What situation were you in where your knife saved the day

Final Option

Final Option

Joined
Feb 11, 2012
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We use our knives everyday some of us more that others, however we all carry for a reason. Hopefully not as dramatic as Aron Ralston who was canyoneering in Utah in 2003 and had to amputate his own arm off after his arm became wedged in between a dislodged Boulder in order to free himself to survive. However I'm sure some us have had that moment where our EDC knife saved the day. I know we all use our knives for common tasks however tell us about the big save or experience.

Tell us your moment. I've had several situations where it paid off to have my knife with me the first time many years ago I was at a circus and the main tent we were under collapsed from high winds trapping hundreds of circus goers under the heavy canopy. At that time I had a simple slip joint folder on me that I used to cut the canvas to free myself and many others. What was your moment?
 
At a wedding I had to cut the Rings off the pillow cause some one tied them on with a hard knife. I was the only Groomsmen with a knife it was My 340 Old Timer stockman.
 
Final Option said:
Tell us your moment. I've had several situations where it paid off to have my knife with me the first time many years ago I was at a circus and the main tent we were under collapsed from high winds trapping hundreds of circus goers under the heavy canopy. At that time I had a simple slip joint folder on me that I used to cut the canvas to free myself and many others. What was your moment?
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Nothing that dramatic, but I do feel like a hero when my wife asks if I have my knife, even if it is to cut a thread
 
onojoe said:
Nothing that dramatic, but I do feel like a hero when my wife asks if I have my knife, even if it is to cut a thread
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I totally get that. It only gets better when she expect resistance when cutting, but it slides right through and she hands it back saying "whoa, that's sharp."

One time as a boating instructor in summer camp, we had to haul a boat out of the water that had become waterlogged. It was a plastic hulled boat, and due to mechanical issues, we'd already decided the boat was a loss. Due to a hundred gallons or so of water in the boat, it was too heavy to pull up. I used my Ka-Bar to stab some air flow holes in the top of the hull and then some big drain holes in the bottom. Pulled that sucker right out.

A few months ago, i was hiking with my best friend (like the brother I never had, kinda best friend). He rolled his ankle while we were still a few miles from the car. I used my Becker BK16 to make a walking stick for him so that he could keep pressure off the ankle while walking. He could have made it back without, but this allowed him to do so more safely, in more comfort, and much faster.
 
I was at a quinceanera back in November and whoever bought the beer had bought non-twist-off DOS XX. And no one had brought a bottle opener. The bartender used my BK11 to open the DOS XX for 30 minutes while one of the honoree's uncles went to the nearest store and bought a bottle opener. Should'a had a Kabar dealership that night - I probably could'a sold several dozen 11s. :D
 
This is from a few months back, but I was heading into work and an SUV pulled out in front of another vehicle directly ahead and to my right (four lane road with a turn lane in the middle). The vehicle flipped over onto it's roof, coming to rest on the opposite side of the highway. Obviously I slammed on my brakes and immediately went over to check on the driver of the overturned SUV. They were semi-responsive, though trapped by the seat-belt. Cut them free with whatever knife was on me at the time (might've been my Paramilitary 2) before assessing injuries etc (other witnesses had already called for EMS by this point).
 
One time, I licked a cold metal flag pole and had to cut off my tongue to free myself... :D

In all seriousness, my best "knife moment" was probably when my jeans got caught on a fence I was climbing. I was stuck in an awkward position and had no choice.
 
One time at work, someone needed to free a coat rack from a cocoon of tape. My Leatherman came to the rescue. :thumbup:

Another time I used my SwissChamp to help a supervisor get a stubborn cabinet open.

There was one time when I was at a family dinner. The kids loved the large grapes, but not the seeds. Out came the Mackinac Hunter, which got those grapes halved and the seeds booted out real quick. :thumbup:

My coworker recently had a delicious cake but nothing to cut it with. SwissChamp to the rescue again!

My girlfriend knits and is often without a tool suitable for cutting yarn. Several of my knives have assisted with this.

Several parties I've been to where my SwissChamp has come in handy for opening bottles of beer and wine.

Just a few examples. My knives come in handy all the time, I don't go anywhere without at least one.
 
I was driving a HiAce van through the rain forest in the Australian backcountry in a horrible storm on a one-lane road on the side of a mountain. A large work truck was running down the hill towards my van, at days end so they weren't slowing down. I pulled the van over as far as possible against the cliff edge, where it became stuck in a clay-mud ditch.
In the efforts to free the van, the mirror became tangled in a vine and broke off. But it was still dangling by the power wires. Drive 60k back to town with the mirror dangling, swinging, and hitting the side of the van? Nope, I cut the electric wires with a Victorinox Stylus.

