Knife to Keep in Car

[killgar]

Something to keep in mind regarding a fixed-blade stored in a car is that the intense heat of summer can warp a kydex sheath to the point that it won't hold the knife securely. And while it may be possible to re-heat and re-press the sheath around the knife, it doesn't always turn out as good as it was originally.

I don't know how other plastic sheath material would be affected by heat, but I know from personal experience that kydex can get warped.

 

[Hawk45]

I have one of these coming for my wife to keep in her car. If it's a decent, I may get one for mine. $40ish
Nothing fancy, just a tool. Has glass breaker, belt cutter and decent size serrated tanto blade. The seat belt cutter doubles as a flipper, kinda cool.

Update: It arrived and seems like a decent tool for keeping in the car. The liner-lock like all CRKTs is thin, but it has the silly Lawks system to keep it from moving. It makes the wife happy, so mission accomplished.

http://www.crkt.com/erknives

 

[deltaboy]

Mora, cheap and reliable. I keep several around but don't keep a dedicated spare knife in the truck, though I do keep a machete in the back for clearing brush at archery ranges.

Another Vote for a Mora.

 

[GB940Rookie]

I keep a Leatherman Wave and ESEE 5 in my truck.

 

[The cow]

Car kits always have me more money conscious because its something you have to write off.
I keep a Ontario SPAX in my car and been debating getting a seatbelt cutter.

 

[zzyzzogeton]

I've been an EMT for 27+ years and I have tried/tested just about every seat belt cutter/rescue knife that any Fire/Rescue Gear salesman has tried to peddle to most fire departments.

In addition to handling/playing with them during sales pitches, we would also try them out under different scenarios during extrication training sessions. We would "trap" a firemen in the training vehicle before cutting the vehicle apart with a "Jaws of Life" unit with the seat buckled and then "free" the trapped firemen with different cutting tools to see what REALLY works best in cutting seat belts.

The BEST seat belt cutter in a non-life threatening situation where the belt catch refuses to open is the aforementioned Trauma Shears. It is appears non-threatening to a panicked crash victim stuck in their vehicle. The blunt tips preclude accidentally sticking your patient. Sticking a patient is one of those activities frowned upon by our medical director.

In an EMERGENCY Life-threatening situation with NO FLAMES INVOLVED, the lowly trauma shears is still the safest to use.

Throw in flames or the threat of flames (i.e., fuel leaking, smoke under the hood, active flames) a dedicated hooked seat belt cutter is the preferred tool. With no points, it is very easy to safely grab the stuck seat belt and rapidly cut the belt with a single pull of these knives.

A standard folding knife or fixed blade is the LAST choice for cutting seat belts in an emergency situation. Most standard folding or fixed blade knives have some sort of point that could pose a danger to your patients. Exceptions to this statement would be a folder or a fixed blade that has a VERY BLUNT "rope knife" style blade. No straight blade knife works as well as the dedicated hooked blade rescue knife.

I carry the following on my duty belt at all time:
2 pair of trauma shears,
2 hooked blade belt cutters,
1 spring loaded center punch

I have multiple reasons for 2 shears/2 seat belt cutters - the hinge pin on the shears can break, a mass casualty situation may require me to "loan out" some equipment to someone who doesn't have something, I may drop whatever I'm using into the floor well of the vehicle (gloves are clumsy) and I can't wait for someone to get another tool and pass it to me.

I also carry a pair of Kabar 3/4 shorties as my EDC fixed blades on my regular belt. (I don't take my EDCs off just to make an EMS call). The duty belt rests "OVER" the primary belt fixed blades, which helps hold the duty belt, which also has a radio, a pocket mask, glucose screening kit, and a latex glove carrier. I've used the fixed blades on multiple calls to pop vehicle tires to improve vehicle stability after collision.

I also have a spring loaded punch, a Gerber seat belt cutter and a pair of trauma shears velcroed inside the center console. Having something to cut with in the standard "dash located" glove box is useless if YOUR seat belt is stuck. Unless you have the arms of King Kong, you will never be able to reach over and open the glove box if your seat belt is stuck. The purpose for velcroing them in the console is so that they do not fall out in the event your vehicle also overturns. If they items are just sitting loose in the console, when upside down, the tools will just fall out and inevitably bounce some where inaccessible.


My trunk emergency kit tools consists of --
- a couple of extra spring punches
- 2 pairs of trauma shears,
- a BK2,
- a BK3,
- a machete,
- a hacksaw,
- a 15" bolt cutter,
- a 3# sledge
and
- a 10" cold chisel.

I've used these Gall's seat belt cutters for 25 years...

I buy these trauma shears cheaply off fleabay

And for the people who nay have never seen a spring loaded punch, or the Gerber strap cutter...

