Trying to replace a couple of lost knives this season, I spent inordinately long amount of time in the research. So, figured might as well blog the hell out of it.
I am a rock climber who lives and primary climbs in India. Otherwise, I also spend time in the outdoors hiking and camping. The style of climbing I pursue involves extensive amount of exploration, new routing, and climbing on both long routes and single pitches. Below thoughts on knives, blades, and other cutting implements for climbing related use are from that perspective.
*As I researched, I realised that there is a whole lot of legal regulation on acquisition, possession, transfer, use, and disposal of knives in India. Knives above 9 inches in length and 2 inches in width are regulated under the Arms Act, 1959, and certain kind of Arms are altogether prohibited in India. See further below on the notes related to the same.
KNIVES FOR CLIMBING PURPOSE
Whether a knife is useful tool to be added to the gear list for climbing is a debatable and subjective topic. Often they are not needed for climbing related activities.
So when and what are they needed for? And what alternatives exist.
Trail Creation & Maintenance
Often, I am opening new areas for climbing, creating access trails, and maintaining old trails. This requires clearing of vegetation such as elephant grass, lantana, acacia, vines, other undergrowth and some light pruning of tree branches. Over the years, we have used various tools.
- Hiking poles: In the past, I have exclusively used or even now on occasion use, the hiking poles for bushwhacking.
- The sweep of the poles has longer and wider arch and can flatten elephant grass far more effectively than say a machete.
- The hiking poles reduces the need to carry a separate tool for bushwhacking.
- Functions as a ‘snake probe’.
- Are less threatening than a machete.
- On the downside, the aluminium hiking poles do have limited lateral axis strength, and go out of shape pretty quickly from bushwhacking.
- If using the poles, invest in a sturdy pole that might last a season or two, and while using retract the pole by about a third to avoid quicker damage to the pole integrity.
- Garden Pruning Shears or Cutters are useful to get the thorny shrubs or smaller branches out of the way. Very slow to use, and limited application.
- Machetes: The top-heavy design and the length of the Machetes is useful for quickly working through small to larger diameter shrubs or vegetation. Not so great for bushwhacking, especially of high grass or light shrubbery.
- Locally available versions of machetes include bill hook type farm tools (aruval (Tamil), vettukathi (Tamil), katan, etc), straight edged machetes (including sugarcane cutting machete), or Khukris. Available locally on agricultural tools’ websites or in rural or small town markets.
- The straight edged machetes are easier to carry. A sheath is necessary.
- Some Machetes have a straight edged blade on one side, and a serrated edge on the other (to saw). Not available locally. Look up Gerber Gator, Gerber Clearpath machete, Fiskars Machete Saw, Estwing Machete Saw, Whetstone Cutlery or The Brute, SOG Survival Machete.
- Each of the above shapes have their advantages. For example, a bill hook will grab on to the grass much better. Straight edged blades will not cut through grass as effectively but will work better for chopping through shrubs and wood.
- When chopping thick vegetation, Machetes fall heavy and the sound echoes for distances. Be conscious.
- If using machetes, any edged blade, or even a hiking pole for that matter, for trail maintenance, gloves are extremely handy. A wrist retainer sling keeps the machete secure in the grip..
- Garden Pruning Saw: These are brilliant for use when you do not want to create big ruckus and precision pruning.
- Make shift Machetes from fallen branches or Bamboo. As an alternatives to all the above, if you can locally source the material (along the hike), clean them up to convert to a long club shaped machete.
- Nun-Chakus or the Nun-Chucks are an alternative solution for bushwhacking. Nun-Chucks are believed to have been farm tools originally meant for threshing. It can carry compact, has nice long arch of swing, and can work through the bush. It does require some skill, however does not work very effectively as a dedicated cutting tool for precision work or to get through wide diameter wood.
- Most of the above tools look threatening and may not comply with the Indian Arms Act with respect to the use case.
KNIVES FOR ROPE WORK AND RESCUE
Rap or Bail Tats:
A ‘Tat’ is a piece of webbing or cordage left on a tree, boulder, or even on a hanger to abseil or rappel to exit or to bail from a route. The term apparently comes from the word ‘Tatters’ to mean old clothes, here as a reference to the old ‘tatters’ of cordage or webbing.
