Marine environment knife (not USMC)

[RicInOR]

Not the Corps - Semper Fi!


Looking to get good recommendations for a Marine Environment Utility knife

• For the Coast - salt, humidity, abuse.
• For Use on boats / docks etc
• Not tactical
• Not a divers knife - per se, but if those are the best choice then I'll consider that category
• Not for cleaning fish - I have separate knives for that purpose

Some randomness- do you want something that floats? Or are those handles crap & not worth the trouble
What about those without a point? - see the advertisement saying for use around blow up things.

I'd rather be in the sub $50 category - but that is not a requirement.

Or, is one of my EDC utility knives the best solution and I just need certain maintenance? My guess was that this would be too much time spent maintaining a knife.

If there is a thread, video or something else that addresses this - feel free to point me at it rather than retyping the wheel.

TIA

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[DoubleTapDrew]

What about a Mora? I think that will meet all the requirements, and they are inexpensive.

 

[CitadelGrad08]

The Spyderco SALT line may be what you are looking for. It is made from H-1 rust/ corrosive "proof" steel. They have a few different options but run from around 50-90 bucks on Amazon.

Mora makes great knives too. I own both .

 

[parallax]

how about a MK 3 MOD O USN

 

[Doc In UPlace]

That Spydie SALT does look like a nice piece. I like the Caly 3... that SALT looks pretty similar.

If it had Carbon Fiber scales I'd be tempted!

 

[AMProducts]

The Spyderco SALT line may be what you are looking for. It is made from H-1 rust/ corrosive "proof" steel. They have a few different options but run from around 50-90 bucks on Amazon.

Mora makes great knives too. I own both .

I'll be honest... "corrosion proof steel" sounds like a challenge to me.

That said, I have a couple of gerber's I carry (I tend to cycle through them, as they always get forgotten in the pocket of the pants I wore the day before, run through the wash before I find them again). Never had any issue with corrosion, even though they ride in my back pocket which is perpetually exposed to salty sweat, heat and humidity and they usually run about $20 at walmart.

 

[CitadelGrad08]

Honestly I am just going off of online reviews regarding the "corrosion proof steel" because I have not had a chance to really test it. I bought a pair of the Spydercos to be my EDC when I go to Hawaii next week and I plan to put them through the ringer. I can post any findings if anyone would be interested.

 

[RicInOR]

@CitadelGrad08 Of course we would !

 

[geometro]

+1 on the Spyderco H1 steel: either the Ladybug of Dragonfly 2 to fit the OP budget.

FWIW: of the two, the Dragonfly 2 family is my preferred discrete EDC.

 

[2Wheels4Ever]

What about a Mora? I think that will meet all the requirements, and they are inexpensive.

Moras are great knives, but they are made from a very high carbon steel. Because of this the blade will rust very fast, and is not conducive to a marine environment.

 

[CitadelGrad08]

Not sure if you are still in the market for a knife, but I got back from Hawaii 2 weeks ago and got to use those Spydercos. I carried both the Pacific Salt Plain Edge and the Atlantic Salt Serrated edge with me 90% of the time.

I kept the Pacific in my EDC bag while the Atlantic stayed in my right pocket no matter where I was. I took it in the pool, the ocean, on ATV rides, and on hikes in the jungle and only washed it off occasionally with tap water. I was able to test both on some old bamboo and it sliced right through. These knives come out of the box very sharp.

They did not show any signs of wear or rust after a week of exposure to salt air, seawater, and chlorinated water other than the black paint used for the "H-1" logo faded. I expected this, however, after reading some of the reviews on Amazon. Even after 2 weeks being back from Hawaii I have still not detected any rust.

Overall I really like these knives and will continue to use them for any sea or water related fun. They will most likely become my EDC knives because I am moving to a humid coastal environment soon. I hope this info helps you find the right knife!

 

[richdav]

I like the Spyderco H1 knives.

I few years ago I got a Benchmade Griptilian made with N680 steel. It get's fully immersed in saltwater for several hours at least once a week and used everyday. It's held up better than most knifes I have owned.

 

[Mbeef61]

+1 spyderco salt!

Or a WASP knife! Haha

 

[mkwerx]

I had a gerber diving knife - it was stainless steel had a line cutter and partially serrated edge, drop point and rubber overmolded grip. It was great till I put it to a mildly strenuous test whereupon I discovered it was not full tang and the grip was made of garbage plastic with rubber overmold. The grip snapped like kindling. I threw it away. For a knife I may depend on for life saving tasks - cutting an anchor line for example - its full tang fixed blades from now on. I have an inexpensive Ed Halligan designed Gerber stiff kiss that is small and light and very handy. Semi serrated chisel grind tanto point. Not going to fillet a fish well but works for almost any other cuttibg purpose. I clean it and wipe it down with a silicone cloth once on a while.

 

[Siglvr]

There are really 2 at the top of the pile that I know of. (Most "Stainless steel" rusts quickly in the salt air) So I'll add one more (The Spyderco Salts noted upthread are excellent around the ocean BTW).

Boye makes knives suited to sailors and salt water. You can also get them with the Marlin Spike, which is the schizz to get that knot out of your rope after you've been towed in, or the knot in your crap pot line undone.

The H1 steel on the Spydercos is harder than Boye, both knives cut rope really well. The Boyes cost more and are well over your $50 mark. However the pain of the initial cost will quickly fade as you relish the joy of owning and using a quality tool. I own both and have no complaints about either brand.

https://boyeknives.com/

 

[The Heretic]

As a general purpose knife, Mora makes a number of knives with "stainless" steel blades and rubber grip handles.

The downsides are most Mora knives are fairly thin in the blade and not full tang, so they are not to be used as a pry bar or any of the other abuses people make videos about.

That said, I spent 4 years on the water in the USCG and I know stuff is way too easily dropped overboard and lost, so you don't want to spend a lot on a knife that will be used on a boat. Buy a number of knives and if one is dropped overboard or breaks, you grab another.

As for corrosion - yes, "stainless" will corrode, eventually, if it is left exposed to the salt water or air long enough without washing it. But it shouldn't be days or weeks, or even a month or two - depending on the steel. It beats non-stainless steel.

I bought a Mora Companion and put the blade in a mixture of sulfuric acid and vinegar to give it a non-reflective coating. I like the knife, but I prefer my Gerber Prodigy more.

 

[JedB]

I've had good luck with my Kershaw.

<broken link removed>

It's meant to be a dive knife, but I've used it under all sorts of conditions and it's still good.

If you want a more affordable alternative, you could also look at:
http://kershaw.kaiusaltd.com/knives/knife/sea-hunter

 

[Siglvr]

Yup. I have a Tanto version of that Kershaw "Sea Hunter". It didn't rust too badly on a trip to Hawaii but specs and dark rust spots were forming. Cleaned and oiled it well when I got back * tossed it in a drawer * left it there and it's fine as I live a long way from the ocean. However, I suspect it would be rusted up hard if you tossed it onto your boat and left it there, or took it out a few times and didn't attend to it. Thus, I leave it behind on my regular, out in the bay get a few crabs, kind of trips.

Neither the Boye or the H1 Spidercos do that. As I'm a bit of a lazy person, I'd prefer not to stay on top of keeping them cleaned and oiled after every trip. There's always enough to do anyway.

My CRKT Flash 2 (great climbing knife), with the same 420 stainless steel, rusted up quite a bit just from just being tucked into a map pocket in my car and being down at the coast a few times. I can't leave it on the boat at all.