Jumping with Hook Knives

[pilotdave 0]

I only recently started carrying one (bought it with my new container). I never thought too much about it before since I always figured I wouldn't know what to do with it even if I needed it. The only situation that most people talk about using them (other than for camera jumps or CRW) is reserve lineovers. But I have serious doubts I'd be able to figure out which line to cut anyway, so the knife would probably be useless. When I saw a hook knife was an option on my new container, I figured it'd be a good thing to have but I still doubt i'd know what to do with the thing and would probably waste time trying. But then again, I've also heard the best use for a hook knife is to kill time while you're spinning wildly under a malfunctioning reserve.

Dave

[burbleflyer 0]

Its like a gun. If you need it, you REALLY need it. You hope to have to never use it but you should carry it always.
A hook knife may have saved my life once. I was glad I had one and dont jump without one.

[Kennedy 0]

How did it contribute to saving your life?

witty subliminal message
Guard your honor, let your reputation fall where it will, and outlast the bastards.
1*

[Kris 0]

I carry one on the left hip of my Mirage (metal knife), one on my chest strap (metal), and there is one on the right leg of my Bird-Man GTi (Jack the Ripper).

I'm thinking about having the pocket on my GTi moved though. The right-leg of my GTi is a pretty busy place for it to be because the loop for it is right by the loops for the wing and LQRS handles. It also doesn't help that the loops for all three are the exact same color.

Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and
Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™

[ianmdrennan 2]

Jumped without one for a long time. Now I have a "Jack the Ripper".

Never needed to use it, but like others have said it's a cheap thing to have and I'd rather never need it but have it, and need it and not have it.

I will, comfortably, do jumps without one though.

Blue skies
Ian

Performance Designs Factory Team

[sdgregory 0]

I do not have one. But a few gear dealers I have talked to about buying a new rig have said that I should get one and so when I ordered my new rig last week I ordered it with a hook knife.


It will go on my left leg strap (Mirage).

I am going to buy one for my current rig too. On the premature deployment I had on Friday, the slammer was so bad it knotted my left break line. I did not know it until I did a steerability check which put me in a spin at that point. Because it was so premature I had plenty of altitude to deal with it but it took me about 10-15 secs to get it clear. I was two seconds away from cutting away when it cleared.

Had I had a hook knife, my next option, had I not cleared it, instead of cutting away, would have been to cut both break lines and steer with rear risers.

Until this incident I thought hook knives were only necessary when doing CreW. Now I know better.

[hookitt 0]

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Comment: you need to have it where it can be reached with either hand, in case one hand gets tied-up or disabled.

I'm moving this comment back down the list. A hook knife is useless if you can't reach it.

[tattoojeff 0]

i wear mine under my right mud flapp got it on my new infinity, thanks kelly you rock!! im wanting to add another one on my left leg strap just in case i fumble the first ore have a broken arm, or just cant get to one. my opinoin is ill probably never need a hook knife, and if i do need one i probably wont physicaly be able to use it effectivley but how stupid would i feel to go in cuz i didnt have a 20 dollar knife.

[sdgregory 0]

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Comment: you need to have it where it can be reached with either hand, in case one hand gets tied-up or disabled.

I'm moving this comment back down the list. A hook knife is useless if you can't reach it.

So what your saying is having it shoved inside my center cell was not the way to go?

[JohnMitchell 14]

So what your saying is having it shoved inside my center cell was not the way to go?

[sdgregory 0]

Good idea. Next time I need it I will wrap someone so they can pass it to me

[JohnMitchell 14]

Has anyone ever used their hook knife? (personal stories only, please)

Also, if you do wear one, even only occasionally, where do you have it? reply] I've used one once in the air, to cut some front to rear riser connectors (used for CRW) in preparation for a rear riser landing after breaking a brake line. Not a big deal. Those cheapo plastic ones break too easily. I recommend metal ones.

Watched a friend get killed when a hook knife would have saved him. Horseshoe mal on a reserve. That was a bad day.

I wear one on tandems, mounted on the back of the passenger's harness. Very easy to get to. Carry one when I do CRW, but that's been a while.

[sdgregory 0]

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Horseshoe mal on a reserve.

Sorry about your friend.

Could you please tell me how this could happen? How to prevent it? That is kinda freaky.

[brits17 0]

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So what your saying is having it shoved inside my center cell was not the way to go?

Hey, if you just wrapped some one, it would be perfectly handy for him! I think I'm gonna put one right there!

