What is the purpose of the floating sheath knife for liferafts?

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In an emergency with a liferaft, you need a tool that’s immediately reliable, easy to grab, and gentle on the raft itself while you’re cutting through rope or webbing. A floating sheath knife that is of a non-folding type with a buoyant handle fits that need perfectly. The non-folding blade stays ready and robust, so you won’t struggle with deploying or misplacing it, and the buoyant handle means the knife won’t sink if it’s dropped, making retrieval quick in rough water. The sheath keeps the knife attached to the raft system and provides visibility and quick access. This design also helps protect the raft’s fabric because the tool is built to cut through lines without snagging or tearing the fabric around the hull area during an emergency. Other options don’t align with the practical needs of liferaft use: a folding knife can be less reliable in harsh conditions, a circular saw is not part of standard liferaft gear, and a dull knife wouldn’t be useful when you need to cut quickly.