Seat Belt Knife

C

chetchat

Joined
Jul 15, 1999
Messages
603
Folks,

I've snooped around online a bit, looking for one of those speciality knives specificially designed to cut seatbelts - the kind with a blunt or no point, perhaps some kind of loop to hook the belt in while you cut it.

Any ideas where to look? Thanks!


Nick
 
You can't go wrong with a Spyderco Rescue or Rescue Jr.

Dave

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Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of More Knives

 
If you're equipping yourself for automotive emergencies you might want the Smith and Wesson 911 First Response Rescue Knife. This large knife has a blunt tip and a spring-loaded car window breaker. It is awfully large for casual carry. It is more what you carry in your glove compartment or with other emergency gear.

Smaller knives that you might carry all the time might be the sliding bladed ER1 from Cold Steel. If you're looking for something small enough to hang on your key ring you might try a Christy Sliding Blade Pocket Knife.

Here are some links:
http://knifecenter.com/knifecenter/index/rescue.html
http://www.christyknifeco.com

 
Gall's Inc. in Lexington KY carries (or at least used to) a seat belt cutter built into the plastic handle of a small hammer made for shattering windshilds. It came with a clip that you could attach to your car so that you always know where it is. I was going to link to their site but it seems to be down at the moment. They specialize in supplies for LEO's, paramedics, EMT, fire fighters etc, but anyone can buy from them. At least I bought stuff at their showroom. Their phone number is-
800-477-7766


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Paul Davidson

Them:"What's that clipped to your pocket, a beeper?"
Me:"Uuh....yeah, something like that."


 
Hiya Chet!

Back when I was doing Fire stuff all the time, I carried the Buck Crosslock. It was easy to open with gloves and had either a standard blade or a combo seatbelt cutter/screwdriver tip.
I liked it well enough.

I tried the S&W cutter/centerpunch and it looked like a good idea, but I found it to be incredibly weak. I got the first generation model, so maybe it's changed, but in the original instructions, the manufaturer actually encouraged prying with the blade.

So I pried.... only to have permanently ruined the locking mechanism, allowing the very dull blade to open and close at will.

Hope that helps!
VG

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Vampire Gerbil: Nosferatus Rodentus Moderatus; similar to a domestic gerbil, except for the odd accent and little black cape.


 
Of course, in an emergency the paramedic could use a knife, but do they, or do they more often use scissors?

Related to this, how often do seatbelt mechanisms jam requiring the cutting of the seatbelt? Do paramedics cut anyway for speed and convenience?
 
The Cold Steel ER 1 is a relatively inexpensive slide opening knife that I carry in my vest or jacket pocket often. But it may be a bit difficult to open one handed if you are in an injured situation. The SOG E- Clips is similar but is small enough to hang on a key chain or serve as a flimsy money clip. For belt carry, there is the Hoffman 911 which is a folder that has an ample large ovalish handle and uses a thin curved blade with a rounded shape tip. Good luck trying to sharpen it! A good compromise would be the Spyderco Rescue series or even an original Terzuola C15- 19 which has a somewhat blunted or sheepfoot blade shape.

L8r,
Nakano
 
But to answer the original question
smile.gif
do take a look at the original Ironstone exclusives in the way of the sheepfooted blades of the Snap It and the Remote Release! That' s your answer.

L8r,
Nakano
 
I recently tested and then bought a S&W response 1, it performed super. I travel with my daughter who is in a wheelchair and it not only cut seatbelts it cut through the heavy tiedown straps with no trouble. The glass breaker worked great too, but I would suggest you practice doing it to get the feel of how its done. Its size lets me keep it in the overhead console for easy access.

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BillyB
 
Donald, for the most part, you're correct. EMS personnel will use EMT Shears rather than a knife. The reason for the knife is (at least for me) that my turnout gear didn't allow for a lot of tools. Space was at a minimum and I felt that a knife would be more versatile than a pair of shears.

It's been my experience that seat belts don't really jam but rather it's too difficult to hit the seat belt's release from the driver's side while working on a patient. The car's a mess anyways, and rather than reaching over and below a patient to hit the release, I'd rather just cut it wherever I could. In a situation that was not too serious, I've gone around to the other side to hit the release as well. Depends on the call.

As for clothing removal, shears are best, but if someone codes on me when my shears aren't within reach, I've used whatever knife I had to cut the shirt/bra away from the person. Just a matter of expediency.

Also, many EMS personnel will arrive at the scene of a motor vehicle accident without their equipment, other than what's already on their person. If I see an accident, I'll go to help even if I don't have my other equipment on hand. I ALWAYS have a knife though.

Hope that helped,
VG
 
I prefer to use a knife versus the 'issue' traume shears. I have used trauma shears that wouldn't cut cling gauze, let alone heavy clothing. Nebbah had a problem "field dressing" a patient with my knives. The Spyderco Recue is by far the best as a rescue type knife. Later, Jeff

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Anybody seen the bactine, please?!?!?!?

 
Check out the Myerchin A500 at http://www.myerchin.com - it's a "true" sheepsfoot where the stabbing ability is minimal versus the Spydie Mariner-type point.

In California, that means that this fixed blade probably escapes the "readily available STABBING implement" clause in PC12020 that would otherwise force it to be open-carry.

Myerchin and SOG both seem to know how to heat-treat 440A into something respectable versus crummy...440A is normally known as a low-end but high-chrome "almost unrustable" steel. The odds you'll get rust on an A500 are about as low as it gets. The A500 is 3/16th stock, flat-ground and with a very "beefy" feel...it can pry, the pommel can smash glass well, it'd be close to my top choice for getting myself out of a wreck.

I wish I could recommend the Myerchin marine-duty folders but they're WAY too stiff the last time I looked.

Jim
 
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