Rigging knives

Adam · Post by **Adam** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 5:47 pm

My 30+ year old, 5 dollar, folding, all stainless, rigging knife is finally at the end of it's life. As a folding knife it's been primarilly replaced by a Leatherman tool anyway.

I think I'm now in the market for a "fixed Blade" rigging knife. I had my heart set on one of the Myerchin versions (200A) - but I've seen the two Linder's (The Sheepsfoot "HD" boat knife, and the lighter "Sailors" knife), and the Grohmann boat knife... What do you all use (for those that used a "fixed blade")?

catamount · Post by **catamount** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 9:14 pm

I have a myerchin model A500 offshore safety / dive knife strapped to my tiller for emergencies.

I just carry a leatherman on my person.

Chris Campbell · Post by **Chris Campbell** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 9:42 pm

I don't have a Grohman boat knife - but I do have four other Grohman knives and I love 'em. Of course I'm a little biased since I'm also from Nova Scotia...

Post by **Tim** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 7:28 am

I buy these little serrated net knives by the box and scatter them all over the boat in strategic places. They're inexpensive yet durable and extremely sharp, and I use them for all sorts of purposes (at home, shop, and boat, for that matter).

I've never liked carrying things on my belt or in my pockets, so couldn't get into always having a knife on me. I have tried to do the next-best thing by trying to always have a knife nearby wherever I am on the boat. Obviously this isn't infalliable, but that's a risk I'll just have to take.

George ( C&C 40 ) · Post by **George ( C&C 40 )** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 9:04 am

Hi Adam,

While underway offshore or in bad weather, myself and the crew all carry small folding serrated rigging knives from West Marine in our pockets. We also have larger serrated knives at the mast and in the cockpit for emergencies at all times. Like Tim, I tend not to carry a knife on my person for inshore sailing in good weather.

I keep a Myerchin model A200P with rosewood handle in the chart table. I've owned the knife for five years at this point and have really loved working with it. The combination blade of the "P" model is nice because it goes through the large lines we carry on the 40 footer very easily and the straight edge blade tip can be used for doing very fine trimming work. I do all the rope work on the boat with this knife. I've never had to sharpen the serrated portion of the blade yet.

I've got to believe that the classic straight blade of the A200 model is also great. Easy to sharpen too.

George Jones
C&C 40 "Delphinus"

Quetzalsailor · Post by **Quetzalsailor** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 9:50 am

Oh, I like Tim's idea...except I'd surely find one when I was not looking.

I tried a similar idea with pencils when rebuilding a house some years ago. I sowed two gallons of sharpened pencil stubs, from an architect's office, on the three floors of the 600 sq ft house. I thought that whenever I needed a pencil all I'd have to do would be to reach for one. I never saw even one of 'em after the first day! (This is an idea which can hardly be tried today; there's not much point in sowing mice!)

Don't be tempted to buy a Leatherman. The metal is hard to sharpen and brittle. The little fold out accessories require a nail or similar to dislodge.

I like the Camillus with the single blade and the marlinspike.

Hirilondë · Post by **Hirilondë** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 10:26 am

Quetzalsailor wrote:Don't be tempted to buy a Leatherman. The metal is hard to sharpen and brittle. The little fold out accessories require a nail or similar to dislodge.

I own and wear a Leatherman Charge religiously will working. It is by no means the best knife, I have much better pocket knives. It is by no means the best plier, I have much better in my tool bag. The screw driver and other tools are some what awkward to use. But when a customer drags me down to his boat to look at something it inevitably turns into removing a cover of some sort, or a section of overhead. This saves me walking up the dock and across the yard to find my tool bag. It has its place. Maybe not as a rigging or emergency knife on a boat, but then it never claimed to be those. By the way, they aren't that hard to open, the devices on mine open quite nicely, lock in place well and are easy to release and close. I will buy another when I lose mine.

David · Post by **David** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 11:26 am

I have three razor sharp fish knives: one strapped to the tiller, one on the base of the mast and one at the bow. I usually don't carry a knife.

