10 Best Dive Knives in 2023 [Stainless Steel & Titanium]
We gave our Gear Lovers one job:
Find the best and most popular products and review them.
Our review team always considers durability, price, quality, and value in their reviews.
A good diving knife is a crucial tool to cut yourself loose from entanglement, to free trapped animals, to clear debris, and aid in underwater jobs.
In many countries, a dive knife is a required safety piece of equipment every diver must have with them.
When buying your dive knife, you want to find one which matches your type of diving. Is versatile to meet your needs, easily attaches to your equipment, and most importantly will be resistant to salt corrosion.
See our quick top 5, or go further down and read our in-depth reviews.
The Top 5 Scuba Diving Knives in 2022
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1
Best Overall: Aqua Lung Agronaut -
2
Best for Travel: Promate Titanium Scuba -
3
Most Durable: Tusa FK-940ti X-Pert ll -
4
Most Compact: Scubapro Mako Titanium -
5
Most Versatile: Cressi Skorpion
All the Scuba Diving Knives we've reviewed
This knife sits on the highest quality end of aqualung dive knives and is one of the toughest and best knives on the market. The two edges of the blade are split into smooth and serrated edge, giving the user options when cutting various materials. The handle is designed for a strong grip, and the knife looks like one James Bond might have on one of his missions. The downside of this knife is the sheath and leg strap must be purchased separately.
Specs & Features
- Blade Length : 4.7” (12.1cm)
- Handle Length : 5” (11.6cm)
Our Overall Review
Things we like:
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It comes in both spartan and blunt designs -
Double edges blade for a variety of cutting abilities
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Handle is wrapped in 7 feet of 5mm paracord
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EDP coating on the titanium
Things we don't like:
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The black material of the blade would be difficult to see if dropped -
Sheath and leg strap must be purchased separately
This sleek designed knife is made for scuba divers, by scuba divers and features comfortable leg straps and edges of the blade which stay strong and sharp after many dives. The titanium blade is much lighter alternative to stainless steel, meaning it is ideal to take in your check in luggage when travelling. It also has an easy to grip handle and the option to buy it as a sharp or blunt tip design.
Specs & Features
- Blade Length : 4.5” (12.7cm)
- Handle Length : 5” (11.4cm)
Our Overall Review
Things we like:
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Ergonomic easy to grip handle
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Free from Corrosion
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Leg Mount
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Comes in a variety of colours
Things we don't like:
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The sheath and attachment have reports of coming loose
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Straps are a little complicated
If you are looking for a heavy-duty option, then this Tusa dive knife is the one for you. There is an option to strap the knife to your leg, arm, or ankle while having easy one-handed access to it through the quick release mechanism. It is a full point blade with a serrated and smooth edges on the blade. The knife design allows you to remove the blade from the handle for maximum ease of cleaning.
Specs & Features
- Blade Length : 4.5” (11.4cm)
- Handle Length : 5” (12.7cm)
Our Overall Review
Things we like:
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Has both serrated and flat edges
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Comes with sheath and leg strap
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Possible to disassemble for maximum cleaning
Things we don't like:
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The handle can feel quite small and is not the sturdiest material
This small and handy titanium knife is ideal for travel as it is extremely light, corrosion resistant and built to last. It has a cutting notch perfect for cutting fishing line or thin ropes. It’s compact size and low price means it’s a great option as your first knife. It’s handle is quite thin and uncomfortable to hold while it’s sheath is designed to be attached to your BCD, or air gauge.
Specs & Features
- Blade Length : 3.3” (8.3cm)
- Handle Length : 4” (10.1cm)
Our Overall Review
Things we like:
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Compact size
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Lightweight design
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Cutting notch for ropes
Things we don't like:
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The handle is very thin and not comfortable to hold in a firm grip
This stainless-steel knife has the combination of a smooth and serrated edges for cutting just about anything. The design comes in both sharp and blunt tips so you can choose exactly what you want for your desired purpose. You can either purchase a 420 stain less steel sharp tip edge which is extremely sharp, or a 304 stainless steel blunt tip blade that is more resistant to corrosion. The sheath and leg strap also allow for a one-handed quick release mechanism.
Specs & Features
- Blade Length : 2.9” (7.3cm)
- Handle Length : 3.3” (8.3cm)
Our Overall Review
Things we like:
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Corrosion resistant option
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One handed sheath release
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Option for blunt or sharp tip
Things we don't like:
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The handle is very susceptible to rust
This large knife is robust, lightweight, and has a comfortable handle to grip onto. The blade has a combination of serrated edges on one side, and smooth on the other, along with a notch to cut fishing line and thin rope. It also comes with a quick release sheath and leg strap for easy attachment to your leg.
Specs & Features
- Blade Length : 4” (10.1cm)
- Handle Length : 4” (10.1cm)
Our Overall Review
Things we like:
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Comes in both pointed and blunt tip
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Serrated Edge along with a large line cutting notch
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Comes with a lightweight sheath
Things we don't like:
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Straps can be difficult to adjust
This dive knife is not only designed for scuba diving, but also great for spear fishing due to it’s compact size and single hand release sheath. This sheath can be attached to your BCD or your gauge hose making it easy to access. For free divers, it can attach it directly onto their weight belt as it is small in size. The blade of the knife has a cutting notch designed for small ropes and fishing lines making it great if spearfishermen have to release their catch.
