I need a new kayak knife

[Grant Lamontagne]

As you all know, I am a big fan of the CRKT Neckolas knife designed by Terry Renner for kayaking, and have purchased several of them over the years for myself and to give away.



This was the idea kayaking knife as it was small, light, easy to orient in the hand without looking, blunt/rounded tip, brightly colored, secure in the hand and locks into the sheath securely.  Frankly, I am hard pressed to think of any knife that would be any better.  The other knife that has seen a lot of time in a kayak is the Boker Canoe Kayak Knife designed by my buddy Abe Elias of Diving Sparrow Knifeworks.



This knife is purpose designed for kayaking but is a bit bigger than I am comfortable with and a bit bulkier than I like.  This is just personal taste though, and I admit I have probably been ruined by the compact Neckolas.  I'm also not convinced Boker did this knife justice either- the kydex sheath should be a foldover type so it takes up less space and the steel is not a stainless type and so I have experienced some corrosion with it, although it has been quite minor.  Overall, a good knife and a good contender, but not quite what I want.

CRKT also makes (or made since it is discontinued now) the MUK or Marine Uitility Knife which is also a very good option.



I really do like the feel and ergonomics of this knife.  It was designed to be a fishing knife and feels really good in the hand.  Unfortunately it is discontinued, has a bit too much of a point for me to feel totally comfortable with and, as it was meant to keep in a fishing tackle box, does not have much of a sheath.  I have thought about getting Eric at On Scene to make me one, but the sheath and the mail to him and back would end up costing a lot more than the knife does in the first place.

So, I am faced with getting a new knife since none of the fallbacks I have are ideal choices.  I am looking at two possibilities- the Gerber River Shorty and the CRKT Bear Claw.

The River Shorty now comes in green, which I am more likely to opt for since the black is oddly enough not really that highly visible.



I had one a while back and gave it to my father.  I don't know if he uses it or not, but at around $30 it won't break the bank to give it a shot.  Cost is an important factor when working with equipment around the water as sooner or later something is bound to drop in the drink.

I've looked at the Bear Claw off and on for a variety of reasons over the years- I like it, but I'm not sold on it if that makes any sense.



The Bear Claw is a few dollars more expensive ($43 locally) which isn't the end of the world, and comes in orange so it has the high viz aspect covered.  I have heard rumors that either the sheath doesn't secure properly (not a big deal as I wear them as neck knives) or the knife occasionally falls out- a real deal breaker for this kind of thing.  Plus the plastic sheath looks a lot bulkier, which I don't want.

Does anyone have any experience with either of these knives, or have any other suggestions I should look at?

Def

[Reinier]

I know nothing about these but just out of curiosity: what are the specific properties of a kayak knife?

[Grant Lamontagne]

It's a lot like an emergency or rescue knife really since there is a good chance it will be used as such.

In a nutshell you need:

High visibility so when it falls in shallower water you can find it again.

A blunt tip is preferred so you don't puncture yourself, the boat or any other flotation equipment.

Needs to be easily orientable in the hand so you always know which way the sharp bit is going.

Needs to be VERY easy to grip as your hands are likely to be wet.

Proper securing sheath and knife are highly important so it's there when you need it.  It's hard to retrace your steps on a lake and locate something you've dropped.

Serrated or partial serrations are important because you will likely need to cut rope and or webbing.

Corrosion resistance is absolutely necessary as it will be used wet and put away wet.

It also needs to be immediately accessible- no securing straps, no folders, nothing.  You need to be able to grab it and use it.

While I hope to never use my knife to save myself or someone else, I do often take people who have never kayaked before with me, and I do sometimes like to hit some dangerous spots myself, so not being prepared is pretty stupid.

It does however get used almost every time for a variety of regular type tasks like opening food packages, making minor repairs to boats and other equipment etc, so it should also be all around handy too.

Def

[derekmac]

The shape of the Gerber is similar to the knives that are kept on our SAR Helicopters liferafts.  Though the Gerber is MUCH nicer looking!!

