Dive Knives - What do you carry? Recommendations

So I'm in the market for a proper dive knife but there are so many choices. What make/model do you guys take out with you?

I’m assuming you plan on diving or you wouldn’t be asking for a dive knife.

Any of the squeeze knives work great for braining fish. I wear mine horizontally on my belt so it doesn’t poke me in the stomach. Other guys wear them on a forearm or even on a life jacket. Like the name says, you have to squeeze it to release it from its scabbard.  I also run a loop of bungee from the handle to loop down over the point of the scabbard as a little extra insurance against loss while diving.  You can find them on any dive shop website from $25-$75.

On the other hand, if this is a knife for cutting bait and cleaning fish, etc. on the kayak, I’m sure there are better choices and the HnL guys here will give you the best advice.

A cheap stainless knife is probably the best.  I break or lose knives so don’t go to expensive.  If you are going to kill the fish with it a sharp knife with a point is good. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Anything that’s easily accessible. I haven’t brained fish in years. Cut the gills and bleed them out. Better meat, and you won’t end up in the hospital getting stitches from slipping. The main purpose is for safety and entanglements. Surgical scissors work.

If you’re hell  bent on braining fish sharpen a Phillips screwdriver so you don’t hurt yourself.

I like this one. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00788U7QO/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I2WAC99VC7EUQE&colid=37FRJ50HDT4F9

Any dive knife that is relatively small and compact will work. I rig this one with a landyard and hook the landyard on the bottom of the sheath.

I'd say go as cheap and as compact as possible .. a dive knife is easy to lose.

Well there’s this one on eBay at auction. Currently at 16$ closes two days from my post, not mine. I like titanium because mine doesn’t rust and  don’t rinse it in anything other than salt water. Maybe this could be had cheap

Cheap stubby Mako knife is perfect.

I don't brain my fish, but if I chose to the thing is a perfect length

Thanks for the reply, guys! So after reading everyone's response, I once again scoured through Amazon and came across a pretty good deal for a Titanium knife - Akona Titanium Talon Dive Knife. The original listing for this thing was $89; there was a used one on the same page for $48.92 -- added the knife to my cart and applied $14 reward points--after tax, paid $38.79. Though used, the knife was described as having light scuffing on the handle--blade is supposedly flawless. Not too bad, I think. When I see the thing on Monday, I'll know if it was the right decision to pick up something used without checking out first. Amazon's return policy is pretty good so no worries there.

There's a lot of Black Friday deals going on right now.

The blunt end on the handle is a “tank banger”. You hit your scuba cylinder with it to alert your dive partners.

I have abandoned strapping my knife to my leg because it tends to get caught up in kelp. If you do go with the leg, I suggest you strap it to the inside of your calf.

Make sure you put a bungee loop to keep it in the scabbard and to put around your wrist when you use it.

Be careful if you decide to brain a fish rather than cut the gills. A lot of people have pushed the blade through the fish into their own hands or legs.

I use a mares snake and omer mini laser until yesterday when I lost it. I like the thin profile for ike jime.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This is first knife I owned and now the only one I have (I've been using it for 3 years): https://www.amazon.com/Riffe-Terminator-Spearfishing-Knife/dp/B0049Y8P5A

I had a JB Esclapez Silex knife that I won in a competition but that broke after only a year while I was slicing some kelp, so I went back to my original knife and haven't had any issues with it.

The Riffe knife works great for cutting gills, braining fish, and cutting kelp if needed. I keep it strapped to my inner calf so it does not get tangled in kelp, and so it is in a place where you can reach it with either hand in the event of an entanglement. It is durable with the blade extending all the way through the handle. I don't anticipate having to buy a new knife any time soon.

My two cents on braining fish: After I bleed out a fish, I like to brain them to guarantee they are dead. If you do it with good technique you won't risk stabbing/cutting yourself. If you hold the knife on the blade (instead of the handle) to the right length for braining the particular fish (kinda like you would hold it when cutting the stem out of a tomato), you will have A LOT more control in the depth and direction of your stab into the fish's head.

Thanks for the replies, guys.

So I received the knife in the mail yesterday but Amazon apparently sent me the wrong type -- I ordered a titanium blade but got this 316 steel instead--so it's getting returned.

 I was also checking out other vendors along with Ebay as suggested and found other titanium knives there -- not cheap... Then a friend of mine suggested this other site, Alibaba.com, and wow... choices. The one catch to this site is that you have to buy in bulk. Seeing the prices and the offerings, it's all really tempting. I know there's sort of a stigma with buying chinese-made products that are replicas of an OG design from a state-side maker but I can see how most would be tempted to go this direction. As of now, I'm just continuing the search and checking out some of the knives you guys posted/suggested. It's all much appreciated.