I’m reading Dale Sheckler’s article (online) “Hunting Rock Scallops” and would like to know what knife blade length in inches is ideal for this. The article says the knife should be long. How many inches does he recommend? Thanks.
Alex Fuhrer

Alex,
This depends on how you intend on harvesting the scallop. If you are going to cut the meat out rather than removing the scallop whole, a long thin sharp blade is best, but don’t pry with this blade as it will ruin it. If you will be removing the scallop whole, shell and all, then the bigger and heavier the better. You basically need a giant pry bar. Use a blunt-tip knife, 420 stainless steel as this is the toughest, but it still can bend or break. And forget about keeping a sharp edge. If you are going to use your dive knife as a rock scallop pry bar, carry a secondary sharp knife for emergencies. Titanium knives are super tough but can still suffer from abuse and with their higher price tag not the best choice for this application.

Dale Sheckler
Editor