Knives can be handy to cut lengths of webbing or cordage to create Rap or Bail Tats. Or to clean up the old and degraded Tats.
- For example, on Beladingulu, sometime around 2015 or 16, for an entire year, the already small hanger holes at the time were crowded up with Bail Tats left behind by a party that had evidently bailed all the way from the end of the fifth pitch! Some of them were stubbornly welded into their knots; and required a knife to unencumber the hangers.
- While new routing, I commonly use webbing to create temporary rappel rings (Tats) on hangers, to reduce the weight of bolting hardware that I would otherwise need to carry for the day. Eventually, these temporary Tats are replaced with steel rings or maillons.
- You will find Tats on routes with trees functioning as anchor stations, including at Moksha (Varalakonda), Shakuntala (Kabbaldurga), Louvre (near Savandurga), and other old routes around Bangalore. Even at Raogodlu, on some of the stacks, the only way to exit is via Tats on boulders. Best to inspect the old Tats, and reinforce or replace with new material.
- You could avoid the need to carry knives if you can anticipate and carry the right lengths of webbing or old cordage. Or could learn to cut through nylon using thinner diameter cordage (knife is quicker).
Rescue scenarios:
At the outset; this is not a recommendation for anyone to carry a knife for ‘Rescue Scenarios’. Most rescues do not need a knife. Rescues need good sense, skills, experience, and then the tools, The tools I am referring to still do not include a knife. Knife is the last resort. Knives can do plenty damage if used imprudently. Sharp object around taut ropes can damage them real quickly.
In a decade and half of climbing (limited to the geography and the type of climbing I pursue), as best as I can remember, I have felt the need for a knife for a rescue situation only once. To rescue someone who had managed to get themselves stuck on a rope with a prusik above a descender, and did not know how to or could not ascend to release the loaded friction hitch And in retrospective, I am glad, the person did not have the knife on them at the time.
Coming from white water kayaking background with Swift Water Rescue training, a knife was always been an integral part of the rescue kit. The wisdom used in kayaking world (or used to be; I don’t kayak any more), if using ropes in swift water, keep a knife handy (rope entanglement in swift water type dynamic environment needs quicker solutions). However, and fortunately, during that decade of river running days, my Gerber River knife left the sheath only to ‘spread the butter’.
Back to climbing, I have used the knife for various purposes, some critical, some sundry, largely for rigging, some mild trail maintenance, for crack gloves’ taping, etc, But never for rescues.
Having cautioned adequately, here are some scenarios, where a knife could potentially be handy.
- If the climbing rope is damaged, and if it is not possible to or there is no reason to temporarily isolate the section, chop the lengths off.
- On occasion accidental trapping of hair or clothing in the rappel device does happen. (Extended rappels can avoid or mitigate such situations.) Among the solutions, aside from scalping the victim, a knife could be useful to get out of the situation. In this scenario, an alternate, practical, and more common solution is that, the victim pushes through the stress and self-rescues, or another climber reaches the victim, helps unweight the victim, and releases the hair.
- Knives are handy to create splints or casts for fractures. Or for evacuation to help create temporary stretchers in the field.
Other uses for a knife:
Aside from spreading butter (the cliche for an outdoors knife that rarely sees any action):
- For cutting tape for crack gloves.
- For light bushwhacking work, especially on the climbing route. On every ground-up first-ascents of long routes or on rare ascents of the old routes around Bangalore, I have had to pay the tolls for the passage past using a combination of gloves, nut tools, and a knife. On occasion while digging out mud from cracks to create anchor stations primarily using the nut tool, I have had to deal with roots that needed the sharper blade of the knife.
- Often at the beginning of a hike, I find a fallen bamboo stalk or a branch of a tree and use the knife to clean it up to repurpose it as a hiking pole/machete.
- And there are always the bushcraft uses if you ever get lost or are camping. Or for the camping kitchen uses.
