Rigging Knives -- Straight vs Serrated?

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by ryon

It depends on the type of sailing that you do. I tend to use my marlinspike more than I use my knife.

Me too, that was somewhat of a private joke.

That damn pointy thing can be used for a no. of things, including poking yourself.

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by CarlF

+1 on the West Marine knife in the magazine review. Astonishingly good at cutting rope including weird new fibers. On sale for $10 about every four months -- usually hanging at the cash registers. Doesn't rust. Lock functions very well. Good non-slip handle. Sheepsfoot point.

It's not a Crocodile Dundee "That's a knife" knife. Very light and compact. Slips in any shorts pocket. My wife carries one too.

Whenever I see it on sale for $10 at West, I buy another figuring it's some pricing mistake that West will eventually fix. I think I've bought 10 of them so far.

The straight blade or serrated blade?

[Shawn67]

Originally Posted by Stumble

This is exactly why I wanted to make the switch to ceramic knives. Dyneema specifically, and most of the new high tech lines are incredibly cut resistant. Dyneema and Kevlar are actually used to make cut resistant gloves certified by OSHA. These fibers dull steel knives incredibly quickly, while ceramics keep an edge much longer.

Check out this video of the Boye, not just how fast it cuts but how much it cuts.
http://youtu.be/2na0wP5Zuow

Shawn


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[Orion Jim]

I've had an Ibberson straight bladed folder since '71 or '72. It can be made razor sharp with a few strokes on an Arkansas oil stone. I've used it hundreds of times and abused it a few also. I like fine tools and I can appreciate some of the awe inspiring knives mentioned here but I'll stick with my Ibberson.

[ytquest]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

I would gladly do it myself, if once or twice a year were enough.

Dockhead look at the diamond stone knife sharpener kit by EZE-LAP USA made keeps all my straight edges razor sharp with just a little work and I do mean little!!! I keep a locking marlin spike with me at all times.

[carstenb]

Originally Posted by Cadence

Carsten, doesn't look like my marlin spike sheep footed knife. With braided line the marlin spike is like the sexton. Might be impressive if not functual and I need that.

I'm with the

"If you can't baffle them with your billiance, befuddle them with your bullsh*t" crowd.

[Canibul]

"I'm with the

"If you can't baffle them with your billiance, befuddle them with your bullsh*t" crowd."
(Carstenb)

And on that note:

I'm seeing lots of other knife guys on here talking about blades, so I won't even go into blade choices here. And that's largely a personal thing with knife fanatics, anyhow, isn't it.. But I've been a knife sharpness nazi since I was a cub scout. I can't stand dull knives. Friends and family like for me to visit because they know with half an excuse I'll leave every knife in the kitchen with a razor edge. I use stones, diamond steels, butcher steel...ceramic coffee cup bottoms. Leather strops. glass tile. The instep of a boot.

And it seems to me that the original poster here is having a problem with the frustrations of keeping his knives sharp. I've done a little study for my own education, after receiving a very fine set of kitchen knives for Christmas. I used a 10X jewelers loop to very closely examine the edges of several good german steel knives (Germans, Finns, and Japanese make the best knives in my experience) I used fine stones, several shapes of diamond dust covered steels ( triangular, cylindrical, flat surfaces vs small contact point) and I bought several commercial hand held sharpening devices to test, too.

My opinions, based upon this informal testing program, are that for someone who just wants a really sharp knife quickly without having to learn any technique or memorize angles is to buy two little sharpeners at the sporting goods/fishing tackle store. Get one that has small carbon steel cutters preset at an angle. You draw the knife through it and the carbon steel cutters shape and shave the angle and will establish a really sharp edge with just a few strokes. You've got it right when you can feel the steel shavings coming off when you pull a dull knife thru it.

THEN, bufy one of the little cheapo red plastic sharpening things with two white ceramic coated rods in it at the same angle as the carbon cutter. You can tell by eyeballing it. After pulling your dull knife through the carbon steel cutter about three or four times, pull it through the ceramic cutter about the same number of times. The only technique you need to remember is to hold the blade centered and the same each stroke. So in something like ten seconds you can have a razor sharp knife.

