Best Survival Knife for protection

 I'VE BEEN BELIEVING FOR A LONG TIME that persons whose livelihoods rely on rope should always have a sharp knife on available. The more you sail, the more you understand how important it is to have a knife. Thankfully, that requirement doesn't occur often, but when it does, it's usually accompanied by severe winds, rough waves, dangerous rocks, and a crew frozen by fear.

The knife I'm referring to must be capable of quickly slicing through your boat's largest rope. The anchor line, a halyard, a sheet, or even the dinghy painter might all be examples. You'll understand what I'm talking about if you've ever seen a crewmember forced against the cockpit bulkhead by a mainsheet over the neck following a quick jibe. And if you've ever gotten your finger caught around a winch while trying to free an override of the genoa sheet in a sudden squall, you'll understand the importance of quick relief.

The only real question is what sort of knife you have and where you keep it.

My personal choice is for a fixed-blade sheath knife that may be worn on your belt and is constantly with you. It can be a pain at times, especially when it gets tangled up in the lifelines or something, but it's well worth the effort. Even though it's banned ashore, the blade should be as long as possible, but no shorter than 3 1/2 inches.

I've never figured out whether a plain, hollow-cut edge or a serrated edge is preferable. Many knife makers sell blades that are half serrated and part plain knife-edge, so I believe they are still attempting to figure it out.

I recall Jerry Powlas, technical editor of Suitable Old Boat, claiming that serrated edges were only good for bread knives, although many people swear by the serrated edge's quick cutting power. And how can you go wrong with a blade that's half serrated and half plain? Jerry's primary problem, I guess, was that he couldn't sharpen a serrated edge to the same razor sharpness that he can with conventional blades.

If you can't wear a sheath knife on your belt for whatever reason, find a convenient spot in the cockpit to keep a fixed-blade knife that you can access at all times of the day and night.

Keep a tiny rigger's or yachtsman's knife in your pocket, preferably one with a folding knife blade, a marline spike, and (most importantly) a beer bottle opener. Alternatively, a Leatherman-style multi-tool with a small knife blade and a set of pliers, as well as the spike on the rigger's knife, can open shackles. In an emergency, though, these knife blades are only second best. Finding them takes time, and opening them is tricky, and you might only have one hand available anyhow. Even when they're finally open and ready for business, they're still pretty small compared to a large, sturdy sheath knife. They are, nonetheless, far superior to doing nothing.

When you get a rope or fishing net around the propeller shaft, you'll need a decent cutting knife. I'd be hesitant to use an expensive sheath knife for this because the knife will very certainly blunt against the metal shaft, and I've generally felt that a hacksaw blade with a solid handle would be preferable for the job and far cheaper.

Finally, if you're looking for a thoughtful Christmas gift for a sailor, a knife is a fantastic option. You can find several extremely modern designs built specifically for cutting rope in a quick if you Google the names Gerber, Myerchin, and Spyderco. You'll also observe that the purchasing prices of the more exotic models are high enough that you'll be tempted to study my hacksaw-blade proposal with justified zeal.