What type of knife should I carry while rock climbing?
I carry a cheap folding knife with me while climbing, particularly if I know there is a chance of stuck ropes, grubby anchors, or we are in the backcountry. The knife is held shut with a loop of cord, but I've been hoping to find a safer, cleaner solution.
I know Trango makes a couple knives (one attached to a nut tool), and so does Petzl. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each? Does anyone have personal experience with a particular model? Ideally the knife should be wearable on my harness.
Edit: I'm really looking for a broader answer that references advantages and disadvantages, though the information about the specific knives so far is awesome.
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The Camillus Rescue Heat is nice, if you can find one.
The link above is to a video review on YouTube. It covers things pretty well, but my own summary:
- Non-stabbing thick blunt tip is useful for prying and more safe
- The fully serrated blade works much better than the serrated part of a combo edge
- A recurve helps you cut rope at arms length (though not as well as a full hawkbill)
- Square, hand-filling grip stays in the hand, without being rough to snag fabric
- Fast and easy one handed opening (though "assisted opening" is overrated)
Surely there are other knives that fit the task, but I got each of mine for $20 on clearance. Fit and finish could be better, but it's sturdy enough.
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Have you thought about using a dedicated rope/clothing/harness cutter like one of the Benchmade rescue hooks? I carry around the 8 model which is pretty good with insulating gloves but for rock there's the model 5 which is a ring handle and has a hard sheath/necklace method for wear.
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Personally, I like the hilted CRKT Special Forces M16-13SFG - it has Veff serrations that cut better than normal serrations & has an extremely tight clip that is made to attach to all kinds of things, from webbing to pockets to even climbing harnesses.
From the description:
All knives in this series are equipped with clip options that allow four-position carry on belts or webbing.
The clip may look short, but it is extremely stiff.
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