The Spyderco Rescue Assist Knife features a VG-10 blunt tipped eighty percent SpyderEdged blade that is perfect for emergency/fire/rescue professionals (and for the well-equipped civilian) who rely on their knives to function flawlessly under pressure. The last inch of the tip we've left PlainEdge for detailed cutting (think sharpening pencils). Perched above the Round Hole, a Cobra Hood positions the thumb directly over the hole for quick blade deployment, then doubles as a leveraging platform for the thumb.
The wavy pattern cut from the top of the blade (created by a fireman from Sweden) and along the inside of the handle let you place a piece of rope (between the half-open blade and handle) and scissor the blade shut- especially convenient for cutting rope in-and-around flesh without having to fully open/expose the knife's blade. The orange FRN handle is a molded wonder of Bi-Directional textured contours and bulges that ergonomically wrap around your palm. In the closed position, squeeze the blade deeper into the handle and a retractable carbide tip protrudes out from the base for breaking glass. On the handle's spine is a shrill and attention-pitched survival whistle. Carries left or right handed, tip-up by means of a tension wire clip.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Length overall 8.375" (213 mm)
Blade length 3.687" (94 mm)
Blade steel VG-10
Length closed 4.875" (124 mm)
Cutting edge 3.188" (81 mm)
Weight 4 oz (115 g)
Blade thickness: 0.125" (3 mm)
Handle material: Orange FRN
I had the opportunity recently to travel to Moab for a weekend of solo backpacking and brought this knife along with me. First, a few things about its features: a blunt-ended blade to protect from accidental piercing, an 80% SpyderEdge serration and 20% PlainEdge blade, glass breaker, integrated rope cutter and whistle. It is a bright safety orange in color. It doesn't hurt that it is incredibly cool and tough looking.
This knife did everything that I wanted it to do and did it very well. It is designed as a rescue knife and has great features for this application, but was also surprisingly useful as an EDC and backcountry knife. The blade, though large, proved useful for everything from preparing dinner to trimming guy lines to cleaning dirt under my fingernails over the course of the trip. One thing that stuck out was how comfortable the knife is, ergonomically speaking. Its wavy handle and spine patterns were contoured to my hand so that it made large cutting tasks easy with its power and grip and delicate applications such as opening packaging very natural despite its larger size. The overriding feeling was that this knife easily handled everything I threw at it, and felt more than capable of performing in more extreme, high-pressure, or life-threatening scenarios.
A couple really cool features worth mentioning: the glass breaker is concealed in the handle until the knife is squeezed in the hand, revealing the retractable carbide point glass breaker. The survival whistle, though fortunately unused by me, is very loud and could be effective communication for groups outside of shouting distance. The wavy contours of the Spyderco Rescue Assist 1 feel fantastic in your hand, comfortable and secured in every instance. The 80-20 split blade is a great feature that allows for all the cutting strength of a large serrated blade, but the plain edge portion allows for more detailed applications. I cannot say enough good things about this knife-just having it with me made me feel better prepared and more secure in my nights alone in the backcountry.
