Do you carry a knife?

Therrin · 15th February 2008, 02:24 PM

TM,

I've a hand sharpener which does serations really well. It's a set of ceramic stones, rounded on one side, curved, and then pointed around the other side. Most serrations large and small find a radius in there somewhere which fits them.

vl2007 · 15th February 2008, 07:43 PM

I have always carried a knife when climbing. And until yesterday, never used it in a tree. I'm up 50 feet in a palm, and on my way down. when i can, I repel down using my 8 backed up with a prusik. my prusik jams, I have on spikes, so foot lock is out. Easy to just cut the prusik, and reppel down. I'll always carry a knife.

Therrin · 16th February 2008, 02:17 AM

If you had spikes on, why couldn't you have spiked into the palm, unweighted your descent line, de-jam'd your prussik, and continued down?

And.... so you use spikes on palms eh?

vl2007 · 16th February 2008, 04:45 AM

As with most palms, they're not straight. I was too far from the spar. Much easyer to cut the prusik.

vl2007 · 16th February 2008, 04:49 AM

In a back yard not excessable, too tall for safe ladder use, yes I spike palms. What would you use? How would you safely prune a palm in a back yard?

newguy18 · 16th February 2008, 05:54 AM

with spikes.frig the palms i come first and i'm not using a ladder.

quercus · 16th February 2008, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vl2007

As with most palms, they're not straight. I was too far from the spar. Much easyer to cut the prusik.

I'd be very careful with that sort of cutting if I were you... A very sharp knife doesn't need a large pull over the line to cut it when it is tensioned... I'd seek another way if it was me on the jammed prussik. Footlocking can be done with spikes. I've done it myself a lot of times. Can't you just use a grigri or petzl stop for descents on a single line? No need to cut anything and no need to back it up.

vl2007 · 16th February 2008, 12:10 PM

Oh...I agree. I'm already trying new ways. And cutting anything that close to my LIFE line has my complete attention.

Therrin · 17th February 2008, 03:10 AM

It comes to mind that in some situations I've even used a hitch below my descender points as a footloop to unweight my descenders.

Not trying to bust on ya for getting out of a sticky situation though, glad you made it safely.

For more on pruning palms without using spikes, see this thread:

How do you spikeless climb big palms?

Some systems for palm pruning without spikes are SRT and 2:1, putting a line up over the top of the frond to gain primary ascent.

vl2007 · 17th February 2008, 04:42 AM

Yes, I use a bull rope over the canopy like a false cr. Works great! Got that from Ekka. And 95% of my palm pruning is spikeless, but cost to client, production for me, and safety must be factored in to every job.

Have you ever tried to spike into an old hole from last years spike? That hole is hard as rock. That tells me they do have a defence in place. Not compartmentalization, but something.

Therrin · 18th April 2008, 01:56 AM

Ya should bring that up on the CODIT Wall 4 thread and see what they make of it over there... might be interesting.

Aerial · 19th April 2008, 03:41 PM

Yes, I have a SeaQuest dive knife that I carried for years on my inflation vest. It has a lock-in scabbard with mounting points for securing to webbing. It is designed for cutting rope, note the aggressive serrations.

I mount it vertically on the upper front of my safety harness. It stays tight and out of the way, but with a one hand release.

Aerial

Aerial · 19th April 2008, 04:16 PM

At the bottom, like the SeaQuest knife, another Blackie Collins design, this time a Gerber River Guide knife.

This one clips on my life vest when whitewater canoeing, kayaking or rafting.

Above that is a Bokker switchblade with a circular spring that brings the blade out with a satisfying machine "clunk", sounding very much like chambering a round on my Smith & Wesson 659. Either way, the sound produced is a great conversation stopper and attention getter.

You have to hang onto it as the recoil of opening can make it jump out of your hand if you don't have a good grip. I think the GIF animation earlier in this thread was also a Bokker.

Aerial

EDIT ~ added this:

Therrin · 19th April 2008, 09:53 PM

I'm sure it get's people's attention... certainly Pittsburg cops too!

Nice Boker though, I love them.

The "wave" feature on my Emerson lets me keep it legal, but at the same time brings the blade out when I pull it from my pocket faster than pulling out and push-to-operate any switchblade. Ya should check it out.

Nice blades.

Aerial · 20th April 2008, 03:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Therrin

I'm sure it get's people's attention... certainly Pittsburg cops too!... Nice Boker though, I love them... brings the blade out when I pull it from my pocket faster than pulling out and push-to-operate any switchblade...

Just the logo alone should make the Bokker a favorite of tree workers.

I've handed that Bokker to a Pittsburgh cop and he couldn't figure out how to open it. The button on the Bokker is flush with the surface and is pretty unobtrusive, you can see it in my photo though. The thing is, it doesn't look like the typical switchblade.

I don't know about a flick knife beating that Bokker's blade action, as I mentioned it has a very powerful coil spring... But then again I've also seen shooters who can pull and unload their single action Colt faster than I can squeeze off one round in my auto-loader.

Aerial

nytreeman · 25th April 2008, 03:59 PM

always carry a small serrated lockblade especially if i dont have my silky on

Ekka · 26th April 2008, 08:04 PM

I have a 911 knife in the rescue kit ... and a lot of other real nice NEVER USED stuff in there like a brand new untouched harness worth $500

But hey, WTF, I must be the only idiot doing that around this place.

911 knife designed to cut rope and nothing else.

