Knife on the Harness?

I hate having extra crap on my harness, but when on a multipitch route I usually have a knife in my pocket for cleaning up tat/threatening to cut my partner loose if he hollers "take!" one more time...

knives are outdated. 9mm in a tactical thigh holster is far more practical.

I've got the petzl spatha. It's super light and has a sharp serrated blade so it cuts nicely. The main problem with it though is that the hole is too small to fit most caribiners. I suppose I could find a special biner for it that fits and just leave it on there but that's a pain.

I've had some SAR folks recommend carrying scissors over knives because it's easier to control what you are cutting. Might try that next.

I have moved to wrapping some white tape around my knife to insure that it stays closed. This gives me two things, safety in a closed blade and some extra tape if I cut my finger or something while climbing. Yes you have to un-wrap the tape to use the knife, but I am okay with that.

I carry a Leatherman Micra.

I don't normally carry one on my harness, but, in my pack is a Spyderco Jester (or Ladybug).

Tyson Anderson wrote:I've got the petzl spatha. It's super light and has a sharp serrated blade so it cuts nicely. The main problem with it though is that the hole is too small to fit most caribiners. I suppose I could find a special biner for it that fits and just leave it on there but that's a pain. I've had some SAR folks recommend carrying scissors over knives because it's easier to control what you are cutting. Might try that next.

do what? the only issue i've ever had is with it going around the corners of the carabiners, rack it on a petzl am'd or OK oval and your golden, i carry mine every day, it hangs from my haul loop and i love it

sewing.about.com throw a pair of these bitches on your harness. never have a worry again.

i meant these bitches....www.answers.com/topic/pinking-shears - Cached

I'm a fan of the Trango Piranah as well. Tiny, impossible to open while on a biner, but more that adequate for clearing tat from anchors.

Avery Cook wrote:I'm a fan of the Trango Piranah as well. Tiny, impossible to open while on a biner, but more that adequate for clearing tat from anchors.

+1
Had to use mine to cut a loaded line last month. Works.

Tyson Anderson wrote:I've got the petzl spatha. It's super light and has a sharp serrated blade so it cuts nicely. The main problem with it though is that the hole is too small to fit most caribiners. I suppose I could find a special biner for it that fits and just leave it on there but that's a pain. I've had some SAR folks recommend carrying scissors over knives because it's easier to control what you are cutting. Might try that next.

Tie a loop of accessory cord through the hole and clip a biner to that.

+1 for the Trango Piranha. As said above, anything bigger is overkill for actual climbing needs.

One of my climbing partners stabbed himself in the @$$ accidentally by attaching a non-locking blade knife to his harness. It was a pretty hilarious 1.5 cm deep wound. Lesson = blades will open by rubbing on rock.

Julius Beres wrote:I carry this clipped to my harness: buckknives.com/index.cfm?ev… It is cheap, has a locking blade so you cannot accidentally cut something, and it is sharp as hell... I have easily cut nests of webbing... and it even has a beer bottle opener to boot, and only 25 grams. They used to sell them at REI, but I don't think they carry them anymore... goes for about $12 online. I carry a larger knife in my pack on trips, but for something light and cheap and safe to clip to your harness, I haven't found anything better.

Yep, I carry the same one. Way lighter and smaller than the petzl climbing specific knife. Been on my "oh shit" biner for a few years now.

DannyUncanny wrote:I used to have this (about the size of your pinky finger) but I lost it.

looks cool stuff, I love it.

Gerber decent 2

Gerber decent 2

this is what i carry

I have a Wenoka Squeeze Ti knife. 80 grams

Big enough to actually use for slicing cheese etc. Light, and it wont rust.

The locking mechanism is bomber. I cannot pull it from the sheath without compressing the sides.
With one side compressed it still requires 40+ pounds of force

It stays on my backpack strap usually but on the rare case I don't take a pack it goes on my leg strap.
Wenoka Squeeze

All these fancy knives. I've tried a bunch, and keep coming back to the same knife for hiking, backpacking, camping, climbing, and just general carry.

The Victorinox Swiss Army Classic Pocket Knife

You can carry it in your pocket and not even know it's there. Tie an accessory cord through the tiny keyring and clip it anywhere.

When you stop and think about it, when do you need any more than a 1 inch blade, so long as you keep it sharp (which is easy with this knife)? Not the most convenient thing for eating dinner with, but it still works.

A nice little blade, a toothpick, tweezers (splinters, roach clip), tiny scissors (pare toe/fingernails at the crag if you forgot to at home), and a file that's useful for smoothing burrs on nuts, with a flat screwdriver blade on the end of the file. What more could you want, and i can't find the weight anywhere, but it can't weigh an ounce.

At about $12, losing it is no biggie, and the stayglow variety can be spotted in the dark even if you drop it in the weeds. It's so small that I take it in my carry-on and have never been questioned at airport security.