I need a new knife to carry in my structure gear (firefighter turnouts)

R

RANGER295

Joined
Jan 12, 2017
Messages
25
I had a situation where I needed to use a knife to free myself from a canopy that collapsed on me recently while on a fire call. I had a cheapo knife on on me that someone had given all of the firefighters one time. I quickly found that I almost could not get it open with my gloves on because they are so stiff and I could not manipulate the lock to close it with the gloves on. I ended up getting it open, cutting what I needed to cut, and leaving it behind.

I want to buy a knife that I can deploy with heavy gloves. It needs to lock open and I need to be able to close it with heavy gloves. I would also like a lanyard on it so I can tie it off to my belt or a loop and worst case close it, drop it, and it stays with me if I can not or do not have time to put it away. I tried using one of my Benchmades with an Axis lock which is a little better but still very difficult/borderline impossible to close with my gloves. I have a Kershaw with assisted opening and the flipper on the back that is easy to open but I can not close it. I also want it large enough to grip with the gloves yet small enough to put in a pocket.

My state does not allow concealed carry of fixed blade knives and the only place I can carry on and be guaranteed access to it regardless of gear is my cargo pockets on the pants. California also does not allow autos even for public safety people. If possible, I would like a solution that stays within the law. That said, I am willing to at least entertain the idea of a fixed blade or even an auto as there are other guys on my department that carry them and have never had a problem but it would be last resort for me.

Do any of you have any ideas? Thanks.
 
Get a Leatherman RAPTOR - its perfect for every scenario you outline above.

Further more it wont land you in hot water with Johnny Law.
 
I would actually suggest a fixed blade. I know you expressly stated that you would prefer to Not have to go that route, but the state law says you can't have anything Concealed.
Concealed means that you are or are attempting to keep it from view.

That being the case, I would suggest a Becker BK3 and a custom kydex sheath.
I will see if I can find the video, but in case I cannot, it shows a Fire Dept cutting open an old Dodge Omni with the knife. It only has a failure when they tried to pry the Nader pin out of the door jam...
Roof, windows, cutting, prying, you name it.
 
Sounds like a Spyderco Military would serve you well. A folder designed to be used with gloves. I highly recommend you take a closer look at one.
good luck and stay safe
 
Hello and welcome to the forums! What is your budget?

I can't imagine any folder working with fireman gloves to be honest. I'm with NJBillK on carrying a fixed blade and the BK3 is a good call. The TOPS Pry knife comes to mind too.

A really cheap solution would be a countycomm breacher bar and a good sharpening job. Maybe one of the knife makers here could a better version of the breacher bar with a handle scales and updated steel.
 
A firefighter friend of mine has a Gerber Hinderer Rescue knife. I don't think he had a different knife for his turnouts.

I can tell you he carried a Leatherman Wave when in uniform. At one point in time I gave him a Vic 08 Soldier knife. He said that he would carry it with his wildland gear but I never saw it with the rest of his kit. I know he likes knives with pocket clips so maybe it did not meet his needs.
 
Can any folder be easy to close with fireman gloves? Maybe a button lock knife thats not spring operated but i dont know any by name. Rick hinderer was a firefighter and designed the folders to be used for rescue but still not sure how you can easily close the knife. The spyderco military came to my mind. Nice large light folder. Big spydie hole to open the blade with but again closeure would be an issue.
 
There are actually a lot of options out there for what you specified but more specifically it's going to come down to what feels best to you. I would suggest looking up a local knife store (maybe even a Cabelas or Bass Pro) just so you can get a feel for the knives themselves. Take your gloves with you and test them right there. If you find one you like research online and find the cheapest if that matters.

Specifically I've owned several knives that were decently easy to close with gloves. Depending on how thick they were but I would opt for an XM24 or a Benchmade with the axis lock for obvious reasons. Watch some youtube videos that show people demonstrating how the function is with gloves on.
 
You should check out a Benchmade Adamas, you can open and close it with the axis lock while wearing gloves and it heavy duty enough for your uses.
 