 

[ursamajor]

Okay, since people keep bringing it up, if you want a glass breaker get a spring loaded center punch. Much, much easier and safer than things you have to swing, carbide or steel bits attached to knives or multitools, or even the punches that are part of a larger tool.

You can get a GOOD one for under $20, they're easy to store as they're roughly the size and shape of a pen and they carry vastly less risk of lacerating your hand and arm by accidentally putting it through the window as well.

So, to recap, $8 trauma shears, $20 spring loaded center punch and $12 Mora. That leaves you pretty set.

Or save an old spark plug

 

[ursamajor]

The knife I keep in my GHB is an AUS8 Cold Steel SRK.

 

[DShiflet]

Really, just about anything from a reputable maker should be fine. I assume you're not cutting seatbelts and dog collars on a real regular basis, so it's not like you need to worry about the latest super steel knife that can chop through a redwood and still hold it's edge or nothing, nor do you need some hardcore survival knife that can pry open rocks, chop firewood, clear acres of jungle, and be lashed to a pole for bringing down wild boar, nor do you need some expensive high end custom.

You want a fixed blade? A $15 Mora will be more than capable of handling the tasks you mentioned. Want something a little more "aggressive", that can double as a possible self-defense device? Ontario SP1 or Buck 119 will fill both your needs for around $35. Prefer a folder to a fixed blade? Take your pick of basically anything from Kershaw/ZT, Spyderco/Byrd, Benchmade, Ontario, or Cold Steel.

 

[John A. Larsen]

I always have a knife in my pocket, usually a SAK One Hand. Right after I bought my Honda Ridgeline, color is "Gun Metal Blue" read a light blue I was at the Oregon Knife Collector show and found a SAK Camper, light blue scales with "Honda" on one of the scales. Must have been a give away from Honda. Looked like it had been in a drawer for a while but the blade had not been sharpened and for the Princely sum of $5 it was mine. I keep it, a multi tool, Cold Steel E tool, and a Fiskars hatchet in my trunk, along with a bed roll, sleeping pad, tarp, rope and a warm jacket and hat. John

 

[spidanzas]

I keep a bk9 in passenger door bottom open storage. and sak in the center counsel arm rest compartment. I am contemplating replacing the bk9 w/ a SOG seal pup.

 

[Donny Don't]

I really appreciate everyone's input on this thread. The whys are great info, too. Thank yooouuuu!!

 

[ATJ999]

I keep a, I think it is called a Gerber El Facto, has a "Glass/skull Breaker" on the hilt. I keep it behind the passenger seat in the little storage pouch on the back of the seat. Easy to get to for the driver. A S110v Manix 2 in the front compartment by the ash tray for average cutting. One multi tool for fishing that gets beat up and gets the crappy jobs. One nicer one for everything else. Usually one machete( I live on a farm and go out tracking a lot). And usually one medium sized fixed blade 3V.

If I know what I will be doing, I can bring the right tool for the job, but it is nice to have a few tools around, good universal tools.

 

[AntDog]

I keep one of these in my car. Dead On Annihilator. Might come in handy in a wreck, or if SHTF.

 

[bralexander]

To go along with a few others, I keep a resqme tool attached to the steering column. It has a "quick release" so you can just yank it off to use the glass breaker or seatbelt cutter. I don't want my wife or even myself to worry about cutting someone if a seatbelt needs to be cut. That said, I also always have a knife in my pocket, a small multi tool on my keychain, an inexpensive buck folder in the console, a gerber gator in the first aid kit, and a mora in the toolbag in the trunk. I almost forgot, I have a small travel fishing pack in the trunk with a SAK also. All my car knives were less than $20 a piece, so I don't worry about "losing" them. (and yes, my wife does think I am over prepared and a little crazy, especially when I start using terms like "car knives")
Bruce

 

[sodak]

I've been an EMT for 27+ years and I have tried/tested just about every seat belt cutter/rescue knife that any Fire/Rescue Gear salesman has tried to peddle to most fire departments.

In addition to handling/playing with them during sales pitches, we would also try them out under different scenarios during extrication training sessions. We would "trap" a firemen in the training vehicle before cutting the vehicle apart with a "Jaws of Life" unit with the seat buckled and then "free" the trapped firemen with different cutting tools to see what REALLY works best in cutting seat belts.

The BEST seat belt cutter in a non-life threatening situation where the belt catch refuses to open is the aforementioned Trauma Shears. It is appears non-threatening to a panicked crash victim stuck in their vehicle. The blunt tips preclude accidentally sticking your patient. Sticking a patient is one of those activities frowned upon by our medical director.

In an EMERGENCY Life-threatening situation with NO FLAMES INVOLVED, the lowly trauma shears is still the safest to use.