Only way I know to sharpen the serrated edges is to use one of the tapered cylindrical diamond steels on the inside of the serrations, the inside curves. And use a flat stone to keep th opposite side of the serrated edge flat with no bevel and no burrs.

Knife guys know about edge shapes and tempering and folding and various steels and even various grades of stainless. I'll hand sharpen a scalpel differently than a chisel or machete, and the 3 blades on my whittler are all different edges, but hey, that's just me.

Don't get me started on multitools....

[Canibul]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Right. So I guess it means that to use a knife correctly, I need to become one of those knife guys, spending my spare time patiently honing, honing, honing away, and brooding, brooding, brooding, dangerously. Otherwise, it's just one dull blade against another. Right. My worst fears, about what must be the answer to these questions

Naah, here ya go. I found you the perfect sharpener for a non-knife guy:
http://www.amazon.com/Smiths-PP1-Poc...=ATVPDKIKX0DER

This will do your serrations too.

[carstenb]

Actually I have a sharpening stick both on the boat and in my kitchen. I give any knife I pick up a couple of quick strokes before I use it and it is always razor sharp. Once or twice a year, or if the stick won't hone it, I'll sharpen on a stone.

It all depends on how you treat your knife too - it should always be in a sheath never tossed in a drawer with other cutlery.

Never put one in a dishwater - when you washit, always dry it carefully.

[mikereed100]

I have been using Moras for years. Crazy sharp and you can get them for $10 at a fisheries supply. They will cut anything and won't break your heart when you drop it overboard.

Home

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by ytquest

Dockhead look at the diamond stone knife sharpener kit by EZE-LAP USA made keeps all my straight edges razor sharp with just a little work and I do mean little!!! I keep a locking marlin spike with me at all times.

Thanks; hot tip!!

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by ytquest

Dockhead look at the diamond stone knife sharpener kit by EZE-LAP USA made keeps all my straight edges razor sharp with just a little work and I do mean little!!! I keep a locking marlin spike with me at all times.

They just don't go over big at the airport, I have forgotten mine was in my pocket.

[hellosailor]

A serrated knife doesn't really cut, it shreds. They can be very good at that. Serrated kitchen knives exist so they can rip through a hard bread crust, without squashing down and crushing a soft (interior) loaf. Or ripping through a tough tomato skin within squashing out the soft interior.


But aside from ripping hard crusts...a sharp plain blade is easier to maintain and will always cut cleaner. If you simply press it against a taught line, the line will part. No ripping or sawing needed. Smooth cuts in fabric, too.


Serrated teeth, being curved, usually have some portion that is still sharp from being unused well after the points have been worn. You need a small circular diamond file (etc) to put a sharp edge back on the entire edge of each serration, kind of like sharpening a chain saw. (What, you don't have one onboard?)


With a good flat blade, if you get in the habit of stroking it with a ceramic or diamond steel every time you use it (or pass the galley after using it?) you don't need to do any heavy sharpening for really long periods. Like brushing your teeth, to avoid dental visits.


http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B...?ie=UTF8&psc=1


There are plenty of ceramic sharpeners, like this inexpensive one, available. Once you have a proper edge on a straight knife, you can just pick this up, swipe the blade a few times, and keep it razor sharp with no effort.


I'd have a great deal more faith in your father's knife than whatever the Chinese one claims to be made of. Serrations can hide a lot of cheap alloys. Although some of the new (and damned expen$ive) knife alloy$ are supposed to put the traditional ones, like 440c, to shame.


Any restaurant supply house will put a good edge on any straight blade for about two bucks while you wait, if you want a shortcut.

[Cadence]

If you pick up a line on your wheel. Painter, wharp, whatever go to the galley and get a serrated blade kitchen knife. You know the one for the roast.


That is not being a wise ass.

[Leo Ticheli]

First of all, thank you Cadence for you knife sharpener suggestion; I've been using an Arkansas stone and steel, but will give your sharpener a try. Love that Amazon Prime!

If you look at the pictures of the West Marine rigging knife and the twice as expensive SOG, you will see that they appear identical. Seems like a pretty good deal to me, especially when West Marine puts them on sale.

http://www.amazon.com/SOG-Specialty-...=sailing+knife

WEST MARINE Performance Rigging Knife with Serrated Marlin Spike | West Marine

Fair winds,

Leo