Rescue Worker - What knife do you carry & use ?

I

igorhurl

Joined
Apr 29, 2004
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2
HI all,

I'm a search & resuce worker inthe UK and having seen my normal carry knife drop away while doing a highline rescue :grumpy: find myself looking for a new knife.

Just wondering what you guys carry "over the pond" for rescue work & whether anyone has any good knife shop recommendations for the Orla ndo, Kissemmee area as am coming over shortly on vacation :D

Take care you guys & stay safe

Kris
 
There aren't any really nice knife shops in the area, but you should visit the Bass Pro shop near the Buena Vista Lake area for lots of neat sporting goods. Visit also the Randall Knife shop on Orange Blosson Road (or trail). There's a little white sign right next to a gawdy little resort hotel. They have a few Benchmades in their showcase, and occasionally on Monday mornings, they have some knives for sale (usually indicated by a big crowd of people standing outside their gate at 7 in the morning). At other times, go and see their knife museum which holds a treasure trove of historical Randall related cutlery.

As for a rescue knife, I'd recommend the Spyderco Rescue. It isn't what I would carry myself, but it's a good combination of compactness, effectiveness and affordability.
 
I'm a EMT, and i have used my BM 710 to cut rope, seat belts, and even cut a boot off of a patient's foot(there are some things that a pair of shears just won't cut). currently I carry a BM 43 balisong, but in the UK, I know that's not legal.
 
Hi Igorhurl,

I haven't done any rescue work yet (I'm still recovering from a ferocious injury of my own) but have looked into knives for rescue purposes. A couple questions - do you prefer a fixed blade or a folding knife? What model knife did you previously use? What is your price range? Given that info, I am sure I and the myriad others 'round here can give you many suggestions. :)

I would personally prefer a medium-ish fixed blade, say 4 1/2" blade, give or take, with a G-10 or textured Micarta handle and maybe serrations at the base of the blade. I would probably prefer a spear or sheep's foot blade style. As one option, I would consider a Benchmade H2O. The blade is smaller than I would like, but everything else hits the nail on the head. Here is a link to it at Benchmade's site:

http://www.benchmade.com/products/product_detail.asp?model=100SH2O

if you are really interested in buying it, I would go to New Graham Knives here on the web. I'm afraid I don't know their address, but others around here do.
Good luck on your search and enjoy your trip to the US.
 
I carry a Strider or a Sebenza on my uniform pants, and a lower end knife in my turnout coat. Right now I'm trying out one of those "super knives" with the disposable contractor razor blades. I'll use it til it breaks, I lose it, or it rusts shut from neglect in my coat pocket. They work well for cutting carpet out of a burned up room, etc.

In all honesty, I use penny cutter EMT shears for all cutting around people.
They are cheap, disposable, and work great on clothes, webbing and rope.
Not sure what kind of rescue work you do, but every rescuer should have a pair. Add to that a Spyderco or similar knife and I think you'd be set.

If I need to pry doors or windows, I've got bigger tools for the job.

Stay safe,
John...
 
Hi Kris,
I'm a firefighter in Jersey, Channel Islands. I recommend Spyderco knives as they are simple, tough and easy to open one-handed - even while wearing gloves.
I used to carry a Spyderco Rescue but found that I often needed a tip for various tasks. I now carry a Spyderco Delica. Cutting around casualties is generally done with EMT shears or a safety seatbelt cutter.
I still carry my Rescue when out in our Inshore Rescue Boat.
NewGraham.com will send a single knife to the UK for $5.95 shipping and you will generally receive it within ten days. No need to go over there to buy one! :)
 
I've been a firefighter in New Jersey for 7 years and I have carried alot of knives over the years. The best setup I use now is a Spyderco Assist clipped to my station wear, a Spyderco Remote Release clipped to my turnout gear, and a Benchmade Rescue Hook on my duty belt.
 
I got 15 years on the job in Rochester Ny( soon to be promoted to LT. :) ),I carry a BM 710 combo edge and a Vic.Soldier in my pants pockets.

But I have never found a folder I can open with my gloves on.They're just to thick and stiff from the always getting wet,then drying out.So hanging from my coat I have a small fixed blade,(Hobbits Fang) with a double cord wrapped handle.Still not easy to work with,but better than a folder.

I also see some starting to carry those Super blade razor knives.seems to be real good for carpet,tar paper and mattresses, which is nice as I've seen more than one guy chip his knife on the springs.
 
Never used any for rescue work but here is what I use and dont use.

Carry no Use:

Korth Model 4 Ano Green
Maier Rehandle
BM42SS-01(c)

Carry and Use

BM42
BM31s
BM31s Modded Ano
BM43blk
BM43mc
BM47blk
MT Dragonfly
MT Tachyon
Knife Kits Typhoon
 
Hate to be boring, but I've gotten the most use out of a Leatherman Wave and an Emerson P-Sark. An AFCK Axis Lock got equal carry time to the P-Sark eventually though. Other than that it was a knife of the week kinda thing for quite awhile. MOD, Spyderco, Bud Nealy,Emerson, Microtech, Dalton, Benchmade, etc. There were really no bad choices among these brands, but the Leatherman was indispensable. (The shears are a given)

Among my colleagues it seems Spyderco very much the most widely carried brand though. Delicas, Rescues,Clip-it, and a Pro-Grip are a few of the ones that immediately come to mind. (Lots of Delicas and Rescues)
 
A Sebenza for office and Class A carry

A BM 550, a Leatherman Wave, and a BM Rescue Hook on the turnout gear.
 
I'm a firefighter/paramedic in Southern California and cary a BM 910 Stryker. The knife has the combo edge which I highly recomend for rescue work. I've had this knife for roughly 6 years now and ABSOLUTELY LOVE this thing. Its well broken in and can be opened easily with one hand. The blade retains its edge quite well. The knife handles quite well in the hand. In closing let me reiterate....YOU'LL LOVE IT!!!

www.benchmade.com
 
Back when I first trained as a whitewater guide, I certified in swift water rescue. The default knife then was a Tekna, in an inverted sheath on your PFD. I lost mine, and they're hard to find anymore, but there are quite a few other 'skeletonized' SS models to be found out there now. I'll second the preference for a smallish fixed blade. I own, but have not used, BM's river rescue knife. (The model# escapes me at the moment.)
 
Lone Hunter said:
But I have never found a folder I can open with my gloves on.They're just to thick and stiff from the always getting wet,then drying out.So hanging from my coat I have a small fixed blade,(Hobbits Fang) with a double cord wrapped handle.Still not easy to work with,but better than a folder.
Click to expand...

Hey Lone Hunter, have u ever tried the Buck-Strider folders? Their large models work great with gloves.
 
I carried a large Seb in my pants pocket and a multi tool on my belt, and a Busse Basic 3 in my turnout coat.

A lot of guys carried Spydies, mostly because they are cheap if lost or broken. One friend got a Buck 880 and carries it in his turnout gear, and I found Basic 3's for a couple of the rescue guys.
 
Tok,now stop that! I'm pretty much done with buying new knives :confused: but I've always wanted a Buck Strider.Must resist....

But these gloves are very stiff.The distal joints of my fingers don't bend at all with them on.To top it off there's excess matterial extending past the finger tip also.
 
Lone Hunter, I know exactly what u mean by resisting to get another knife.. I did it successfully for one knife last month. :D
Anyhow, u've gotta hate me to tell u this :D, the Buck 880 can be flicked open quite easily - something that might ease u up a bit when using it with gloves on? :D
 
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