General Purpose Tools

Davis Deluxe Rigging Knife

Sailing tool

This knife/marlinspike/ shackle-wrench/ screwdriver is one of the simplest and most reliable tools I own. It contains a decent sheepsfoot blade, a locking curved marlinspike, a very simple lever wrench, and a nice large flat screwdriver all in one shiny stainless steel package.

Before owning a sailboat I never realized the need for such a thing, and in fact had never even noticed them as real tools. I thought they were some sort of romantic holdover from another era. Not until I started working with ropes, lines and shackles on the boat did I fully realize the critical necessity for such a tool. I can’t imagine life without one now. I own two of them, two different brands, but the one I keep abusing is the Davis, the “other” one is pretty but not quite as effective.

It works very well, is relatively inexpensive and even looks cool! Cheap, virtually indestructible, invaluable to anyone who works with rope/line. I’ve put this tool to the test daily since I bought it a year ago and swear my greatest confidence that this is, hands down, one of the coolest tools ever!

-- Seamus Holley 07/1/10

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