Hello everybody. It's been few weeks since user Sidartha has posted the thread (in the "Swiss" chapter), in which part of my rescue tools review was included. Today I would like to share with you, in my opinion quite interesting, full test of 4 folding rescue knives. Test was performed by the members of Polish knives- enthusiasts' forum knives.pl. I am the guy in red
you will know. Unfortunatelly the comments are in Polish, but pictures and videos are speaking for themselves I guess, so put your stereo headphones set on, mute my comments, and watch
I decided to divide the test in two parts- first part- rescuing the patient from the car, second, comparison of the cutting efficacy and ergonomy of each knife in the conditions typical for the work in the ambulance.
Instead of introduction few words how the ambulances' staffs are organized in Poland (which is important for the understanding of the tests). There are three groups:
1. family doctor team- driver+doctor- only for minor cases usually from 6PM to 6AM
2. basic EMT team- 2-3 EMTs, 16hrs and 24hrs duties
3. specialized team- 1 doctor, 2 EMTs, 1 driver- 16 and 24 hrs duties (complicated cases, transports between hospitals, accidents)
4. Helicopters- like specialized team, but pilot instead of a driver, 1 EMT i 1 doctor.
I work as a doctor in the specialized ambulance.
from the right Spyderco Assist, Victorinox Rescue Tool, S&W 911, Mikov Rescue
Testers:
albercik (crashtest dummy, the most dangerous role)kroko (expert)
Ypoznan (cameraman and photographer)
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RNL (knife-donor, medical backup
)
Windscreen and surprise- the fireman says, that Victorinox made the best rescue tool he had ever worked with
How to remove patient from the car if you have no equipment:
As you may see below, none of the knives, despite of the S7W911 finished the test uninjured:
that's how the lanyard must have been affected
Assist was badly wounded during the breaking of the windscreen, the glassbreaker doesn't slip into the handle anymore...fortunately it is easy to replace it:
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My conclusions:
The winner for the proffesionals is Spyderco Assist, thanks to its lighweight though robust construction, good steel, one-hand scissors mode, very effective glassbreaker.
Victorinox RT is the rescue knife of choice for the non proffesional rescuer, something you may carry in your car, using it as a regular poket knife, but in case of emergency it is quite effective- it's a pity, that the seatbelts blade is not locked anyhow.
S&W911 is rather glassbreaker with attached, ineffective blade (at least in the tested version of the knife).
Mikov Rescue- interesting for being an automatic knife, and that's all. Heavy, not allowed in many coutries, ineffective GB, steel not as agressive as it should be, place this knife in my opinion somewhere on the collectioner's shelf, not the rescuer's pocket.