Rescue Assist for L.E.O ?

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Mushroom
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Rescue Assist for L.E.O ?

#1

Post by Mushroom »

So, one of my relatives has recently become a state trooper here in Massachusetts. She knows about my interest in Spyderco and has asked me for recommendations on knives a couple of times now and of course I'm eager to help! :D I'm planning to gift her a nice new Spyderco for Christmas this year! :spyder:

My first thought was immediately the Police 4! It's such a classic model and I've heard it's very well reputed among law enforcement. As we were talking, she specifically mentioned wanting "half serrations" for emergency or rescue situations. I was thinking maybe the stainless steel CE Police might be good option but when considering the potential weather conditions here in Massachusetts, I think I would prefer to get her something with better grip than the stainless steel handles. Then the idea of maybe a CE Endura or CE Delica came to mind, but then my entire thought process switched.

If she wants something for emergency situations, I think the Rescue Assist would be a great choice. I really like the features it has like the built in whistle and built in glassbreaker! Also, I can really see the blunt tip and serrated edge being ideal for rescue but I just don't know how much she will miss having a sharp point on a knife. I would love to hear recommendations from anyone with law enforcement or first responder experience!

Would I be making a mistake to get her a knife with a blunt tip? Am I wrong about stainless steel handles or do they perform better in wet/frozen weather conditions than I think?

I'd love to see a Serrated Edge or Combo Edge Police 4 LW! Would make buying her a birthday gift a lot easier next year. ;)

I appreciate any help, thanks. :)
-Nick :bug-red
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VooDooChild
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Re: Rescue Assist for L.E.O ?

#2

Post by VooDooChild »

Dedicated rescue knife, plus a regular working knife. Doesnt bhq have a police 4 k390 and atlantic salt bundle right now. Just saying....

I would honestly get her an endura 4 sabre ground ce. Its what she wants, and it can take a **** of a beating. I then would get her a small dedicated line/seatbelt cutter, glass breaker, and shears.

I also just got a police 4 lightweight and am really liking it. Im looking forward to other versions of it as well, but until then Im sticking with my above answer.
Last edited by VooDooChild on Sat Dec 14, 2019 7:51 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Dodge
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Re: Rescue Assist for L.E.O ?

#3

Post by Dodge »

I second Voodoo. The Atlantic and police combo is perfect for duty!
Flash Batch request: Flat Iron Salt (CE w/ yellow FRN)
New knife request: Police 4 Salt!!!

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Re: Rescue Assist for L.E.O ?

#4

Post by tonijedi »

What about the salt line? Salt 2 or Pacific are lightweight, strong and have a semi blunt tip.
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Re: Rescue Assist for L.E.O ?

#5

Post by Notsurewhy »

Dodge wrote:
Sat Dec 14, 2019 6:36 am
I second Voodoo. The Atlantic and police combo is perfect for duty!
Yup, I was thinking the same thing as I read the OP. The police 4 is a pretty good deal at $190, when you throw the Atlantic in, it's a remarkably good deal.
https://www.bladehq.com/item--Spyderco- ... fe--104770
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Re: Rescue Assist for L.E.O ?

#6

Post by ugaarguy »

Will she maintain the less corrosion resistant K390 on the P4? Will she even carry a knife that big? BHQ has an Atlantic + Lil Temp 3 combo for $145 as well - https://www.bladehq.com/item--Spyderco- ... -3--103407. The Lil Temp was designed as a defensive knife, and it would probably be easier for her to carry off duty too. I don't think you'd go wrong with either combo though. The D'Allara 3 + Rescue 3 combo for $150 would be another great duo for her uses - https://www.bladehq.com/item--Spyderco- ... fe--103406.

Any of the three combos would have her very well equipped for just about anything she might need a folding knife to do. I think it would depend on which regular folder would work best for her going along with the rescue folder.
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Re: Rescue Assist for L.E.O ?

#7

Post by rangefinder »

I have no idea what the knife laws are like in MA, but in many places LE are allowed to carry automatics. If that's the case, then one (or both) of the Autonomy models might be an option to consider.
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Re: Rescue Assist for L.E.O ?

#8

Post by Mushroom »

Hey everyone, I really appreciate the suggestions! :D

Those bundles great suggestions and they're really enticing with the rescue knives but after looking through few of them, I'm not sure getting two knives is the best choice right now. She isn't a collector by any means and I'm assuming the knife will be used primarily while on duty.

The Pacific Salt is another good suggestion that I'm really considering but I'm still not sure I want to get her something fully serrated. Also, I really like the Autonomy and think it could be the perfect option but unfortunately it's a bit out of my gifting budget this year.

VooDooChild wrote: I would honestly get her an endura 4 sabre ground ce. Its what she wants, and it can take a **** of a beating. I then would get her a small dedicated line/seatbelt cutter, glass breaker, and shears.

