Hook knife or cutaway?

[nigel99 474]

Firstly before people get the wrong idea, I am buying kit just before a move to an expensive country (Australia) and I am not jumping a camera with sub 200 jumps.

Is there any reason why I can't just have a quality hook knife and not bother with a cutaway system on a helmet with a go-pro?

It seems to me that with a standard open face helmet, a good hook-knife would take care of the chin strap very easily.

Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

[theonlyski 8]

Ask CReW dogs that have actually used hook knives. They usually say to have 3, because you'll probably drop the first two.

Would you really be trying to dick with locating, securing and using a fucking razor blade near your face, while you're spinning at the ground? Probably not... I'd rather just pull my cutaway on the chin cup and be done with it.

"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
I'm an asshole, and I approve this message

[monkycndo 0]

While you are burning through precious altitude, what would you rather do, quickly pull the cut away or fumble for the hook knife, hope you keep a hold of it, find the chin strap and maybe cut it on the second try because you had to wedge it between your neck and the strap because the drag on the canopy was pulling the strap so tight it was almost choking you out.

Go with a cut away. Simple and they work.

50 donations so far. Give it a try.

You know you want to spank it
Jump an Infinity

[jtval 0]

Just to add a reason why I agree with the others:

If you go with your option and need to use your hook knife you fail to realize that the pressure form the helmet being pulled may not allow you to get the hook knife under the chin strap.


Now, you're dead because you wanted to save $55.

Seems like a bad choice to me.
But at least your loved ones will be able to use that money for your cremation.

The post would read
"Fatality-video/main entangelment"

My photos

My Videos

[nigel99 474]

Thanks guys. I sort of anticipated that would be the case.

Edit: Sorry follow on question. Is it worth getting the chin cup? I am looking at the FF1 from 2kc. You have the option for cutaway and chip cup.

I guess a chin cup gives a more snug fit?

Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

[DSE 5]

It is impossible to get solid, stable, sellable tandem vid without a chincup, IMO.
A chincup allows for two solid points of tension that help the helmet stay stable. With only a strap, there aren't really any points of tension except your ears/head pushing out on the helmet.

[piisfish 140]

get a helmet cutaway. They can be very cheap and very efficient. (1 cypres loop, 1 Cypres Smiley disc, 30cm lolon coated cable, 1 oval sleeve).

Been there (without cutaway), got a Cypres save.

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[piisfish 140]

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It is impossible to get solid, stable, sellable tandem vid without a chincup, IMO.

is it possible to sell GoPro video for outside tandem vid ?

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[nigel99 474]

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It is impossible to get solid, stable, sellable tandem vid without a chincup, IMO.

is it possible to sell GoPro video for outside tandem vid ?

Just to be clear I don't intend to do paid work. But I still feel that DSE point is valid.

The chin cup and cutaway double the price of the FF1. It is still a cheap helmet though. I mainly do small RW and am intending to get into coaching at 200 jumps. gopro footage is good enough for that.

Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

[wildcard451 0]

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It is impossible to get solid, stable, sellable tandem vid without a chincup, IMO.

is it possible to sell GoPro video for outside tandem vid ?

Anything is possible.

[mircan 0]

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It is impossible to get solid, stable, sellable tandem vid without a chincup, IMO.

is it possible to sell GoPro video for outside tandem vid ?

Well, you can sell anything these days...
Here, every other new camera flyer uses gopro/contour. Some for video, some for both video and stills. Of course, quality sucks, but the customers doesn`t seem to mind They don`t know better. Most of the (new) jumpers also see no difference (which speaks volumes by itself) and can`t comprehend it even if it`s shown to them.

dudeist skydiver #42

[horny955 0]

Cutaway!!
Got mine for my previous helmet off of ebay with no need for a chincup cheap and works well.
2KC SKYDIVING HELMET CUTAWAY KIT 3 (250927409496)

[theonlyski 8]

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The chin cup and cutaway double the price of the FF1. It is still a cheap helmet though. I mainly do small RW and am intending to get into coaching at 200 jumps. gopro footage is good enough for that.