- Last winter, caught up in a rain and about 250 meters off the valley floor, during a climb we were hunkered down on a ledge in the lee side of a boulder, with a tangle of prickly vine for company, and while waiting for the rain to pass, we took turns at chopping at the vine, and kept warm, and then managed to get out of there. We also had tried to get a fire going with shavings from the vine, but that hadn’t worked well. The vine was not dry enough.
- For digging cat holes. (If the nut tool is not available).
WHAT KIND OF KNIFE
What kind of small knife is useful for climbing related activities?
- A folding knife. Packs better, low enough profile. Good weight to strength ratio usually.
- Blade length of 2.7 to 3.5 inches. Smaller lengths than that could do for rigging work but are not versatile for light bush craft work. (Longer blades of over 8 to 12 inches are better for trail maintenance work. The in between length is not suited for either precision rigging work or for trail maintenance.)
- The ideal blade design incorporates partially serrated blade (to cut through nylon ropes and webbing, and wood), with the rest of the blade being plain or straight edged, and adequate blade diameter (to ensure that the blade does not bend while slicing through a two-inch diameter wood). Adding serrations on a plan edged knife is a simple DIY job with a grinding wheel or a file.
- The opening mechanism that allows for a single hand operation and with ambidexterity. Thumb hole type opening mechanism is ideal. Thumb-studs are the standard for most outdoors folding knives at a budget, and are fine too, but can snag with other gear and are a weight penalty. Nail nick style opening mechanism usually means less blade weight but requires both hands to open the knife.
- Secure locking mechanism to keep the blade open. Frame or liner locks are among the more secure mechanisms. The slip-joint locking (as found in Swiss army knives) are not secure enough for heavier bush craft work. Opinels come with a rotating locking ring that is quite secure too. Petzl Spatha and Edelrid Ropetooth, both climbing specific knives have a back-lock or a spine-lock system of locking the blade. One advantage with this last locking mechanism is that the left-handed folks can operate the release of the blade without having to work counter-intuitively as with the frame- or liner- locks.
- Decent blade material that holds the edge, can be sharpened in the field, and is corrosion resistant. Harder the steel, better it holds the edge, but also requires more complex effort to maintain the sharpness. Carbon steel blades (as found as an option with the Opinels) add on a layer of rust more quickly.
- Comfortable handle grip. I prefer plastic or wooden handles, as they seem to provide the best weight to volume ratio for the grip (and theoretically reduces corrosion-potential surface). Good handle makes a difference between whether the knife is meant just for rigging work alone, or can be a bit more versatile.
- Carrying option of either a lanyard hole, carabiner clip in hole, or a built-in carabiner to clip to the harness when needed. Most of the times, the knives carry in the pack, but on occasion, on the harnesses.
- Climbing specific knives come with a carabiner clip hole, and have no pocket clip to reduce weight and profile.
- The non-climbing specific folding knives typically have a pocket clip, and they add on 5 odd grams of weight. If there is no lanyard hole option, sling through the pocket clip. Or get rid of the pocket clip with a torx bit.
- Some knives like the Opinels or the Swiza tools don’t come with any carrying option. For Opinels, you could add a lanyard hole. With Swiza tools, you might have to get a bit creative by the way of using the Nail Nick hole of the knife as a lanyard hole, or if the tool has a wine opener tool, use it to thread a cord of the right diameter to create a carrying option.
- Weight is critical. Consider this, each 30-40 grams is the weight of a carabiner, or an energy bar that can provide 200-300 grams of calories. On weight sensitive adventures, I prefer a knife that weighs 40-60 grams, or else I am ok with up to 100-120 grams (to allow for more comfort and versatility of use). Most climbing specific knives weigh in under 50 grams, and some pared down versions go down to 16 grams! Lighter the knife, less versatile it is likely, for anything other than rigging related work.