[Reinier]

Thanks for the info. Corrosion resistance was the only one I could come up with myself

[Grant Lamontagne]

Is that a wood handle?  If so, does it float?  That seems like a good idea on a liferaft, although I'd think the color would be brighter just to make it easier to see if it's dropped.

Def

[ace19636]

Although I have no experience kayaking I do have a NRS pilot knife for swift water rescue use. I love it, the only issue is the steel is a little soft but the sheath works great and is extremely fast to extract the knife from. It has a blunt/pry tip, serrated blade, and a high vis grip. Here is a picture from google since mine is at the station in my locker lol.

[derekmac]

Is that a wood handle?  If so, does it float?  That seems like a good idea on a liferaft, although I'd think the color would be brighter just to make it easier to see if it's dropped.

Def

It is wood, and I just checked, and yep, it floats.   They are kept in a red pouch that is right by the mooring lines, and they are tethered to the raft.

Here's a small pic (not mine) of it attached to the raft.

[NKlamerus]

Did I miss the part where you mention how you carry it?

(Pocket, strapped to Life-Preserver, neck, etc....)

[Grant Lamontagne]

Although I have no experience kayaking I do have a NRS pilot knife for swift water rescue use. I love it, the only issue is the steel is a little soft but the sheath works great and is extremely fast to extract the knife from. It has a blunt/pry tip, serrated blade, and a high vis grip. Here is a picture from google since mine is at the station in my locker lol. (Image removed from quote.)

I've been looking at those too, but have shied away since I haven't heard of the brand or know anything about them.  I have seen far too many cheapos like that in big box stores that I really didn't look closely at them.  If you say they are good then I will take another, closer look.

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

Is that a wood handle?  If so, does it float?  That seems like a good idea on a liferaft, although I'd think the color would be brighter just to make it easier to see if it's dropped.

Def

It is wood, and I just checked, and yep, it floats.   They are kept in a red pouch that is right by the mooring lines, and they are tethered to the raft.

Here's a small pic (not mine) of it attached to the raft.

Crude but effective!  Doesn't look like what I need, but it does appear to be exactly what you would want in a life raft!

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

Did I miss the part where you mention how you carry it?

(Pocket, strapped to Life-Preserver, neck, etc....)

Typically I wear it as a neck knife.

Boker:



Neckolas:



I have started wearing a more typical style paddling vest instead of the inflatable one you see in the photo above, and it has a mounting doodad on it for knives like this one:



I could use that, but for some reason I prefer to wear it around my neck.

Def

[NKlamerus]

You may look into "Scuba" classified knives as well.

For basic PADI certification had an older Scuba Max KN-141 on my BCD. It was perfect. Needed some sharpening out of the box but it was 10 USD. It might be a little too much "edge" for you though.

Here is an amazon link.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0084HGH0I/ref=pd_aw_sbs_sg_12?refRID=123CX3MX6JXGD0N4KGDX

[ace19636]

Although I have no experience kayaking I do have a NRS pilot knife for swift water rescue use. I love it, the only issue is the steel is a little soft but the sheath works great and is extremely fast to extract the knife from. It has a blunt/pry tip, serrated blade, and a high vis grip. Here is a picture from google since mine is at the station in my locker lol. (Image removed from quote.)

I've been looking at those too, but have shied away since I haven't heard of the brand or know anything about them.  I have seen far too many cheapos like that in big box stores that I really didn't look closely at them.  If you say they are good then I will take another, closer look.

Def

I got mine at REI, I have had good luck with it so far but it is not one I use all the time so I can't speak to long term wear and tear. The steel seems to be a 440 or 420 it wears a lot like my leatherman wave. I got it mostly because of the sheath which works amazing, just check it out next time you see one.

[Grant Lamontagne]

They have them at Mountain Equipment Co op just a few blocks from my house so I'll be sure to check it out the next time I'm there.

