When smart designers combine functionality with style, a strange thing happens—functionality seems to double. It’s true with cars, computers (I love the Mac), fins, and more. Perhaps it’s because when the design team wants to make a product look as good as it functions, they take every detail very seriously, including the maximizing of function.
Such as the case with the T-Rex dive knife from AquaTec. Before you even touch it, take a good look. The sweeping lines are smooth and attractive. You can tell even before handling it that this knife will fit quite comfortably in your hand. This is a good looking piece of dive gear.
But you need a dive knife for its function. We divers wear knives for one predominate reason—extraction in the unlikely event of entanglement underwater. For that you need a knife that is sharp and will stay sharp. Also, you need a knife that will be there when you need it. This requires a functional sheath that will hold the knife solid but release it easily. T-Rex does all this well.
The blade is solid through the entire length of the knife for rock-solid strength. It would be pretty difficult to break the back of this knife with an 1/8″ thick backbone. At the bottom of the blade, a large spur protects the index finger from slipping on to the main blade that sports a serrated edge and razor sharp edge in front of that. At the top, a thumb rest and grip is perfectly positioned so as to use the thumb as a natural guide for line into the sharp line cutter. Line cutting is a breeze even when you can’t see the line such as behind your back or in zero visibility situations. The rear of the blade or “butt” is also grooved for grip against the palm of the hand to prevent slippage.
My only negative comment about the blade is it is only available in a sharp point. A sharp point is excellent for finishing off a speared fish, probing in small holes, or cleaning seafood, but you need a blunt or square point for removing scallops, use as a screw driver, or other more brutal applications.