# ACTUAL river knife usage?



## SimpleMan (Dec 17, 2009)

OK boaters, another bored winter thread. 

I have been carrying my river knife like a good soldier for over a 1000 commercial trips, and thousands of private miles. I have never used it for anything more intense than cleaning my fingernails or spreading peanut butter. 

It's in the way, it falls out, and it's in the way. I'm about ready to go without. 

What I'm curious about is if anyone has used their river knife in a life and death situation that without their knife immediately accessible would have gone badly. 

Uncle Benson loves you. 

SYOTR. Soon enough I guess.


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## lmyers (Jun 10, 2008)

I have a friend who swam in Little Seidel's on the Fractions at 4000+. There was a pine tree hung up in the middle of the river, it must have fallen recently because it still had bark and a ton of branches.... He tried to avoid it, but swam into the branches and his skirt snagged with his face right at water level. He had to cut through his skirt to get free from the tree. If his knife had not been easily accessible there is a fair chance he would have drowned. He also cut the shit out of his hand trying to free himself.... a good reason to carry a blunt tip knife.


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## zbaird (Oct 11, 2003)

I flipped a ducky on the upper blue. The thigh straps got twisted up around my leg and the buckle wouldn't release. I cut myself free, got the ducky to shore re rigged and went on my way. Without it it could have gone very badly. 

I would never go without. At the very least I would run a folder in the pocket. The day you go without will be the day you need it and you'll kill yourself if you are in that situation, possibly literally.


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## yak1 (Jan 28, 2006)

The only reason I got a knife was to slit the tubes of a certain outfitter on the Poudre if they ran me over again. 40 yrs on the rivers.


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## SimpleMan (Dec 17, 2009)

Orange pfd, white helmet, long blond hair? Blue boat? Chode.


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## zcollier (Jan 1, 2004)

I keep a folding knife in my pocket. This one is great:

E-Z Out Rescue - Yellow, Full Serration, Blunt Tip


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## SteamboatBORN (Sep 22, 2012)

I just read this on another thread. I like the added safety of knife on outside. 



Quiggle said:


> My question is what else is in that pocket with the knife? If its just the knife sweet, but if you are going to be fumbling through a packed pocket i.e.: flip line, allan key, chapstick, lighters and snacks then I would still highly recommend one on the outside as well for those heat of the moment situations.
> 
> Side story, I was always taught to wear a knife on the outside of my vest, yeah there always in the way, but if you find the right fit its manageable, and yes I have lost many ( the hair tie trick works pretty well). Any ways I began to slack, became more of a private boater than a commercial, and started to carry a folding knife in my vest rather than a fixed blade on the outside. I had really only needed my knife to make the occasional sandwich or cut a random rope at camp so it seemed logical. I have know many other boaters that haven fallen to these trends.
> 
> ...


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## SteamboatBORN (Sep 22, 2012)

SimpleMan said:


> OK boaters, another bored winter thread.
> 
> I have been carrying my river knife like a good soldier for over a 1000 commercial trips, and thousands of private miles. I have never used it for anything more intense than cleaning my fingernails or spreading peanut butter.
> 
> ...


SimpleMan! Benson? I was in swiftwater with you last year! I was bigger guy whos SUPS and had shitty shoulder that came out in swim.


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## sea hag (Mar 24, 2006)

Not life and death, but have used mine to unattach my static line from the frame after being pulled off a pin. Didn't want to be tied off to shore.


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## KSC (Oct 22, 2003)

I think it's a poor idea to not carry a knife. It's like a bike or ski or helmet. Hopefully you never use it in your lifetime, but if you need it, you really need it. There have been cases. 

http://www.mountainbuzz.com/forums/f11/close-call-on-bailey-sunday-8008.html

I heard a story from someone who almost needed one and got lucky. He ended up caught on an abandoned rope in moving water. The rope went over his boat and snagged. He was holding himself stable and upright with one hand on an overhanging tree branch. He tried to cut the rope holding his knife with his free hand but couldn't reach it and needed to switch hands. He was having difficulty putting the knife back in the the sheath because it was one of those NRS ones that requires two hands to click it back in. Anyway, I forget the details but it ended up getting resolved by virtue of him basically losing control of the situation and getting flushed free. That was moderate WW too.


