Re:sailing knives

John inquired: "There was a discussion about a year ago on what was a good sailing knife, at the time I didn't see a need for a great knife but yesterday when I had a spin sheet catch in my engine shaft I decided it was time to spend some cash. Any recommendations?" First and foremost, I view a rigging knive as an essential piece of safety equipment on a sailboat. Not handy, but essential, on the same order as flares, PFDs, and a first aid kit. I wear one whenever I set foot on a sailboat. My current one is a nice one from West Marine, but it's the features more than the model that are important. As others have mentioned, a serrated blade is important for sawing through lines quickly. I also like a positive locking mechanism; I don't want the blade or fid folding back on me while I'm struggling with an urgent task. Yes, the locking makes it more difficult to close when you want to, but I accept that limitation happily. A fid is essential to convince knots to let go, especially those pesky overhand knots that get in the middle of a line by accident and then get loaded up before you notice them. The third feature that I really like is a slotted "wrench" type blade that makes it easy to loosen or tighten shackle pins; it's easier and safer than using the fid point. Alfred Poor 1969 Cal 29 #132, "Pentaquod"