Throw in flames or the threat of flames (i.e., fuel leaking, smoke under the hood, active flames) a dedicated hooked seat belt cutter is the preferred tool. With no points, it is very easy to safely grab the stuck seat belt and rapidly cut the belt with a single pull of these knives.

A standard folding knife or fixed blade is the LAST choice for cutting seat belts in an emergency situation. Most standard folding or fixed blade knives have some sort of point that could pose a danger to your patients. Exceptions to this statement would be a folder or a fixed blade that has a VERY BLUNT "rope knife" style blade. No straight blade knife works as well as the dedicated hooked blade rescue knife.

I carry the following on my duty belt at all time:
2 pair of trauma shears,
2 hooked blade belt cutters,
1 spring loaded center punch

I have multiple reasons for 2 shears/2 seat belt cutters - the hinge pin on the shears can break, a mass casualty situation may require me to "loan out" some equipment to someone who doesn't have something, I may drop whatever I'm using into the floor well of the vehicle (gloves are clumsy) and I can't wait for someone to get another tool and pass it to me.

I also carry a pair of Kabar 3/4 shorties as my EDC fixed blades on my regular belt. (I don't take my EDCs off just to make an EMS call). The duty belt rests "OVER" the primary belt fixed blades, which helps hold the duty belt, which also has a radio, a pocket mask, glucose screening kit, and a latex glove carrier. I've used the fixed blades on multiple calls to pop vehicle tires to improve vehicle stability after collision.

I also have a spring loaded punch, a Gerber seat belt cutter and a pair of trauma shears velcroed inside the center console. Having something to cut with in the standard "dash located" glove box is useless if YOUR seat belt is stuck. Unless you have the arms of King Kong, you will never be able to reach over and open the glove box if your seat belt is stuck. The purpose for velcroing them in the console is so that they do not fall out in the event your vehicle also overturns. If they items are just sitting loose in the console, when upside down, the tools will just fall out and inevitably bounce some where inaccessible.


My trunk emergency kit tools consists of --
- a couple of extra spring punches
- 2 pairs of trauma shears,
- a BK2,
- a BK3,
- a machete,
- a hacksaw,
- a 15" bolt cutter,
- a 3# sledge
and
- a 10" cold chisel.

I've used these Gall's seat belt cutters for 25 years...

I buy these trauma shears cheaply off fleabay

And for the people who nay have never seen a spring loaded punch, or the Gerber strap cutter...

This is great information, thanks for taking the time to type it all up!

One other thing - I witnessed an accident several years ago, it happened in oncoming traffic right in front of me. Someone pulled out in front of a guy and he t-boned them. Fortunately, only minor injuries.

HOWEVER

I made a quick u turn and had his door open in under a minute. His airbag had deployed and smashed his left hand into his driver side window. I was there in 30 - 60 seconds tops, and his hand was already so swollen he couldn't use it. Forget small motor skills, gross motor skills were already being compromised.

Just something to keep in mind in case you are the accident victim.

 

[spyderg]

Got a Crkt folding Razel in the truck right now, it's strong enough to use for prying if necessary, the Razel edge is great for cutting zip ties, hoses etc, and the veff serrations will make short work of seat belts if need be. On top of all that, it's cheap so if it gets beat up I don't care! I used to have my Tenacious in there but kept taking it out to use and having to remember to put it back got annoying.

 

[jazub]

Another Californian here. I keep a Scrapyard 911 in kydex under the driver's seat, a combo edge CQC-15 and full size Leatherman in the glove box, and a SAK in the center console.

 

[KELAMA]

I keep one of these in my car. Dead On Annihilator. Might come in handy in a wreck, or if SHTF.

This is great information, thanks for taking the time to type it all up!

One other thing - I witnessed an accident several years ago, it happened in oncoming traffic right in front of me. Someone pulled out in front of a guy and he t-boned them. Fortunately, only minor injuries.

Just something to keep in mind in case you are the accident victim.

^ Car accidents can sometimes be traumatic, for both the victims. & the first responders...especially if your ill prepared. I was right behind a pretty ugly roll over accident on one of the San Diego Freeways. Fortunately, I had a quite a few very handy tools in my truck, which came in handy extricating a woman, from her smashed up vehicle.

The only knife in my truck, is usually the one that I carry in my pocket. Ever since that accident, I always make sure that I have my 3 foot gorilla bar, a pair of gloves, & one of my trusty hammers on board (I prefer the old Woody 22 oz. 2nd from the right), they can be life savers! :thumbup:

 

[Czechmate]

The cheaper the better for a dedicated "car" knife IMHO because of theft; mine is an old surplus store fixed blade in mystery stainless.

It is very solid could be used as a pry bar easily... Gotta get a pic of it though LOL... Seen a lot of rough use with no issues. :thumbup: