HOW TO: attaching Tekna Knife to Goodman handle

Wifebuddy is rather awesome at buying me stuff, and one such gem has been my new Tekna Knife.

It's essential that all divers carry at least one cutting tool on a dive; personally i like to carry two.

The Tekna Knife is a fabulous solution to carrying an extra cutting device, stowed rather splendidly out of the way.








I always have a stubby steak-knife on my waist band, and occasionally a set of EMT shears in my right pocket. I have been considering a wrist mounted knife of some description for a while, but could never quite sell it to myself. I like the idea of a blade close to hand, but i really hate clutter on my wrists. I don't like wrist slates, and i'm not overly fussed wearing a back up timer - i sometimes stuff it into my pocket to salvage what real estate is available on my arms.

Knowing me well, Wifebuddy popped the tiny little Tekna Knife into my Christmas stocking; with the premonition of me fitting it to the goodman handle on my primary light. She's very clever.

I have heard of plenty of divers bolting these knives onto goodman handles, but i had never actually seen one up close; or been told how to go about fitting it. With the aid of few pics scattered around the interweb, my supreme intellect, and a handy little bolt from a dive buddy (thanks Dave!), i was able to successfully attach the Tekna Knife to my lovely Halcyon EOS LED light.

Awesome.



Being completely thrilled with my DIY savvy, i figured i would share it with the masses, as i couldn't find a step-by-step guide when i needed it.



Well here it is; behold ...

HOW TO ATTACH A TEKNA KNIFE TO GOODMAN HANDLE

Step 1 - Get the bits together

• Tekna Knife.

• Bolt and nut (make sure it fits through the pre-drilled hole in Tekna Knife sheath).

• O-ring from SPG spool.

• Spanners / pliers.

• Drill and metal drill bit (size 3.5 metric).

Step 2 - Bin keyring

• The knife comes with a little keyring thingy - take it off, we don't need it.

Step 3 - Drill

• Drilling stuff is great, it's almost as good as hammering. Select the appropriate sized drill bit by sizing against the bolt.

• Drill a hole in the left side of the goodman handle, ensuring you have left enough room to fit the whole knife inside the grip.

Step 4 - Get the kettle on

• The bolt needs an o-ring on it. The o-ring allows you to tighten the bolt, create a little pressure to hold it in place, but can be deployed with minimal effort without grinding metal on metal.

• Boil the kettle and pop the o-ring into the boiling water to soften it up; takes about a minute.

• Put the o-ring over the bolt. I found placing the o-ring on a hard surface, then pushing the bolt into the centre worked well to get it started; then roll it up to the head of the bolt.

Step 5 - Assemble

• Place knife inside the handle. (It's better there as it won't get snagged anywhere, and is held in place by your hand).

• Bolt downwards from the inside out.

• Nut on the end.

• Tighten with spanners.

Step 6 - Bungee / Silicone

• I decided a little loop of bungee around the other end of the knife secures it further. It may not be necessary, but it is easily rolled off to free the knife handle for deployment.

• Wipe the blade with a little silicone to protect it from salt water.

Step 7 - Size it up

• The goodman handle is now a little thicker, so pop on your gloves and try it out, adjusting the handle as necessary.

Step 8 - Celebrate

• Revel in completion of this arduous task with an air-punch.

CONCLUSION

The Tekna Knife is a back up to a back up in my mind, but it's a great wee thing to have on your kit. It's nicely out of the way, easily accessible, requires minimal maintenance and may save you from a great white shark attack - remember, you only have to slow down your buddy ...

Safe diving folks!