{"id":24699,"date":"2020-04-30T14:48:25","date_gmt":"2020-04-30T14:48:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.skydivemag.com\/new\/?p=24699"},"modified":"2026-04-05T18:10:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T18:10:11","slug":"cutting-to-the-chase","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.skydivemag.com\/new\/cutting-to-the-chase\/","title":{"rendered":"Cut to the Chase"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Hook Knives \u2013 Why you should carry one and what\u2019s available\u2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Author, Adrian “Spotty” Bowles <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The article covers knives that are commonly used. As a rigger in the US, I see many rigs that come in for reserve repacks and I am quite amazed at the number of rigs that are without knives on containers that are already set up with pockets\/snaps on them. The jumper may have lost them or simply ignores the fact that something is missing. It is sad to see jumpers disregard a simple piece of safety equipment.<\/strong>
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We often see jumpers carrying knives or see them in skydiving gear stores. So why do we carry them and which ones are the best to have?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why carry a knife?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Some countries require licensed jumpers to carry knives when jumping. People often carry them without knowing why. There are some \u2018exceptional\u2019 circumstances where a knife may help.  
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There are several examples of these exceptional circumstances actually occurring. When this happens, people re-evaluate their procedures and equipment in response but as time moves on people become lax about carrying knives or forget the reasons they chose to carry them.
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The obvious group that carry multiple knives on every jump is the CRW community. This may be because inherently in their chosen discipline the chances of wraps or entanglements are higher than solo canopy flight and the opportunity for actually needing to use a knife is therefore much higher. CRW jumpers carry multiple knives as well in case they drop one or access to one is limited due to the material and lines that may be around them. Theses knives are substantial and very visible.
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Other examples where knives may help include <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  • 3-ring jammed up and one side would not release after a cutaway<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Gear snag on aircraft\/helicopter<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Problems with reserve<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Canopy collision\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Line snag.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Although these are rare scenarios, having a knife available can make a difference to a positive outcome.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    A jumper found his knife like this on a flightline check
    Photo by Martin Skrbl<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Will your knife cut it?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    A while back at a CRW boogie, the organizers set up an evening event where two jumpers in suspended harnesses raced to cut the lines of the other jumper. It sounds like a fun drunken activity but something that those CRW jumpers with big knives should be able to easily achieve. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Unfortunately, very soon after the competition started, it became apparent that the knives they used and had on their gear were not cutting the lines or risers very well, if at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    After this, a lot of respected CRW dogs went on the hunt for better knives and tested a variety of knives on their abilities to cut an assortment of materials. After testing various materials (lines, webbing, canopy material, etc), the results revealed some much better alternatives. Many jumpers immediately replaced knives, upgrading to ones that would reliably cut lines and material when called upon. 
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    Zack knife struggling to cut a riser
    By Team Fancy Shit <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Knife Types<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    The commonly used knives seen on rigs can be split into 3 distinct types:-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    1. Razor blade safety cutters<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Solid blade safety cutters<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. Open blade knives<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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      1. Razor blade safety cutters<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      Razor blade type cutters (pictured above) are the most common that you will see on skydiving rigs. They can be small or larger designs, single blade or double blade and are mounted on rigs or jumpsuits. These cutters are commonly supplied by the manufacturer.\u00a0
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      However, these are certainly not the best option. Originally small Zack knives were installed \u2013 these small orange plastic knives with razor blades. The problem with Zack knives is they were designed for cutting fishing line vs multi-strand braided canopy lines. The plastic was weak and got brittle over time, so broke easily simply removing it from its storage pouch. The blades were weak and trying to cut even a single canopy line would result in the blade edge becoming dull and useless after cutting a single canopy line. If you have a Zack knife I would seriously recommend throwing away and upgrading to a better knife.
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      If you have a Zack knife I seriously recommend throwing away and upgrading”
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      Larger razorblades<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

      Larger designs such as the \u2018Jack the Ripper\u2019 (shown above) use a better type of plastic that is less prone to embrittlement. Sometimes they feature two blades. This design has similar limitations with razor blade type edge folding over and becoming dull very quickly. The two-bladed model can also result in material getting quickly lodged in the V between the two blades which severely limits its cutting ability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      There is a great difference in cutting a single line under tension using a safety cutter and trying to cut through a variety of separate loose lines, webbing and nylon material all jammed together at once. This may require more than a single cut. The larger plastic designs are also able to twist a bit which would compound the problem of material jamming between the blades along with blade edge folding over\/dullness.
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      Later designs have a metal handle rather than plastic, which minimizes twisting. While they are often a single blade design, the problem remains on the blade edges folding\/dulling after only one or two cuts. These are certainly better replacements for the small plastic knives but still have some limitations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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      2. Solid blade safety cutters<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      The alternative is a Solid blade safety cutter, such as a Benchmade safety cutter (above). These safety cutter designs are used by military and emergency services to cut webbing straps, seat belts, etc.\u00a0 They have a small and large design which make them great replacements for the razorblade type designs.
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      They can be re-sharpened by a professional knife sharpener. The edge is hardened and does not have a tendency to fold over, they are single blade design, meaning no chance of material jamming between multiple blades and they are available in small or large sizes meaning they can be easily made to fit existing pouches.
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      There are several manufacturers with similar designs, and these proved to be able to cut materials well and repeatedly (although I would not recommend doing this as you want the blade to be sharp when you come to use if for real). The lanyard\/snaps can be easily fabricated by your local rigger for fitting in existing pockets.
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      Solid blade cutter easily slashes through a riser
      By Team Fancy Shit <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n


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