Def

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

What about something like a Becker Necker or something similar? I know there not dedicated water knives, but there a lot more useful should the worst happen and you need shelter or a fire going

The new TOPS Overlander 2 looks like a great little knife to use in an emergency

[Grant Lamontagne]

I have a Becker Necker that someone gave me a few yeas ago and I really love it as an EDC or woods knife but it really isn't suited for use in the water due to the lack of serrations, the point on the end and the fact that it really has no resistance to corrosion.  That having been said, I usually pack it with any equipment I'm taking when I go into the woods because it and the Grohmann (also a gift from someone!  ) are perhaps the best outdoor blades going.

I have also been somewhat interested in the Benchmade river knife (can't recall the name at the moment) but if I recall it's a bit pricey.

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

Also discontinued.   And at $100+ dollars, wouldn't be much of a contender anyway:

http://www.benchmade.com/products/110H2O

Def

[ducttapetech]

I have a dive knife. It has all the things you listed except it is black.  But you can change the handle inserts to a bright color.
You want a pic?

That's us mobile
Nate

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Oh I remember the blades mate

I figured the coating would protect the blade to a fair degree.

My favourite river knife would be the Spyderco Caspian but I'd expect its big money

[Grant Lamontagne]

I have a dive knife. It has all the things you listed except it is black.  But you can change the handle inserts to a bright color.
You want a pic?

That's us mobile
Nate

I'd love to see what it is.

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

Oh I remember the blades mate

I figured the coating would protect the blade to a fair degree.

My favourite river knife would be the Spyderco Caspian but I'd expect its big money

Sadly also discontinued and more expensive than the Benchmade.

http://m.spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=288

Def

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Biker did a double edged dive knife with a blunt tip but I can't remember what it was called?

Give me a mo...

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

http://www.bladehq.com/item--Boker-Plus-Diver-s-Knife-Fixed--12137

[ducttapetech]

That's us mobile
Nate

[NKlamerus]

The holster on that thing is a monster!! ^^^

Looks awesome.

But I see a Kydex Sheath better suited for neck carry might just be because I'm a Kydex-aholic

[eamo]

Grant,

did you ever decide on a new kayak knife ?

for those looking for a neck knife the mora eldris might be an option, though i don't think suitable for kayaking . . .

eamon

[Etherealicer]

Really love that Böker (was looking at that as a rescue knife). Can we have more pictures? Please?

[Grant Lamontagne]

Grant,

did you ever decide on a new kayak knife ?

for those looking for a neck knife the mora eldris might be an option, though i don't think suitable for kayaking . . .

eamon

I have a couple I am trying.  I found the Benchmade knife mentioned above and bought it.  It's a nice knife and I like it a lot, but it's not really what I was after, and not just because of the pricing.



It doesn't orient in the hand as well as the Neckolas did, and the cutter on the back seems like a bad plan for trying to cut away something that has you tangled up.  You would either use the blade and hook/tear yourself open or you would use the hook and slice yourself open.   

I also picked up the CRKT Bear Claw- I got the orange Rescue version instead of the black one pictured above.  It has a nice curve to it so it is easy to orient, rounded tip so no stabbing, curved, serrated blade, is high visability, pretty much everything I want in a kayak knife.

But it's no Neckolas.....   

The Boker is a nice knife as well, but I found it a bit bigger than I wanted.  I've been talking to Abe Elias, the designer of the knife and mentioned my input on it- it needed to be about 1/3 smaller and made from a more corrosion resistant steel.  He agreed and insinuated that there may be a next generation of the knife more in line with what I suggested.

I'll see if I have some more photos.  The knife is with my kayak gear a thousand miles away so there's little chance of any new ones any time soon.

Def

[eamo]

I came accross a UK site which appeared to have the neckolas in stock for £32 (I think) plus p+p.

edit - i can't find the link so i must have confused it with the bearclaw   

What are your thoughts on the nrs co pilot ?
Pricewise also about £30 or so but looks more versatile then the neckolas ? Or is versatility even something I should be thinking of in a kayak/boat/dive knife ?