Knife for Lifejacket

[Biggles]

Jono,

Its very green though !

[The Garfish]

Originally Posted by codprawn

I also usually have a nice folding knife in my pocket which has a whistle built in

ifn yorr gonna yewse de wissul maik shewer yew putt de rite ennd inn yor gobb orr yool lopp yor tong orf an itt wil dropp onn de flaw an de dogg wil eet it an yew wownt bee abul too tel im orf


gArf

[whiteminiman]

Originally Posted by prairie tuber

My main reservation about the tuff cut scissors is that the jaws may not be wide enough for larger diameter ropes, and a greater amount of coordination and precision might be needed to get the rope/webbing within the jaws than with a more open blade.

True, bear in mind these views are from a Swiftwater Rescue point of view. I have never come across a rope thicker than 13mm. 11mm and 8mm are far more common.

Originally Posted by prairie tuber

As for losing the knife at the bottom of the lake, that should not happen, since the knife should be tethered to the sheath with an arm's length of small diameter shock cord (see my earlier photos), and the sheath should be securely fastened to the lifejacket.

Again, from a Swiftwater point of view... the more dangly bits I have on me, the more interesting ways I have to die or be seriously injured. Dangling cords/ropes/straps/webbing are kept to an absolute minimum.

One setup that I have seen, and thought was quite good was a short loop of elastic cord, that went through the hole in the handle of the knife and looped over the sheath, holding the knife in. To remove the knife, you held the handle and looped the elastic cord over your wrist, then released the knife from it's sheath. Quite nice and secure, however... it's now a two handed operation - that can be fiddly if you've got gloves on.

It's swings and roundabouts really. Every way that's a little bit safer tends to also be a little bit more awkward.

Cheers, WMM

[Nos4r2]

Originally Posted by Jono Garton

Looks Good Codders.

I Just Ordered On Of These, 3" blade so shouldnt look like rambo, Not Bad For £7.99

Where'd you find that? I wouldn't mind one.

Bright colours are good. Visible.

[Jono Garton]

ebay - under diving

[Nos4r2]

Originally Posted by Jono Garton

ebay - under diving

Edit-Got it now, cheers Jono. Same shop sells a rather useful looking o-ring sealed drybox.

[mark-f]

Originally Posted by codprawn

All sorts - nice and shiny and I have Magpie syndrome!!!

I mainly carry a Gerber rescue knife but not that impreesed with it as it is a folding action which could be a pain in an emergency. I think I will invest in a RYA type rescue knife - much easier in an emergency.

I also usually have a nice folding knife in my pocket which has a whistle built in along with a fire starting steel. Not much use on a boat with 500L of petrol on board but a great knife!!!

All RYA Dinghy Schools now have to equip their safety boats with a serrated bladed knife for help in rescues in addition they recomend a knife for personal wear on a lifejacket to help rescue crews and self rescue.


here is a link to the knife developed in conjunction with the RYA for RIBS and rescue boats

http://www.greatkit.com/product_info.php?id=23&pid=60

and here is a link to the knife the RYA recomend rescue crews and dinghy sailers wear in their lifejackets for personal use

http://www.greatkit.com/product_info.php?id=23&pid=59


regards

Mark

[TubrOnCrakberry]

Originally Posted by whiteminiman

Again, from a Swiftwater point of view... the more dangly bits I have on me, the more interesting ways I have to die or be seriously injured. Dangling cords/ropes/straps/webbing are kept to an absolute minimum.

One setup that I have seen, and thought was quite good was a short loop of elastic cord, that went through the hole in the handle of the knife and looped over the sheath, holding the knife in. To remove the knife, you held the handle and looped the elastic cord over your wrist, then released the knife from it's sheath. Quite nice and secure, however... it's now a two handed operation - that can be fiddly if you've got gloves on.

It's swings and roundabouts really. Every way that's a little bit safer tends to also be a little bit more awkward.

Cheers, WMM

Iagree about making. Every effort to eliminate unnecessary ropes, cords webbing etc. And to minimize any potential for the necessary ones to create problems. The short length of shock cord that I use is about 1 mm in diameter and folds up very neatly and securely between the sheath and the PFD when the knife is sheathed. If that short cord ever causes a problem, well you've got a knife right there to cut it with.


As for the rationale of not having a knife on your PFD because it might make you look like a poser, that is no different from the poser's rationale for wearing the knife -image rather than function.

[Rogue Wave]

I got a Swiss Navy Knife

[Jono Garton]

Anyone carry flares on their lifekacket?

These day / night signals have a red point flare at one end and orange smoke at the other, both burn for about 20 seconds.

