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mestrezat · 10-05-2014, 19:01

I may be opening up a never ending post but here goes. I had my boating knife stolen by a pick pocket while in the Philippines and am now looking for a replacement. I know everyone that reads this is going to have an opinion, BUT--what's the general feeling as to who makes the best(and worst) boating knives? Need one that has the hole for undoing shackles and not just the blade and marlin spike. I'm using one of my backups from West Marine and while it does a decent job, I know there are better knives out there. I had one.

thinwater · 10-05-2014, 19:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by mestrezat

I may be opening up a never ending post but here goes. I had my boating knife stolen by a pick pocket while in the Philippines and am now looking for a replacement. I know everyone that reads this is going to have an opinion, BUT--what's the general feeling as to who makes the best(and worst) boating knives? Need one that has the hole for undoing shackles and not just the blade and marlin spike. I'm using one of my backups from West Marine and while it does a decent job, I know there are better knives out there. I had one.

Personally, I'm a believer in a knife, a small wrench, and a marlinspike. I find a single tool invariably compromises each.

SaltyMonkey · 10-05-2014, 19:23

See thread:

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ead-98992.html

**Wotname** · 10-05-2014, 19:58

Hmm... tough (maybe impossible?) question - there is simply no "best"; there is a heck of a lot of good ones and hundreds that are less than average.

I'm in the single tool camp; separate knife, separate shackle key, separate marlinspike etc.

As for knives, fixed or folding? Fixed easier to maintain in a corrosive setting and quicker to deploy; folding easier to stow and move around the deck with. In the end, I chose folding.

Stainless or carbon steel? For me, a no brainer, IMO, the advantages of carbon steel are far outweighed it's disadvantages in the marine environment; so I should choose SS but I didn't.

My goto knife is a Buck folder, about 40 years old and I can't recall the actual blade material exactly. Not even sure if the current ones are the same.

All the other working knives around on board are SS in some form or another as they don't get the regular attention of the Buck.

**Wotname** · 10-05-2014, 20:00

Good one SM; I had sort of forgotten that thread

Still, always good to to rehash the same old stuff again

; bit like having beers and tall stories at the bar

:

**Wotname** · 10-05-2014, 20:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by mestrezat

... I had one.

And what was it?????

SaltyMonkey · 10-05-2014, 20:10

wotname is still using his trusty Buck!

onestepcsy37 · 10-05-2014, 20:32

i used to use the buck sailors knife; it had a sheepsfoot blade and a marlinspike but no shackle opener. so i eventually put it in a drawer and bought the wichard sailors knife - sheepsfoot blade with serrated edge, marlinspike, shackle opener, and the handle glowed in the dark.

then i got a gerber multitool for xmas about 15 years ago. really useful. so i got to carrying both the wichard and the gerber. last year i lost the gerber so i looked around for another multitool. bought a leatherman super 300. then got a bargain price on a leatherman wave at a garage sale.

now the only thing on my belt is the leatherman wave. i seem to wear it everywhere, not just on the boat - weddings, funerals, used car buying....

colemj · 10-05-2014, 20:35

If your old one suited you the best, why not get the same one? Personally, I have never found myself continually working shackles, so do not need a permanently accessible tool for that (and am always wondering why/how others are constantly needing to work shackles). Count me in the category of single tools for the job. I have a bazillion different types and qualities of knives on board for different purposes.

I have never had the need for a marlinspike - lots better tools to fill that purpose.

Mark

colemj · 10-05-2014, 20:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by onestepcsy37

now the only thing on my belt is the leatherman wave.

Belt??? I seem to remember what those were. Barely. Closest thing I have now to a belt is the UV-degraded elastic on my swim trunks. I never wear those.

What do people who don't have pants or belts use for this all-important, must-have-on-possession-at-all-times-ready-to-deploy, piece of kit?

Mark

**minaret** · 10-05-2014, 20:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by colemj

If your old one suited you the best, why not get the same one? Personally, I have never found myself continually working shackles, so do not need a permanently accessible tool for that (and am always wondering why/how others are constantly needing to work shackles). Count me in the category of single tools for the job. I have a bazillion different types and qualities of knives on board for different purposes.

I have never had the need for a marlinspike - lots better tools to fill that purpose.

Mark

What's better than a marlinspike for its purpose?

**minaret** · 10-05-2014, 20:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by colemj

Belt??? I seem to remember what those were. Barely. Closest thing I have now to a belt is the UV-degraded elastic on my swim trunks. I never wear those.

What do people who don't have pants or belts use for this all-important, must-have-on-possession-at-all-times-ready-to-deploy, piece of kit?

Mark

The usual method would be to hang it on a cord around your neck.

colemj · 10-05-2014, 20:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by minaret

What's better than a marlinspike for its purpose?

A free-standing and purposefully made marlinspike - not much. A short ghost of one on a multipurpose knife, however, is pretty much useless.

And a set of splicing wands and specialty fids for ropework are much better.

Mark