Just curious as to how !any people carry a line knife. I'm a bit of a OCD type in terms of safety and I carry at least one at all times. Sometimes two if conditions are sketch. Dakine used to supply one with all their harnesses but not anymore. And its something I can't say I've ever heard mentioned in any forums or suggested to new riders. In our clinics its something we cover but it wasn't something dealt with during my IKO certification. Just curious what everyone's take is on them.

I always carry a knife , they are part of the two harnesses I use , O.R and Ion .

My impact vest has a line knife on it, but I don't usually carry one when I'm not on the water. It's probably a good idea though, I'd just have to find somewhere to put it.

It's a good idea, but all I usually have is a pocket knife, and it goes with me everywhere.
I only snowkite, and never have really thought about it. I haven't had any situations where getting tangled up felt like a risk.

I have one in my spreader bar pad and another in the back of my harness. Never needed them in an emergency and hope I'd have the wherewithal to use them in an emergency. Did use it one time to free a kite bar I found in the surf that was stuck in a mess of seaweed.

none here. like rectifier said, I always have a pocket knife on me but it wouldn't be fast to deploy. I figured carrying knives was more of a water thing.

I never thought about it until I started kiting on water. Now I'm definitely getting one, I just need to order it. (I've been thinking about ordering one for like a year but it only comes to my mind when I'm on the water :D)

I keep a Dakine hook / line knife tucked in the back right corner of my helmet with a bit of Velcro tape and a pull ball attached. It has been there so long it's like my second safety. I just know it's there if I need it.
My harness has a little pouch with one in there but getting at it and getting it out won't happen fast enough IMHO.

Having a knife won't do you much good unless you can get to it in a second or 2.

I always have on the water; but never with handle kites on the buggy. Has me thinking about it now.

$7 knife if anyone needs one:

http://www.americankiteboarding.com/proddetail.asp?prod=Daki...

I never have, but I've thought about it on occasions and I think I should have one handy. Not just for myself, but if someone around me gets into trouble......

I remember seeing a video of someone kite buggying with a sword once, does that count? I think a medieval helmet may have been involved too...

Had one attached to the down tube my buggy that I just sold, let it go with that buggy. Need to order one for my new buggy and do the same. Always a good idea to know it's there just in case.

The only time I've needed one was when I discovered it had fallen out

I never used to but now I always carry one. I have it in the back of my harness where I can reach it with either hand. I think situations can go bad quickly and if a safety fails to release or dump the power I'd rather have the knife at hand.


I carry a pocket knife too but my harness usually covers it up so I don't count on that. It is also only accessible from one side.

I carry one, always seemed like cheap insurance. Have never needed it, but owning one and not bringing it
is like leaving the helmet in the truck.

Prefer the non-disposable flavors. If I am wearing pants, there is an Benchmade 7 in blaze orange on my belt. There's a Gerber Strap Cutter in coyote brown on the outside of my bag. Picked up an OMS cutter for giggles because it was fairly cheap on eBay and no one was bidding.

Most of these are meant to be mounted on webbing. For a nominal shipping charge, most manufacturers will resharpen them.

Pocket knives as line cutters while kiting? Just say NO.

Pocket knives/folders will never deploy as fast as a "fixed" blade with a sheath. You can jump to 5:15 to see speed differences between deployment of fixed and folding knives.



This would just get worse if you are wearing gloves. If you are getting dragged and tumbled, there is also a good chance of you hurting yourself with a folder.

CRKT Extrik-8-r


Benchmade Hook 5


Benchmade Hook 7


Benchmade Hook 8


Benchmade Hook 15


Gerber Strap Cutter



Gerber Crisis Hook


For salt water OMS and Hollis make titanium line cutters that add serrations to compensate for the fact that titanium doesn't hold the same type of edge that a good blade steel will. This is offset by the fact that salt water corrsion is pretty much nil with the titanium.





ATB,
Sam

wouldnt consider water w/out one...but i dont consider water much
no not normally on the dry part of the beach

those are some sweet knifes though

Using a regular or folding knife in emergency is a dangerous recipe to cut or stab yourself.

