Pros and cons of BFKs

[KeithG]

How often do you expect to use it.?

My knife has been used once. To cut the pineapple during the SI.

It is not a BFK. It tucks into the shoulder strap of my BCD.

 

[Bob DBF]

The usual reason advanced for leaving the BFK at home is the relatively high frequency of serious self-inflicted injuries while using them. I am questioning that received wisdom and wondering whether it mainly applies to people who don't know how to dive and people who don't know how to use a knife.

Over my years diving I have not seen the high frequency of serious self-inflicted injuries you cite. Although divers who are task loaded and don't know how to use a knife may get injured more easily, mostly they just drop the knife. Also, the real, read old, BFK does not have a very good edge unless you put it on yourself, and no one not farmiliar with knives would bother.

I carry my BFK as I have done for decades. I have added a Trilobite line cutter and shears as they are a lot more convenient for their intended uses than the BFK. Also the BFK was known, back in the day, as a dive tool due to it's ability to be used effectively as a prybar and hammer as well as a knife.

If I was a new diver now I would carry a knife and skip the BFK, but old habits...



Bob

 

[joshk]

I find this useful when placed in a pocket. Large fixed blade may be less useful, use case dependent.

 

[rongoodman]

I find this useful when placed in a pocket. Large fixed blade may be less useful, use case dependent.

I have the same one, but with the blunt tip. It serves as a back-up to my Trilobite.

 

[rongoodman]

I find this useful when placed in a pocket. Large fixed blade may be less useful, use case dependent.

I have the same one, but with the blunt tip. It serves as a back-up to my Trilobite.

 

[Akimbo]

BFK's are a just the tool for harvesting US west coast rock scallops. They don't just "jet" around sand bottoms like most scallops; they cement themselves to rocks that are too big for lift bags... devious bastards.

 

[Bob DBF]

...devious bastards.

Their canny ability to impersonate rocks as well as cement themselves to them, help earn that reputation.


Bob

 

[nolatom]

I carry a mini-knife in a plastic sheath, clipped to left chest D-ring, along with a safety sausage. I don't see the need for a large knife, and frankly have not used the little one much either.
In my pocket are EMT shears. One or the other should cut what needs cutting, as some cut-tasks can't be done with just one of them.

 

[Chip Elliott]

I have the XS FogCutter X two in one and it works great.

 

[stuartv]

I had one of those once and was unconvinced that either the shears or the "DIR knife" would stay in the sheath provided.

Mine didn't. I lost my first pair of trauma shears within 10 dives using the DGX DIR sheath.

I then found the MSM trauma shears pouch and haven't lost any shears since.

MSM Shear Pouch - MIL-SPEC MONKEY STORE

Can't beat $8 for the pouch and $7 for the titanium coated shears from DGX. My current shears are over 2 years old and still seem fine.