Rescue Knife Carry

D

David Williams

Joined
May 22, 1999
Messages
1,474
O.K. Help me somebody. I bought a Buck CrossLock Double Blade because the serrated sheapfoot blade was supposed to be the best design for cutting seatbelts in emergencies.

But when I went to pull the knife out of my right-front pocket while buckled in I couldn't without unbuckling!

I was planning to replace it with a Spyderco Rescue or Dyad but if I can't carry it and access it what is the use? I already have my cell phone, Leatherman and Mini Maglite on my belt and I don't like the idea of a neck knife.

Has anybody figured how to access the knife while buckled. Has anybody had to use a knife to cut a seatbelt in an emergency?
 
I have a clip screwed into the top window trim on my truck. This holds a folder quite well and easy to get to. You might want to rubberband the knife in the clip for those roll over tests. I would also reccomend the "lifehammer". I saw these in Gemany years ago and bought several. They are window hammers with webbing cutting slots in the handle. I've seen them in MO catalogs but don't remember which ones.
Yes I have cut several people out of seat belts. All the times I can think of it was not because of the seat belt jamming it was just easier to cut the belt than reach around for the buckle. I more often that that saw seatbelts fail. It has been years since I worked EMS so I make no statement about how safe they are now.

Cheers,

ts

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"Cet animal est tres mechant;quand on l'attaque il se defend."("This animal is very mischievous: when it is attacked it defends itself")
 
David,

Spyderco Rescue(and others) can be carried closed in a neck sheath and accessed very quickly. If you don't like the idea of something around your neck, you can hang sheath over the steering column with the chain on the turn signal. Proper sheath will deploy blade on draw. Hope this helps.

Mike
 
I've got a Spyderco rescue clipped to a wide elastic band that goes around the drivers side sun visor. It is easy to access and quite secure.

phantom4

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who dares, wins


 
If you keep a small rescue knife on your keychain it will be in the ignition if you crash your own car. I used to keep a little knife called a Christy (sp?) on my keychain. It had about a 2" blade that you could slide forward with your thumb. The blade was thin stainless and very sharp. You could adjust the extension short if you wanted to cut a belt without risk of cutting belt wearer.

These days I would look for a knife with some potential to crack a tempered glass car window. Not too big, but with a real hard corner somewhere that could start that characteristic tempered glass breakdown into little cubes.

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"Defense against knife attack:
Option 1. If you have a gun shoot him."


[This message has been edited by Jeff Clark (edited 25 June 1999).]
 
Have you considered shirt-pocket carry? Here's what I do if I want a knife accessible to either hand without having to dig into my pockets (anytime I'm sitting down, or have wet hands):

Find an old plastic "slicker" three-ring binder and cut out a rectangular piece just a tad smaller than your shirt pocket. Put the plastic into your pocket, and it will support the weight of a reasonable-sized folding knife. When you draw the knife, pull it out at an angle so that the corner of the plastic digs into the side of the pocket and prevents the plastic coming out along with the knife. This way you can remove the knife easily and replace it with just one hand.

For shirt pocket carry you'll want a fairly thin knife. I've carried a Delica, Calypso Jr., Benchmade Leopard Cub, and my favorite shirt pocket paring knife, the Al Mar Falcon Ultralight, in this manner. You can even carry larger lightweight folders such as the Endura in your shirt pocket.

Depending on the clip, you may have to bend it out slightly to alleviate excessive friction.

Advantages of shirt pocket carry are:

1. The knife won't fall out of your pocket and get lost in the sofa.

2. The clip won't scrape on cars and door frames as you walk past them.

3. You can easily reach the knife with either hand. (I prefer knives with thumb holes or dual studs for ambidextrous opening.)

4. You've got that pocket; might as well use it! (Your other pockets are already loaded with keys, chapstick, wallet, flashlight, and other knives, right?)

5. Chicks dig knife nuts. They'll spot you in a crowd and strike up conversations with you. Yeah, baby!

David Rock
 
David
I've worked EMS and Sheriff Dept several years and the first thing that comes to mind is that I have gotten the greatest number of seatbelts open by hitting the button....I guess I'm old fashioned, but I tend to try the door handle before calling for the Jaws of Life, also.
To get to the point I carry Spyderco Ladybug 2s on all keyrings(on a chain if breakaway is needed. Always was tempted to get one of those ink pens with small serrated blade inside to keep in uniform shirt pocket, but never found one of sufficient quality to buy.
Wouldn't be of any help in a rollover, but you might consider a Rescue kept in the door pocket if you have that option, otherwise banded to visor sounds pretty logical.
I also keep a Gunny Sack just behind driver's seat with Glock 23, Badge case, cuffs, and serrated Endura inside. Haven't crashed lately, so I'm not sure how stable it will be there...but it sure is handy.
These little neck knives look pretty handy, looks like they're flat enough not to add too much bulk on top of vest-guess I probably need to buy one of these for field expediency testing; oh well, to be continued.
 
BMWGS80,

Great idea. Now if I can only remember to take it with me when I leave the car.

David,

I wear T-Shirts. Plus I'm married. I love my wife -- she has a Buck Mini-Tool and UK Minipocket Light on her keychain, a Leatherman and SAK in her purse. Plus she is eyeing the SeberTool M4 I gave my family for Christmas and B-day.
 
I keep an old style Spyderco Rescue in both my wife’s car and mine, also strapped to the visors. It is the only knife I am glad has a clip, just for this purpose. I am planning to replace mine with the large Dyad when they come out this November, and move the Rescue to the company truck. It is a great knife for its designated purpose, not at all what I like in a utility folder but perfect for its job. I keep where I will need it for (Heaven forbid) when I will need it.

