Good knife for a paramedic

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FLYBYU44

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I'm going in to be a paramedic in the summer and was thinking my SAK soldier isn't the best for that type of thing, what would be a good knife to carry on duty, something not to massive? Perhaps there are some members that work in this field and have first hand knowledge?
 
I don't know much about knives, but it seems that you'd really benefit from serrations as a paramedic - just throwing that in.
 
As someone else mentioned, Spyderco is a good place to start. They have a couple of knives specifically designed for this area of application (in fact, under the category "Save and Serve" on their website).

Among their premium offerings (list price of around $75 - $115), I'd check out:

Spyderco Assist
Spyderco Rescue
Spyderco Saver Salt

Among their value offerings (list price of $28 - $33), I'd look at:

Spyderco Byrd Cara Cara Rescue
Spyderco Byrd Meadowlark Rescue

Each of these knives has a blunted tip and serrated blade. This makes for safer use in the event of cutting close to a person (such as cutting away a seatbelt). Each one has different aspects that may make it more applicable for your needs. The Byrd knives are lower priced and made in China by Spyderco. They're quite solid, and an excellent value. The Saver Salt has a blade made of H1, an unusual steel that includes nitrogen in place of most of the carbon, which makes it essentially impervious to rust and corrosion. The Rescue is available in two different sizes.

You should be able to find them for at least 10% less than the list price at numerous retailers around the web. Examine each one, and compare it to what you're looking for, and I'm sure one of them will fit your needs and budget.
 
FLYBYU44 said:
I'm going in to be a paramedic in the summer and was thinking my SAK soldier isn't the best for that type of thing, what would be a good knife to carry on duty, something not to massive? Perhaps there are some members that work in this field and have first hand knowledge?
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I used to be a medic about 9 years ago and much of what you may be able to use on duty will be dictated by your service. At the time I was doing it, I carried a fully serrated Spyderco Endura which I used once on a scene and was promptly yelled at by the supervisor for having a sharp pointy knife near the patient. After that I still carried the endura but rarely used it. I did carry a leatherman supertool, one of the first variants where you had to open another blade to release the blade lock, and management didn't seem to have as big a problem with that. Honestly, it is not sexy or high speed but the $2 EMT shears work well and we had them in all the jump bags and in the unit and I carried one of the fanny packs that has the flap in the front that covers slots for a set of shears, a maglite, and a pen. It worked well for me- and I would rather lose a set of shears than a good knife.

At the time, most medics I knew did not even carry a knife- the ones who did generally had leathermans but I saw everything from really crappy slipjoints to buck 110's to a guy who carried an AG Russell deer hunter type knife. He was also the only one who had a surefire instead of a maglight.

I'm sure a lot has changed- I had to have my father transported recently and my local EMS had a motorized stretcher- I had to tell them about how, back in the day, we actually had to lift it up and down ourselves.

Have fun, my time as a medic was the most fun I ever had.
 
Im an ex EMT. Although I never carried one a coworker had a Smith and Wesson First Responder. It had a serrated edge , with a screwdriver tip, and a spring loaded window punch. It was a keen medical emergency knife.
 
FLYBYU44 said:
I'm going in to be a paramedic in the summer and was thinking my SAK soldier isn't the best for that type of thing, what would be a good knife to carry on duty, something not to massive? Perhaps there are some members that work in this field and have first hand knowledge?
Click to expand...

My sister is an EMT in FL. At work, she carries and uses a Spyderco Delica 4 that I gave her. I know she uses it because I have to sharpen it every time I go to visit her.

For a personal EDC she carries a BM mini-Grip CE.
 
Mini Griptilian or Delica.

I wouldn't buy a "rescue" knife, as you won't be using the knife around patients and a sharp tip is useful for general use.
 
Two of the most popular knives for cops and paramedics where I live are the Benchmade 710 and the Spyderco Military/Police.