So right now, I think I've narrowed my decision down to either the Combo Edge Endura 4 + a dedicated rescue tool or the Assist. :confused:
-Nick :bug-red
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Re: Rescue Assist for L.E.O ?

#9

Post by Dodge »

Cops use ASP’s to break windows. I would focus on the true needs that are lacking on her belt. A sharp thing to keep her gun in its holster during a struggle and something to cut a seatbelt/clothes/entanglement if needed. You can kill two birds with one stone with the Atlantic and it lightweight and les bulky than the Assist.
Flash Batch request: Flat Iron Salt (CE w/ yellow FRN)
New knife request: Police 4 Salt!!!

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Re: Rescue Assist for L.E.O ?

#10

Post by bearrowland »

Mushroom, congrats to your family member! I'm a Pennsylvania State Trooper, and usually carry an Autonomy (gifted by my Coast Guard son) or PM2. My partner on the midnight shift has packed his Police for 20 years and has never thought of carrying anything else. The one hand opening option is sweet for those times when your hands are gloved or cold, or otherwise occupied. Honestly, they get used more for very basic things like cutting a paper roll for our in car printer than anything else. In 20 years, I've only ever broken one window. Generally, fire and ems handle the cutting and breaking of things to rescue people at crash scenes. Light weight is a big thing because the duty belts weigh a lot. Clips are great to keep the knife in your pocket where you can get at it without it falling out when you get out of the car. The great thing about Spyderco is that their knives are almost tailor made for law enforcement, and they bend over backwards to help us out.
Barry

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Re: Rescue Assist for L.E.O ?

#11

Post by ugaarguy »

bearrowland wrote:
Sat Dec 14, 2019 7:37 pm
Mushroom, congrats to your family member! I'm a Pennsylvania State Trooper, and usually carry an Autonomy (gifted by my Coast Guard son) or PM2. My partner on the midnight shift has packed his Police for 20 years and has never thought of carrying anything else. The one hand opening option is sweet for those times when your hands are gloved or cold, or otherwise occupied. Honestly, they get used more for very basic things like cutting a paper roll for our in car printer than anything else. In 20 years, I've only ever broken one window. Generally, fire and ems handle the cutting and breaking of things to rescue people at crash scenes. Light weight is a big thing because the duty belts weigh a lot. Clips are great to keep the knife in your pocket where you can get at it without it falling out when you get out of the car. The great thing about Spyderco is that their knives are almost tailor made for law enforcement, and they bend over backwards to help us out.
Bearrowland brings up a great point, Mushroom. You may want to call the Spyderco Factory Outlet and see if you can buy her a gift card. As active LE she's eligible for the OpFocus Program that will allow her to buy direct from Spyderco at a "substantial discount" - https://www.spyderco.com/resources/op-focus/. As a veteran who's OpFocus eligible, I'll simply say that the discount is generous and makes it worth buying direct.
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Re: Rescue Assist for L.E.O ?

#12

Post by standy99 »

https://www.spyderco.com/resources/op-focus/

I think a gift voucher or let her pick her own via op-focus whilst your with her and you pay for it. That way she gets signed up ;)
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Re: Rescue Assist for L.E.O ?

#13

Post by ladybug93 »

the blacked out se pacific salt seems like a great option. i was in a similar place a few years ago wanting a se knife with some plain edge and the pac salt works just fine. i also wanted a blunt tip for emergency situations, but wanted the ability to pierce as well. the pac salt has just a little bit of a hump at the tip the seems to be the perfect balance for my needs. it’s an amazingly lightweight knife that punches above its class and requires no maintenance, which is great for non-knife people living in places with junky weather like massachusetts.
some others have suggested rescue tools paired with knives rather than the assist... i would agree with that. maybe even something like trauma shears (i use a leatherman raptor, but there are much cheaper options out there). i’ve not read many positive reviews about the glass breaker or whistle on the assist. sure, something is better than nothing, but i’d much rather have a dedicated version of each of those than a substandard version built into my knife handle. specifically, the whistle will fall short of the needs of a police officer. it is a cool knife though.
whatever you choose, i’m sure she will appreciate. i think it’s great that you want to help her out in this way. you may even be saving her life or helping her save someone else’s and that’s awesome of you.
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Re: Rescue Assist for L.E.O ?

#14

Post by The Mastiff »

I've gifted a lot of knives to people over the years. One thing I've found that holds true is that unless the person picks the knife for themselves it will eventually be put down or "lost". This is especially true for the women in my life. I now always give them a box and let them choose. It is the only way it works where they will actually use the thing.This has at times confounded me when they selected a knife that wasn't as suited to their needs as they related them or so I thought at the time . I now just insure the knives I put in front of them for selection are safe and of good quality.

Joe
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Re: Rescue Assist for L.E.O ?