- From amongst the lighter options: Trango Piranha – 20 grams, Victorinox Classic Swiss Army knife – 21 grams,
- Mid-weight options: Petzl Spatha – 43 grams, Edelrid Ropetooth – 48 grams, Leatherman Skeletool KBX – 37 grams, Swiza D01 – 66 grams, Victorinox Spartan – 59 grams, Leatherman Crater C33X – 67 grams
- Heavier options: Any of the non-climbing specific folder knives that have partially serrated blade and have good carrying option, including Gerber Remix Tanto – 130 grams
- Local availability. Lest we forget, we are in India. The backwoods of the world for climbing and outdoor related gear. Not everything is available locally and is usually more expensive than it would be in US or Europe. Climbing specific knives are hard to come by here. So, locally available alternatives are critical. As I researched, some notes:
- Electrician knives, Garden Grafting knives, Industrial knives, and Folding Plastic handled Kitchen knives come close to being decent climbing specific knives, but either are heavy, have cumbersome opening mechanism, have sub-optimal blade locking mechanism, have no carrying option, or in essence are not entirely suitable for our requirements.
- A bunch of Chinese knives, sometimes knockoffs of more popular brands like Buck, Benchmade, or Schrade, or just less expensive value knives are available through Flipkart, and some other sites.
- Some look surprisingly well made.
- If of shoddy quality, the quality will eventually show up when least expected. Most failure points I have noted are loosening up of and the loss of frame screws, inability to lock properly when in closed position, or weak metal of the locks giving away while working.
- Multi-tool brands like Victorinox Swiss Army Knives, Leatherman, and Swiza have some options which are light enough and could be good alternatives.
- Gerber tools are more commonly available in india, and Gerber Remix is heavier knife with all the other features aspired for in a climbing specific knife.
- From among the climbing specific knives:
- Petzl Spatha used to be available. Check with their local distributor Allied Safety about the current availability.
- Edelrid Ropetooth is available currently through India Outdoors.
- There are some decent non-climbing specific blades available through local retailers, a list of which I have attached below.
| Make | Blade length (Inches) | Weight (gms) | Carrying option | Opening / Locking mechanism | Price | Availability in India | Blade Material | Blade style | Handle Material | Notes |
| Trango Piranha | 1.22 | 20 | Carabiner hole | Thumb Stud / Frame lock | USD 20 | No | 440C | Serrated | SS | Micro-knife |
| Victorinox Classic | 1.5 | 21 | Lanyard hole | Nail Nick/ Slip-Joint | Rs.800-1,500 | Yes | SS | Plain edge | Resin Plastic | 7-function tool |
| Victorinox Spartan | 3 | 59 | Lanyard hole | Nail Nick / Slip-Joint | Rs.1000-Rs.2000 | Yes | SS | Plain edge | Resin Plastic | 12 function tool |
| Victorinox Nail Clip 580 | 2.1 | 36 | Lanyard hole | Nail Nick / Slip-Joint | Rs.1800-3000 | Yes | SS | Plain Edge | Resin Plastic | 8-function tool with nail clipper |
| Swiza D01 | 2.85 | 66 | None | Nail Nick / Liner Joint | Rs.800-1500 | Yes | SS | Plain Edge | Rubberised synthetic | 4-function tool |
| Petzl Spatha | 2.75 | 43 | Carabiner hole | Thumb hole / Back Lock | Rs.2-3,000 | No | SS | Combo | Nylon/Plastic | The gold standard. |
| Edelrid Ropetooth | 2.75(?) | 48 | Carabiner hole / Lanyard hole | Thumb Hole / Back Lock | USD 20 -25 | No | SS | Combo | Nylon / Plastic | Spatha look alike, but reviews less favourable |
| Trango Barracuda | 1.75 | 48 | Carabiner hole | Thumb Hole / Liner Lock | USD 25 | No | 440C | Plain edge | Plastic | Cum Bottle opener |
| Leatherman Skeletool KBX | 2.6 | 37 | Pocket Clip | Thumb Hole / Liner lock | Rs.2,890 | Yes | 420HC | Combo | Metal | Cum bottle opener. 4.7 stars with 640 plus reviews on Amazon! |
| Leatherman Crater C33X | 2.6 | 67 | Carabiner Clip / Pocket Clip | Thumb Stud / Liner Lock | Rs. 2000 – 3000 | Yes | 420HC | Combo | Glass Filled Nylon | Cum bottle opener. |
