Gift for EMT suggestions

[2cha]

All,
My cousin is an EMT and really into it. She just spent the weekend entertaining my sons, and I'd like to get her a thank you knife (always looking for excuse to give a knife as a gift).

Any EMTs, paramedics or firefighters out there who use a Spydie on the job?

Impressions on the Assist from someone who's put it through it's paces?

[Splice]

I would probably go with something like a Saver Salt. My buddy is an EMT, and their uniforms are not good in hot weather. This means lots of sweating, which means lots of opportunities for rust to form. I think H1 would be great in this application. Who knows what other vile crap and bodily fluids they would come into? Blood, vomit, urine, etc. You want to have your knife quick and easy to clean in this application, and having nothing on it that's going to rust, you can always just douse it with water until you get a moment to do a proper cleaning.

My buddy also sits around and goes out to eat a lot while on the clock, since there can be long periods where there's nothing to do. This means they might end up using the knife for food preparation tasks or other various EDC tasks. EMT's also carry a lot so the lighter the knife the better. Again, I think the Saver Salt or something very similar would be ideal in this role.

[The Deacon]

Assist is a well made knife, but somewhat bulky. It's tip would appear to make it a good choice for EMT use, but from what I understand, they normally have blunt scissors they use for removing clothing. Not sure how much use an EMT would have for the glass breaker. A yellow Atlantic Salt or Saver Salt would probably be better choices.

[JBE]

I've been in EMS for 17 years and have carried Spydercos for 14 of those years. I found the Assist and the D'Allara Rescues to be too bulky for comfortable EDC while on the job and, in all honesty, the window breaker feature was more of a novelty than a uselful tool (I've owned and carried both).

The Standard 93mm Rescue is a good choice - slender and lightweight. I'll even go a step further and recommend the Atlantic Salt with it's fully-serrated H1 goodness. Personally, I prefer the extra blade length provided by these over that of the Saver Salt. As far as handle color, high-vis is good but I always preferred black for a lower profile when clipped to the pocket of they typical dark blue or black EMS trouser. Also, may want to consider getting her name engraved on the blade; it's a nice personal touch plus it helps prevent the knife from sprouting legs and walking off later as things are apt to do in EMS.

[RamDreamer]

I'm not an EMT, but one of my favorites for applications such as this is the Spyderco Rescue 93 mm Blue FRN ~ C14BL (now discontinued). The blade on this model is slightly differenct than others, with a bit of PlainEdge near the tip - not a completely SpyderEdge.

Depending upon hand size, something along the lines of a Spyderco Rescue 79 mm Orange FRN ~ C45OR would be a very nice gift.

[Donut]

I was wondering about a black handle on a knife like this. If you need to toss it to someone in the dark or you drop it in the dark, won't you lose it?

[ChapmanPreferred]

+1 for the Assist.

[JBE]

I was wondering about a black handle on a knife like this. If you need to toss it to someone in the dark or you drop it in the dark, won't you lose it?

That's why I never toss any piece of equipment to anyone in the dark... :D

As far as dropping, I've seen bigger pieces of gear lost in the dark...heck, in broad daylight for that matter. Color made little difference. Strangely, most of your high-end stethoscopes that medics carry come in mostly dark colors. :confused:

My knife handles were always black, but my scissor handles were always something more colorful. Always worked for me and I never lost a knife but managed to lose several pairs of scissors. Go figure. :p

[indie_dave]

i'm a newb emt and i edc a black Saver Salt when working :D

for all the reasons listed (see JBE), i'd get the saver salt or atlantic salt over the rescue line.

thanks also for the tips regarding the assist (which i've been wanting to get for some time now). if Spyderco made a rescue hook, they'd do it right for sure (referencing benchmade, blackhawk!, and gerber -made hooks) [/wistful]

[tonydahose]

waved rescue, if you cant find one get a waved endura.

