NRS Co-Pilot Knife

I dont know if Arcadian is talking specifically about the front edge of the knife where a typical point would be but if so then he bought a completely wrong knife for his needs.

If you know anything about water knives the front edge is not sharpened or pointed in order to keep you from puncturing your raft or even yourself, since in most rapids you are tossing and turning around. Also it is shaped into a dull chisel in case you need to pry anything open. If you want a sharp pointed knife dont buy a water knife FYI.

Four stars because I dont own this knife.

This is a great knife. Well constructed, good balance, very sharp working edge, and stays in the sheath very well! I've had this knife for a little over a year and a half of paddling, and thank god I've never needed it! The low profile keeps it out of the way when clipped to your PFD. Also, if you pick up this knife, consider some paracord through the eyelit on the handle, just big enough that you can slip your hand easily through. This will come in handy if you need it in a high action situation!

I like this knife. A lot. Like they say, its quite versatile. Its light and has an interesting sheath design that seems to work well. If anything I wish it were a bit heavier but Its fairly small and balanced well so I don't really worry about it. I purchased the yellow, because while the black looks pretty sweet, the yellow will be easier to find in the event that I drop it in the river.

The good news is the knife/sheath combination is well-designed. If the sheath is clipped in a good position, the knife can be popped out of the sheath with one hand. Once clipped in the sheath, the knife is secure. The bad news is that the front part of the blade has an extremely dull chisel-edge that will cut absolutely nothing. Even after extensive hand-sharpening on the original bevel, the blade was not usefully sharp. I finally took the knife to my shop, ground a proper bevel on the front of the blade, buffed it, and used diamond and ceramic hones to finish the edge. Then it was sharp.

I'd encourage potential buyers to examine this knife in a store before they purchase it. remove it from the sheath and carefully examine the edge. Compare it to another quality sheath knife and you'll see how the thick blade and wide bevel will make a sharp edge impossible. Customers who know how to use a belt grinder and don't mind destroying the pretty powder finish may, with some time and effort, create a usable knife. Just don't expect to have one out of the box.

This knife is great and serves 2 purposes. First and foremost, this knife is for safety, in case I have to Cut Loose while kiting, I keep it attached to my impact vest fits nicely in the MP3 pocket, and secondly, it serves as a beverage opener for a nice after session barley soda to share with the lads.