Dr. Lecter
Contributor
4" good! 6" bad!
6" isn't long enough for a "Rambo knife" - or much else. Carry on, champ.
Knife
- Thread starter Sandie7
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4" good! 6" bad!
6" isn't long enough for a "Rambo knife" - or much else. Carry on, champ.
mgjell
Contributor
Put the knife where you are comfortable with it. And always in the same place. 
CT-Rich
Contributor
Although, as of a few hours ago, the knife on my calf is missing. So now I have another empty sheath. I was actually attached to that one.
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Apparently, not well enough...
---------- Post added December 27th, 2014 at 10:05 AM ----------
6" Rambo knife? WTF I know Stallone was short, but I didn't know he was a midget. In the 80's I wore a 6" Wenoka as my small back-up.
Eric Sedletzky
Contributor
For me a 6" knife would be more useless than carrying a smaller sharper cutting tool for hard to cut line or cable and a 8.5" BFK.
A 6" knife is not ideal for prying big f***ing scallops off rocks, for that you need a freakin' bowey knife (sp) at least over 7"....even better over 8".
The reason for this is simple, scallops are strong and they slam shut like a hydrolic clamp. You literally have to sneak up on them while they are slightly open showing their mantle. They have "eyes" too, many of them on the mantle and they can see changes in light and movement. You have to be quick and slip a knife in between the two halves of the shell while they're still open otherwise if they close it's a bitch to find the slot and they are strong.
I thought of making some sort of abalone bar sheath to harvest them but a BFK makes more sense. The regulations are very plain, scallops can only be harvested either by hand or with the use of a dive knife or a legal abalone bar (which has certain measurement restrictions).
You can't use screw drivers or other implements that do not fit the leagal abalone bar requirements, but a dive knife is a dive knife, so the biggest one is the best. Some of those shells get over 8" in diameter. The trick is to slide the knife into the shell before the scallop slams shut and cut the meat loose cleanly from one side to release it,. then the other side can be pryed open and you can take half the shell with the scallop meat still attached. Some of the meats of these scallops are the size of a biscuit...3" across and 1" thick...three of those and your stuffed.
A 6" knife wouldn't be enough to reach into the shell to cut the meat loose or be very good for prying.
And you guys thought a BFK was just a macho trip. See, you were wrong. There's a specific reason WHY some people still use these excellent tools.
A 6" knife is not ideal for prying big f***ing scallops off rocks, for that you need a freakin' bowey knife (sp) at least over 7"....even better over 8".
The reason for this is simple, scallops are strong and they slam shut like a hydrolic clamp. You literally have to sneak up on them while they are slightly open showing their mantle. They have "eyes" too, many of them on the mantle and they can see changes in light and movement. You have to be quick and slip a knife in between the two halves of the shell while they're still open otherwise if they close it's a bitch to find the slot and they are strong.
I thought of making some sort of abalone bar sheath to harvest them but a BFK makes more sense. The regulations are very plain, scallops can only be harvested either by hand or with the use of a dive knife or a legal abalone bar (which has certain measurement restrictions).
You can't use screw drivers or other implements that do not fit the leagal abalone bar requirements, but a dive knife is a dive knife, so the biggest one is the best. Some of those shells get over 8" in diameter. The trick is to slide the knife into the shell before the scallop slams shut and cut the meat loose cleanly from one side to release it,. then the other side can be pryed open and you can take half the shell with the scallop meat still attached. Some of the meats of these scallops are the size of a biscuit...3" across and 1" thick...three of those and your stuffed.
A 6" knife wouldn't be enough to reach into the shell to cut the meat loose or be very good for prying.
And you guys thought a BFK was just a macho trip. See, you were wrong. There's a specific reason WHY some people still use these excellent tools.
I must comment on this, as there is no "double like" button.
