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I'm in the process of creating some kite related products and I'm curious what people might pay for a "good" kite knife.

Also, what would you consider are the key essentials to a good knife?

I have a design idea in mind already for a hook style knife but I'm hoping this will give me a chance to see if it can be profitable and also see if their are any selling points/features I have missed.

Thanks,
CJ

Touch wood, but I haven't yet used my knife in a rescue situation.

My old knife was a single non stainless blade....which, after a season of use, was a rusted useless mess.

I use the da kine ones now....two criss crossed blades. Stainless. $10-15.

I want enough grip that I am not going to drop it with gloves on. And it has to have a pocket with velcro so it doesn't get lost.

Next level for knives is something that could cut kelp or a crab trap line....I don't carry this, but know people who carry dive knives for this reason.

10 bucks

It depends. If it is designed with longevity in mind I'd go higher than $10. I don;t think there is a big difference between 10 and 20...once you hit 30 though.

How is it maintained. How does it work. Will it still be sharp after not being used, but getting wet? Well designed products are worth paying for.

etc. etc.

One important thing imo is multiple mounting options so you can always have it in a easy to reach place, and a leash on the knife.

Maybe consider using a "T" handle vs a straight handle. That would give a person something more significant to hold on to while still keeping the knife short enough to store in small harness pockets. The small handles and straps on most kite knives are very difficult to get any significant grip on.

Hey there CJ, I also carry the double blade Dakine hook knife and it is great. the only improvement i could see being made is a slightly larger gap to slip your lines into because the leader lines dont fit in easily (at least in my old model) It would also make it easier to sharpen. As far as the handle goes, Dakine has it perfect. Its just a loop handle and makes it easy to grip and pull to cut lines and its big enough for me even while using gloves. A larger handle would make it too cumbersome for me to want to carry. I used my knife one time when i got my lines caught on a jetski and it worked great. I considered using a straight blade instead of a hook knife but when you are getting pulled toward an object the potential to cut or stab yourself is too great. I'm happy at the $15 price point... maybe $20
Hope my opinion helps. see you on the water for the upcoming SouthEasterlies!

Can I drip the blades with melted candle wax to keep them free of corrosion and sharp?

I do that on my dakine knife blades hoping to keep them sharp till the day I need it. Wax seems to stay put, the way the sheath and knife are designed, wax wont rub off.

$10 is what I paid for one

I figure they are easy to lose, so I bought 3 at once...gave one away, still have a replacement

I bought the Benchmade 7 Hook. $35

My theory is that if I'm ever in that moment of desperation where I have to use it I'm not cursing at myself for skimping on a safety device that could be saving my life.

$40 isn't anything.

It's held up well for 3 seasons of saltwater and it's still super sharp. Fits the Pro Limit knife stash under spreader bar perfectly.

southflorida wrote:Can I drip the blades with melted candle wax to keep them free of corrosion and sharp?

I do that on my dakine knife blades hoping to keep them sharp till the day I need it. Wax seems to stay put, the way the sheath and knife are designed, wax wont rub off.

$10 is what I paid for one

I figure they are easy to lose, so I bought 3 at once...gave one away, still have a replacement

funny you mention that, I just bought 2lbs of carnuba wax and was planning on experimenting with hot dipping stainless blades for more mileage.

ideally I'd like to use ceramic blades to rule out corrosion completely but I think they are too brittle to be reliable. So it looks like the next best thing seems to be a high quality stainless since titanium doesn't hold much of an edge. Unfortunately all of the kite knives I've seen so far have made the fatal mistake of an aluminum handle. Its like they had no consideration for dissimilar metals in saltwater.

So I'm thinking either something with a non-metallic handle (nylon, G10, rubber or polycarbonate, etc) and stainless blade or something that is all stainless including the handle.

Ideally I'd like it to have a flat head screwdriver (for those times when your foot strap loosens up, and bottle opener too

What are peoples thoughts on a paracord handle vs webbing? Seems like paracord could be a life saver if you get bit by something in the water.