| CRKT NIAD | 1.56 | 17 | Carabiner Hole | Frame lock | 50 USD | No | 5Cr13MoV | Serrated | Titanium | |
| Gerber Remix Tanto Serrated edge | 3 | 130 | Carabiner Hole / Lanyard hole | Thumb Stud/Liner Lock | Rs. 3,800- 5,500 | Yes | 7Cr17MoV | Combo | Steel | |
| Edelrid Oasis | 2 | 110 | Sheath | Fixed Blade | USD 30 | No | 440c | Serrated | Plastic | Canyoning oriented knife |
| Trango Shark | 1.25 | 83 | Carabiner Hole | Thumb hole / Frame lock | USD 30 | No | 440c | Serrated | Metal | Nut tool cum knife. Discontinued. Nice concept. |
| Yato YT-76050 | 2.75 | 83 | Carabiner Clip | Thumb Hole / Slip-Joint | Rs. 3-450 | Yes | SS | Straight edge | Metal | Industrial knife |
| Chinese and other knives | 2 – 3 | 100-150 | Lanyard hole / Pocket Clip | Thumb Hole or Studs / Liner Locks | Rs.200-1000 | Yes | SS | Straight edge | Wood/Metal | Available on various platforms. |
| Opinel 6, 7, 8 | 2.87 / 3.28 | 34 – 45 | Lanyard hole can be drilled | Ring Lock | USD 15 – 30 | No | Carbon Steel | Straight Edge | Wood | Light weight quality knives |
| Enlan M011B | 2.83 | 70 | Pocket Clip | Liner Lock | Rs.1,500 | Yes | 8Cr13Mov | Combo | Wood | Locally available, partially serrated, quality knife |
WHERE TO BUY:
https://lightorati.in/gear/folding-knives
https://www.stepinadventure.com/in/c/Pocket-Knife/512
LEGALITY OF KNIVES IN INDIA
Below is a summary on the legality of knives in India, collated from various sources to the best of my unqualified understanding. Seek legal opinion on the same.
- Both the Central government (The Arms Act, 1959) and the local States provide legislation to regulate on the acquisition, possession, transfer, use, and disposal of knives, which clubs together firearms, and all other arms / articles that could be weaponised in any form (which includes knives, swords, axes, batons, etc.)
- Knives longer than 9 inches in length and wider than 2 inches in width are specifically regulated. But if you read further below, there are certain provisions even for knives that are outside of the above scope.
- “Arms other than firearms: Sharp-edged and deadly weapons, namely: Swords (including swordsticks), daggers, bayonets, spears (including; lances and javelins), battle-axes, knives (including Kirpans and Khukries) and other such weapons with blades longer than 9” or wider than 2” other than those designed for domestic, agricultural, scientific or industrial purposes, steel batton, “Zipo” and other such weapons called ‘life preservers’, machinery for making arms, other than category II, and any other arms which the Central Government may notify under Section 4 of the Act.” – The Arms Rules, 2016
- The provisions cover acquisition, ownership, transfer, use, and disposal of Arms.
- This covers manufacturing of and commerce in Arms.
- Possession or other activities involving the aforementioned restricted items “for any purpose other than the purpose of domestic, agricultural, scientific, Industrial purposes…” are prohibited. It does not seem that the outdoor recreation and the bush-craft fall under any of the above definition of activity.
- “The use of knives in the way used or if such knives result in creating a disturbance or ruptures in any way the public tranquillity, peace or if such piece of weapon creates an environment of fear would also be charged under the Criminal Procedure Code, 1973.”
- “The use of any other weapon by any person by way of showing it or threatening it or to gain any undue advantage even without the intent of harming such person or group of such persons will be charged under section 425 of the Indian Penal Code.”
- “Such a person will also be held liable under section 268 of the Indian Penal Code under an act of public nuisance if such blade or knives creates such a situation. According to various laws made under the Indian legislatures, such as Indian Penal Code, 1860 and Criminal Procedure Code, 1973.”
Sources:
http://knivesindia.blogspot.com/2015/02/are-knives-legal-in-india.html
https://indiankanoon.org/doc/1934415/
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