IMO if you are doing much RW, you're going to want a full face... other than that, I have been kicked in the chin cup on a RW jump I was in with my camera helmet... didn't hurt me any. Was glad that I had it!

Also, don't go start doing coach jumps with video right away, get used to the camera and coaching seperatly... Students do some freaking weird things at times, and you need to be on your game and not worrying if the camera got knocked off your head on that funneled exit. You should be able to recall the skydive without the video like all of the other coaches are suppossed to.

"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
I'm an asshole, and I approve this message

[nigel99 474]

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IMO if you are doing much RW, you're going to want a full face... other than that, I have been kicked in the chin cup on a RW jump I was in

All good advice thanks. I don't like full face helmets for a couple of reasons. I know the potential benefits, but personally don't like the way I can't see handles as easily.

Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

[Laszloimage 0]

"Hook knife or cutaway?"
Both!
I actually carry two good (metal housing) hook knives besides the cutaway system.

[VideoFly 0]

Have options. Get the cutaway plus at least 2 hook knives. Helmet wraps may not be a simple tangle on gear, pulling upward, just waiting to be cut away. I had a bad helmet wrap where the risers twisted across the back of the helmet and up to lines around the cameras. With everything tightly wrapped, my chin pinned to my chest, my left hand and glove tightly wrapped in the risers, while spinning on my back, a helmet cutaway was not possible. The helmet could not open.

Keep your options open.

As far as a chin cup goes, the chin and the opposing back top of the helmet control your camera direction and video stability. Tight chin support is essential.

[skyjumpenfool 2]

Neither the cutaway or the hook knife are easy to use when your neck is broken!! Spend some time and effort to eliminate any and all possible snag points.

..... that whole "ounce of prevention" thingy?

Birdshit & Fools Productions

"Son, only two things fall from the sky."

[nigel99 474]

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Have options. Get the cutaway plus at least 2 hook knives. Helmet wraps may not be a simple tangle on gear, pulling upward, just waiting to be cut away. I had a bad helmet wrap where the risers twisted across the back of the helmet and up to lines around the cameras. With everything tightly wrapped, my chin pinned to my chest, my left hand and glove tightly wrapped in the risers, while spinning on my back, a helmet cutaway was not possible. The helmet could not open.

Keep your options open.

As far as a chin cup goes, the chin and the opposing back top of the helmet control your camera direction and video stability. Tight chin support is essential.

Wow scary story.

I was planning on a quality hook knife (not the tiny little ones with a plastic handle). If you jump with 2 knives where do you keep them? When I have jumped with a knife (don't always) it has been the small plastic type and the rig has a location near the hip for it.

@skyjumpingfool. Yes I am aware of snag hazards. When I get to mounting the go-pro on the helmet it will probably be with a Square1 mount. It looks like the lowest snag risk.

Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

[Hellis 0]

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If you jump with 2 knives where do you keep them? When I have jumped with a knife (don't always) it has been the small plastic type and the rig has a location near the hip for it.

On my second rig I have four (4) knives (yes it's a CReW rig), one "normalsized" on each legstrap, one Jack The Ripper on my cheststrap, one Benchmade 8 Hook on my left mudflap.
All can be reached with either hand, but three of them are easier to get with my right hand.

The only time I jump with less than two knifes is with BASErig, but I have two knives laying just waiting to be sewn on.

[dragon2 2]

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If you jump with 2 knives where do you keep them? When I have jumped with a knife (don't always) it has been the small plastic type and the rig has a location near the hip for it.

I have 2 decent quality small knives on all my rigs.
One knife goes left, one knife goes right. One knife goes low (in a pocket in my legstrap), one knife goes high (in the opposite mudflap, have your rigger install a snap if your rig doesn't have one there already).

One more on my cheststrap for CRW.

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[VideoFly 0]

A Jack the Ripper on my left thigh and a smaller metal hook knife on my chest mount altimeter, which is accessible to both hands.