Myerchin Knives Frequently Asked Questions

Myerchin UK has been the sole European importer of the superb Myerchin range of Rigging Knives since 2006. Based near Dorchester, Dorset, we aim to provide an efficient and knowledgeable service both to sailors and to other specialist knife users.

Here are the answers to the questions we get asked the most.

What options does Myerchin offer in their rigging knife range?

• The range falls into 3 categories – Fixed Blade, Folding Blade and Multi-Tool. Within these ranges, there are other features to match the knife to your individual requirements. Below is a brief introduction to each type: –
  • Fixed Blade – simple, no working mechanism. Available with different material and colour handle ‘Scales’ and a ‘plain ground’ or ‘¾ serrated’ Sheep’s Foot blade. Additionally, the fixed blade also comes with a Marlin Spike and leather sheath.
  • Folding Blade – easy to carry and deploy when needed. The Knife Body contains both the blade and Marlin Spike. Available with different material and colour handle ‘Scales’ and a ‘plain ground’ or ‘¾ serrated’ Sheep’s Foot blade. Supplied with a nylon belt/harness sheath.
  • Multi-Tool – a simple economic knife/pliers solution. Available with 3 different colour aluminium handle ‘Scales’ Red, Blue & Silver. The ‘Sailors Tool’ has a short ‘¾ serrated’ blade and a Marlin Spike which doubles up as the lever handle to the pliers.

What is? and what are the advantages of a Fixed Blade Knife?

• Fixed Blade – A single piece of Pro-grade German Marine Stainless Steel from the knife tip to the end of the tang. Quite simply there is nothing to fail. Two ‘Scales’ comfortably sandwich the full-length tang to provide a comfortable, practical, strong and ergonomic handle.

• • The Myerchin Fixed Blade features a ‘Sheep’s Foot’ Blade tip.
  • We see most fixed blades going out to those who regularly use a rigging knife, boatyards, professional boat crews and classic boat owners. Leisure sailors in the main prefer the more compact Folding Blade.
  • The knife is available to use by simply pulling out of its sheath and does not have to be unfolded. Therefore the fixed blade (without any mechanism) used without abuse will not fail. The single full-length blade/tang provides maximum strength, the blade is the tang, and the tang is the blade simple!

What is? and what are the advantages of a Folding Blade Knife?

• Folding Blade – The Generation II (G2) Folding blade range is strong, compact and has both a blade and marlinspike. The G2 Folders feature (depending on the model) a ‘Frame’ or ‘Liner’ lock mechanism. Perfect for ‘One Hand Opening’ both the Pro-grade German Marine Stainless-Steel blade and the spike are locked open in this way.
• We see most folding blades going out to Leisure Sailors and those who have the knife for those ‘when needed’ moments. Boatyards, professional boat crews and classic boat owners’ sailors in the main prefer the Fixed Blade.
• The compact, easy-to-carry folder fits easily in the pocket (on a lanyard of course).
• Alternatively, the sheath can be secured to a belt or harness (vertical or horizontal to meet preference). “It’s knowing it’s there and will always work when needed that gives peace of mind”.
• The knife is perfect for ‘one hand opening’. You’ve probably heard the old saying, “One hand for yourself, and one hand for the ship”. To Myerchin the importance being you can remove the knife from its sheath/pocket, open and use it with one hand on the boat.

• Because we all don’t have the big sailor’s hands all folding blade models are available in the Captain (large) and Crew (small) ranges.
• The Captain – Length Closed: 4.75” (121mm), Blade Length: 2.8” (72mm), Spike Length: 3” (76mm), Weight: 7 oz (195 g).
• The Crew – Length Closed: 3.5” (89mm), Blade Length: 2.3”, (59mm), Spike Length: 1.75” (45mm), Weight: 2.4 oz (69g).
• Weights are approximate as they vary between the different Scale materials.

• The Myerchin Captain and Crew range uses a Pro-grade German Marine stainless that is comparable to 440C for hardness and edge-holding properties with additional anti-oxidation elements.
• Corrosion resistance (anti-oxidation) is a common question for the simple reason that without proper care our range will show signs of surface oxidation. By proper care, we mean simply rinsing in fresh water after exposure to a salty environment and if it’s going to be stored for an extended period a wipe of oil (such as WD40 or similar) will ensure it remains in perfect condition.
• If we used a stainless steel that would not corrode at all it would have very poor edge-holding properties and would blunt quickly. The grade we use has been selected to optimise the balance between corrosion and edge maintenance.

