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One of the most important knives you can have for a combat environment
- Thread starter leopardprey
- Start date
- Joined
- Oct 24, 2005
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- 2,823
I was using it on a bus trying the different features and wanted to cut into one of the seats. As I did this, I had to push the blunt ended blade in and twist a bit to start the cut. It jammed when I tried to disengage the lock and then continued to jam when I would open the knife after that. That's when I noticed how the liner was being disengaged by that spring-mounted button and it left me with concern. From that point on, the lock was hit and miss, but would always jam if I opened it softly. Might have been a dud, but the amount of force placed on the knife wasn't anything more than what would be required for starting some cuts.
- Joined
- May 26, 2005
- Messages
- 567
I second that. Until a better multitool comes along, the Wave is EDC for me.
Regarding the picture of a fist portrayed as a 'glassbreaker'.
A couple of years ago I was in a training class with a fire dept. One of the props was a car that we were suppossed to try and break the side window glass out of, using our hands/feet. Not one person could break the glass using their feet and nobody was willing to risk a broken hand, especially the Fire Chief. I would never have believed auto glass was that tough and resiliant. Some of these guys were monsters with size 14's, kicking with all their might. Most of us were in disbelief.
A simple glassbreaker hammer shattered the window without problem.
It showed me, once again, that you can be sincere, but be wrong. {Dead wrong sometimes}
A couple of years ago I was in a training class with a fire dept. One of the props was a car that we were suppossed to try and break the side window glass out of, using our hands/feet. Not one person could break the glass using their feet and nobody was willing to risk a broken hand, especially the Fire Chief. I would never have believed auto glass was that tough and resiliant. Some of these guys were monsters with size 14's, kicking with all their might. Most of us were in disbelief.
A simple glassbreaker hammer shattered the window without problem.
It showed me, once again, that you can be sincere, but be wrong. {Dead wrong sometimes}
I have used belt and strap cutters every day at work for about 2 years. I have used many different types, from the razor blade types to the gut hook styles. The only one that has worked without fail or hanging up has been the Benchmade design. It does not matter which model, it is the shape and angle of the cutter that works on everything from straps, plastic, shrink wrap, foam, etc. Sharpening is easy and I touch them up with a ceramic rod after the work day. Takes about 10-15 secs. to touch up. I have not tried the ZT 270 degree cutter yet due to the price but it looks pretty good.
- Joined
- Apr 1, 2007
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- 407
I cut a seatbelt with my Benchmade Stryker, the guy flipped it over on the freeway and it was stuck on the side, dripping fluid. We got the guy out but he died from internal injuries.
This is what motivated me to become a licensed First Responder....
This is what motivated me to become a licensed First Responder....
- Joined
- Sep 29, 2002
- Messages
- 2,965
You know, about 15yrs ago one of our guys was chasing a car for speeding, lost control of his cruiser, and actually flipped it over sideways into the Podunk River in South Windsor, CT. Right after that, the department rushed out and bought a bunch of Life Hammers and installed them in all of our cars. They never got used, except by the meatheads who used them to put dents in our fake woodgrain dashboards and to tear up the steering wheels when they were bored. Eventually, the department gave up and removed all of the hammers.
That company's still in business. This what their product looks like today.
ps: Please not, I'm not recommending or endorsing this product. I always thought it was kind of silly, but they have been selling them for years...
A TV news station reviewed several of these things in SoFla because of the high incidence of drowning when cars went into canals. LOTS of canals and usually better than 50 deaths/year.
Fire Dept did the tests.
Those hammers are next to useless. Half the time they wouldn't even break the glass due to not being pointed enough or the carbide not hard enough.
The resqme worked well enough on the seatbelts, so so on glass.
Best combo by far was a spring loaded center punch with a carbide tip taped to the steering column (Lowes or Home Depot, $5 or6), and a seatbelt cutter, either attached to the seatbelt or taped to the steering column.
Center console, glove box, etc., all no good if you are in a crash, upside down, or underwater or all 3.
Duct taped to the steering column is ugly as hell, but it will be there when you reach for it.
Rob
The guys who do the smash'n grabs here in Jo'burg (South Africa) are not as high tech, they don't use hammers and have never heard of companies like Spyderco, Gerber or even Blade-Tech. They use spark plugs, they work like a dream (I can endorse their efficiency out of personal experience 
) and smash the whole side window. Additional benefit you can hide them in your hand while you walk towards your next target claiming to sell a newspaper or some other stuff. Hit the window, take the cell or bag or gps and run, and leave a swearing victim behind stuck in the traffic jam.
Maybe you should give the emergency teams some used spark plugs.
) and smash the whole side window. Additional benefit you can hide them in your hand while you walk towards your next target claiming to sell a newspaper or some other stuff. Hit the window, take the cell or bag or gps and run, and leave a swearing victim behind stuck in the traffic jam.Maybe you should give the emergency teams some used spark plugs.
stabman
Gold Member
- Joined
- Sep 17, 2007
- Messages
- 21,333
Really? I side kicked out a couple of side windows on two separate cars which were being junked. I couldn't break the windshield for the life of me(neither could the others I was with; cracked, but not broken was the result on the windshield).
I wouldn't like trying the fist on a side window, but I can safely say that you can kick out a side window(of course I went to 1st dan in TKD and like kicking walls and trees when bored or waiting for the bus, so maybe it's a differrent case).
For escaping a car though, a glass breaker is great.
Oh, I did see one video with a car theft sting, where the cops had a bait car rigged to lock the perp inside when they attempted to steal it; one big guy managed to knock out the window with a hook punch from the seated position! Of course, he WAS pretty big, and was likely on drugs of some sort. I wouldn't be at all surprised if his hand was busted real bad.
Esav Benyamin
MidniteSuperMod
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2000
- Messages
- 90,915
The key to breaking glass is serious pressure over a small area. The bigger the shoe, the wider area the force is spread over, the less force per square inch. If you're going to kick a window out, use just your heel, not the whole sole.
That's why mechanical glass breakers use a pointed striker.
That's why mechanical glass breakers use a pointed striker.