Knife for fire investigation

S

S!LVER

Joined
Jul 15, 2019
Messages
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First post. I am currently looking to find a work knife. I have been reading about a bunch of different knifes and I figured I should ask a knife community to see their thoughts. I work as a fire investigator, so basically I enter a fire scene after the fire is put out. I recently was working a scene and I kept borrowing a fellow police officers knife and it got me thinking I should get something. I have been reading a bunch of reviews and so far I haven't found exactly what I want. The basic environment I work in is very dirty and normally a lot of black. For the most part I have been looking at tactical knifes but most of them are black or dark and if I ever put it down in a black burnt out house I would never find it again. From my searching the best knife I have found is the CRKT homefront. The reason I like this knife is its ability to be dissembled easily to be cleaned but from what I can tell they don't make a brightly colored one, so my search continues. I have looked at a few knifes for fire fighters but alot of these have seat belt cutters and glass breakers, both things I don't need. I think the best way for me to get some advise is to make a list of (knife musts) and then a list of (nice to have features).

Musts
- folding knife
- brightly colored
- locking closed and open
- work well in dirt and grim
- easy to clean
- easy to open one handed
- pocket clip
- 3-4 inch blade
- strong rust free steel, holds an edge and strong point

Nice to have features
- under $100
- partial serrated knife edge
- easy to disassemble
- Safety button

Thank you in advance for anyone who tries to help me out.
 
Why not a fixed blade?

Spyderco has quite a few folding models with Orange coloured handles.
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Check out the Buck Knives site 722 Spitfire custom build to your specs. 3.25 inch Blade choice, handle color and materials many different for under $100.
 
I have been looking at the spyderco knifes actually. I like the salt versions. Can these be disassembled easily? main reason why I don't want a fixed blade is because I want to be able to carry it in a pocket and fixed blade knifes can look quiet intimidating. While that might be a good thing for police and such I do a lot of interviewing and don't want a bright knife jumping out at someone.
 
It's worth mentioning that there are custom aftermarket scales for a lot of knives, in any color you want. There are also a lot of guys who will turn out a set of one-off scales for a knife. So, if you find something which is otherwise perfect, that may be the answer. If you start with a sub-$100 knife, bespoke scales will also double the cost.

The first thing I thought of is above your price range. The Benchmade Griptilian, or the similar Ritter/Hogue collab. But since I was just whining about price-inappropriate suggestions in another thread, I'm not going to spend too much time on these two.

For right around seventy, there's the CRKT Carson M16 Rescue Flipper.

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It might be a little big for your uses, but it's plenty bright.

(Though I think this might be a good time for one of the Home Depot folding boxcutters, or one of those Milwaukee-branded knives they sell....)
 
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danbot said:
I would avoid flippers for grimy environments.
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I respectfully disagree. I work in aggregates processing, and I've carried flippers without a problem. As long as they have a thumb stud or something in addition, they work fine.

What I would really be wary of is closed-frame knives, like lockbacks and integrals that don't easily allow you to blow pressurized air through to blast out all the crud.

That said, something from Spyderco's Salt lineup may be the best idea, what for being able to actually just wash it out and clip it back in your pocket.

Just for fun, I'm going to go way off into the weeds, and recommend the EOD Robotics Breacher Bar.

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With your choice of bright cord wrap, of course. It's not a cutting tool, but I keep one in my work bag to save my screwdrivers and Alox from dirty digging and other nasty chores.
 
Shorttime said:
I respectfully disagree. I work in aggregates processing, and I've carried flippers without a problem. As long as they have a thumb stud or something in addition, they work fine.

What I would really be wary of is closed-frame knives, like lockbacks and integrals that don't easily allow you to blow pressurized air through to blast out all the crud.

That said, something from Spyderco's Salt lineup may be the best idea, what for being able to actually just wash it out and clip it back in your pocket.

Just for fun, I'm going to go way off into the weeds, and recommend the EOD Robotics Breacher Bar.

7ok1l1m.jpg


With your choice of bright cord wrap, of course. It's not a cutting tool, but I keep one in my work bag to save my screwdrivers and Alox from dirty digging and other nasty chores.
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Bearings generally don't like grit, but if it works for you, that's great.
I agree a closed-frame knife should be avoided for routinely dirty work.
 
danbot said:
Bearings generally don't like grit, but if it works for you, that's great.
I agree a closed-frame knife should be avoided for routinely dirty work.
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Oh, I see. No, I've only taken flippers that ride on washers into that kind of environment. I agree, grit (especially carbon dust from a fire scene) would be very bad for bearings, unless some madman uses actual sealed industrial bearings in their knives. In that case, I bet it costs a good bit more than a hundred, too.
 
S!LVER said:
- strong rust free steel, holds an edge and strong point
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If you mean truly rust-free, as opposed to simply corrosion resistant (like any good stainless steel), this is the requirement that really narrows things down.

I recommend the Spyderco Pacific Salt. It can be had in bright yellow (and plain edge) as well as other variations, and it's rustproof. It can also be disassembled, if a thorough wash isn't enough to get it clean. It's light, especially for its blade length, comfortable in the hand, and pleasant to carry. I use mine as a backpacking/hiking/camping knife.

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S!LVER said:
can these be disassembled easily?
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They are screw assembled and for me it’s easy as I have the tools. But mostly I just wash with water and dry. It’s not always necessary to disassemble for cleaning. Some bearing models may be a problem but washer style pivot is much easier for dirty work environment.
 
Thank you to everyone who has responded. If the pacific salt can be disassembled I think it might be the ticket. I will check out the cold steel hunter. I looked on their site but didn't find that option. Having screws is fine for me as I have a set of torque drivers. As far as rust free, I did mean corrosion resistant. Completely rust free will be probably impossible.

While I know this is probably an inferior product what are your thoughts on a knife like this? Hard to beat the price.
 
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I think you should consider a multitool, I did a few fire investigation classes and projects back in college, most of the Agents and Fire Marshalls we worked with had a multitool. The leatherman skeletool is reasonably priced and can be found in colors such as blue, orange, and lime green; you may even be able to customize it on their website. You'll have pliers, a knife, and a screwdriver, that should do anything you need it to.
 
Silent H said:
I think you should consider a multitool, I did a few fire investigation classes and projects back in college, most of the Agents and Fire Marshalls we worked with had a multitool. The leatherman skeletool is reasonably priced and can be found in colors such as blue, orange, and lime green; you may even be able to customize it on their website. You'll have pliers, a knife, and a screwdriver, that should do anything you need it to.
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I have been using a leatherman for awhile now. It works well but can be difficult to clean.
 
S!LVER said:
Thank you to everyone who has responded. If the pacific salt can be disassembled I think it might be the ticket. I will check out the cold steel hunter. I looked on their site but didn't find that option. Having screws is fine for me as I have a set of torque drivers. As far as rust free, I did mean corrosion resistant. Completely rust free will be probably impossible.

While I know this is probably an inferior product what are your thoughts on a knife like this? Hard to beat the price.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwaukee-5-in-Fastback-Flip-Pocket-Knife-48-22-1990/203981004
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Well if it's a $14 fire use a $14 knife.

I'm sure it could also be disassembled.; of course it could never be put back together in satisfactory working order.

I would start by seeing what the other officers are carrying in your department and where they get them. Then going to the source with your list. Hopefully it's a bricks and mortar spot so you can see the stuff in person. And of course it has to be said. Never put your knife down in a scene. That's where one hand closing really comes in "handy".
 
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