I'm not in an EMS job, but I use this knife for everything. I'm kind of the opinion that this knife will never be used for self-defense unless it's a life-or-death thing. Trauma shears seems okay, but it also seems like an unnecessary complication in a defense situation - hooking, trapping, and locking is a lot easier when you just use your hands, IMO (actually, in a situation where those are feasible, I'd rather do a foot sweep and get the heck outta there ).
I carry 2. One is a smith and wesson with half the blade serrated. The other is a Spyderco rexcue knife. Love both. Have used both and I wouldn't trade em. The spyderco that you're looking at is great carry a similar one. Use is regularly and have had people try and steal it. Happy knife hunting.
I carry a simple Gerber knife...partial serrated blade. Not really for seatbelts, but for utility. So, far I've used it to cut paper when creating my clip board mini-reference/cheatsheet sheets and occasionally cutting the sticky head strip off for backboarded patients after they're cleared at the hospital.
Though I'm not usually thinking about it and not its main purpose, it can also double as a self-defense tool if it happens to escalate that bad...in this neighborhood, that could be possible.
It's probably a good thing to carry a knife, however in my 14yrs i have never really had a need to cut a seatbelt or defend myself. With that said I am in th eprocess of buying a knife for the fact that the ems shears lately have been crappy and harder to cut clothes off. I'm looking at the syperco. also !.... Happy hunting !!!
I had a pair once - remember, I'm a 21y/o, 6ft 2in GUY.
I NEVER lost those shears... Trauma room, Ambulance... NEVER. I finally gave them to an EMT student who REALLY liked them. I just liked that I couldn't loose them
superknife.... most useful knife I have ever owned, and it is only a razor blade..always a razor sharp blade on hand. I DON'T use this to cut seat belts, and never would. Trauma shears are choice for not injuring pt's.
So.. I bought a Gerber "FAST Draw" knife yesterday... $40 at the Cabelas' Store (fun field trip) I LOVE the knife. It has assisted-opening, and has both thumb studs and a finger kick, and also is carried tip-up with the pocket clip. I've only practiced a little, but it is so NATURAL to have it out of my pocket, blade out, and ready to use in a split-second.... I LOVE it, even though it costs twice as much as my last knife. I also love that it has a "deep carry" pocket clip, so it really doesn't stick out of my pocket.
Oh.. and I will carry this ALL the time... not just on duty... and I'm not allowed to carry it at the part time job, because they've got a rule against it. I also will have it in my pocket, not clipped on it at some times (espicially when I work at the hosptial).
Man that would be horrible. I have carried a knife of some sort since I was old enough to walk. In school when they had show and tell day most of what was shown was our new knives. Of course when I went to school we could still have our guns in our trucks and at lunch break we would all go check out any new ones that people got.
As to what I carry I actually now mainly carry a lock blade box cutter.
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