Not exactly lifesaving. :o

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Just last year I had a flat on the F350. Except the stupid 'key' was missing to lower the spare tire. So I reached through a small gap above the bumper... and cut the braided cable holding the spare. The only tool long enough to reach in there was a Tremontina machete, and I could only make a sawing movement of about one inch. It took three hours...
 
Last year while traveling Northbound on I-95 just outside of Florence, S.C. a tractor trailer lost a huge chunk of his tire right in front of the leased van I was driving. I had no time to avoid striking this chunk of rubber and swerving into another lane at 75 mph was not an option, so I took a direct hit, under the van it went, it missed the automatic transmission and air conditioning tubing. However when this tire carcass emerged from the rear of the van the wheel well and plastic bumper were torn loose and dragging under the vehicle.

It was 2:00 AM, cars buzzing by at 75 mph and the only thing that kept me from joining them was two large pieces of heavy automotive plastic. I carefully manuvered to the shoulder of the highway, pulled out my knife and trimmed off the dragging plastic,,and off we went. When I dropped off the vehicle the rental associate had a hard time understanding why I would cut pieces of the van off. Finally I got through to her and my insurance covered the mishap.
 
A Polish farmer friend of mine gets the sleeve of his work jacket caught in the power take-off of his tractor. As he struggles to free the cloth, I get my Leatherman Crater C33x out of my pocket, open it quickly, and cut the cloth before his fingers and arm are mangled by the revolving shaft.
 
Tommy07 said:
A Polish farmer friend of mine gets the sleeve of his work jacket caught in the power take-off of his tractor. As he struggles to free the cloth, I get my Leatherman Crater C33x out of my pocket, open it quickly, and cut the cloth before his fingers and arm are mangled by the revolving shaft.
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Great save, grew up on a farm and know in a matter of seconds your friend could have lost his arm or his life!
 
Bar fight back in the late 70's guy came at me with a broken beer bottle. I continued to back up until I pulled my german bone handled switchblade out of my back pocket and deployed it. Well he dropped the bottle and ran out the door stating I ain's f...ing with no steel. I'm glad he did and everybody went home safely that night. I no longer drink or frequent bars or carry switchblades, alcohol and weapons certainly don't mix.
 
Just last week I was abducted by aliens and taken to their mothership! The whole way up I'm thinking about all the horrible things that they were going to do to me! When I finally got there all they did was take all the measurements of my benchmade Contego and made a blueprint of it! They took me back to earth and thanked me! I'll never forget that one!
 
'78 I was with my Dad travelling with a friend of his on a farm road. The car broke down and the friend noted, only then, the tools were missing, so he used my SAK to divert some wires and we got going again. Being the Rhodesian war and getting dark things were nerve wracking, everyone carried firearms.

My Dad's friend had given me that same SAK for Christmas. To him it was another cool thing to send out and after that he realised it wasn't a toy and carried one. Nice dude, had a generous mother who sent me BabyBee planes and table tennis tables by post, from England....
 
I trimmed a hangnail just a month or so ago. It was touch and go there for a while but I was eventually successful.

I guess I lead a mundane sort of life. I have used my knives innumerable times to good purpose over the years, but no life or limb saving emergencies.

All in all my live has been made easier by a handy knife, mine or someone else's. I feel naked without one. I have forgotten my wallet on occasions but never a knife. When I fly I don't take check baggage and I immediately have to go to a Walmart or other cheapie store to buy a "disposable" knife. I paid $3.98 in NM last month. It was a pretty sorry excuse for a knife, but it worked and made me feel better.
 
My mother's 80th birthday we had a party outside and there was no knife available for cutting the birthday cake. I pulled out my Spyderco Police and saved the day. Today Mom is 91 and doing well.
 
Oh, I just forgot, on Monday my Benchmade Griptillian saved the day. A package arrived at my door. The box contained a Condor Moonshiner, and I needed to see it RIGHT FRICKIN' NOW!!! Out came the Benchmade, and bam, there we go. Used one knife to rescue another knife from its cardboard captivity.
 
zzyzzogeton said:
I was at a quinceanera back in November and whoever bought the beer had bought non-twist-off DOS XX. And no one had brought a bottle opener. The bartender used my BK11 to open the DOS XX for 30 minutes while one of the honoree's uncles went to the nearest store and bought a bottle opener. Should'a had a Kabar dealership that night - I probably could'a sold several dozen 11s. :D
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as dangerous as it could be, I never get how people use a knife esp a fixed blade to open beers. Using teeth would be safer and easier; any hard corners (table, stair step) shall do it. If nothing like these available, just hooking up the lids of two bottles and twisting and pulling, problem solved.
 
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