Ideas for a "Car Knife"?

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Kestrel

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I'm thinking about a knife to keep in the car - a fixed blade knife. I would prefer stainless and a steel butt cap, in case of needing to break out a car window. I would like something extremely strong, with a blade length of, maybe 5-7.5" blade. I don't want to spend a lot on it, in case of theft.

Does anyone have any ideas in the approx. $100 price range +/-?

(It doesn't HAVE to be stainless, but would be nice, because of temperature/humidity/condensation changes and extremes.)

Thanks,
Steve
 
Cold Steel Tanto has pretty much what you want, but more than $100 list price, but probably can be found on eBay etc. for under $100.
 
I had a thought. How about the BK&T BK-7? It is carbon steel, so it might rust, though. It does have an exposed steel butt.

Looks like a rugged knife.

Steve
 
Becker BK7 IS my car knife. Replaced the Ka-Bar, which is still in the trunk. Don't worry too much about rust, if you take care of it.
Also get you a GI entrenching tool, to keep in the trunk.
 
S&W first response, has a nice knife to cut belts and a window breaker around $50.
Then either a cold steel or a K-bar
S72410_L1.jpg
 
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I really think the Cold Steel Tanto has most of what you need (SS, including a pommel that is perfectly shaped to crack glass and an extremely strong blade design), FWIW. Probably the best knife they make other than the Trailmaster. The Tai Pan is also a good choice, albeit in a dagger form of the Tanto.
 
I have the Glock shovel, but I'm not sure the handle would take giving a blow. I did sharpen the sides, just in case. ;)
 
What is AUS-8A? What kind of stainless is this? Is it a low grade stainless? Hard to sharpen?

That's what the Cold Steel Tanto says it is. I guess I just assumed a Cold Steel Tanto was a low grade knife. Are they strong? Brittle?

Thanks,
Steve
 
A dedicated car knife is ONE case in which i think serations are mandatory (seat belts etc) so whatever you get make sure it has at least a partially serrated blade.
 
Aus-8 ~= 440B and should be okay to sharpen.

Not bad, but not great either. Still, many swooned over Randalls made of 440B. I'm swooning over a Griptilian in 440C.

The blade design is very strong and quite thick, so a middle grade stainless like 440B is more than adequate. You really can't expect the price to be that reasonable wihen you start going to higher grade steels and many of these (ATS-34) are a little toward the brittle side, from what I've been reading. CS makes a laminated steel, called San Mai that, in CS's version, is 420/Aus-8/420, which is claimed to be 25% stronger (I think it is a good bit more than 25% additional of the price, though), but the edge is still only Aus-8.

You could use the blade as a prybar, if you had to.

c_yeager mentioned the one drawback I can think of, but you'd probably find it easier to use a cliped on folder with serrations, since it would be in your pocket and easier to wield in tight quarters than a fixed blade (your car will likely be folded around you in an emergency situation, making things tight and knives not immediately at hand hard to find). Differential sharpening, where you make the last couple inches of the blade rougher with a coarse stone would seem a reasonable substitute, as has been mentioned to me in a couple places.
 
My car-knife is also the Becker BK-7, it is a fine strong knife with a breaking-edge butt extension & has the best commerical edge of any knife I've seen. I dipped the handle of mine in a liquid rubber with abrasive mixed-in (local hardware tool-handle stuff) to give a better non-slip grip.

There is also a shorter blade model, the BK-10.
 
I have had to cut my seat-belt, while hanging up-side down with my Ford Ranger crunched into a wad and wrapped around me.

Everything that wasn't tied down in the pickup was thrown higgedly-piggedly around the inside by the accident, a lot of it was strewn down the highway and the dirt and gravel filling my eyes blinded me to the point that looking for a knife in a random location in the passenger compartment would have been an exercise in futility even if my wreck had happened at high noon, rather than at three AM on a cloudless night.

I used the Cold Steel Voyager clipped in my left hand pant pocket to do the cutting.

Everyone should have a truck/car knife, just don't fixate on it being where you left it if you have an accident.

If your heart is fixed on a Cold Steel knife, I'd tend to look towards one of the SRK's, instead of the Tantos. And Cold Steel occasionally offers factory seconds for less than what they usually charge.

LawDog
 
Thanks for the replies. I'm talking about a FIXED blade knife, though. I already have the folders covered. This would be to also knock out a window in another car, if need be (in an emergency). Knock out window, cut seat belt, etc.

Now, I remembered I also keep a 5-C cell Maglight in the car. Has anyone knocked out a window with the butt of a Maglight? It looks like it would be strong enough to do that.

Thanks again,
Steve
 
One or both of these are usually in my truck. They're more expensive than you are looking for but I've found both to be highly valuable tools.

ATC Vietnam Tactical Tomahawk
botach_1777_2054700


Hood's Woods ATAX survival tool
atx51.jpg
 
What do you want it to be able to do?

If it's a defensive car knife pick a good sticker.

If it's for car break downs then pick a shovel and hatchet/machette and add a pair of solid EMT shears.

If it's for escape and rescue you have to have a spring-driven carbide tip. There is little chance that you will be able to break vehicle windows any other way if you're hanging in your seat belt. If you need to cut the belt you need a serrated blade. While cheap the Blackie Collins designed folder will do the job. Just be certain to attach it securely where you can get to it after being Maytag-ed in the car.
 
Bullwhip,

I like that Vietnam Tomahawk. Where did you get yours?

Now that I think about it, I'm betting something like just a plain ol' Estwing hatchet would be a lot cheaper (and a lot stronger) to keep in the car.

b1001.jpg


Steve
 
Ya' know, every one of these ideas is a good one, and no doubt will save the user in a bad situation. And that is my view.

You know the old cannard, "The first thing to have in a gun fight is a gun."

Well, I think that if you need to cut something, I'd carry something with an edge--anything--just so that it is always there.

You might find from use that the cutting implement dulls easily, corrodes, is not ergonomic or even breaks. While you'll be out some cash, at least you'll know how to upgrade for events in YOUR life.

The console of my F-150 has enough 'survival stuff' to probably go truck-camping at a momnets notice. Most of the stuff will never be used. Most of the flashlight batteries will die before an emergency.

My advice is to plan, and then modify that plan as information is gathered. Don't just buy a knife that is the flavor of the month.
 
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