EDC that is a effective seat belt cutter too

akula83

akula83

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Aug 19, 2008
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Another recent thread here told of the very sad situation of a kid trapped inside a burning vehicle and no one having a knife on their person to cut the belts for rescue. I am not trying to jump on anything already posted, I have a kid who rides in a car seat and these stories always hit me hard. this is one of the reasons I have always had a knife on me, My question is this... sure I have my capable Spyderco native or my Skyline clipped in my pocket, but maybe there is something better. How about some advice on a blade that would really excell at cutting (nylon?) safety belts and still retain some utility EDC purpose as well and not be just a "rescue" model. Maybe some EMT's or LEO's could chime in on what they carry. Thanks.
 
akula83 said:
Another recent thread here told of the very sad situation of a kid trapped inside a burning vehicle and no one having a knife on their person to cut the belts for rescue. I am not trying to jump on anything already posted, I have a kid who rides in a car seat and these stories always hit me hard. this is one of the reasons I have always had a knife on me, My question is this... sure I have my capable Spyderco native or my Skyline clipped in my pocket, but maybe there is something better. How about some advice on a blade that would really excell at cutting (nylon?) safety belts and still retain some utility EDC purpose as well and not be just a "rescue" model. Maybe some EMT's or LEO's could chime in on what they carry. Thanks.
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You know, this question came up a couple of years ago and I wondered what it would actually take to cut a seatbelt one time. So I bought some seat belt material and did some tests. I found pretty much any sharp knife will cut a seat belt. That includes a 2" bladeded Case Tiny Trapper, a Buck 303, a couple of spydercos.

So choose anything you think you will carry on a regular basis.
 
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How about a dedicated seat belt cutter? Or a Benchmade Houdini tool?

Or you could try this link. ;) Link
 
singularity35 said:
Spyderco Assist.
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+1. I got the Assist just because I thought it was kind of neat. But after some use, I've found that a sharp tip isn't absolutely necessary for most EDC tasks, and this knife functions well day to day. It's a beast for cutting cardboard, too.
 
If you aren't limiting it to single-bladed folder, I like my Leatherman Charge TTI. It has a PE blade along with a second, serrated one with a hook on the spine for cutting seat belts and such
 
you can always get a knife with a sheep's foot design. Personnaly I dont think keeping a dedicated seat belt cutter on you at all time is realistic or pratical. Just keep a sharp knife on you. Cutting someone out of a seatbelt even if you cut them is probally not gonna kill them unless you repeatedly stab them on purpose.
 
Any sharp knife. Anything sharp. Seat belts aren't that hard to cut through. You can use a piece of broken glass if you didn't have a knife. What ever gets the job done. No one should burn just because someone is scared to poke a trapped person.
 
I agree that any plain edge knife if sufficiently sharp should have no problem whipping through a seat belt. But, a serrated Delica or Salt 1 would work pretty well and still perform admirably as an EDC blade.
 
I got 2 of the small Houdini tools, and played with one. The blade is sharp enough to cut many straps, the shape of it makes the cutter very narrow and i could see it being troublesome if you where injured or scared. It has a light on it, but it does not stay on.. you have to hold it on. The hook shaped strap cutters from Benchmade look to be of a far better design.

The Houdini also has a glass breaker and whistle, I never used the glass breaker on glass but it will dent wood and thin sheet metals.

In a car wreck situation I think its better than nothing, but I would want something alot better

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Any sharp knife will do. The rescue blades have a blunt tip that makes it easier to cut the seatbelt but not the person. You can also get rescue hooks in carabiner form. I think Benchmade makes one of those. I carry my keys on a biner anyways, so I will probably invest in one of those eventually.
 
Another vote to the Benchmade Triage from me. It's one of the next knives on my list to get.
 
I would think a simple Byrd Hawkbill FRN handle would fit the bill... affordable, Spyderco quality and serrations, has a point, only 3" in length. Just wish the clip was black like the handle.
 
Firefighter/Paramedic responding here. I carry multiple knives on me always. My shift knives are a Spyderco Breeden Rescue, CRK Umnumzaan, and a Becker BK-9

the spyderco is the way to go. blunt tip, good ergos etc. sharp.

Normal carry drops the BK-9 and adds a Case Trapper

The spyderco will perform excellent in the EDC environment and gets used much more than the others on duty and off.


That being said, I'm obligated to say that a civillian cutting someone out of a car should be a last resort. We get there fast. Only do that if the child/person is in imminent danger. if its a fender bender and they are stuck, cut the belts but leave the victim, we can immobilize their backs and necks and minimize potential paralysis or death from spine injury. Trust me, the last thing you want to do is harm your own family member or friend not knowing they had a spine injury. I've seen it done and those cases stay with you.
 
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