Carrillo Airkat Gutwrench. Good luck finding one. Looks like they go for around 300-400 $$$
I have no use for a hook, but that thing is plain awesome.
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Higher End Rescue Hook?
- Thread starter wacki
- Start date
I have no use for a hook, but that thing is plain awesome.
You might disagree, but it's not a useless comment. Ask for an opinion on the internet and you get one. At least I do have a significant amount of experience in the exact subject the OP was asking about.
A good pair of EMS shears is considerably more useful than a hook, just not as cool.
I am not a paramedic, but I do keep a pair in my work vehicle. They also can be quite handy field dressing game.
A friend of mine is into Hojōjutsu & shibari. I'd like to buy this for her as a safety-concious gift.
Does that change your mind? Clearly this isn't your average situation. I want the hook sharp as heck and capable of cutting through 10 strands of 8mm hemp like butter.
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- May 6, 2009
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- 928
I think you would be good with one of the benchmades iv got one and it is screaming sharp. My suggestion would be to go with one of the longer handled ones, and since they are made to cut threw nylon, leather, denim ect I'm sure they would meet your needs.
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2014
- Messages
- 91
I disagree. Your comment of it being "Firefighter jewelry," is useless. They are not. They are functional both as seat belt cutters, and clothing cutters. Generally when I have had to cut seat belts, it has been to remove a roof, not release a patient. But I have had a few times where I did need to cut the belt to make a rescue. Overturned with roof intrusion, and difficulty accessing the buckle was the most common scenario.
I have also used them to cut clothing numerous times, including on several cardiac arrest saves. Trauma shears could have worked in a number of these, but I was using the seat belt hook because it was what I had in my pocket when I needed it. Until Leatherman introduced the Raptor, it was not exactly comfortable to carry a pair of shears in my pocket. Cargo pants are not an option in my department, and wearing shears on the waist leads to discomfort when I put my SCBA on as they are forced into my hips. (That is if you wear it right, and tighten the waist strap to carry the load on your hips instead of your shoulder.)
Just because you don't see a use for them, or possibly don't know how to use as well as they can be does not make them "Jewelry."
And as far as where I base this experience - Coming up on 18 years FD experience, 14 of that career in a large (700+ full time employee) Metro fire department. All of that time was with EMS response as well, and with the last 9 years also being a paramedic. For almost 3 years I was a full time training officer at our academy, involved in entry level training for 150 new personnel, skills refreshers for the whole department, and I also teach part time through our state university system...
They are a nice tool to have in the box, not the only or best option.
Have a plan, have a backup plan...
I have also used them to cut clothing numerous times, including on several cardiac arrest saves. Trauma shears could have worked in a number of these, but I was using the seat belt hook because it was what I had in my pocket when I needed it. Until Leatherman introduced the Raptor, it was not exactly comfortable to carry a pair of shears in my pocket. Cargo pants are not an option in my department, and wearing shears on the waist leads to discomfort when I put my SCBA on as they are forced into my hips. (That is if you wear it right, and tighten the waist strap to carry the load on your hips instead of your shoulder.)
Just because you don't see a use for them, or possibly don't know how to use as well as they can be does not make them "Jewelry."
And as far as where I base this experience - Coming up on 18 years FD experience, 14 of that career in a large (700+ full time employee) Metro fire department. All of that time was with EMS response as well, and with the last 9 years also being a paramedic. For almost 3 years I was a full time training officer at our academy, involved in entry level training for 150 new personnel, skills refreshers for the whole department, and I also teach part time through our state university system...
They are a nice tool to have in the box, not the only or best option.
Have a plan, have a backup plan...
Last edited:
- Joined
- Jul 4, 2014
- Messages
- 6,191
I spend years as a medic and never used a rescue hook. I normally reached for shears and from time to time my Buck 112 or CRKT knives. I also owned a SOG Flash 2 Rescue. Never really warmed up to that knife.
I think a small Ritter Grip and a rescue hook would make a great combo.
I think a small Ritter Grip and a rescue hook would make a great combo.
- Joined
- Nov 27, 2005
- Messages
- 1,315
I have cut a bunch of seatbelts doing rescue training. Never been necessary in real life scenarios. If it ever becomes necessary my shears will cut seatbelts and clothes which covers more bases than a rescue hook.
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2014
- Messages
- 91
One question I would ask of those not happy with hook performance, is were you using a decent hook? I have tried a few of the basic models with a razor blade, and found their performance sub-par. Same for the knives with a slot in the handle, to expose a small area of the blade to serve as a hook.