I'd suggest Pacific Salt Serrated rather than Military.
Reason is if OP have occasionally need to close & drop it, a lockback is much safer in terms of retention.
Lock back also a simple press to release.

Or an Atlantic Salt if blunted tips is preferred.
 
Last edited:
As much as it pains me to suggest them, a Cold Steel might not be a bad direction to look.
A full Serrated blade is good for fiberous material in a jiffy, strong lock, xhp is a decent stainless alloy, most offer enough room for gloved opening and closing due to the lock back design...
Toss on a glow in the dark fob held tight to the scales to keep it from being hung up and pulled from your pocket and you might have a decent option...
 
The easiest closing folder that I own with heavy winter gloves on is a Benchmade with the axis lock, though my folder collection is pretty modest compared to many here. Considering you've said that lock didn't work as well as you'd like, I'd agree with those who've suggested considering a small fixed blade for the job. I do, howoever wonder if kydex sheaths would be a good fit for a firefighter. I don't know at what temperature kydex will deform or what type of temperatures it might be exposed to in the course of your duties, but it occurred to me that that's something you should find out if you went the fixed blade route. If your sheath were to deform due to heat you may run into problems similar to what you described with your folder, difficulty deploying it and/or you may not be able to get it secured to move with it safely after use.

I'm certainly no expert and it may not even be a concern. Just sometning that popped into my head reading the thread. I'm sure one of the fine kydex benders on the forum could provide the answers.
 
I have no problems opening or closing a Spyderco Endura in Pro-tech titan gloves. I did fine with an XM-18 for a long time too....thicker lock bar so easier to snag with a heavy glove. But I just close the Endura squeezing my index finger across the lock and fold it against my leg....easy peasy.
 
NJBillK said:
I would actually suggest a fixed blade. I know you expressly stated that you would prefer to Not have to go that route, but the state law says you can't have anything Concealed.
Concealed means that you are or are attempting to keep it from view.

That being the case, I would suggest a Becker BK3 and a custom kydex sheath.
I will see if I can find the video, but in case I cannot, it shows a Fire Dept cutting open an old Dodge Omni with the knife. It only has a failure when they tried to pry the Nader pin out of the door jam...
Roof, windows, cutting, prying, you name it.
Click to expand...

I'm going to go with NJBillK and recommend a fixed blade. Becker, ESEE, and Bradford all do small fixed blades that are highly useful and can be carried horizontally on your belt. The Bradford Guardian 3 in CPM-3V comes all set up with horizontal carry sheath. 3V is an extremely tough steel and you can attach a long lanyard to your belt if you want.

The advantage to a FB over a folder for your use is obvious. You don't have to open or close it. Just pull it, use it, and slip it back into the sheath. You should, however, consider the extra bulk of wearing gloves when you're choosing the knife. Make sure that you have sufficient handle length and thickness for the knife to work with your gloves. The Guardian 3, for instance, has a short handle, as does the ESEE Izula. Some of the smaller Bark River knives have longer handles and come with horizontal or cross draw slanted sheaths. They do several of their smaller knives in CPM-3V.
 
First of all thank you for all of the replies and for the welcome.

BladeScout said:
Get a Leatherman RAPTOR - its perfect for every scenario you outline above.

Further more it wont land you in hot water with Johnny Law.
Click to expand...

I still think I need a blade but this thing is seriously cool. I am going to replace my EMT shears with one of these RAPTORs. One can not have too many toys can they?

NJBillK said:
I would actually suggest a fixed blade. I know you expressly stated that you would prefer to Not have to go that route, but the state law says you can't have anything Concealed.
Concealed means that you are or are attempting to keep it from view.

That being the case, I would suggest a Becker BK3 and a custom kydex sheath.
I will see if I can find the video, but in case I cannot, it shows a Fire Dept cutting open an old Dodge Omni with the knife. It only has a failure when they tried to pry the Nader pin out of the door jam...
Roof, windows, cutting, prying, you name it.
Click to expand...