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## grumper13 (Jan 14, 2008)

Kinda long-winded, but here goes: 
I don't have near the WW experience as some on this thread and site (about 9 years, class 3-4), nor am I a kayaker.....but I have given the subject plenty of thought. And I was a commercial diver for 10 years, where access to your knife has a similar priority. In the diving biz, we generally carried 2. Opinions varied, but one was generally a work knife and the other a rescue knife or just another work knife. Cuz it was pretty common to lose or break a work knife.

These days, I carry 2 - a folder in my PFD pocket, clipped to that cheap little plastic key clip that's in most PFDs, and would be easy to yank loose in an emergency (no need to unclip it), and nothing else is in that pocket.
And my other knife is a fixed blade river rescue knife (Gerber river shorty), which is attached upside-down to my shoulder strap, and has a ball-bungee wrapped around it, which can also be jerked out, without properly undoing the bungee (if there's no time to mess with the bungee). I find that of all the imperfect places to attach a knife on the outside of a PFD, upside-down on the shoulder strap works best for me. Won't catch on stuff when you're swimming or pulling yourself back onto a raft.....and if you lose it (which hasn't happened to me...yet), there's another one in your pocket. 
As attested to on this thread and other places, one can put in many years and river miles and never need to use your knife in an emergency (just as in diving), but it is a small possibility, and a pretty small inconvenience to be prepared for that possibility. My 2 cents.


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## SteamboatBORN (Sep 22, 2012)

grumper13 said:


> Kinda long-winded, but here goes:
> I don't have near the WW experience as some on this thread and site (about 9 years, class 3-4), nor am I a kayaker.....but I have given the subject plenty of thought. And I was a commercial diver for 10 years, where access to your knife has a similar priority. In the diving biz, we generally carried 2. Opinions varied, but one was generally a work knife and the other a rescue knife or just another work knife. Cuz it was pretty common to lose or break a work knife.
> 
> These days, I carry 2 - a folder in my PFD pocket, clipped to that cheap little plastic key clip that's in most PFDs, and would be easy to yank loose in an emergency (no need to unclip it), and nothing else is in that pocket.
> ...


I agree to this post. I carry a folder in pocket and a sheathed one on tab. I SUP and always use a leash (very debatable!). I like the security of having my board close to me in case I take a drink, which we do often paddling boarding. Having a leash is extremely dangerous and I want to be able to either pull quick release fast or a knife as close and handy as possible. I have used the Greenjacket last two season and never had to much issue with having knife hang up when getting back on board. Honestly, never really notice it because my only thought is to get the F*CK back on board.


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## okieboater (Oct 19, 2004)

Many years boating. I carry two knifes. outside of pfd a bear claw, inside pfd pocket a spydeco rescue serrated blade.

Way back in my early days of boating our group included a young lady who often took her young son on canoe trips. Some how the youngster fell out of the canoe and his neck some how got wrapped with a section of the canoe painter line. She jumped out next to the youngster, pulled her little scout knife from her pfd and swam her kiddo to shore. This made a big impression on me and I have sense then had a outside knife to my PFD. Went to the bear claw PFD blade for safety blunt end reasons after the boater died on the Ocoee due to a easy rescue gone bad with a knife with a sharp end.

Added the Spyderco serrated rescue knife inside a pfd pocket since that blade will cut most anything. We had a raft pinned with another in a rock sieve. The key was a wood oar jammed into a crevice and we could not get it loose. My Spyderco used as a saw made that oar shaft free really fast.

You just never know. My most used knife is a stain less steel Marine surplus version of the Boy Scout knife with can opener, screw driver, awl etc. The most useful knife I have.


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## Riverman4utoday (Jun 21, 2013)

My knife sits firmly on my vest and has not saved my life, but it has sliced many veggies, as well as performed a ton of menial work for which it was not designed. That said, I would never ever ever go on the water without it. It could save your life or someone else, but rest assured it will be a sad day if you ever do need it and don't have it. I personally have a Gerber E-Z Out(mentioned by Zach Collier previously) that I keep in my pocket as well as a CKRT Bearclaw which I keep on the outside of my vest. Both are stellar cutting machines.


