And there is no doubt in my mind that if you are must have a folding knife, you will want one that can be opened and closed with one hand - and hopefully that is just your back-up and not your primary cutting tool especially on a rolling sea or in a compromised situation! A fixed blade wins in every category except the amount of space it takes up. And you will not get an argument out of me over fixed blade versus a folder in any circumstance (on land, sea or air!). No I have never worked on a tall ship but have sailed and have worked on other boats. If you have a knife that was made for use at sea, show it off! Let’s see some sailing knives! It doesn’t matter if they are folding or fixed, with or without the Marlin Spike.
And while some companies continue to churn out the tried and true traditional patterns, other companies do nothing but try to perfect the perfect sailing knife! Over time new steels were introduced and ergonomics and the sailor’s needs further tweaked designs.ĭespite the adaptions one thing remains universal with most of the folding marlin spike knives the familiar Z pattern the knife make when the main blade and marlin spike are moved to the half open position. Still other versions were adapted and modified for the civilian market. It has changed very little since the adoption. A smaller frame pattern which has become a standard pattern used by many American companies is a variation of this 6353/1905 that was adopted for American Maritime service in 1942. The 6353/1905 pattern knife is itself similar to early rigging knives used in the 19th century. Surprisingly the knife was used by all branches of the British military on land, sea, and later air! This was a large frame (almost 5 inches/ 120 millimeter) knife with a large spear blade, small punch and very intimidating marlin spike. Most of the modern folding sailing knives, often called a marlin spike knife, can trace their roots back to the British Pattern 6353/1905 clasp knife that was adopted for service use in 1905.
The sailing knife goes by several names, some you may have heard, while others may seem obscure. Most people are familiar with the Marlin Spike knife or the folding riggers but there are several other knives that were made for use on board boats and ships or by people who spend their lives on or around a body of water. What is a sailing knife? It is a knife designed for use onboard a boat or ship, especially a sailing vessel with a primary purpose to cut line, untie knots or any other day to day job while at sea. The sailing knife just seems to naturally exude adventure and daring unlike that of any other knife. When getting a new one I wonder where it may go, what it might be called upon to do and how other like-minded souls will put it through its paces and test the steel of its blade and spike. When I come across an old sailing knife I try to imagine who might have used it, where they may have gone, what they may have been through. I think it is the idea of traveling around the globe is what brings a certain mystique to the sailing knife. Above is my Rough Rider Marlin Spike knife in White Smooth Bone The Scrimshaw work was done by TX Force O'Brien.
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