Al · Post by Al » Fri Mar 06, 2009 11:28 am

I have one of the Myerchin fixed blade combo knifes and I find that it gets dull awfully quickly, so much so that I have begun to think about what I might get to replace it. During some recent rerigging, it struck me that the blade simply would not cut through running rigging quickly in an emergency.

David · Post by **David** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 11:49 am

George:

<< I've never had to sharpen the serrated portion of the blade yet.>>

I'd like to know how you would sharpen the serrated area of the blade...

David

Adam · Post by **Adam** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 3:13 pm

Thank you folks - all of this is very good info. I too have been known to place small cheap knives in strategic places around a boat - I was more looking for a good rope work knife. Seems (If I read between the lines) that the serated knives seem to be better (holding an edge) then the straight blades. Probably true of most stainless knives - unless it's real steel i've never seen a knife hold an edge with constant use, but for a marine environment it may be the only material.

BTW my Leatherman (PSTII) has a serated blade that has never been sharpened, and is still razor sharp. It's 7+ years old and has been used constantly. I too wonder how one sharpens a serated blade!! :)

George ( C&C 40 ) · Post by **George ( C&C 40 )** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 7:10 pm

Hi David,

There are specialized ultra-fine grit long cone shaped tools for sharpening serrated edge knives -- the burr on the back edge is then cleaned up with a specialized ceramic rod.

The best way to deal with a quality knife like a Myerchin is just to send it back to the manufacturer every few years who will re-sharpen it for a small fee. There are also independant companies that will re-sharpen a quality serrated blade for a small fee.

This thread has reminded me that I need to do this myself :-)

George Jones
C&C 40 "Delphinus"

Quetzalsailor · Post by **Quetzalsailor** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 8:35 pm

My Leatherman is a Wave, the older design. I bought it for roughly half price from a fuel dock attendee who watched it 'plop' alongside the dock; he offered the hapless fellow to rescue it for $30, waited until the fellow left after refusing to pay, scooped it up and sold it to me. I figure it could not possibly drop in the water twice.

While critical of some of its traits, like others find, it's awfully useful. I've sent it back to Leatherman for a free tuneup; they're supportive but did not cure the grump of its not staying tightly folded; it snags bits of pocket.

Sharpening a serrated blade is, for me, a matter of stoning the flat side and cleaning the resulting burrs in each serration with a cylindrical stone. Since it's a pain, I use the normal blade by habit. That does not explain why, when opening a blade, I get the serrated side about 70% of the time.

I find it particularly offensive to have to remember to not take it on an airplane or into a court building; I've carried a pocket knife for about 50 years. It's a rant for another time.

Hirilondë · Post by **Hirilondë** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 10:53 pm

Quetzalsailor wrote:I find it particularly offensive to have to remember to not take it on an airplane or into a court building; I've carried a pocket knife for about 50 years. It's a rant for another time.

Let me know when you start this one. I'll join you.

preserved_killick · Post by **preserved_killick** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 11:11 pm

We're getting off topic regarding fixed knives but with respect to cheap knives I'm a big fan. I've got a fancy Myerchin that's way to big and heavy to carry, and I leatherman I like to keep nearby, and like Tim I never liked carrying knives in pockets or belt until I bought one of these a couple years ago:

http://store.hamiltonmarine.com/browse.cfm/4,11987.html

It's so thin and light I don't mind having it in my pocket, the blade locks and it's inexpensive to replace. I do appreciate nice tools, but for me a working knife shouldn't be fussed over.

JonnyBoats · Post by **JonnyBoats** » Sat Mar 07, 2009 7:05 pm

To my way of thinking the requirements for an "emergency" knife are much different that for an everyday working knife.

For the day to day my Leatherman comes in awfully handy. For specialized tasks like splicing double braid (or whatever) I do not expect to be able to use my everyday tools.

When underway in any sort of conditions where an emergency _might_ arise (each person has to make there own judgment call on this), I prefer a serrated, fixed blade knife that is never used for any other purpose. If you fall overboard and get tangled in a high-tech line (think spectra etc), nothing less will do to cut you free. The last thing you want to have is a dull knife in an emergency, that is why my emergency knife is never used for any other purpose. As for fixed vs folding, how will you unfold a knife if you only have one arm free in an emergency?