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Posted: Sun Nov 25, 2007 3:19 am
by spork
Kitezilla,

It was good meeting you last week in S. Padre.

I have never needed my hookknife for my own emergency, but have used hookkives to help others several times. On more than one occassion I've ended up with a knife that simply will not cut the line no matter how much tension (even sawing with the darn thing).

I now carry the double bladed hookknife and a folding titanium dive knife with a partially serrated blade. The dive knife is on a 5' lanyard becuase it doesn't help when it's on the bottom of the bay.

I think you can get replacement blades here for something like $2.00/blade:

http://www.hookknife.com/hookknives.htm

or here:

http://www.mojosgear.com/mojoHome.sht

Posted: Sun Nov 25, 2007 8:50 am
by Galeltic
2 yrs ago i was kite-noobie to learn and somehow lines get stuck and wrappped around my foot and then later other foot so i had hard time to try cut lines with hook knife of blade is really cheap
then i decided to buy dive knife in case to rescue others and me
why they made cheap blade to sell as WTF !
i wish to sue them but never mind !

Posted: Sun Nov 25, 2007 9:36 am
by tungsten222
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Posted: Sun Nov 25, 2007 9:58 am
by high123
What really helps in salt water is to cover the blades with a thick layer of high viscosity grease. Then wrap one layer of very thin plastic wrap/food wrap around it so you don't create a mess when you put the knife into the pouch. Obviously you don't need to pull off the plastic wrap before using the knife, just use it as usual... :-)

I tested it after a season and the blades were basically new after many, many sessions in salt water, were cutting Q Power like butter.

PS: I'm also using a double bladed hook knife from http://www.hookknife.com/hookknives.htm with spare blades.

Posted: Sun Nov 25, 2007 10:25 am
by spork
high123 wrote:What really helps in salt water is to cover the blades with a thick layer of high viscosity grease. Then wrap one layer of very thin plastic wrap/food wrap around it so you don't create a mess when you put the knife into the pouch.
I've thought of trying that, but never did. I think I'll give it a go with some anhydrous lanolin. The guys at West Marine assure me that's the best thing for keeping saltwater out of places you don't want it.

Posted: Sun Nov 25, 2007 10:40 am
by high123
FYI ... I used winch grease.

Posted: Sun Nov 25, 2007 11:51 am
by mx5alan
kitezilla wrote: I am interested in everyone's opinion, even when I don't quite understand what they are saying.

Do you carry a kite knife?

A lot of people do not, and from the results of my testing, I can see the merit in presenting a case for not carrying one... The argument would go like this: "Why waste the time, in an emergency, to grapple around for a kite knife, which, even if you find it and fish it out, probably won't cut the line, that you are tangled in!" or "Your time will be better spent on dealing with the tangle, in some other way, and not wasting valuable moments, running a "fool's errand", in fumbling with a dull kite knife, that won't work anyways" or "Knowing that you don't carry a kite knife will keep you more focused, knowing that you can't get yourself out of trouble, and therefore, will make you extra careful not to get into trouble, in the first place".

I would like to think that you were, in a subtle way, presenting that point of view, rather than just being rude.

Either way, I appreciate your participation in the thread.
Yes, I always carry one (2 blade version)... as it was supplied with my Mystic Warrior Harness.


One post i remember reading on one of the forums sometime ago about kite knives - Someone tried using one to cut the depower rope and not the lines when they got into difficulty and it took quiet a few attempts to cut free...
Reason for this was given - The depower rope is cheaper to replace...


SAFETY NOTE - Kite knives are for cutting the lines not the thick depower rope.

Posted: Sun Nov 25, 2007 12:40 pm
by BullsShit.com
2 yrs ago i was kite-noobie to learn and somehow lines get stuck and wrappped around my foot and then later other foot so i had hard time to try cut lines with hook knife of blade is really cheap
then i decided to buy dive knife in case to rescue others and me
why they made cheap blade to sell as WTF !
i wish to sue them but never mind !
Yes, I always carry one (2 blade version)... as it was supplied with my Mystic Warrior Harness.


One post i remember reading on one of the forums sometime ago about kite knives - Someone tried using one to cut the depower rope and not the lines when they got into difficulty and it took quiet a few attempts to cut free...
would anyone carry a bigger knife? ..no..
would you want to have a knife (blade) on your bar? (or any place easier o reach?..and where do you think it would be....(best place to "store" it)

A seatbelt safety knife from a car-kit is the same as the Mystic knife, no?
I think it all depends on the situation,,,,wait a minute...I said all this already in a different post..

Posted: Sun Nov 25, 2007 2:01 pm
by Greg7
kitezilla wrote:
Greg7 wrote:They are so cheap I would just get a few per season.
Where do you buy them?

What brand?

It seems that the double bladed hook knives cost about $15 to $54 (plus shipping) each.

I wish I had enough money to consider those prices... "cheap".

How often do you change out your knives?

What do you use as your indicator for "time to replace"?

As already stated, you can get replacement blades pretty cheap.

Many kiters spend more than a grand a year on "the latest" equipment, and a decent percentage spend quite a bit more than that. Relative to how much else you spend on gear, for something that can save your life the cost is ludricously neglible.

As far as knowing when to change. If you ride on the saltwater and leave the knife in it's pouch after a ride so it can rust out, yeah, you might get in trouble fairly quickly.

But if you take a few seconds to take the knife out, rinse, shake, and toss on the counter to completely dry, a stainless steel blade will easily last 2-3 three months and look brand new. So three per windy season is enough.

For anyone afraid they might forget their knife after rinsing it, just leave a brand new spare in your bag in a ziploc, it will remain brand new until you need it.

You bring up a very good point, I didn't think they would crap out that fast, but there are ways to prevent it, and considering it might save your life, and considering a complete one kite outfit can cost over 2 grand, and most of us have multiple kites, do yourself a favor and drop a few bucks on multiple hook knives.

Posted: Sun Nov 25, 2007 2:02 pm
by fkb
I'm always surprised at how few people have a knife easily accessible... a few times back when I was just a newb, I crashed the kite in some heavy surf... got feet tangled in the lines while swimming in, and then narrowly missed a few crab trap buoys and swim markers on the way in with lines dangling everywhere.

Way I see it I narrowly escaped something very bad (getting pulled under tangled with buoy). Now I carry a knife and stay far and clear of anything anchored to the bottom.

BTW if you get tangled don't let go of the kite no matter what, it floats.