#15

Post by tonijedi »

The Mastiff wrote:
Sun Dec 15, 2019 9:46 am
I've gifted a lot of knives to people over the years. One thing I've found that holds true is that unless the person picks the knife for themselves it will eventually be put down or "lost". This is especially true for the women in my life. I now always give them a box and let them choose. It is the only way it works where they will actually use the thing.This has at times confounded me when they selected a knife that wasn't as suited to their needs as they related them or so I thought at the time . I now just insure the knives I put in front of them for selection are safe and of good quality.

Joe
Good advice. Another good advice is that unless a person appreciate knives keep the offers simple. The Byrd line is a great way to start to enjoy quality knives.
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Re: Rescue Assist for L.E.O ?

#16

Post by Knifeaholic »

Hi Mushroom,

Why dont you get your friend a ClipiTool Rescue?

It has all the features your friend mentioned for a rescue scenario in one blade. Grippy G10, fully serrated blade with a still useable sheepsfoot tip, effective seatbelt or clothes cutter and mini flat hat screwdriver for scraping or deblocking zip ties without having to cut them.

Only 'downside' is it has full serrations which, at least for me, isnt a downside as long as the blade is used primarly for duty chores and not for general edc. However, the serrations will stay sharp for a very long time, even in 8Cr13MoV. And they will make short work out of the XL-lunchtime sandwich.

Alternatively i would go with a half serrated Delica/Endura and mod it with the Scorpion Exo Tool Backspacer from 5x5 Combatsolutions.

This tool replaces the original backspacer with a seatbelt cutter and a glassbreaker. This would also make a great carry combo for general use and rescue scenarios.

One would be the cheapest allaround option and second would be the more specified but also more expensive option.

I hope this helps.

Cheers
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Re: Rescue Assist for L.E.O ?

#17

Post by VooDooChild »

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Re: Rescue Assist for L.E.O ?

#18

Post by Mushroom »

Thanks again for the suggestions everyone, I like the idea of a gift card to the Spyderco Factory Outlet but would prefer to gift a physical knife on this occasion. Depending on what she thinks about the knife, I may end up buying a gift card in the future for her. :spyder:

bearrowland wrote:
Sat Dec 14, 2019 7:37 pm
Mushroom, congrats to your family member! I'm a Pennsylvania State Trooper, and usually carry an Autonomy (gifted by my Coast Guard son) or PM2. My partner on the midnight shift has packed his Police for 20 years and has never thought of carrying anything else. The one hand opening option is sweet for those times when your hands are gloved or cold, or otherwise occupied. Honestly, they get used more for very basic things like cutting a paper roll for our in car printer than anything else. In 20 years, I've only ever broken one window. Generally, fire and ems handle the cutting and breaking of things to rescue people at crash scenes. Light weight is a big thing because the duty belts weigh a lot. Clips are great to keep the knife in your pocket where you can get at it without it falling out when you get out of the car. The great thing about Spyderco is that their knives are almost tailor made for law enforcement, and they bend over backwards to help us out.

Hey Barry, thanks for the response I really appreciate the feedback! I found this very helpful to making my decision. I think the more utility capable Endura 4 will be the better choice over the Rescue Assist right now for her. While I really like the idea of having the glass breaker and whistle built into the knife, I feel like she will end up being able to use the Endura more. I also agree with others that dedicated tools will ultimately be better for their respective tasks, such as glass breaking.

That said, I bought the all black Combo Edge Endura 4! :spyder:

Knifeaholic wrote: Hi Mushroom,

Why dont you get your friend a ClipiTool Rescue?

It has all the features your friend mentioned for a rescue scenario in one blade. Grippy G10, fully serrated blade with a still useable sheepsfoot tip, effective seatbelt or clothes cutter and mini flat hat screwdriver for scraping or deblocking zip ties without having to cut them.

Only 'downside' is it has full serrations which, at least for me, isnt a downside as long as the blade is used primarly for duty chores and not for general edc. However, the serrations will stay sharp for a very long time, even in 8Cr13MoV. And they will make short work out of the XL-lunchtime sandwich.

Alternatively i would go with a half serrated Delica/Endura and mod it with the Scorpion Exo Tool Backspacer from 5x5 Combatsolutions.

This tool replaces the original backspacer with a seatbelt cutter and a glassbreaker. This would also make a great carry combo for general use and rescue scenarios.

One would be the cheapest allaround option and second would be the more specified but also more expensive option.

I hope this helps.

Cheers


Hi Knifeaholic, thanks for the recommendations! I was aware of 5x5 Combat Solutions, but I hadn't even considered the Scorpion Exo Tool from them. I've already ordered the Endura 4, so I'm definitely going to look into the 5x5 CombatSolutions accessories now! :D Could end up being the best of both worlds.
-Nick :bug-red
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Re: Rescue Assist for L.E.O ?

#19

Post by bearrowland »

Awesome! Glad I could help!
Barry

Bonne Journey!

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