Good point about the law. I will have to look and see how it is worded. I like the looks of the BK3 and it has more of the appearance of a tool than a weapon anyway.

dwdickey said:
Don't know your budget, but sounds like an XM-24 might be right up your alley.
Click to expand...

I am not sure what my budget is either. I would probably like to keep it under $150 though I would be willing to go a bit higher if it was the right tool. The XM-24 costs more than I spent on one of the AR-15's or any of the AK-47's that I built last year. I just can not bring myself to spend that much on a blade that I will abuse and may loose or might grow legs in the fire house when I am not around.

Sullie said:
Sounds like a Spyderco Military would serve you well. A folder designed to be used with gloves. I highly recommend you take a closer look at one.
good luck and stay safe
Click to expand...

Someone else suggested this one to me too. I will have to see if I can find one in a knife shop and check it out along with several of these others that people are talking about.

gazz98 said:
Hello and welcome to the forums! What is your budget?

I can't imagine any folder working with fireman gloves to be honest. I'm with NJBillK on carrying a fixed blade and the BK3 is a good call. The TOPS Pry knife comes to mind too.

A really cheap solution would be a countycomm breacher bar and a good sharpening job. Maybe one of the knife makers here could a better version of the breacher bar with a handle scales and updated steel.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the welcome. I like several of your options. I think I am going to get one of the Breacher Bars even if it is not the one I carry.

hexenjager said:
The easiest closing folder that I own with heavy winter gloves on is a Benchmade with the axis lock, though my folder collection is pretty modest compared to many here. Considering you've said that lock didn't work as well as you'd like, I'd agree with those who've suggested considering a small fixed blade for the job. I do, howoever wonder if kydex sheaths would be a good fit for a firefighter. I don't know at what temperature kydex will deform or what type of temperatures it might be exposed to in the course of your duties, but it occurred to me that that's something you should find out if you went the fixed blade route. If your sheath were to deform due to heat you may run into problems similar to what you described with your folder, difficulty deploying it and/or you may not be able to get it secured to move with it safely after use.

I'm certainly no expert and it may not even be a concern. Just sometning that popped into my head reading the thread. I'm sure one of the fine kydex benders on the forum could provide the answers.
Click to expand...

I am not too worried about the Kydex deforming though it is a good point that I had not thought of. First of all it would be in a pocket that is insulated. The reason it has to be in the pocket is that I can not figure any other place to put it. My belt is covered by around 8" by my coat and if I have to wear a SCBA (breathing apparatus) that goes about at the belt and I could not get to it if my life depended on it. There is really no place else that I can think of to stick it. I was thinking about making a sheath on a backing that was the size of the pocket to keep everything in place I could make the sheath have a spot for my shears as well.

ERRN said:
I have no problems opening or closing a Spyderco Endura in Pro-tech titan gloves. I did fine with an XM-18 for a long time too....thicker lock bar so easier to snag with a heavy glove. But I just close the Endura squeezing my index finger across the lock and fold it against my leg....easy peasy.
Click to expand...

I am rough on gloves. Years ago I bought an expensive set of gloves and destroyed them in six months or so. Now I just use the standard issue cheap gloves that the department gives us. They get really stiff when they get wet and dry out. I was thinking that a lock back may be easier. Somewhere I have a smaller Spyderco. I will have to see if I can find it and try the lock back or find another lock back to try it with. All of my other knives have either axis locks or liner locks.
 
Chris "Anagarika";16826129 said:
I'd suggest Pacific Salt Serrated rather than Military.
Reason is if OP have occasionally need to close & drop it, a lockback is much safer in terms of retention.
Lock back also a simple press to release.

Or an Atlantic Salt if blunted tips is preferred.
Click to expand...

And the Pacific Salt requires less maintenance, has tougher steel (less chippy, rust proof, very forgiving) and those teeth grab n' cut through anything with ease. It is also lighter and almost half the price, so that's a plus for a "disposable" knife or something with high risk of getting damaged/lost

20170111_124421_zpscps59cel.jpg


Easy to operate, open and close in all situations and with gloves one, that's a characteristic of its hole and excellent design

20170110_200719_zps5km2gsux.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top