A friend recently had a close call when he went overboard with his cast net attached to his wrist. The cast net snagged on a piling and the current was strong enough to prevent him from slipping his wrist out of the cast net line. He had a knife on him, but had difficulty cutting the nylon line. After a few trying minutes, he was freed by the boat's crew.
While many mariners carry a utility knife in the interest of safety or to cut fishing line, etc., it may not be the ideal knife for cutting rope or nets easily. In searching for the ideal marine knife, my criteria was as follows:
Durability - I carry a knife with me at all times on the boat which includes swimming. The knife will be subject to complete immersion in salt water without an opportunity for rinsing with fresh water.
Single Hand Operation - Must be easily opened with one hand.
Cutting - Must be able to cut 5/8" Nylon braid rope in one cutting motion. Grip - Must be usable underwater and in other wet conditions.
Weight/Clip - Must be lightweight to wear with swimming shorts and have an integrated clip.
No Sharpening - Must be "no maintenance."
In my research, I came across Spyderco knives. Spyderco makes a huge array of purpose built knives and have a specific series intended for marine use. The first knife I reviewed was the Byrd Cara Cara 2 Rescue Lightweight Folding Knife. My initial focus was a knife for a ditch bag and the price point of this knife ($40) made it seem like a risk free trial.
At any price point, the build quality of this knife is impressive. It uses a common 8Cr13MoV blade which will perform exceptionally well for years.
It is a bit bulky for wearing with shorts weighing in at 96 grams. For a bag, however, it appears to be well suited.
The blade saws through rope in one motion and is easily opened with one hand. The handle provides exceptional grip.
I was so impressed with the Spyderco Byrd series, I researched models further and zeroed in on the Spyderco Salt 2 Lightweight Folding Knife. This knife is lightweight and described as "utterly impervious to corrosion."
The Salt 2 uses a an H1 stainless steel blade and is intended for consistent saltwater immersion.
Weighing in at 58 grams, it is ideal for shorts and swimwear usage. It can be clipped to a shirt, gear bag, or stowed anywhere.
As with the Byrd, the blade saws through rope in one motion and is easily opened with one hand. The handle provides exceptional grip even in this smaller package.
The knife provides excellent feel for medium sized to large hand.
It is time to see how this knife really performs. Both knives have a serrated blade that are perfectly suited to cut rope. Our test was conducted on 5/8" 3 strand nylon anchor line.
In summary, the Spyderco knives tested offer great performance for the marine environment and application. The Salt 2 was definitely my preferred choice, however there are additional variations that should perform equally well. The common denominator is the serrated blade and its exceptionally cutting performance.
