River Knives

As with any tool it is important to understand why you would want to carry a river knife on the water. A knife in rafting is not a weapon, but an indispensable tool in your boating kit. In this article, we are going to break down why river knives are important as well as some tips on how and what to select. If you are trying to understand what is out on the market we have a helpful buyer’s guide at the bottom of the page otherwise you can find more info about River Knives below.

Top Recommendations for River Knives

Why should I carry a knife?

As with any piece of equipment though it is important to remember that with additional function comes additional risk. That is why it is important to figure out why you are carrying the knife in the first place. Generally in the river world there are two reasons you would want to have a knife on the water:

1. All in one utility

2. Effectiveness in a rescue

These two theories of carrying produce two wildly different tools for use on the water both the form and the function of such tools is very different.

Utility Knives - This knife often serves as the go to tool before a multi tool is required. These knives have to do a little bit of everything from cutting rope to spreading peanut butter to being a screwdriver. These knives seek to maximize the number of possible uses by utilizing as much real estate as possible on the entire knife and converting that into tools.

Rescue Knives – A rescue knife is monster when it comes to cutting efficiency and retention while working. They are designed to be there when you need it and do a relatively small number of tasks extremely efficiently at the cost of all else. They will cut rope in a hurry, but don’t try to cut a melon with these.

Top uses for a knife on the river

To understand this a little further we need to understand who is using these knives. Typically a utility knife is used by the private rafter or Class III/IV guide who does longer day or overnight trips. Anything can happen on the water and you may need a knife that can not only cut a bit of rope, but works well for peanut butter or cutting veggies for dinner for your clients. Top uses for the utility knife are:

• Spreading condiments

• Food prep

• Prying things open like cans

• Doing quick field repairs

This is contrasted by the rescue knife which is employed by professional rescuers (i.e. police, fire, and SAR teams), Class V river guides, and expedition boaters. This sub set of river users has a very specific and time sensitive mission in mind when the knife comes out. Their knife must cut rope, clothes, and fabrics quickly and reliably. When these knives go to work, people’s survival depends upon them doing what they need to do and common scenarios that rescuers face on the water and their knives reflect these special uses.

• Cutting through at raft with a person pinned under it

• A person entangled in a rope

• People snagged by their PFD webbing

What to look for in a river knife

Again this depends upon what type of user you are and what you are doing more than 50% of the time. You need your knife to reflect the most common scenario you will face and if the image of that common scenario changes it may be time to change your knife.

Another important point for longevity for all knives is to make sure that your knife is made with a solid tang. If you are unfamiliar with knife construction, the tang is the metal part of the knife that the handle is built around. The best river knives will have what’s called a full tang, where the knife is one solid piece of metal from the tip to opposite end of the knife and won’t fail on you when you need it.. Typically this will be sandwiched between the handle and attached directly to or through the tang.

You should also look for a knife made of stainless steel. There are many varieties of stainless steel, but whatever you go with this will be the best bet for rust resistance. Some knives also come in titanium or have specialty coating designed to function in salt water. If you are not operating in a salt water environment as a sea kayaking guide for example then these special materials and coatings are not generally necessary. Powder coatings will not protect a knife from rust since wear spots on the knife will allow water in and create oxidation.

Utility Knife

Utility focused users will want a do everything knife that can function well in multiple conditions. Again, full tang knives are best here since if you are using this knife you are likely in a wilderness area or days from resupply and if the handle of your folding knife fails, you will have a hard time making field repairs to get the job done after that. Things to look for in a utility based river knife are:

• Maximum tool space

• A quality retention system since you will be drawing it frequently

• Wide flat surfaces for spreading

• A mix of a straight and serrated blade for food prep

• A retention loop so you can attach a secondary retention system

Rescue Knife

Professional rescuers typically demand more serious and aggressive uses from their knives. These users often carry back up tool systems to help in more utility focused situations. A good back up is a classic multi-tool and there are several great tools on the market that significantly outpace the old Swiss army knife. We will detail those in another article. Things to look for in your rescue knife:

• A solid retention system that will accommodate a secondary retention system

• Aggressive blade shape (concave sickle like blades work well here)

• Aggressive cutting teeth to help rip through material quickly

• A finger hole or loop to help hold the knife while working

• Textured and contoured grip surfaces for better control in cold, wet, slippery, or icy conditions

• Simple design and withdrawal profiles to make it as no nonsense as possible

Risks of carrying a knife

In general many users advocate looking for a blunt point knife first and foremost. The theory of that point style is a blunt tip will prevent knives that randomly pop out from embedding in boats or worse…soft tissue on someone’s body.