It states that the black handles are made from G10 – what is G10?

• G-10 is a high-pressure fibreglass laminate, a type of composite material. It is created by stacking multiple layers of glass cloth, soaked in epoxy resin, and compressing the resulting material under heat until the epoxy cures. It is manufactured in flat sheets.
• G-10 is very similar to Micarta and carbon fibre laminates because they are all resin-based laminates, except that the base material used is glass cloth. G-10 is the toughest of the glass fibre resin laminates and therefore the most commonly used.
• Properties: –
• G-10 is favoured for its high strength, low moisture absorption, and high level of electrical insulation and chemical resistance. These properties are maintained not only at room temperature but also under humid or moist conditions. It was first used as a substrate for printed circuit boards, and its designation, G-10, comes from a National Electrical Manufacturers Association standard for this purpose.
• Decorative variations of G-10 are produced in many colours and patterns and are especially used to make handles for knives, grips for firearms and other tools. These can be textured (for grip), bead blasted, sanded or polished. Its strength and low density make it useful for other kinds of handicrafts as well.

What if I receive my Myerchin knife and I’d rather have a different one?

• This is not a problem We will always gladly exchange any unused knife, all you will be liable for is the shipping of your knife back to us and of the replacement knife back to you. The best course of action would be to phone or email us (see the contact tab). You will need to decide which knife you prefer, again feel free to discuss your requirements with us. There may be a price difference to be addressed. Once we receive the original knife back from you we will ship out your replacement.

How should I sharpen my Myerchin?

• There is not just one way to sharpen a knife. There are many factors to take into consideration, like the type of blade, the sharpening tools you have available and the amount of time you are prepared to spend keeping your knife sharp. One thing that most people agree on is that a blunt knife is more dangerous than a well-maintained sharp knife! When using a blunt knife the loads and forces exerted on the item being cut increase dramatically and this increases the risk of serious/deep wounds if the blade slips from the job into the body.
• There are a few essential things that are specific to the Myerchin knives that need to be applied when sharpening the blades.
• Blades are ground at a 20-degree angle
• Serrated blades should NOT be dressed from the flat side, use rods on the serrated side of the blade
• Wash and dry the blade on completion
• Keeping the blade lightly oiled (e.g WD 40 or similar)
• We recommend (and sell) the ‘Smiths 3 in 1 Knife Sharpener System (V100)‘ Specific instructions to sharpen a Myerchin knife are provided on the product page.

My Marlinspike has some indents is this correct?

• This is not unusual and does not represent a defect. The marlinspikes are manufactured using a forging process, forging enables the grain structure of the steel alloy to be aligned along its length thus producing a much tougher product (in the direction required). Forging is effectively a hammering process and as a result, an uneven surface is an outcome before finishing. During finishing this is usually/largely removed but obviously, too much finishing would reduce the diameter of the spike and weaken it that way. These marks are unlikely to cause any negative outcomes for the spike so standard recommended maintenance is all that is required.

Where are Myerchin Knives Manufactured?

• Myerchin Inc. is an American company based in California (Not to be confused with Myerchin UK – we are a stand-alone UK company based in Dorset, England, and we are the European Agent for the whole Myerchin Range). The Myerchin Original Range was made in Japan. Around the time that Generation 2 was introduced manufacturing switched from Japan to China. The decision to move manufacturing to China was based on improved production methods, quality and output. As a result, we have experienced a significant improvement in quality, and our returns, although already low, dropped further; when you consider the Professional Ranges are genuinely guaranteed for life to be free of material and manufacturing defects (not abuse obviously) this is something we are very proud of.

Are Myerchin Knives ‘UK Carry Legal’?

• For safety reasons (the blade not closing on you when in use in challenging environments) our blades lock into position. This renders them non ‘UK Carry Legal’ without a valid reason for having the knife on you. 

• “UK knife law allows you to carry non-locking pocket knives with a blade length up to 3 inches (7.62 cm) without any need for a valid reason. You are allowed to carry a knife which exceeds these guidelines in public, but please remember: you will need a good reason to carry it.”

