• The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
    Price is $300 $250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
    Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.

  • Today marks the 24th anniversary of 9/11. I pray that this nation does not forget the loss of lives from this horrible event. Yesterday conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was murdered, and I worry about what is to come. Please love one another and your family in these trying times - Spark

Looking for a water rescue knife w/ a glass breaker feature.

B

Bikesnfire737

Joined
Jan 1, 2013
Messages
34
Howdy all! I've been a longtime reader around here and I knew this would be the place to find an answer to a pointed question. I'm a firefighter on a technical rescue team and our procurement officer is looking for a new swift water rescue knife for us. I'm trying to help him out a bit. As far as I know, the recent requests he has solicited from the boys are for a window punch/glass breaker feature and a blunt tip. The previous knives we've used were all fixed blade, blunt tip(more or less), partially serrated, stainless steel, often with a notch for cutting cordage, and with some sort of high retention sheath.

The reason we use a fixed blade is so we don't have to unfold something in the dark while in/under water to cut us out of an entanglement. This town has significant flood events which turn several dry creeks into class 3-5 rapids. The glass breaker would be nice for getting into the swamped vehicles to remove/rescue the occupants. I don't think he'll go for the spyderco open in a custom kydex sheath option. My thoughts are that the cordage notch is redundant if the knife is sharp and serrated.

So I'm looking for options to present him. Budget is most likely within a $100. What do y'all think? Any ideas?
 
Ive been looking for the same thing for a while. Ive never found a good rescue type fixed blade that would be suited for firefighting. I carry a Gerber Hinderer folding Rescue Knife in my bunker pants and its the best Ive found to fill that role. It is a little difficult to open wearing bunker gloves but you wont be wearing those for swift water anyway. Sorry I cant be of more help, but there just arent many options that are fixed blades on the market right now. The closest Ive found was the Benchmade H2O fixed blade but its been discontinued. A few of the guys on our swift water team carry that.
 
Yeah, it's kind of a strange combination we're looking for. We used to rock the Kershaw and the NRS water knives. I picked up a Boker CK-1 but haven't had a chance to use it since I put it on my vest.
 
Look at the combination of rescue and corrosion resistant knives:

  • Spyderco: Rescue, H-1 steel
  • Benchmade: Triage, H2O, N680 steel
  • Fox Knives: ERT, ALSR (Air, Land and Sea Rescue), N690 steel
 
How about the NRS pilot knife. I think it meets all of your criteria for about $40.00.

6962266ebe139064dd1db4c33978ec24_zps5e70cb26.jpg
 
Here is the description for it:

The NRS Pilot Knife has a stainless steel blade with both a smooth and serrated section. In addition the blade has a rope cutting hook and the blunt safety tip can double as a screwdriver. The handle of the knife has a glass breaking tip, an oxygen tank wrench, and a bottle opener. The unique sheath securely locks the knife in place and only releases when you squeeze both sides of the release. The pilot will also clip securely to a PFD lash tab for easy access.
 
Personnally, i'd buy the triage. My friend has a NRS Pilot knife, not only is the handle to small, but not enough blade lenght. Triage all the way.
 
I know you guys prefer a fixed blade, but if the glass breaker is a must, then check out the spyderco assist. Opens very easily especially with the cobra hood around the hole, has a carbide glass breaker, and It is vg-10 steel.

If it must be a fixed blade, and the glassbreaker isn't a deal breaker, you can't go wrong with a spyderco jumpmaster in H1 steel.
 
Nice to see a brother firefighter on here. To the people recommending the Triage and such, the OP is looking for a fixed blade. The NRS mentioned doesn't look like a bad option, NRS is a watersport/water rescue company. The big kicker here is finding a sheepsfoot or blunt fixed blade. I did a little looking and there is the Kershaw responder, its blunt tip has a glass breaker, but does have the redundant seatbelt cutter in the top of the blade. I also found the Mora Companion Rescue knife. Its like 13 bucks so if they get lost during response its not a big deal. They are orange so they are easy to see. The only down side is no glass breaker on them. The Gerber LMF series is a good fixed blade with a good grip and a glass breaker pommel on the back, but its not blunt tipped. I will be interested to know what you found. Let us know, and stay safe brother!
 
Last edited:
Silvanus said:
Ive never found a good rescue type fixed blade that would be suited for firefighting. I carry a Gerber Hinderer folding Rescue Knife in my bunker pants and its the best Ive found to fill that role..
Click to expand...

I carry one of those on my radio strap, in its sheath. I carry a Spyderco Assist in my bunkers as well. The blade style of the assist would make a good rescue style fixed blade, to bad its not an option.
 
Wow, y'all are just awesome! So Swatpup, good eye for that NRS but that's the latest knife we've been rocking and have noticed those side release buttons depress and release that knife with frightening ease. I lost one myself the other day doing some patient pickup drills in one of our inflateable swiftwater boats. It's a good thing I was dumb and had forgotten to secure it via lanyard or else it might have cut into the side of the zodiac when they dragged me up and out of the water.

I've also been thinking that carbide breakers work WAY better than skull crusher points do at breaking car windows. Have you ever watched a cop try to break a window with their Asp? Sometimes it can take a while. MUCH less force is required with carbide.

I've actually been eyeballing that assist for personal use at work. I think that of all the options so far, that Kershaw Responder is most likely his purchase. That CRKT looks pretty well thought out, too. I think I can make a case for a folder in our particular swiftwater rescue environment and if that sells, then I think that the Spyderco Assist sells itself.
Thanks everybody for your help. Y'all really are a great bunch of folks.
 
Glad we could help. And I would definitely recommend the Spyderco Assist for your bunkers, I've used mine on fires, to MVA, and even during the tornado that hit here. It works great with extraction gloves, even works ok with structural gloves. Stay safe
 
Fox knives, it's got a titanium hammer tip on handle, built by professionals for professionals.

12426977473_f4a4613f11_z.jpg
 
Nic S. said:
RamZar that is a good option. I was searching around and totally missed this one.
Click to expand...

Fox Knives makes great knives, liner locks and coatings. One of their dive knives (Techo Reef) "was submerged in the Persian Gulf along with the sheath for 60 days and did not rust or deteriorate".
 
Nic S. said:
Glad we could help. And I would definitely recommend the Spyderco Assist for your bunkers, I've used mine on fires, to MVA, and even during the tornado that hit here. It works great with extraction gloves, even works ok with structural gloves. Stay safe
Click to expand...
Some thought went into the design of that knife. From the cobra hood to the rounded scales that fill the hand, the blade was definitely made with a gloved hand in mind.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top