[Nifty_Nives]

i would absolutely recommend an Atlantic Salt. The design is great for rescue purposes, and it's H-1 steel will not rust. Who knows how sweaty it might get, or what bodily fluids will come into contact with it? Its very easy to clean, and all of the salt knives are EXTREMELY strong and capable of doing amazing work. Whether thats cutting the sweatshirt off of someone who passed out to anything imaginable that you could see as an EMT.

Return the favor of life saving by giving a tool that can save lives.


Give a tool that will last forever and give outstanding performance, so someone injured can be rescued.

[2cha]

Thanks all. Leaning toward the Atlantic Salt.

However, would love to have the mod guru and pro rescuer explain his suggestion:

waved rescue, if you cant find one get a waved endura.

Why the wave? More "important" than H1?

Thanks

[Splice]

a waved knife allows for faster deployment since you don't have to use the thumb hole, you just pull it out of your pocket at the right angle. It's a pretty cool feature, however you could just loop a couple zipties through the spyderhole and achieve the same outcome.

[JBE]

As far as blood and body fluids, H1 offers no benefits over VG-10, except for when the knife will be exposed to sweat.

Where H1 had is greatest benefit, will be in the cleaning and, if need, the disinfecting of the blade itself. With, H1 the blade can be rinsed off and stuck back in the pocket without concern for rust. Also, almost every single viricidal/disinfecting agent used in EMS has corrosive properties, esp when it comes to metal. Good ol' sodium hypochlorite (bleach) diluted with water, a standard disinfectant, can wreak **** on metal surfaces if it remains on there for any length of time.

Sorry, Tony, I have to disagree with you on the wave. I dont' really see where it offers any real-world advantage in rescue/EMS-type applications.

[psychophipps]

I just bought my EMT buddy a FFG Delica. It's worked great so far and he loves the purple "no, you can't say that you accidentally thought this was your knife" color. :cool:

[indie_dave]

re: wave discussion

VERY COOL imho
..Mr. Emerson didn't just add this feature to his socom blades, and subsequently spydercos, for no reason at all right?



also, i don't mean to derail this thread any further -- iirc EMTs apparently have access to fully auto-opening folders through the right distro channels (aafes suggests this to be true) -- can anybody corroborate?

[tonydahose]

sorry for the quick reply with no explanation. H1 is great for my firecoat where it will get wet at fires and i dont remember to clean it, there is no need to. as for the wave sometimes split seconds count and that lil extra time can be useful, either it being to cut someone out of a car that you role up on or more common over here, defending yourself. when you go to the west or south side in an ambo the patients arent always friendly. i'd rather have something that can deploy quickly, just my opinion, no need to agree with it, different circumstances call for different tools. there are more than a few medics riding around with bullet proof vests and i know more than a few that have been assaulted including myself when i first came on. let's just say the guy really needed the upgrade to an ALS ambo after all was said and done, i'd say more but i dont want to incriminate myself.

[2cha]

Thanks Tony--I figured there was a reason, just wanted to know what it was. The EMT in question is very attractive and works Lake Delavan in the summer (no SD worries) but Providence RI during the school year--roughly equivalent to some of the rougher areas in Chicago I guess. Thanks for you input. I may just give her the pepto manix--heavy I know, but she likes pink--and substantial enough to make all but the truly meth addled take a step back! I'll give it another week to see if another pink endura pops up (one went last night for a reasonable price).

[tonydahose]

a friend (a fireman) has a lake house up there that he shares with his 14 (yes 15 kids all together) brothers and sisters. It is a nice Lake, she should enjoy it.

[defenestrate]

Personally I am big on the Assist, but I guess it depends on your friend. The Assist is heavier, yes, but if your friend (like me) isn't too worried about the extra weight it still could be a winner. I'd also like to JBE's post about sweat being the only item corrsive to blades. I think hunters on here would likely beg to differ-blood is known to be quite corrosive to even some stainless blades - I believe the combination of oxygenated liquid + salt + iron tends to lead to bonding of said molecules as well as toward oxygenation. Not good for a blade. H1 *will* help with blood.