The first one that I truly liked was the hook on the Gerber-made, Hinderer Rescue Knife. Not surprising that Rick Hinderer could design a decent knife as he also happens to be a volunteer firefighter. I used and carried that knife for a while at work and liked it, but it had a few compromises I didn't like. The hook was small, but very sharp when delivered. Unfortunately it's design led to some difficulty sharpening it after using for a while. I also found the knife to be a bit bulky for what it was, and the dull point (designed for prying) and full serrations minimized it's use as a general purpose knife. The window punch on it worked, although being steel it rounded off after a few uses (Really this is an emergency feature, use a carbide tool if you can.)
The Kershaw Funxion EMT also has a hook on it that I have used several times. It is more open and I find a little easier to sharpen. It is also a combo edge and clip point knife design, leading it to be capable as a general purpose knife with a hook if needed. The window punch on it is also carbide and shows no damage after use in a few training drills. At the $25-$30 street price it is cheap enough to carry and not worry about loss or damage. The fact that it includes a bottle opener in it means it finds it's way into my pocket a fair bit off duty as well. If they made a similar, but upgraded material version at about $60, I'd be in love.
But, by far the best hook I have used is a Benchmade Rescue 5. I received it used, as a gift. My Best Man had used and carried it for several years in several very busy EMS only career services, and spoke highly of it. When he left that line of work while in med school, he passed it on to me. Even in a used state it blew away the cheap razor style knives. Sharpened up, it is a joy to use.
Anyway, back to the topic of a high end rescue hook, I completely forgot about something that may fit that description that a paramedic/emergency room PA friend of mine told me about a few years ago. The S-CUT from Sweden. I remember thinking it was great, but something I wouldn't spend almost $200 on.
Review from Emergency Physicians Monthly: http://www.epmonthly.com/departments/subspecialties/technology/swedish-s-cut-trauma-shear-a-cut-above-the-rest/
And the following conclusion from a study published in The American Journal of Emergency Medicine (hosted on the manufacturer site): "We found that a new device (S-CUT) used to expose the chest in OHCA was associated with a reduction in procedure time as compared with scissors. With regard to the types of clothing that were expected to be most commonly used, the mean difference was more than 20 seconds for indoor clothing and more than 1 minute for outdoor clothing. http://www.s-cut.us.com/pdf/Scut__Aune_et_al.pdf
They have a few other studies posted there as well, and their results reflect my personal experience with a good quality hook, like the Rescue 5/7.
As I work for the government, and have a family to support, that is a little rich for me for a single purpose tool. If you have the money to spend...
The first one that I truly liked was the hook on the Gerber-made, Hinderer Rescue Knife. Not surprising that Rick Hinderer could design a decent knife as he also happens to be a volunteer firefighter. I used and carried that knife for a while at work and liked it, but it had a few compromises I didn't like. The hook was small, but very sharp when delivered. Unfortunately it's design led to some difficulty sharpening it after using for a while. I also found the knife to be a bit bulky for what it was, and the dull point (designed for prying) and full serrations minimized it's use as a general purpose knife. The window punch on it worked, although being steel it rounded off after a few uses (Really this is an emergency feature, use a carbide tool if you can.)
The Kershaw Funxion EMT also has a hook on it that I have used several times. It is more open and I find a little easier to sharpen. It is also a combo edge and clip point knife design, leading it to be capable as a general purpose knife with a hook if needed. The window punch on it is also carbide and shows no damage after use in a few training drills. At the $25-$30 street price it is cheap enough to carry and not worry about loss or damage. The fact that it includes a bottle opener in it means it finds it's way into my pocket a fair bit off duty as well. If they made a similar, but upgraded material version at about $60, I'd be in love.
But, by far the best hook I have used is a Benchmade Rescue 5. I received it used, as a gift. My Best Man had used and carried it for several years in several very busy EMS only career services, and spoke highly of it. When he left that line of work while in med school, he passed it on to me. Even in a used state it blew away the cheap razor style knives. Sharpened up, it is a joy to use.
Anyway, back to the topic of a high end rescue hook, I completely forgot about something that may fit that description that a paramedic/emergency room PA friend of mine told me about a few years ago. The S-CUT from Sweden. I remember thinking it was great, but something I wouldn't spend almost $200 on.
Review from Emergency Physicians Monthly: http://www.epmonthly.com/departments/subspecialties/technology/swedish-s-cut-trauma-shear-a-cut-above-the-rest/
And the following conclusion from a study published in The American Journal of Emergency Medicine (hosted on the manufacturer site): "We found that a new device (S-CUT) used to expose the chest in OHCA was associated with a reduction in procedure time as compared with scissors. With regard to the types of clothing that were expected to be most commonly used, the mean difference was more than 20 seconds for indoor clothing and more than 1 minute for outdoor clothing. http://www.s-cut.us.com/pdf/Scut__Aune_et_al.pdf
They have a few other studies posted there as well, and their results reflect my personal experience with a good quality hook, like the Rescue 5/7.
As I work for the government, and have a family to support, that is a little rich for me for a single purpose tool. If you have the money to spend...