Keeping the knife on the arm, and having a wrist lanyard, has saved me many knives. It is when the knife becomes important for survival when it becomes hard to grasp and not to drop... That short length of bungee/rubber band is really important.
haslamhoff
Registered
I'll admit, not being one who dives for shellfish, I've had little use for my "biggish" 7" blade knife... I took a decent amount of good natured ribbing about it, thus its more of a "social tool". But a couple of years back the skipper of a charter I was on accidentally wrapped the 3" nylon fixed descent line around his prop. He didn't have anything decent on board for cutting us free. My Rambo knife went through it in seconds... And we were free. After 25 years it finally came in handy
personally I find it kinda funny. As Ive gotten more dive experience so the knife has shrunk.now I have a lil 2 inch blade on the back of my instrument console.
For starters, my primary knife, the one that is permanently affixed to my BCD, is only used to free me from entanglements should they occur, and they have. So I prefer a 5 inch knife, with a blade sufficient enough to cut through nearly any non metallic line or net that I may get caught up in. It also must NOT rust in salt water, this is important! (you would be surprised at how many so called rust proof knives are anything but rust proof)
I've found over the years that having it permanently fixed to the left shoulder strap of my BCD, affords me easy access to it when needed, it's easy for my buddy to locate if needed, it's easy for me to verify is there when I gear up, and I can always reach it regardless of orientation or visibility. Anything longer than 5 inches would become unwieldy, be difficult to fit in that location, and just get in the way if I managed to actually fit it there.
If I plan a dive where I may need to pry scallops or other such activity, I'll attach a second larger knife to my BCD, the location isn't important as this is a rare occurrence anyways. (I don't wear a belt, I prefer weight integrated BCD's)
On my twins setup, I also carry a permanent knife fixed to the left shoulder strap of my BP and Wing, but also carry a permanent line cutter fixed to an adjustment strap on my lower right side as a backup in case I drop the knife while using it.
The key is to find a good spot on your equipment setup, and stick to it. Practice removing and replacing the knife under water, and when you feel confident, do it with your eyes closed. Get to know exactly where it is, so you can reach for it at any time without having to look for it. It's a tool that can one day save your life, or maybe just save the dive your on. Either way it's very important to be practiced in using it.
I've found over the years that having it permanently fixed to the left shoulder strap of my BCD, affords me easy access to it when needed, it's easy for my buddy to locate if needed, it's easy for me to verify is there when I gear up, and I can always reach it regardless of orientation or visibility. Anything longer than 5 inches would become unwieldy, be difficult to fit in that location, and just get in the way if I managed to actually fit it there.
If I plan a dive where I may need to pry scallops or other such activity, I'll attach a second larger knife to my BCD, the location isn't important as this is a rare occurrence anyways. (I don't wear a belt, I prefer weight integrated BCD's)
On my twins setup, I also carry a permanent knife fixed to the left shoulder strap of my BP and Wing, but also carry a permanent line cutter fixed to an adjustment strap on my lower right side as a backup in case I drop the knife while using it.
The key is to find a good spot on your equipment setup, and stick to it. Practice removing and replacing the knife under water, and when you feel confident, do it with your eyes closed. Get to know exactly where it is, so you can reach for it at any time without having to look for it. It's a tool that can one day save your life, or maybe just save the dive your on. Either way it's very important to be practiced in using it.
BugHunterNY
Contributor
Follow up to fathoms - I like the Hollis Titanium line cutter. I secure it on the webbing of my harness (permanently) like you suggest. It's always there, always in the same place and it's titanium so needs very little maintenence. Besides shellfish, most underwater sharp object needs can be solved with a good cutter, and a straight blade is not usually necessary. A word of caution, if you're attaching a straight blade to your BC, just be careful replacing it into sheath, and mount (if you can) so you're at risk of puncturing your jacket or bladder when you replace knife in sheath...
And CT-Rich, re: not attached well enough.... Har, har, har, lol..
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And CT-Rich, re: not attached well enough.... Har, har, har, lol.
. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
AfterDark
Contributor
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