I noticed the Gary Graley-made sheaths that I have, both for the Sebenza and another for the AFCK, positions the knife perfectly for draw when sitting in my car. The pivot end sticks strait up, right next to the seat belt release for very ready access. Most any good sheath will allow you better access when seated, where a clip leaves your knife buried in your pocket most times. I have been using a leather sheath from Gfeller Casemakers for my small Sebenza, and it has worked out terrifically. I can’t imagine clipping a $300.00 knife into my pocket with my keys and spare change.


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James
 
I wear T-Shirts.
Click to expand...

David, you mean to tell me you actually let your wardrobe determine what knives you carry, and not the other way around?

"You still have much to learn, my young apprentice." (That's my favorite line from the new Star Wars movie.)

David Rock
 
David,

Just how old do you think I am?
smile.gif
I guess I do let my wardrobe determine my knives.

I like BMWGS80's idea of having a place to clip the knife. I've tried the visor and it's too thick for the clip. I'll have to attach something to the roof. This is also a great excuse to buy more knives! One for each car and one to carry.

[This message has been edited by David Williams (edited 26 June 1999).]
 
In my last and worst accident, the car went off the road, flipped upside down in mid air, fell 15 feet and landed on a large rock. It then rolled around two and one-half times over coming to a stop right-side up. I opened the door and got out. That's a strong testament to the GM W-body.

But, my AFCK that had been clipped to my pocket was not with me. It was found among the trail of stuff that had fallen out of the car through every broken window. Everything that was not riveted down was everywhere. Stuff from the glove box, the arm rest, under the seat, everything. During the accident, while I was held firmly in place by the tensioned seatbelt, all of that stuff, including my AFCK and a CQC7 which was found locked open in the back seat, was flying around me.

So, if you think about putting a knive in your car, make sure that it's properly secured so that your own rescue tool won't become a flying projectile and end up killing you, and so that it'll still be where you put it when you need it.

A car accident can be a very violent event. Stuff really has to be secured down a lot better than you probably think it does.

I am now very paranoid about what I have in the car with me. I put anything I wouldn't want to get hit in the head with in the trunk. Just the other day, I made a friend put a hammer, a drill and a drill index that were sitting on his back seat into the trunk. He said, "I don't care if anyone steals those things." I explained that I was not concerned about them being stolen. He thought I was silly until I suggested that in an accident, those things flying around could kill you.

In a bad accident, the glove box, arm rest, all of those little compartments so many cars have these days, are all gonna come open and spill their stuff out. So, be careful what you put in there.

Chuck
 
Folks, remember that a lot of police departments don't care for a driver to have a "weapon" within easy reach. I think a sheepsfoot or multi-blade knife with a good explanation would be okay, but I just wanted to point this out so it was part of these considerations.

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-Corduroy
(Why else would a bear want a pocket?)
 
'Roy, when last pulled over for a minor infarction last year, the officer pointed to the exposed clip on my car visor and asked what it was. The reply of "Spyderco Rescue" brought a nod, a grin, and a quick comparison of my old Rescue vs. his new one. We agreed that the removable clip was nice, but the weep hole would be missed on the newer model.

I got off with a warning
smile.gif


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James
 
Here's an idea...I have one of the "push-punch" things attatched to my dash with velcro. They are the things that are used to indent metal before using a drill bit. (found mine at the local Home Improvement Store for abour $10.) Also, Smith&Wesson has a "First Responder" knife with one of these built in the end of the handle. These little punches work on a double sping action that really packs a wallop when pushed against something (like the glass window of a car.) DATELINE did a special on car evacs about 2 months ago and I picked one of them up for each car.
Also, you might think about "riggin" a strap of material perpendicular on your shoulder-harness part of your seat belt where you could securely clip a good serrated blade. The Buck Crosslock has a knife that has two blades...a serrated sheepsfoot and a "zipper" blade. The "zipper" (my name for it) is like the gutting hook that is on the back of many good skinning knives. it is made on this knife specifically for holding the seatbelt in the path of the blade with no potential harm to the seatbelt wearer.
http://www.buckknives.com/Pages/psrchf.html

I hope that this helps. I think that Buck actually makes one of these "Hunters" that does not have the saw-teeth on the back.
Good luck and careful driving!

David

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David P Sproles
Eagle Scout Class of 1988
sproles@email.com or
dpsproles@juno.com
 
I found in my 25 years of driving truck, that horizontal carry on my belt proved to be the mosy acessible means of carry, especially while sitting in the drivers seat, home, restaurants, etc. Vertical carry would most often hang up on the edge of the seat when getting out of a truck, and climbing down the steps.
To this day, even though I have been retired for 5 years, I still buy nothing but horizontal sheaths, and thankfully more and more come out with the choice of vertical or horizontal carry. In tha past, horizontal carry sheaths were very hard to find, at least out here in Nevada.
In my personal vehicles, I have a knife in a sheath, and also a multi-tool(Leatherman, Gerber) handy, and in the company rigs I always had my horizontal carry knife, because I wasn't always in the same truck.
My .02 cents.

Larry
 
The type of center punch you mentioned has been getting harder to find. A clerk at the hardware store I frequent said that they will only special order them now, as their entire stock was shop-lifted within a week of the report you mentioned being aired. It seems that they are being used for illegal access to other peoples cars.

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James
 
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