I carry them in these little purpose made flare pockets on my lifejacket.

http://www.rib.net/forum/showthread....993#post182993

[Nos4r2]

Sort of-I've got a pack of Pains-Wessex Miniflares that live in a pocket on my drysuit along with an inflatable marker buoy and torch.

[Stephen-RIB]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...7004&rd=1&rd=1

[prairie tuber]

Originally Posted by Jono Garton

Anyone carry flares on their lifekacket?

These day / night signals have a red point flare at one end and orange smoke at the other, both burn for about 20 seconds.

I carry them in these little purpose made flare pockets on my lifejacket.

http://www.rib.net/forum/showthread....993#post182993

Thanks for the info. I was about to ask for recommendations of a small signal flare for life jackets.

Originally Posted by codprawn

I also usually have a nice folding knife in my pocket which has a whistle built in along with a fire starting steel. Not much use on a boat with 500L of petrol on board but a great knife!!!

I also keep a firesteel in a lifejacket pocket as well as a plastic waterproof match container inwhich I keep a couple of cotton balls that have been saturated with vaseline. When pulled to a thin mesh, the cotton balls ignite with the slightest spark, and with the petro jelly, burn very hot for several minutes. I thread a loop of dental floss through the cotton balls so they are easy to extract from the container. The firesteel is far more reliable than matches or a butane lighter and is totally unaffected by water immersion. It is also easy to use even when your dexterity has been severely affected by cold. Obviously if you are so far offshore that landfall just isn't going to happen these items would be of little use.

On my lifejacket I also carry a combination whistle-compass-temperature guage, and on my belt I'll have either a leatherman type tool or a folding locking knife.

[Jono Garton]

Originally Posted by prairie tuber

I also keep a firesteel in a lifejacket pocket as well as a plastic waterproof match container inwhich I keep a couple of cotton balls that have been saturated with vaseline. When pulled to a thin mesh, the cotton balls ignite with the slightest spark, and with the petro jelly, burn very hot for several minutes.

May be this is what BogMonster needs for his boat, and a gallon of petrol

[Downhilldai]

Originally Posted by Jono Garton

Anyone carry flares on their lifekacket?

These day / night signals have a red point flare at one end and orange smoke at the other, both burn for about 20 seconds.

I carry them in these little purpose made flare pockets on my lifejacket.

http://www.rib.net/forum/showthread....993#post182993

Jono - will your lifejacket float with all that stuff attached to it?

[whiteminiman]

Originally Posted by mark-f

here is a link to the knife developed in conjunction with the RYA for RIBS and rescue boats

http://www.greatkit.com/product_info.php?id=23&pid=60

Used it. Nice easy to open blade.... that is, until your hands get cold and loose dexterity.. or you are wearing wet gloves.

Originally Posted by mark-f

and here is a link to the knife the RYA recomend rescue crews and dinghy sailers wear in their lifejackets for personal use

http://www.greatkit.com/product_info.php?id=23&pid=59

Go for the hooktip version rather than that one.
http://www.greatkit.com/product_info.php?id=23&pid=61

Ever had to cut someone out of a wetsuit/drysuit to put a defib on their chest?

You'll be glad you got the hooktip when if you ever do. You can be as rough and brutal as you want, and be sure that you won't cut them.... although it might be interesting if they had a belly-button ring in!!!!

Cheers, WMM

[codprawn]

Or worse a nipple ring......

[Mark Halliday]

Originally Posted by Jono Garton

Looks Good Codders.

I Just Ordered On Of These, 3" blade so shouldnt look like rambo, Not Bad For £7.99

I have one of those as well as the Big Fish.
It is known as the "Cheese Knife" because that is all it has been used to cut. I picked it up at SBS a couple of years ago. It is prone to rusting and will not hold an edge for very long.

As for carrying the knives, the cheese knife is strapped to the console amd the Big Fish is strapped to the A frame. If I fall in I use my teeth!

[Scrumdown]

I have one of these on my dinghy BA

http://www.sailboats.co.uk/ProductIn...oductid=746430

never had to use it yet though but it has not rusted etc even though it gets a good soaking all the time.

[dunc5]

I always carry these two with me when I go out in the boat . The yellow handled knife is a Spyderco Atlantic salt that is made of H-1 steel it is guaranteed not to rust , I've had it about a year now and keep it in my drysuit leg pocket ( which isnt water proof ) and no sign of rust yet
http://spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=172

The multitool is a Victorinox ( swiss army ) Swisstool which I rate much higher than Leathermans and Gerbers .
http://www.victorinox.ch/index.cfm?s...age=136&lang=E





Cheers

Duncan