Knives

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by formosa aus

... in Australia it is illegal to carry a knife at other times without a reason.

Really? Does that extend even to the venerable Swiss Army knife - not the fork-and-spoon monsters, but the little ones that actually fit in a pocket (eg this one, which is similar to one I've carried almost everywhere for 25+ years)?

[Jamme]

Originally Posted by ChrisOwens

"When your nuts are getting pulled into the mainsheet block, that's not the time to be fiddling with trying to open your folding knife."

Interesting way of going out sailing. I mean, with nuts hanging loose and stuff.
[emoji12]

[formosa aus]

I believe so.

[DanielI]

I could have used one two weeks ago. I was afraid the small one on my Gerber, sharp as it may be, would only get me half-way through what I needed, and leave me in worse trouble. Of course, if I remembered the excellent galley knife but 3 feet away…

Nevertheless, I’m thinking of getting myself a Mycherin; the one I got my daughter seems really excellent. Of course, that’s just preparing for the previous emergency, which probably guarantees I will never need it. In which case, it will be well worth the money…

[Eric50]

As previously said by one member (I am a knife's collector) there are as many knives that there are use for it.

On the boat, we tied emergency's knives at 3 (actually 4) different location as follows:

One knife is on the rear pulpit at helm's man reach
2 knives are located on feeding blocks that are located just before the mast (when you come from the cockpit...), each side of the roof to cover the mast and central area.
Last one is in the chain locker hatch at reach of whoever is mooring.

Of course the knives are only in their sheaths when sailing, we removed them at harbour or when the cruise is finished, they are swedish ones, no brand and cheap, all similars apart the colors :

Yellow one is in the cockpit (a bit like the rear white navigation light)
Red and green ones are portside and starboard close to the mast
Blue one in the chain locker

I check their condition at each start of cruising period.

But, although they are OK for standard ropes, they are not serrated for the aramide generation ones...which is a must with such material.

I'll probably have to replace them as soon as my lines are replaced by kevlar ones.

2 others type of knives (apart the cookware ones):

Sailor's knives, from different brands as Wichard, Plastimo, Buck...and I must admit I am not impress by their quality, as their blade are loosing their sharpness very quickly, and the size of the accessories is usually too small for what I have to do with it (splicing spike...), or unsafe due to lack of locking on the schakle tool itself.

I rather use real splicing spike of different sizes, and a plier for the schakles.

For this reason we also have Leatherman multi tools aboard, mainly in our pockets while sailing, or in sheaths on belts, PST and Wave models for daily needs.

The ideal, if I had to make a choice is a strong and solid fixed blade knife with serrated partially on the blade and a multitools as a leatherman plier to cover all case.

I forgot the most important, the sausage guillotine :

https://www.gifi.fr/product/id/40308...on-rouge-blanc

Onece you tried it, you can't help having it.

[Rumrace]

Now that is cool

[Rumrace]

Sorry the photo with the knife at the helm is darn clever. New plan for my old scuba knife.
Like Australia a concealed knife can be a concealed weapon. Multi tools like the Swiss Army knife get a pass despite having a locking blade. A blade exceeding 4” with locking or fixed blade with finger guard is a weapon. Perfectly good scuba diving, hunting etc but not walking about town.
Under our criminal law opening a jacket to expose a weapon gun knife bazooka in Canada is Assault referred to for many years as brandishing a weapon.
I’ve trained Aussie and Canadian Police scuba rescue and ice diving. They are a clever bunch and can tell a tool from a weapon. The Canadian police have issues with US visitors and handguns. Mistakes happen and Canada Customs take the gun completely apart put high end tie wraps through every part and toss them in a box and ship them to US customs. Legal Canadian Humour. My Buck Knife is illegal worn as weapon. However no one cares in rural Ontario or Quebec because we are outdoor folks. The bigger cities like Montreal or Toronto they become weapons. That reason to have them in rural Canada does not exist. It’s Swiss army or Leatherman territory.

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by DanielI

I could have used one two weeks ago. I was afraid the small one on my Gerber, sharp as it may be, would only get me half-way through what I needed, and leave me in worse trouble. Of course, if I remembered the excellent galley knife but 3 feet away…

Nevertheless, I’m thinking of getting myself a Mycherin; the one I got my daughter seems really excellent. Of course, that’s just preparing for the previous emergency, which probably guarantees I will never need it. In which case, it will be well worth the money…

Mycherin knifes. Beautiful product, very nice. No better way to show your daughter how much you care than a gift of a fine product. You will beam with pride when she opens that gift and says, "Oh, dad, it's beautiful." ($110)

But me, I'm cheap. For our own use and safety on the boat, I'll buy a stainless steel dive knife with a serrated blade, for about $40, or a set of knives from Amazon for about $10. Not going to get tangled up in a discussion about "which is the best"; not going down that rabbit hole. It's just something to use when you need it.

[Oohla]

I have cheap folding ceramic knives on loops all over the boat and below. Cut like a laser. Break easily, but cheap. Never rust. Needed to cut a 3/4" genoa line. One and done.

Also serrated steak knives.

Let's talk about rechargable grinders with cutting blades!

Also have hook knife from Sailor's Solutions. 5 years and still waiting to use it.