All About Pocket Knives

An area thrift store has/had a AMF divers knife with a orange handle and exposed Pommel. some are covered. VOIT rubber sheath. Was around $29. Don't know who actually made the blade. Don't collect such but may pick it up if still there. I did buy the Western Boulder #49 Bowie knife in very good condition.
What do you folks collect or use. Ones to stay away from?

I am assuming your question relates to which knife I use while diving.

When I was medically retired from diving 4 years ago, I had over 8000 logged dives. I started out using the huge Bowie-like knives of the 60s and 70s, and tried all kinds of knives over the years. During my last years as diver, I carried 4 cutting tools on EVERY dive - 2 pair of yellow handled EMS shears and 2 McNett yellow handled BLUNT point double edge dive knives. A knife and a pair of shears on each side.

Diving equipment has changed over the years as more and more people get into diving and dive failures cause greater changes.

Short BLUNT dive knives result in fewer issues - you don't accidentally stab yourself, your dive buddy or your BC vest with a blunt point. A short blade is easier to control than a 7 or 8 inch Bowie. Smaller knives weigh less. My 2 shears and 2 McNetts weigh less than the first dive knife I ever dove with.

As for as collecting goes, if it's a dive knife I don't have, and can afford, I collect it.

Then I'm guessing the one Benchmade labels as a "Dive Knife" would not get your recommendation.

No, it wouldn't.

In my opinion, NO folding knife makes a good dive knife. Anything that requires dexterity gets a down check for diving. Most of the time, divers are wearing gloves. Gloves reduce your ability to manipulate a folder, even ones with thumb studs. Sand and grit gets into the pivots and can cause the pivots to wear. Worst case, something can cause it to bind up and not open all the way. The point on that one is better than a sharp pointy Bowie blade, but it is still too pointy for me on a dive.

There are times when gloves are not worn - in some national parks reserves, gloves are not allowed. On coral reefs, the wearing of gloves is usually forbidden by local laws. But in colder waters, gloves are mandatory as hands are a significant heat loss area.

If you need a knife or any other tool in an emergency situation, the more moving parts and fail points you have in the tools, the worse off you are.

$30, from what I looked up, seems fair, and what they seem to sell for. If you're interested, go for it. I'm really not interested in them, but I do like the looks of the Tekna diver's knives (blunt tip).

Here's a Fury (made in Japan) ca. 1980s that was part of my great-uncle's collection/pile that I inherited a couple years ago. I've never used it, and I doubt he did as well. Probably picked it up at a flea market because of its interesting look. It's so heavy, I would not dive with it (not a diver).

I was a PADI Divemaster and Instructor and dove at some of the most beautiful places in the world, I never had a dive knife, but always wanted one. I have seen a Spyderco version that holds a pretty good value and also Gerber(yellow handle) made one that carries a high value too, if you ever come across them. I never quite understood a leather dive sheath, but I guess they didn't have too many options back in the day.

I’ve always wanted one of the ones with the brass sheaths that screws on.

I have one of the big heavy massive ones that seemed like a good idea at the time.

And a couple Buck 124’s but without the plastic sheaths to make it a Nemo.

I once worked for a marine construction company on the east coast and our divers used cheap folding "hawk bill" type knives. I had a few they gave me after the main springs rusted/broke. I figured I could fix them but never got around to it. I'm not sure what ever happened to them.
I do recall the divers used to derisively call the big fixed blades "shark knives".

Here's one for the well heeled diver.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vtg-Hunt-Blade ... 8078!US!-1

Although I am not into diving I do like diver's knives.My favorite one is a pre-1964 Puma Frogmesser. It combines a plain edge on side and a serrated blade on the other and either can be selected merely by turning the handle. It has a spring steel guard that is used to lock it into the sheath by means of a small tab that fits into a hole in the guard.The pommel is grooved and can be used as a hammer. The knife is very light compared to other diver's knives I have in my accumulation. Sadly they stopped making them in the mid 1960's. I got mine with out the sheath about 30 years ago and am STILL looking for one.

Back in December 2023, this fixed blade knife arrived among a group or lot of pocket knives that I purchased. This particular fixed blade knife was NOT the target of my purchase. But, it did turn out to be a keeper. It will be added to my general, fixed blade knife accumulation. It is a U.S. DIVERS, one blade, two stamps, 10" overall length, scuba diving, fixed blade knife. One knife stamp says "U.S. DIVERS" with a logo or symbol. The other knife stamp says "STAINLESS STEEL" The knife handle says, "MADE IN - TAIWAN" The knife came with a hard plastic sheath. The sheath measures 9 1/2" overall length. The sheath is also marked "U.S. DIVERS" with a logo or symbol. On the back of the sheath, it also says "MADE IN TAIWAN" This fixed blade knife is in EXCELLENT condition. SHARP??? YES, IT SURE IS!! The handle needed some very minor cleaning. The sheath shows some minor wear, but it did NOT need any cleaning. I took some pictures and here it is.
Caption(s), if any, are on the BOTTOM of the corresponding picture(s).
Click on a picture to ENLARGE.

Here are a few.

A couple more. The small ones are backup knives.

A few