Get A Grip On 6 Best Climbing Knives For Every Adventure

The idea of carrying a knife while climbing may seem odd or even dangerous. But having the best climbing knife helps in many ways, especially on multi-pitch or alpine routes. Some common uses include cutting a piece of rope that is stuck or broken, giving first aid, removing old webbing from existing rappel stations, making new webbing for rappel stations, or even just cutting meat and cheese for lunch. Even though many of these situations might not occur frequently, they are vitally important when they do. Because of this, most experienced climbing guides think that a good climbing knife is an important part of their climbing gear. 

An accessible rock climbing knife can be of great assistance when you find yourself in a sticky situation high up on a route. There are numerous varieties of climbing knives. I’ve put together a list of the top six climbing knives that are currently on the market.

Top 6 best Climbing Knives | Ultimate Guide

The remix was made with minimalists in mind. It is simple but still useful for climbing. The Gerber Remix is an affordable minimalist climbing knife with a strong, rust-proof combo edge blade that can be used often in the mountains. This folding knife has an ergonomic aluminium handle for more dependable performance every day.

The Gerber Remix is a practical option for the frequent climber because it’s simple to attach to your climbing harness attachment system thanks to the circular ring in the handle. Moreover, with a blade length of slightly less than 3 inches.

The Petzl Spatha is a simple climbing knife that can be used to send hard on any route. It is lightweight and purpose-built. The Spatha is a climber’s best friend because it was designed to be practical and straightforward to use in any situation. A lightweight folding knife explicitly made for climbing is the Petzl Spatha. The Spatha weighs just 40 grams thanks to its sturdy nylon handle and thin stainless steel blade, making it so light that you’ll probably forget you’re even carrying it. Alpine climbing is made easy with this knife.

The knife’s combination blade makes cutting virtually any material simple, and the locking mechanism offers protection when things get tough. Additionally, a large hole makes it simple to use a carabiner to fasten the Spatha to your harness, and a notch in the blade makes it simple to open the knife while wearing gloves. It is a glove-friendly knife.

One of the best knives currently available It’s slim, the light handle makes it a tip-up pocket carry, and its stainless steel G-10 handle for secured blade grip in all conditions, along with its corrosion-resistant tanto blade, gives it additional stability while in use. It only weighs around 130 grams, and its blade length is approximately 3 inches.

A folding climbing knife for long days on the rock is the Edelrid Rope Tooth. The rope tooth has a lot of great features, including a locking blade with some serrations and simple points for attaching a harness.

The Edelrid Rope Tooth is a climbing knife with a premium stainless steel blade that is durable and useful. With a combined blade length of roughly three inches, the rope tooth is capable of slicing through anything you set your mind to. Whether it’s a pile of kindling or an old piece of rope, The Rope Tooth is prepared to handle any task. The rope tooth also gives you an extra layer of safety because it automatically locks into place once it’s opened.

With high-carbon stainless steel blades, this deep-bellied spear-point style is swedged and recurved. You could compare it to a bulldozer with laser-like cutting accuracy. Maximum corrosion resistance is provided by a black titanium nitride finish that is opaque. So even after the messiest of jobs, they can still look good. You’ve probably completed a few of those. The M21 G10 has an automated liner safety system that is both new and very powerful. The locking liner safety innovation has been advanced with automated liner safety. The locking lining and the frame are connected by a pin that is set by the automated lining safety. This pin adds an extra layer of security to the locking liner, making it less likely that it will come loose while it is being used. 

The red buttoned safety lever must be pulled back, the locking liner must be slid over, and the longer blade must be folded into the closed position to shut the knife. The M21-04 G’s handle is just as durable as the blade, but comfort wasn’t sacrificed in the process. The InterFrame design and stainless steel liners make this little one almost impossible to break. Meanwhile, the G10 scales provide a remarkably lightweight, all-weather firm grip. Additionally, the handles keep your hands warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Therefore, grasp the M21 G10. It confidently crosses off the items on your list of favorite features.

The Piranha is a good knife if you need an emergency blade. Because it has the shortest blade of the six knives, the Piranha is a specialized essential tool. It resembles a small X-Acto knife more than a pocket knife. To enable you to pinch the knife as you cut, it has a small divot at the base of the blade. Only the first two fingers of those of us with large hands can grasp the handle because it is even shorter than that.

The Piranha is generally more awkward to use, but after getting used to it, it’s acceptable. This small knife also works well in an emergency. Also, the Piranha has a bottle opener that no other knife has. You can use it to open a bottle of Summit beer. The best thing about the Piranha is that it has the lowest price in our review of similar emergency tools.