In fact, that's one of the main reasons that I own these knives myself. :)

And BTW, the "first responder" at an accident scene won't necessarily be a policeman of fireman. I personally know of one instance where an accident victim had to be extracted from a vehicle by cutting a seatbelt. The "rescuer" was a 60+ year old historian! (me! :cool:)
 
I've used a Spyderco Rescue with great success in the field. I used it more to remove jackets or open pants than I used it for odd jobs around the station. I also carried a CRKT Bear Claw (sererated with rounded tip) for a little while, but preferred the Spyderco. The Bear Claw was great for seat belts, but the longer cutting edge on the Spyderco proved far more effective on clothing.

A multitool such as a Leatherman Wave will cover all of your bases if you don't mind the extra weight.
 
I suggest a Spyderco Caly Jnr.
Light,pretty friendy to the sheeple and "sharp" to do any tasks that you come across.
 
The one knife I see a lot of Firefighters / EMTs around here carry is the Victorinox Rescue Tool... http://www.knifeoutlet.com/shop/10Expand.asp?ProductCode=VIC53900
It has a large locking blade that's half serrated, and opens with one hand. Also has a Phillips screwdriver, reamer, window breaker (that's removable), large flathead screwdriver that doubles as a strong crate opener, seat belt cutter, and a disc saw for shatterproof glass (it's removable also). Also has the standard tweezers, keyring, toothpick, nylon cord, luminiscent yellow handles, and a sheath.
 
I've been in the field as an EMT for a few years. In my experience in Los Angeles county, with our restricted scope of practice, and in the course of doing several thousand BLS interfacility runs, you're a thousand times better off investing in one of those little blood pressure wrist cuffs than you are investing in a knife. Your shears will do everything you need to do BETTER than a knife will.

Don't worry about cutting seat belts, your shears will do it. Don't worry about opening packages, you can do it with your fingers. You won't have to worry about the problems associated with bringing a knife into an emergency department.

I like knives and enjoy using them throughout the day but on the clock as an EMT I have never NEEDED a knife. I've used one, but I've never used it in a way that the shears couldn't have taken care of just as well.

Sorry to burst the BF bubble, but the shears are sufficient for the day's work. I carried a Leatherman to work yesterday, but never used it. I did use the mini maglite that is holstered with the leatherman, but not the knife itself.
 
I'm an EMT. When I'm on duty I carry one of those little, orange-handled Spyderco Rescues, the 79mm, serrated, blunt-tipped version. I carry it in my right front pocket because my department prefers that we keep our knives out of sight, and out of reach, of potentially irrational patients (a policy which I personally think is quite sound).

I agree that a knife is not strictly necessary, because a shears will do almost as well, most of the time. However, I know that if I have to reach one hand deep into a wreck to cut a belt, or if I ever have to disentangle somebody from a rope or a harness, I'm going to wish I had a small sharp knife instead.

I selected this particular knife very carefully. It is light weight, flat and rounded, pocket-friendly and reasonably priced. It opens with one hand, locks firmly, stays locked in use, and is surprisingly sharp and strong. I did modify the blade ever so slightly, rounding the very tip of the cutting edge off with a stone to make the knife just a little safer when used close to human skin. I added a small braided lanyard to make it easier to fish out of my pocket when I need it.

I have yet to use if for anything important in the field, but I'm always happy that it's there. And yes, it works great on boxes, too...
 
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:jerkit:
 
I've been in emergency services since '79 and the following have served me very well.
spyderco endura plain edge
buck 110,
buck 112
and whatever you do go out and by a pair of crash shears{you know the cheap ones that cut a penny in half}and use those in close on the patient you don't them to code on you from knife fright. good luck, ahgar
btw if you're really interested in the medical field, 2 words, Nursing school.
 
Thanks for all the tips guys, I will look into them. I like that Victorinox knife. I like my knife I have now, but the blade won't open with one hand and it has no lock.
 
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