what knife for a firefighter?

I would think a knife that is specially designed to easily and quickly cut through seat belts and has a designated glass breaker would be in order.

I've done a little research out of boredom and the Gerber Hinderer Rescue knife is far and away the best out there and the price is pretty amazing - $70

Below is a link to the product on Amazon. It has 17 reviews that may be of interest to you.

http://www.amazon.com/Gerber-22-41534-Hinderer-Rescue-Serrated/dp/B000EDTSZQ/ref=cm_cmu_pg__header

Below is a review of the knife on YouTube. It's not in English but you can at least get a better idea of what it looks like and how big it is...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWsLJb3VpH8
 
austinguy23 said:
I would think a knife that is specially designed to easily and quickly cut through seat belts and has a designated glass breaker would be in order.

I've done a little research out of boredom and the Gerber Hinderer Rescue knife is far and away the best out there
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A few of us spoke with Rick Hinderer at a NY knife show. Naturally all his highend knives were sold out. :)

He did have the Gerber model to show us and was very enthusiastic in describing its functions.

Remember, a firefighter's professional life is not always spent at building fires. They get called to highway accidents, too, and many are now part of the EMS response.
 
I am an EMT and i carry a BM 556. To be honest I have never used it on a call. In my area there is not to many bad car accidents, even moderate ones there is no need to break glass because it is not as cool but I can just open the door with the handle... But for the rare calls that require extrication of a car we have all the tools needed for it on the rig. I think that your friend might get bettery use of a multi tool (you can always find something to use it for) or a flashlight. Hope this helps :)
PS: I do have a vic rescue tool in with my gear in my car just case i witness and accident and need to take fast action
 
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I don't have any real knowledge on what firefighter's need to do, but my guess is that the Spyderco Assist looks like a nice option for rescue type jobs.
 
Esav Benyamin said:
A few of us spoke with Rick Hinderer at a NY knife show. Naturally all his highend knives were sold out. :)

He did have the Gerber model to show us and was very enthusiastic in describing its functions.

Remember, a firefighter's professional life is not always spent at building fires. They get called to highway accidents, too, and many are now part of the EMS response.
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It's also good to know that Rick Hinderer is a veteran firefighter.
 
I have carried many different knives over the years. My current set-up is a Benchmade Rescue Hook for safe cutting near people and animals, a Res-Q-Me for popping toughened glass, and a Benchmade 550HG Griptilian for everything else.



To be honest, they don't get used much, but they have proved to be very useful at some incidents.

The knife that I carry in a pouch on my uniform belt sees a lot more use, for tasks around the station. This knife is generally a Benchmade Axis Lock, currently a CPM M4 Rift.
 
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Im a retired firefighter and another one who opts for a pliers based multitool like a Leatherman Wave.
 
PayetteRucker said:
a fully serrated claw/hawkbill/conservative karambit style blade comes in extreme handy for cutting common fibrous materials like tape, line, seatbelts and other nylon strapping, etc. Fixed blade is damned near a must because when wearing heavy gloves you won't be able to open a folder.
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The spyderco Spyderhawk in h1 full spyderedge comes to mind, and the spyderhole can be opened with gloves
 
I was a volunteer firefighter. I'd recommend a Swiss Tool Spirit. It won't replace the gear off the truck, but it'll get some good use on a daily basis.

TC
 
Firefighter/paramedic here.
I carry Benchmade 9050 and a BM rescue hook.
I use trauma shears more than my knife. The knife gets used mostly around the station. Shears and Resuce hook are used on calls.
 
And I sold it off pretty quickly. Didn't trust the lock as the one I had jammed on me at the station. Wasn't really a big deal, but it left me wondering if I'd trust it. I've never seen a firefighter carry a fixed blade on duty, but I do own a Wilson Coptool and it's seen duty at car fires, fire alarms and structure fires. Most of the work it's seen involved prying doors and floorboards during investigation. I'd agree with Steven Andrews in that knives rarely see duty on calls, but it's nice to have one around the station. I'm not really sure how volunteers roll, but professionals roll with the engines/trucks and they are pretty much well-stocked tool boxes on wheels. As result, I'd opt for a dedicated tool meant for a specific job over my pocket knife pretty much all the time.
Currently, my knife on duty is a Benchmade Mini Grip, but I go back and forth between Spyderco and Benchmade for work.
 
I'm retired from the Denver Fire Dept. At a scene, there are better tools to work with than a knife, but I carried one or another for my whole 29 years. In fact, we were required to have one. I used it to cut up upholstery in a car fire, cut a bandage or two, but that was about it. I had a spare beater for such work, however.

I'd recommend a Spydie with a handle that can be engraved with his name and badge number or coming-on date. He'll use it on and off duty, and it will be a memento of your friendship.

I carried both straight and serrated knives, and since I'm a knife guy, I preferred the straight edge and kept it sharp.
 
All good responses. It sounds more and more like I should just treat the guy out. The guy is also a pro body builder, so I suppose I should buy him a steak instead of a few pint of ale.
 
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