Knives are often mounted on exterior lash tabs on PFDs by boaters. This makes the knife more accessible, but also more likely to snag or pop out when you are in the water or moving through adverse scenarios.

Conversely many boaters keep their knives hidden in a pocket to keep the knife from snagging. This also has the consequence that it is not quickly at hand if you need to cut something in a hurry.

If you can, try to follow the clean principal with your knife. Many boaters attempt to put hook and loop fabric over the handle or an elastic fabric to reduce the chance if the handle snagging.

Another risk of carrying a knife is improperly mounting it. For instance our team has seen knives mounted vertically off of a PFD with the handle upwards about 2” from the boater’s chin. One hard bounce and the handle will smash or penetrate the boater’s jaw. Another poor mounting strategy is on the bicep like a diver or on the outside of an overstuffed PFD. All of these scenarios can lead to injury to yourself or other boaters, plus it makes it easy to lose your blade.

Which knife is best for me?

Make sure you evaluate your needs using the 51% rule. Plan for your most common scenario on the river and purchase a knife accordingly. Most knives are easily within the budget of many boaters and generally should be carried especially if you are using lines in the water. It is important that you evaluate the risks of carrying a knife and plan accordingly. Below you will find some of our top picks for river knives on the market.

Bear Claw - CRKT

MSRP $ 49.99

Conditions there are rugged, either from the climate or the work folks are doing. He thought a knife that was easy to grip and hard to lose would be a big hit, hence the Bear Claw™ fixed blade knife design. A cutting machine that, thanks to the generous size finger hole, acts just like an extension of your hand. It is the perfect emergency cutting tool for anyone who needs to quickly cut rope, webbing or netting, especially if their life is going to depend on it.

• Blade Length - 2.375" (60.33 mm)

• Blade Edge - Blunt Tip w/Triple Point™ Serrations

• Blade Steel - AUS 4

• Blade Finish - Mirror

• Blade Thickness - 0.13" (3.3 mm)

• Overall Length - 5.75" (146.05 mm)

• Weight - 3.4 oz. (96.39g)

• Handle - Glass Reinforced Nylon

• Style - Fixed Blade Knife w/Sheath

• Sheath Material - Glass-Reinforced Nylon

• Sheath Weight - 1.1 oz. (31.18g)

Cross River - Gerber

MSRP $ 40.00

The CrossRiver fixed blade is easy to stow on belt or PFD and a quick-release trigger lock deploys with control. This utilitarian knife handles varied materials efficiently and is an ideal pick for any adventure, doubling as a rescue knife if things go awry. Engineered to meet the needs of the saltwater fisherman, SALT Rx™ offers superior protection against corrosion, wear, and tough environments.

• Blade Length: 3.0"

• Sheath Weight: 0.8 oz

• Overall Length - 7.5"

• Weight - 3.7 oz

• Salt Rx™: Optimized to withstand harsh saltwater environments w/ added corrosion resistance

• Hydrotread Grip™: Engineered for traction, it has raised sections that channel moisture away for unsurpassed grip that's easy to clean

• Blade Material: 9Cr18MoV stainless steel

• Handle Material: Glass-reinforced polypropylene

• Multi-mount sheath w/ ambidextrous trigger lock for quick deployment

• PFD and belt carry options

• Full tang blade offers superior control

• Blunt safety tip ensures safety for water excursions

Pilot Knife - NRS

MSRP $ 49.95

Both rescue professionals and recreational boaters love the features of the NRS Pilot Knife. Not only does its unique design attract attention, the sheath provides convenient access and release of the knife when you need it most.

• Blade Length - 3"

• Blade Edge - Blunt Tip Smooth and serrated w/ Rope cutting hook

• Blade Steel - 420 HC Stainless Steel

• Blade Finish - Matte on orange, blue, and green handle models

• Overall Length - 7.38"

• Weight - 3.5 oz

• Handle - Full metal tang with TPU overmold

• Style - Fixed Blade Knife w/Sheath

• Sheath Material - Fiberglass-reinforced nylon

• Sheath Weight - 2 oz.