Knife Lanyard

[alcoons]

How long should the lanyard be which attaches a knife to your PFD? Too long and imagine it is a danger of wrapping around inappropriate body parts if you let go. To short and it may not be useful. Should you have one at all? If you do, do you use a clip at the PFD end so it can be unattached or tie it in?

Thanks,

Al

[jeffcasey]

I don't have one. I'd rather risk losing the knife than slash myself (or somebody else).

[Guest guest]

I have a lanyard on my knife, and it is long enough to use the knife freely. What I do is I tuck the lanyard into the PFD so that it isn't at risk for entanglement.

[Guest guest]

I use about 30" of thin shock cord and wrap it around the handle of the knife tightly and secure it to the sheath. While paddling, nothing is in the way. The shock cord stretches plenty to use it and can easily be slashed if need be. It's no fun losing an expensive knife!

[Guest guest]

Al,I'm not sure if you saw the knife setup I had in Exuma. I bought a titanium dive knife (thanks for the link Sing!)and a stainless steel cable retractor which extends 30". No loose line to get messed up,and no rust problem with the knife.

[http://www.island-scuba.com/page/001/PROD/Knife/KN16T]

for the knife

[http://www.scuba.com/shop/product.asp?category=129&page=1&recs=10]

for the Princeton Tec Locking retractor

The titanium knife is $21.00 cheaper at Island-scuba,but the retractor at scuba.com seem the best choice.

Hope that your next travel adventure is healthy!

Dan

[djlewis]

Retractors... what a great idea. The divers strike again. I can see using one for a radio too.

But how did you choose that one? Judging by the click-through picture it's pretty large and heavy duty, maybe overkill for a knife. I was expecting something maybe 2" long, but this looks closer to 4". I wonder if one of the various mini-retractors might do as well. Perhaps they would go with a radio, where you don't need maximum extension. Also, I wonder if you can get retractors that use nylon cord (replaceable, of course) instead of stainless line?

Unfortunately, none of the others has a picture that shows its scale. Maybe this requires a visit to my friendly local neighborhood dive shop.

--David.

PS: Do you have an urge to file the sharp tip off of that knife?

http://www.scuba.com/images/AccessoryClips...etractor_sm.jpg

http://www.scuba.com/images/AccessoryClips...ractorclip2.jpg

[Guest guest]

I picked this particular retractor because of the way it clipped on and the fact that it had a stainless cable. It is about 4" length,but it's thin and really doesn't get in the way.

I'm not really concerned about the point on the knife. The pointed end could be useful at some time,and I don't want to lose that option.

Great idea about using a retractor for the VHF. I'n not all that confident about the way mine attaches to my PFD.

[Brian Nystrom]

I use a lanyard ~2' long on my Rescue Hook. I don't have to worry about getting cut by it if it comes loose, so a lanyard makes sense. Frankly, I'm more concerned that I'll fumble it and lose it.

[Ben Fuller]

I use a series of linked overhands, can't remember the name of the knot, Jacobs Ladder maybe, to shorten the lanyard considerably. The last loop goes over the end of the knife handle, which is serrated so locks it nicely. It works.... also works as a way of controlling tow belt length.

But I am thinking about switching to some EMS shears. Loop of shock cord on the handle that hooks over the sheath, and goes over your wrist in use.

[Don]

I don't have a real opinion on lanyards, but while I'm thinking of it I'll throw this in here:

I think there have been discussions of the knives themselves on this forum, but I thought I'd mention that at my dive club meeting a couple nights ago we had everyone bring in their knives, and tried using them to cut several different types of rope.

The basic result was that NONE of the fancy dive knives (essentially the same as the ones sold to paddlers) were very effective at cutting line. They all required putting tension on the line and sawing back and forth for quite a while to cut it. Some of the most expensive, mean-looking knives were the worst.

If you're carrying a knife to cut yourself out of an entanglement, it should be either one of the Z-knife variants (based on the shroud line cutters that parachutists invented, I believe), or scissors/shears.

The Z-knife types have a sharp blade in the middle of a hook, which allows you to yank it into the line and cut fairly easily.

The scissors/shears are the only option for cutting line 1-handed if you can't get tension on it.

There was one interesting knife which was a combination knife/shear arrangement, but it was bigger than a paddler would want to carry.

Don

[Dee Hall]

Many members of the club carry a rescue hook. I can speak from personal experience that it cuts extremely easily through rope. During trip leader training last year, my hook came loose and snagged on Brian's deck line. It cut through the line with the slightest of a tug. I barely felt it and wouldn't have noticed except for the two ends of the deck line floating in the water.

[cmfos]

Yah, my Hook is rusty as heck. Brian, do you have a superspecialsystem for keeping your RH rust-free? Or do you just rinse with fresh water thoroughly and DRY your RH after every trip?

thanks

J

[christopherG]

silly question, jim: you've heard of vaseline? (or any number of similar gunky compounds -- i myself prefer motorcycle chain lube: it sticks where you put it like...like...dogshi...oh, never mind!)

[Guest guest]

I carry a knife, but no leash on it. I'd rather loose it than compromise the emergency use of it. I've never used it other than non emergency, simply because sensible use of tow lines should avoid entanglements. Because its carried only for emergencies and you may need to pass it to another paddler, or cut a line at your foot, a leash must be nothing but a very bad idea.

In any case a leash needs to be long enough to let you fully extend you arm with the knife in hand and it need not be any longer than that. Don't get too caught up in the sea kayakers gear craze and strangle yourself with a bunch of junk all over you pdf.

I know one case where the first line cut in an emergency was the knife leash.

The knife vs scissors or the other EMT's type ring or tool....because a knife is more often a "lunch time tool" it seems to me to be a better option. I carried a "belay" knife for 30 years as a climber no scissors etc. If you take off the factor smooth edge by re-sharpening the blade with a file, the same file use to sharpen ice tools and crampons, you will have a ragged- ripping edge that easily saws through a 11mm climbing ropes, fingers, etc., so I know it will go through little tow ropes.....just my opinion.....keep it simple.

[Guest guest]

I have and use and like an emerson lagriffe wwr, total length under five inches. Blade less than two inches cuts a 9mm climbing rope with one pull, not sawing. Takes about twenty pounds to draw it from the new sheath. I use Boeshield T9 and give it and the sheath a rinse after salt water. Otherwise I just let them dry seperately. Never used it except two demonstrations. Never will again except in emergency.

Cheap? No. Over $70? not if you shop. Buy a taiwanese look-a-like? Not if you need it to work.

Dive shears are great as well, I just need to get my sheath right for them. Working on that. Lost one pair already but $15 is not so hard to take.