Buying Standards 

Blade Length

The size of a climbing knife—or any knife, for that matter—is usually the first thing that most people notice. Pocket knives come in a wide range of sizes these days, from very small to very big. Climbing knives typically have blade lengths of 4 inches or less because they must be worn on a harness, which makes them much more transportable and useful for outdoor activity. Still, having smaller knives has many benefits, especially when climbing, even though a common misconception is that a bigger knife blade is better.

For example, most knife laws around the world allow small blades (less than 2.75 inches) and they are easy to carry, even when attached to a harness. But smaller blades tend to be weaker and less useful than larger ones, and they often don’t have locking mechanisms. Since we use our knives primarily for cutting rope and cord, this isn’t really a problem. However, they may break under extreme pressure.

Fixed or folding design

The majority of pocket knives on the market today fold, making it possible for the handle to protect the blade when not in use. Knives with this kind of design are smaller in size, making them easier to wear on your harness. However, a folding climbing knife is more likely to rust or break before its time because it has moving parts. Fixed-blade climbing knives are more durable than folding climbing knives, even though they don’t have any moving parts that could malfunction. However, because of their size, they are more difficult to move around, particularly when climbing.

Blade Type

Knife blades used to come in a single variety called plain edge. But as technology developed, many companies created substitute blades types, like the combo edge and the serrated edge. The three different types of blades have different uses, despite the fact that it may seem like a knife blade is just a knife blade. Since these blades can be sharpened at home, the plain edge is best for those who like to keep their knives sharp.

Almost anything can be cut with a properly sharpened plain edge, but cutting tough materials like wood or ropes does require a little more effort. For cutting cords and wood, serrated edges are best, but they are difficult to sharpen at home. Last but not least, combo edges combine a portion of a plain edge with a portion of a serrated edge to give you the best of both worlds.

recommendation from us? Since you’ll almost certainly be cutting rope and cord while climbing, it’s probably best to use a serrated edge or a combo edge instead of a plain edge if you’re not going to be committed to maintaining your plain edge’s sharpness.

Blade Metal

As it turns out, not every knife blade is created equal. There are many different metals used to make modern pocket knives, and each one has pros and cons in terms of cutting ability and long-term durability. Due to its reputation in the blade industry as the most reliable metal, nearly every climbing knife you can buy will be made from steel. But there are several different types of steel available, and some producers make it very challenging to figure out which ones are really worth your money.

The majority of climbing knives available for purchase are made of stainless steel, which is a strong material that can manage almost anything. There are many different types of stainless steel alloys, so before you buy a knife, you should do research on the alloy to make sure it is worth the money.

However, carbon steel is one material you should avoid using for a climbing knife. Even though carbon-based products are often very light, which is good for climbing, carbon steel blades tend to chip and break more easily than stainless steel blades and can also rust. Although carbon steel blades do a good job of maintaining an edge over time, we can’t suggest them for climbing knives due to durability issues.

Handle Material and Design

Most climbing knives are either made of metal or plastic. Even though plastic handles are much lighter than metal ones, they tend to be less reliable. It really comes down to what you value in a climbing knife because a metal handle’s increased durability also increases weight. It is also important to consider how well you will be able to grip the knife if you have cold, wet, or even gloved hands. Overly smooth handles can be a real pain to work with.

Weight

Climbers are a weight-conscious group, particularly when it comes to equipment. When you’re already carrying around dozens of pounds of equipment, you’ll do anything to make your rack lighter. Therefore, the lightest climbing knives are frequently the best. However, there were a lot of climbing knives lightened up by either having a smaller blade or a plastic handle, which can sometimes be less reliable. As a result, you might want to consider bringing a larger, more powerful climbing knife rather than a few extra ounces of gear.

My Recommendations 

Best All Round Climbing knife: PETZL Spatha Knife

It is one of the best climbing knives available and has all of the features that climbers look for in a knife. The Petzl Spatha is a climbing knife with a simple design that can be used to send hard on any route. It was made with purpose and is lightweight. Because it was created to be useful and simple to use in any circumstance, the Spatha is a climber’s best friend. The Petzl Spatha is a compact folding knife that was specifically designed for climbing.

Best Value: TRANGO Piranha Knife

At that cost, the Trango Piranha knife is worthwhile. In a crisis, the small blade performs admirably. The Piranha also has a function that no other knife can match: a bottle opener for opening a Summit beer. The best thing about the Piranha is that it costs the least compared to other emergency lights we looked at that do the same job.

Hot Features With Proper Analysis and Research

Conclusion 

I’d have a hard time choosing just one of these climbing knives to bring with me when I go climbing. Every knife has advantages and disadvantages, so pick one that works best for you. I hope this article helped you gain a better understanding of the best climbing knives, but if you have any additional questions, feel free to leave a comment below. 

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“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm, and adventure.” “There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.”

– Jawaharlal Nehru

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