Are you looking to get into kayak fishing? If so, you absolutely need to know top things that make a good kayak fishing knife. It's one of the most essential pieces of gear to ensure you have for various reasons.
For one, you will absolutely need it to cut your fishing lines but one of the most important uses is safety in the case you need to cut yourself loose. That being said, not every kayak fishing knife is created equal. We are here to give you some of the key things that you should be looking for when you are shopping for one.
4 Things You Should Look For Making a Good Kayak Fishing Knife:
1. Function
The first thing that you will want to look at would be the function of the knife. For most, a fixed blade is the only knife you should be considering. Fixed blade knives offer numerous advantages over a folding knife. For one, you will always have it ready and available to use.
Being able to access your knife much quicker and having it available and ready to use at all times makes it much more efficient and effective. Therefore, you should be looking for a knife that features a fixed blade before anything. While you could certainly consider choosing one with a folding blade if you are prioritizing something that is pocketable, that comes down to personal preference.
2. Blade Material
The material makeup of the blade of the knife is another major factor that you should be looking at when you are choosing one. When you are kayak fishing, there is no question that a stainless steel blade is much more preferable than a carbon steel blade. A stainless steel blade will be much easier to sharpen when you need it.
Having a sharp knife will inherently be much safer to use when you are using it for various tasks that kayak fishing involves. Likewise, it is going to hold up much better to moisture exposure than the other options available. Stainless steel will not rust as much and it is not going to be difficult to maintain when compared to something like carbon steel.
3. Look For Full Tang
You should be looking for a knife that is full tang in terms of its construction. Full tang implies the knife's blade runs down the entirety of the handle to ensure that it offers optimal durability. Blades will be much more durable and longer-lasting if they feature a full tang construction.
4. Look For A Suitable Handle
The handle is another major factor that has to be considered. After all, it can dictate how long your knife remains viable to use. Because you will be exposing the knife to wet conditions, you want to ensure that you are choosing a knife that is going to be capable of holding up to the elements. Ideally, you want a maintenance-free and durable material like nylon.
Nylon is not only going to hold up much better than a lot of the other materials, but it will be much easier to grip even when wet. By opting for nylon, you will be able to have a knife that you can count on to deliver superb value. Some of the other materials you could choose would be synthetic cork, G-10, rubber, or even plastic. Wood and even leather are two of the materials that should be avoided at all costs.
At the end of the day, the kayak fishing knife you end up choosing should feature all-around good build quality. The quality of the construction is perhaps the most important aspect to consider. While you do want to factor in portability, you should be prioritizing usability. This is why it is recommended to opt for a fixed blade over a folding blade.
However, by using the other criteria discussed in this article, you should be in a good position to properly narrow down your options to choose the best kayak fishing knife to purchase and use.