Specs & Features
- Blade Length : 2.4” (6.2cm)
- Handle Length : 3.9” (9.9cm)
Our Overall Review
Things we like:
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Designed with a no slip grip
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Compact size
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Ability to be attached to BCD or air hose
Things we don't like:
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The knife does not always lock in well into the sheath
This uniquely designed knife combines a serrated edge for easy cutting of rope with a foldable blade with a lock mechanism. It is simple to open with one hand, has an ergonomic handle which can be easily used with gloves, it also has handy titanium pocket clip that allows you to secure it to your equipment. It’s a great option if you wish to store your knife inside your BCD pocket.
Specs & Features
- Blade Length : 4.5” (11.4cm)
- Handle Length : 5” (12.7cm)
Our Overall Review
Things we like:
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High end steel blade
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One handed handling
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Folding design
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Lightweight
Things we don't like:
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After use, the mechanism holding the knife closed can become loose
This versatile design allows the fog cutter to act as a normal dive knife when closed, or then as shears when unlocked. To keep it working well you should make sure to rinse and lubricate it after every contact it has with saltwater.
Specs & Features
- Blade Length : 4.3” (11.1cm)
Our Overall Review
Things we like:
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Budget Price
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Versatility of being scissors and a knife
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Compact Size
Things we don't like:
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It needs to be attached by a rope so it does not fall out of the sheath
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Rusts easily
If you are looking for a cheap option that fulfils the requirement of having a cutting device on every dive, then this is the option for you. This compact line knife comes in a flexible pouch for easy accessibility which can be attached to any part of your gear. It is the perfect tool for a sharp and quick cut of line between 6mm-12mm in thickness. It is not a typical knife and will not help in cutting other objects or thicker line.
Specs & Features
- Size: 2.5”(5.5cm)
Our Overall Review
Things we like:
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Budget Option
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Compact size
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Multitude of Colours
Things we don't like:
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It can only cut thin line
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Is not a traditional knife shape to cut other materials
Related Reviews
What sort of dive knife should I choose?
When choosing a dive knife, the deciding factor of the type of knife you will purchase is your primary use of it.
Ideally, you want to purchase a knife which has a combination of both straight and serrated edges for maximum versatility in the use. The straight edge is great for cutting plastics including fishing line, trash, and similar. The serrated section of your knife is better suited for sawing natural materials including rope and kelp.
Sharp Tips are designed for puncturing and cutting and are typically preferred by the spear fishing community. The downside of them is that they are sharp and can potentially cause more injuries, or damage equipment if they become unsheathed.
Blunt Tips are better suited for digging, prying, and hacking which is more the behaviour you will be exhibiting as a scuba diver. The blunt edge means the knife is generally safer to handle than the sharp counterpart.
Line Cutting Notches are a handy feature of your dive knife as it is a quick and sure way to free yourself from entanglement from fishing lines and small ropes with little effort.
Metal Handles are great for grabbing your buddy’s attention when you bang them on your tank, however they are less comfortable to hold and can potentially slip out of your hands.
Black Blades look fantastic and are virtually invisible to marine life. The downside of them, is if you drop a black blade, it might become virtually invisible to you too making it more difficult to find.
Ergonomic handle is important in your handling comfort and quick grip access so make sure to test out how the knife feels in your hand before purchasing it.
How do you attach your dive knife?
When scuba diving, you will either have a knife that attaches to your leg, equipment, or potentially one which you keep in your pocket. Larger dive knives are typically better suited on leg straps, while more compact ones can be smoothly attached to your BCD or air hoses. The most important part about the location of your knife, is that you should be able to reach it easily with either hand.
BCD or Hose mounted knife have the benefit of being securely attached to your gear and require minimal effort to remember to bring with you on your dive. These knives are typically smaller, more compact, and lighter. You do however have to remember to remove them and clean them separately from your gear to ensure they stay sharp and rust free.
Leg mounted dive knives can be more cumbersome and potentially cause entanglement issues, however many divers and free divers opt for them due to their size and feeling like Tomb Raider.
Foldable dive knives have the benefit of being smaller and a great option if you wish to store it in your BCD pocket. They are also potentially safer as they cannot become unsheathed and hurt someone without being purposefully clicked open.
Related Reviews
Frequently asked questions
Our team of divers reviewed more than 20 dive knives and make a list of the 5 very best knives to consider in 2023:
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Best Overall: Aqua Lung Agronaut
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Best for Travel: Promate Titanium Scuba
-
Most Durable: Tusa FK-940ti X-Pert ll
-
Most Compact: Scubapro Mako Titanium
-
Most Versatile: Cressi Skorpion
Some dive knives are designed with a blunt or rounded tip to prevent you from accidentally puncturing your BCD or Drysuit.
Dive knives are typically used to cut lines or nets, and a blunt tip can still be effective for these purposes.
On most dives, you’ll not use your dive knife. Most divers, you’d ask, have never used their dive knife on a dive. When we do use a dive knife, it’s mostly to get out of an entanglement or as a tool underwater. So, cutting a line, marine debris or a net is the most common use of a dive knife.
A dive knife is either made of stainless steel or hardened titanium. Titanium is lighter and has higher corrosion resistance than steel, stainless steel dive knives stay sharp for longer and are generally cheaper than titanium dive knives.
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