• The Captain Folder range knives have a blade length of 2.8” (72mm) which is within limits but the fact that they lock into the operating position is outside of the legal ‘no reason required’ requirement.

• We advise that if you are sailing or obviously travelling to/from a sailing occurrence (dressed accordingly, having other sailing equipment with you and in a location of or travelling to a sailing location) you have a ‘valid reason’. Clearly, if you have the knife in a night club you would not have a valid reason and in a bar (depending on location) you would be unlikely to defend it as being valid.

Do I have to be over 18 to purchase a  Myerchin Knife?

• YES

  We strictly comply with the Criminal Justice Act 1988, as amended by the Offensive Weapons Act 1996 and the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 it is an offence to supply a knife to persons under the age of 18. Please note we take our responsibilities in this matter very seriously. In order to ensure that the purchaser is over 18 checks will be made to verify the age of an individual purchasing a knife. These can normally be carried out without the need to contact the individual but where this is not possible the individual may be contacted and asked to provide proof of age related to the delivery address. We use an ‘Adult Signature Required’ courier service to deliver the knife, it will only be left by the courier with an adult who is clearly over the age of 18, where there is uncertainty proof of age will be requested and a signature will be required. In the event of an individual under the age of 18 attempting to purchase a knife from us, you may lose your entire purchase price or a £5 administration fee will be charged. By completing the checkout transaction, a purchaser agrees that this deduction will be taken before any refund is given. In addition, information on the attempted transaction may be shared with the Police.

  We are also very aware of some forthcoming changes in the law concerning pre-selling checks, we welcome these and will as always comply with these as they are enforced.

Can I buy a gift voucher??

• A Myerchin Knife makes a superb present, but choosing for someone else can be difficult if their specific requirements are unknown. Our gift vouchers are the simple answer to buy a voucher: –

• Click on the ‘SHOP’ tab.
• In the bottom right-hand corner, you will see the gift card icon
• Click on this icon and choose the amount you would like added to the card
• You will be asked to add your details, you can have the voucher emailed directly to the recipient or yourself so you can print it out and hand deliver it.
• Then checkout.

Does Myerchin deliver to Europe?

•  Yes, our website is set up for this. We use FedEx for all shipments.
• How long does shipping take? Usually between 3 to 5 working days
• Do I need to pay taxes & duty? Yes, as there are no taxes or duties included in your transaction with us, you may be liable to import taxes and where over €150 import duty and the courier may require this payment before delivery. The courier will probably charge an administration fee for this service.

I am from overseas but visiting the UK can I purchase without paying UK VAT?

• No sorry, it is not possible under UK VAT law. Copied below is the HMRC guidance, the bold italic text below is the requirement that would render the whole operation pointless. In order for you to provide the evidence of export that we would require to satisfy HMRC of zero rate supply, you would have to pay Import VAT in your receiving country.
• HMRC Guidance (UK Delivery Address on Exported Goods attracting Zero Rate VAT)
  If the UK Supplier has sent the goods for processing prior to export they can be charged at the zero rate as long as these conditions are met:
  When you make a supply of goods to an overseas person for export, but deliver them to a third person in the UK who is also making a taxable supply of goods or services to that overseas person, you can zero rate the supply provided:
  • the goods are only being delivered and not supplied to the third person in the UK
  • no use is made of the goods other than for processing or incorporation into other goods for export
  • the goods are exported from the UK and you get evidence of export within the specified time limits and your records show the:
  o name and address of the overseas person
  o invoice number and date
  o description, quantity and value of the goods
  o name and address of the third person in the UK to whom the goods were delivered
  o date by which the goods must be exported and proof of export obtained
  o date of actual exportation
  If all of the above conditions are not met the supply cannot be zero-rated as an export and must account for VAT at the appropriate UK rate.
  It is therefore essential that it is established at the time of sale what type of export documentation will be required of you to support the zero-rating of your supply.
  Please see the guidance below:
  VAT on goods exported from the UK (VAT Notice 703). https://www.gov.uk/guidance/vat-on-goods-exported-from-the-uk-notice-703#sect3
  So in short we would need to apply VAT at the UK rate of 20%. There is of course a delivery charge saving to be made by having it dispatched to a UK address.