I used to think those cheap dive knives were fine until a job in Mobile Bay

Honestly, I always grabbed the $40 ones from the catalog because I figured a knife is a knife. That changed last month on a salvage job where I got tangled in some old fishing line. My cheap blade just folded when I tried to cut it, and I had to get my buddy to help. I switched to a $150 model with a solid tang, and the difference is huge. It cuts through line and light cable like nothing now. Has anyone else had a close call that made them upgrade their basic gear?

2 comments

2 Comments

hollym121d ago

Man, that's scary. My buddy had a cheap knife snap right at the hilt when he was prying something loose on a wreck. He said it just popped off and sank into the murk, left him holding a useless handle. Makes you realize that gear failure isn't just about being dull, it's about having a total letdown when you really need it. He won't touch anything now that doesn't feel like a solid piece of metal all the way through.

shah.matthew1d ago

My backup knife is a cheap one, and I keep it sharp. But I had a scare where the handle got slippery with algae. I could barely hold it. Now I wrap the handle with that grippy bike tape. It sounds silly, but it works.