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Spent $2,500 on a custom dive knife and it was worth every penny
Back when I started, a lot of us just used a basic rigging knife, maybe a hundred bucks. I figured that was fine until I got tangled in some old fishing net on a job in the Gulf. That cheap knife couldn't cut it, literally. I was stuck for a scary minute before my buddy got me loose. After that, I saved up and had a local guy make me a knife with a serrated edge on one side and a straight razor on the other, plus a line cutter notch. It cost about two and a half grand, which hurt at the time. But the next time I hit monofilament, it sliced through like butter. I've had it for eight years now and it's still my main tool. What's the one piece of gear you splurged on that actually saved your skin?
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mitchell.jesse2mo ago
Man, that's a solid story! What about a good pair of boots? I dropped way too much on some custom-fit hiking boots years ago. My old ones gave me blisters so bad I could barely walk back to the car. The new ones felt like clouds, and last fall when I slipped on a wet rock, the grip totally saved my ankle from a bad twist. Never skimp on what separates you from the ground, right?
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rosek442mo agoMost Upvoted
Custom boots are great until your feet change. Pregnancy, injury, even just aging can alter your size and arch. That expensive perfect fit might not last a decade. Sometimes a good quality standard boot you replace more often is smarter.
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Yeah, the "never skimp on what separates you from the ground" thing is so true... my buddy learned that with a helmet. He always wore a cheap one until a rockfall clipped him on a climb. That fancy helmet he finally bought cracked instead of his skull. He still sends me the picture sometimes.
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