I have a proper hook one in my Dakine Fusion harness in back pouch pocket.

I worry about trying to blindly find it from in back of me and pull it out in emergency situation. There is likely a better placing/way to access and grab from.

It should also be on leash to you because it's so easy to drop in rough, dragging situation. If it dropped you have another chance or more to reel it into your hand for a cut attempt.

Quote: Originally posted by skimtwashington

Using a regular or folding knife in emergency is a dangerous recipe to cut or stab yourself. I have a proper hook one in my Dakine Fusion harness in back pouch pocket. I worry about trying to blindly find it from in back of me and pull it out in emergency situation. There is likely a better placing/way to access and grab from. It should also be on leash to you because it's so easy to drop in rough, dragging situation. If it dropped you have another chance or more to reel it into your hand for a cut attempt.

just to clarify, I don't think anyone was planning on using a folding knife for kite purposes but it just happens to be there by default of always carrying one like a wallet of phone.

I agree, I would most likely stab myself before cutting my line if I actually deployed for kiting

had several that came on harness set ups. never used.

I do like that on my one harness's spreader bar, the hook knife slot is right under the hook, with just the pull tab sticking out. Makes it convenient and no reaching around to grab in an emergency. I've never had to use a knife on water (where I'd never not have one), but I once had to use it on land, due to a bad situation involving someone's child running onto a closed and marked off field, and getting dangerously tangled. Cost me my brand new bar, but probably saved her arm, so an easy trade.

Quote: Originally posted by John Holgate

I remember seeing a video of someone kite buggying with a sword once, does that count? I think a medieval helmet may have been involved too...

:D
No I don't use a knife

Quote: Originally posted by skimtwashington

Using a regular or folding knife in emergency is a dangerous recipe to cut or stab yourself. I have a proper hook one in my Dakine Fusion harness in back pouch pocket. I worry about trying to blindly find it from in back of me and pull it out in emergency situation. There is likely a better placing/way to access and grab from. It should also be on leash to you because it's so easy to drop in rough, dragging situation. If it dropped you have another chance or more to reel it into your hand for a cut attempt.

This is exactly why I keep one in my helmet with a pull ball hanging out. I heard about a fellow in Squamish who was caught in his lines. He could not get to the knife in his pouch with gloves on even though he had one. ( glacier water ) . Somebody else cut the lines and saved him.

My helmet seems the perfect spot. I always wear my helmet and I can have the hook knife out in under a second. Even with gloves on. No leash on it would mean the one in my harness is the back up but the leash is a smarter choice!

Most of the folks I know who have severed body parts due to line tangles had NO time to react.

I always hoped we would find Gordie's fingertip out on Ivanpah so we could have sent him back complete. Like he was delivered.

Helmet mounted. Hmmmmmm..... I want a helmet mounted knife.

I'm curious to see how exactly it's mounted on your helmet... I'm still not sure I'm okay with the idea, but your mount might allay all fears. I really like the knife being just above/below the hook on the spreader bar pad... It's quick and right where I need it. A backup might be a good idea, and a helmet is something I almost always wear (water being the exception).

I'd be worried about it being inside, for a variety of reasons. I'm thinking maybe attached to where the goggle strap keeper is on mine, or over the ear on the outside... Then again, I may just mount a backup on my buggy, and settle for no backup landboarding or skating.

I am away from home and can't take a picture.

Mine is the standard line knife that came with my old Dakine harness. I simply attached a pull ball to it with a bit of Qline. Just enough to dangle out the back corner of my helmet but not get caught on everything. I simply stuck some Velcro tape to my helmet and knife between the side and rear pad of my helmet to keep it in place. It is the 3rd helmet I have had that there was space in that same back corner spot for it. I don't feel it at all unless it has shifted.

The helmet mounted knife might actually be the easiest to reach in an emergency. I plan to stick my hook knife somewhere under the padding or on the earpad of my water helmet and keep it in place with a little velcro. That said, I wouldn't stick any kind of hard object inside my land/snow helmet.

Also, dual blade line cutters are much better for kiting than single blade. Needs much less force to cut and doesn't slip on the line.