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## Btown (Aug 24, 2015)

Uncle-

Hehe maybe a new lower profile vest would help.. And when you get to the car and need a bottle/can opener it can come in handy.. But to yak1!!!! You are a douche bag for even thinking off messing with some companies gear!! That's a serious issue that could hurt a group of guests!! Grow up and man up!


Sent from my iPhone using Mountain Buzz


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## Btown (Aug 24, 2015)

Or if you lock your keys in the car.. And need to bust a window it helps..


Sent from my iPhone using Mountain Buzz


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## crossfox21 (Feb 27, 2010)

I "used" to have an NRS pilot knife...now it is in the bottom of my local reservoir. 

While practicing cat flips, I had to get close to the frame section and push upwards to self rescue. On one attempt, the frame knocked against the double tab thingy connected to the sheath, this in turn released the knife from the sheath and down it sank.


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## mkashzg (Aug 9, 2006)

Just a suggestion but using your knife for cutting bagels and making sandwiches will actually compromise it's ability to actually help you when you need it.


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## curtis catman (Sep 29, 2015)

If cutting bread and bagels dulls your knife, you should probably throw it in the trash or quit being a turd and learn to sharpen a knife. 

Spell check for english teachers


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## curtis catman (Sep 29, 2015)

That was a crappy thing to say. Sorry 

Anyways. If you have a rope, you need a knife. That is the law of surviving on a river. So I guess if you can get down a river without a rope or strap or cord of any kind then sure leave your knife too. That last part was a joke. Have a knife, at least you will be able to cut open your bagel and who knows you might be able to acually help your self out of a tight spot and not have to call in a chopper because you are stuck in your tent and can't get the zipper to work.

Spell check for english teachers


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## SimpleMan (Dec 17, 2009)

Wow. Some good stories and good points made here. The one that clinched it for me was "if you have a rope, you need a knife." That seems to be the bottom line. I'd never dive without one, or go sailing without one. Why should rafting be any different? 

So next question, which one is best? Those NRS ones are toys. Fall out all the time and the titanium is hard to sharpen. Keep the stories coming dudes. 

Today we MARCH FORTH!!

And, I declare to all. BSheehan is my trip leader. 

EB


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## Randaddy (Jun 8, 2007)

http://www.mountainbuzz.com/forums/f44/knives-knives-knives-59849.html

I'm getting the Spyderco Atlantic Salt and keeping it inside my PFD now...


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## grumper13 (Jan 14, 2008)

SimpleMan said:


> Wow. Some good stories and good points made here. The one that clinched it for me was "if you have a rope, you need a knife." That seems to be the bottom line. I'd never dive without one, or go sailing without one. Why should rafting be any different?
> 
> So next question, which one is best? Those NRS ones are toys. Fall out all the time and the titanium is hard to sharpen. Keep the stories coming dudes.
> 
> ...


Ooohh....knife (mounting) location and type are sooo subjective. Regardless of one's choice about where to attach a knife externally, I think ya just ought to have one in a pocket somewhere, too.


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## lmyers (Jun 10, 2008)

SimpleMan said:


> So next question, which one is best? Those NRS ones are toys. Fall out all the time and the titanium is hard to sharpen. Keep the stories coming dudes.


This is my primary knife, and has been an excellent tool. Plus it has never came out of it's sheath accidentally. I also carry a small folding knife in my vest pocket.

*Blackie Collins River Master*

"Designed by renowned knife maker Blackie Collins, the Clip-Lock is an ideal choice for river running, kayaking, scuba diving and camping. The blade and handle are formed from a solid piece of high carbon surgical stainless steel. This double edge knife has a both a serrated edge and a fine edge. Includes quick deployment sheath and a lanyard hole to secure it to gear."

Blackie Collins River Master by Gerber Knives


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## SteamboatBORN (Sep 22, 2012)

lmyers said:


> This is my primary knife, and has been an excellent tool. Plus it has never came out of it's sheath accidentally. I also carry a small folding knife in my vest pocket.
> 
> *Blackie Collins River Master*
> 
> ...


Damn you! Now I need a new river knife. That's a low profile blade and sheath.


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## Rojo (May 31, 2012)

*Kong Knives*

Checkout the video for this professional Kong knife targeting arborist and canyoneering.
K-Blade - Generic Items - KONG Italy

Several features would make it useful for rivers.


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