[gremlin 0]

I was on the flight line once and an instructor asked a new cat 8 what his new hook knife was for. The student correctly replied for clearing a lineover on my reserve. The instructor then asked how he would know which line to cut.
"i would just start cutting the lines on one side till I got the right one."

personally I think if you are on your reserve an have a lineover you would do better to carry a pocket bible rathr then hook knife as it is clearly not your day.

I'm drunk, you're drunk, lets go back to mine....

[TrickyDicky 0]

Ive heard if this happens, cut from the Inside out.

Apparently someone once did have a reserve lineover and cut at least half their lines and made it down safely.

UK Skydiver for all your UK skydiving needs.

[sdgregory 0]

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So what your saying is having it shoved inside my center cell was not the way to go?

Hey, if you just wrapped some one, it would be perfectly handy for him! I think I'm gonna put one right there!

Heh, funny guys... really funny

[livendive 8]

I always have one in my right mudflap, I put an extra on my chest strap during CRW, and I have one on my chest strap during tandems. I've yet to need one, but I prefer to be prepared.

Blues,
Dave

"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)

[livendive 8]

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Apparently someone once did have a reserve lineover and cut at least half their lines and made it down safely.

Presumably it wasn't the right half, the left half, the front half, or the back half.

Blues,
Dave

"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)

[dannydan 0]

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Has anyone ever used their hook knife? (personal stories only, please)

I also am interested in LEARNING about "sequence" use of a hook knife... Lets hear it Pros, S&TAs, ANYONE that is SUPPOSE to know and teaches should chime in on this one.

YES if there are ANY personal events... PLEASE explain!

I had my first chop this past July, however a knife was not gonna work! "BOOM BOOM"(
But others need to know WTF the knife is for and **WHEN**.....

[kschilk 0]

I usually carry two, just 'coz the chainsaw was too bulky.

"T'was ever thus."

[sraja 0]

Here is a story about a hook knife "saving" someone

A late evening cessna load was taking off at a major mid-western DZ - 1 pilot, 2 RW jumpers and an AFF student and his instructor. At altitude the first RW jumper exits uneventfully and the second RW jumper climbs out onto the strut - ready..set..go..... and the plane banks to the right all of a sudden

The pilot looks out and the jumper is nowhere to be seen but something isnt right as the plane is in a hard tug to the right. The pilot glances out further and starts laughing. The "booties" of the RW jumper are stuck on the strut and the jumper is hanging upside down. The fellow AFFI grabs his "plastic" hook knife and starts sawing away at the booties. Just as he cuts away an inch the hook knife breaks and he stares at his hook knife and then shows the same to the pilot. Both of them break out in hysterical laughter - the AFF student too starts laughing.

Meanwhile the RW jumper is wiggling, jiggling and trying all kinds of stunts to free himself. Luckily for him a bit of the blade is still left on the hook knife - the AFFI finally succeeds in sawing away the booties and the jumper is free to go - dont know if he made it back to the DZ on that spot though

Now the above is true but it is 3rd hand information passed down to me and I remember to check that the pilot has access to a hook knife every time I jump with my RW suit out of the cessna.

[RossDagley 0]

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I do not have one. But a few gear dealers I have talked to about buying a new rig have said that I should get one and so when I ordered my new rig last week I ordered it with a hook knife.


It will go on my left leg strap (Mirage).

I am going to buy one for my current rig too. On the premature deployment I had on Friday, the slammer was so bad it knotted my left break line. I did not know it until I did a steerability check which put me in a spin at that point. Because it was so premature I had plenty of altitude to deal with it but it took me about 10-15 secs to get it clear. I was two seconds away from cutting away when it cleared.

Had I had a hook knife, my next option, had I not cleared it, instead of cutting away, would have been to cut both break lines and steer with rear risers.

Until this incident I thought hook knives were only necessary when doing CreW. Now I know better.

Thats an interesting viewpoint. You'd really perform in air rigging (and and $$ cost too to be repaired) rather than simply cut away? I'm not "bashing" but generally interested. I'd just chop the fucker.

[dragon2 0]

It's just another option. If altitude permits and you're confident about landing on rears, you now have a landable canopy and the cost of replacing some breakline may be worth the risk of loosing main, freebag, risers, pilotchute, bridle. And in fact may be less than a repack

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[chuckakers 370]

If you don't have a hook knife when you need one, you may never need one again.