Its a serrated sheepsfoot and it is probably the most aggressive cutter that Spyderco makes and that sheepsfoot blade shape would be ideal for light prying work.

FWIW, aside from being 100% rustproof, H1 is a VERY tough steel, so you are looking in the right place.
 
I normally carry one one sharp smallish dive knife (a Spyderco Caspian Salt) and something cheap and cheerful for prying/scraping etc. You might want to bring a pry bar/scraper for abuse (a titanium pry bar works well actually). A large dull knife isn't much good for saving your life if you get caught in nets etc.
 
Thanks for the answers, decided to go with a serrated jumpmaster and a plain edge aqua salt.

Fingers are crossed that Spyderco put's out something with partial serrations at around 0.18 - 0.22 thick in the future.
 
RANCD said:
Thanks for the answers, decided to go with a serrated jumpmaster and a plain edge aqua salt.

Fingers are crossed that Spyderco put's out something with partial serrations at around 0.18 - 0.22 thick in the future.
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You will be impressed with what the Jumpmaster does to rope. ;)
 
If you are set in one of the Spydercos mentioned above, go for it. However, if you are thinking about prying and scrapping more than cutting... I would suggest you look into the Aitor Delfin and Aitor Tiburón. I am a spearfisher myself and have owned both. Thick stainless blades with decent edge holding, serrations and well suited for the tasks you are talking about. Recently I carry the smallest one (Delfin) since it is better suited for killing prey than its bigger cousing. They also come cheap, which is a plus.
 
RANCD said:
Knife needs to be completely salt water resistant, and able to handle the water pretty much every day for extended periods.
Needs to be partially serrated, able to cut; wire, fuses (cleanly), thick rope (nylon, polypropylene etc), will also be used for fairly heavy prying, scraping rust and being stuck in the sand when I'm too lazy to re sheath.

I'm not looking for a superknife, just something that won't snap or chip at the wrong moment. Also preferably nothing too rare/expensive (around the $100-200 mark), I tend to buy 4-5 at once and just bin/shelve them when they get worn out.
Thanks
Click to expand...

Hi RANCD,

Welcome to our forum. Sounds like a Super Knife to me ;)

I'm with Lance on the Jumpmaster. Good call.

Hi J.K.L.,

Welcome to our forum.

sal
 
RANCD said:
will also be used for fairly heavy prying
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I love the salt line of knives from Spyderco and have owned and gifted away more than I can even remember. What I will throw in there is I would not use them for heavy prying, as the H1 steel will bend and deform.
 
Anything with H-1 will fit the bill. Maybe one of the old Warriors those were in H-1 with a serrated spine and a little thicker than the dive series.
 
Why don't you send your new Aqua Salt in for partial serrations added? There are a few aftermarket folks doing them. Aqua Salt is no paring knife BTW. Very robust
 
Guys, seriously. I love Spyderco and I will love the H1 steel soooo much when I have the chance to try it, I am sure. But from a diver/spearfisher point of view I can ASURE YOU that most of all are failing to realize that RANCD is not looking for a knife (as for cutting things as primary use) but for a heavy duty tool that, also needs to cut something once in a while. I bet that any of the knives mentioned is going to get bent, snapped or just ruined when he attemps to pry, scrape rust, etc.
 
Mikel_24 said:
Guys, seriously. I love Spyderco and I will love the H1 steel soooo much when I have the chance to try it, I am sure. But from a diver/spearfisher point of view I can ASURE YOU that most of all are failing to realize that RANCD is not looking for a knife (as for cutting things as primary use) but for a heavy duty tool that, also needs to cut something once in a while. I bet that any of the knives mentioned is going to get bent, snapped or just ruined when he attemps to pry, scrape rust, etc.
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You may well be right Mikel. I think most of the suggestions here are appropriate for what he is actually asking for though. The one concerning comment is when he says "fairly heavy prying". The question is, what is his idea of fairly heavy prying? Given that he broke a couple of knives already you may be correct. The good news is, the Jumpmaster doesn't have a tip to break off. Given the properties of H1, the knife will also bend before breaking. Not that bending is good but it at least makes you aware of your knife's limitations without breaking it in two. As far as scraping rust, the Jumpmaster should be able to handle that for years to come.
 
Mikel_24 said:
Guys, seriously. I love Spyderco and I will love the H1 steel soooo much when I have the chance to try it, I am sure. But from a diver/spearfisher point of view I can ASURE YOU that most of all are failing to realize that RANCD is not looking for a knife (as for cutting things as primary use) but for a heavy duty tool that, also needs to cut something once in a while. I bet that any of the knives mentioned is going to get bent, snapped or just ruined when he attemps to pry, scrape rust, etc.
Click to expand...

I fully agree with you. He needs a prybar/blunt tipped diving knife and something sharp for safety/cutting. The Caspian Salt is a great knife for safety and cutting, but like most Spydercos a poor pry bar.. Prying with a very sharp pointy knife can also lead to injuries fast.
 
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