View Poll Results: Who carries a knife or pocket knife for emergency purposes?
I always have one while climbing.	40	86.96%
Why would I carry a knife?	1	2.17%
Who needs a knife when you have a chainsaw??	5	10.87%
Voters: 46. You may not vote on this poll

15th February 2008, 02:24 PM	#101 (permalink)
Therrin The Tree World Bandit Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Lancaster, Ca Posts: 1,112	Re: Do you carry a knife? TM, I've a hand sharpener which does serations really well. It's a set of ceramic stones, rounded on one side, curved, and then pointed around the other side. Most serrations large and small find a radius in there somewhere which fits them.

15th February 2008, 07:43 PM	#102 (permalink)
vl2007 Cruisin' Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Florida Keys Posts: 84	Re: Do you carry a knife? I have always carried a knife when climbing. And until yesterday, never used it in a tree. I'm up 50 feet in a palm, and on my way down. when i can, I repel down using my 8 backed up with a prusik. my prusik jams, I have on spikes, so foot lock is out. Easy to just cut the prusik, and reppel down. I'll always carry a knife.

16th February 2008, 02:17 AM	#103 (permalink)
Therrin The Tree World Bandit Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Lancaster, Ca Posts: 1,112	Re: Do you carry a knife? If you had spikes on, why couldn't you have spiked into the palm, unweighted your descent line, de-jam'd your prussik, and continued down? And.... so you use spikes on palms eh?

16th February 2008, 04:45 AM	#104 (permalink)
vl2007 Cruisin' Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Florida Keys Posts: 84	Re: Do you carry a knife? As with most palms, they're not straight. I was too far from the spar. Much easyer to cut the prusik.

16th February 2008, 04:49 AM	#105 (permalink)
vl2007 Cruisin' Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Florida Keys Posts: 84	Re: Do you carry a knife? In a back yard not excessable, too tall for safe ladder use, yes I spike palms. What would you use? How would you safely prune a palm in a back yard?

16th February 2008, 05:54 AM	#106 (permalink)
newguy18 Tree World Icon Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Live Oak Florida home of the crapiest trees you will ever see. Posts: 2,185	Re: Do you carry a knife? with spikes.frig the palms i come first and i'm not using a ladder. __________________ Have your say join us today. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xzkd_m4ivmc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xzfzb...eature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-OqK...eature=related

16th February 2008, 12:10 PM	#108 (permalink)
vl2007 Cruisin' Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Florida Keys Posts: 84	Re: Do you carry a knife? Oh...I agree. I'm already trying new ways. And cutting anything that close to my LIFE line has my complete attention.

17th February 2008, 03:10 AM	#109 (permalink)
Therrin The Tree World Bandit Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Lancaster, Ca Posts: 1,112	Re: Do you carry a knife? It comes to mind that in some situations I've even used a hitch below my descender points as a footloop to unweight my descenders. Not trying to bust on ya for getting out of a sticky situation though, glad you made it safely. For more on pruning palms without using spikes, see this thread: How do you spikeless climb big palms? Some systems for palm pruning without spikes are SRT and 2:1, putting a line up over the top of the frond to gain primary ascent.

17th February 2008, 04:42 AM	#110 (permalink)
vl2007 Cruisin' Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Florida Keys Posts: 84	Re: Do you carry a knife? Yes, I use a bull rope over the canopy like a false cr. Works great! Got that from Ekka. And 95% of my palm pruning is spikeless, but cost to client, production for me, and safety must be factored in to every job. Have you ever tried to spike into an old hole from last years spike? That hole is hard as rock. That tells me they do have a defence in place. Not compartmentalization, but something.

18th April 2008, 01:56 AM	#111 (permalink)
Therrin The Tree World Bandit Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Lancaster, Ca Posts: 1,112	Re: Do you carry a knife? Ya should bring that up on the CODIT Wall 4 thread and see what they make of it over there... might be interesting. __________________ Ken Fessia I.T.S.A. Tree Service (661) 916-4703

19th April 2008, 09:53 PM	#114 (permalink)
Therrin The Tree World Bandit Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Lancaster, Ca Posts: 1,112	Re: Do you carry a knife? I'm sure it get's people's attention... certainly Pittsburg cops too! Nice Boker though, I love them. The "wave" feature on my Emerson lets me keep it legal, but at the same time brings the blade out when I pull it from my pocket faster than pulling out and push-to-operate any switchblade. Ya should check it out. Nice blades. __________________ Ken Fessia I.T.S.A. Tree Service (661) 916-4703

25th April 2008, 03:59 PM	#116 (permalink)
nytreeman Gettin' motoring Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: upstate NY Posts: 10	Re: Do you carry a knife? always carry a small serrated lockblade especially if i dont have my silky on __________________ Never panic but a little paranoia never hurts

26th April 2008, 08:04 PM	#117 (permalink)
Ekka Eric Frei Administrator - Brisbane L5 (Dip) Hort Cert III Arb + some Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Brisbane Posts: 5,664	Re: Do you carry a knife? I have a 911 knife in the rescue kit ... and a lot of other real nice NEVER USED stuff in there like a brand new untouched harness worth $500 But hey, WTF, I must be the only idiot doing that around this place. 911 knife designed to cut rope and nothing else. __________________ Remember to use the "search" function, if you have answers/questions post them so everyone can benefit. Free Tree and Green Industry Link Directory Qualified Brisbane Tree Lopping Brisbane Tree Care, Consultations and Arborist Reports Forum Sponsors