What knife For Car Emergency Bag?

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winchester73

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Jan 6, 2008
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Not so much what knife as what knife handle or scales would stand the heat and cold of leaving in a car. No leather sheath would. Would a Buck 110 scales take the temperature swings in a car without ruining it?
 
What about a SwissBuck SwissMate III. It would give you some emergency tools.

Bert
 
I've had an Esee 5 in my truck for the last two years with no I'll effects and I live near Chicago. So, it sees all kinds of weather.
 
I have a Buck 110 in the leather sheath in my pickup truck and in my car. They have been there quite awhile, but I do change them out occasionally - I haven't noticed anymore effect on them from the weather than I have with the ones stored in my hunting backpack or the ones stored in a footlocker at home. I also keep a few pocketknives (Buck 301 and an old Schrade USA 34OT) in my car - all of these knives are stainless steel and have stabilized wood or Delrin handles. I keep a SOG folding tool as well - pretty sure it's stainless also. I don't think you could go wrong with any SS Buck Knife - get one in the synthetic sheath if that would make more sense to you. OH
 
Go scaleless.

For a leave-in-the-car, emergency use only knife, I'd go with a PakLite large skinner and a length of paracord to wrap the handle if necessary.

That said, I have a Mora and a Gerber multi-tool in my car at all times and they hold up fine.
 
I've got a 119 with the black handle in the jeep looks as I left it s long time ago.
 
I can't see temp having an effect on any knife but I would think an emergency bad should have a nice blade, saw of some sort and a multi tool. All three in one would be efficient but if you are not carrying the bag every day get one of each.
 
The SwissMate III has a saw blade, a Phillips and slot blade, wire stripper, a can opener, a large drop point blade and I can't remember what else.

Bert
 
I think for any modern scales to be effected from a temperature swing it would have to be major. Like leaving Death Valley to Antartica in 1 second.
 
Ratmandu stays in the trunk of my car all the time. That plus my Davison slippy will accomplish just about anything.
 
Old Hunter said:
I have a Buck 110 in the leather sheath in my pickup truck and in my car. They have been there quite awhile, I also keep a few pocketknives in my car
Click to expand...

This. I use Buck 112's but the 110's have been doing well for decades. And I'd include your choice of a multi tool or folder or ........ The car will carry quite a bit and we can use whatever tools are needed for whatever has happened.
 
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Bert's Swiss Mate idea is good. I have examined that knife and it is well made. In my travels I usually have a model 120 and my Estwing hatchet. The hatchet is 20 years old and it's leather handle needs a disk added. The sheath on the 120 shows little need of attention. Maybe I've oiled it more. Then I usually wear a multi-tool and may carry my 334 Trapper or a 110. DM
 
I think the laminated wood scales on a standard 110 will withstand the elements just fine. I might only be concerned with natural materials like bone, antler or horn.
 
Since the original post is here in the BUCK forum and it talks about a 110, I will say that I have had various Buck knives in closed up high summer heat without any ill effects. I usually have a pocket knife on my person, but keep a folding saw, hatchet and old style wooden handled folding army shovel with the tool bag. The shovel or hatchet I would use in the attempt to pry a door open in a rescue. Either would also break glass. I also keep a aluminum 5 c-cell Maglite under the drives seat which is a bashing tool of sorts.

But I am an outdoorsman, in a genteel car of women and children such tools would likely not be or should not be easily available. Then a multi-tool, along with a spring loaded metal punch (to break glass) could be easily carried in console or glove box. One of the heavy bladed Buck straight knives with a exposed rear tang point might be a one knife do all tool if no little ones would not mess with it. 300
 
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You jogged my memory. I also keep a Army surplus folding shovel and a mag-lite with me. Sometimes Buck's Sawbuck as well. These are useful tools. DM
 
Stacked leather handles have been used by the military in rapidly changing extreme conditions. On bombers that could go from -40°F to over 100°F within hours.

I had a Camillis Pilots Survival knife dated 1968 that was found wedged into the seat springs of a 1981 pickup I bought in 1995. There is no telling how long it was there. Long enough for the previous owner to forget it was there is all I know. It looked a littel worse for wear but it functioned fine. 27 years of neglect and abuse.
 
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