I went to the web site on this and there was a reference something to the effect of "authorized users/purchasers" or something to this effect.
Will they sell this tool to the non-professional, or do you have to be an "authorized user" of some sort?

Anyone can get this particular tool but "civilians" will have a limited use for it. How often do you cut clothes or open oxygen tanks on day to day basis? The bottle opener may come quite handy if you like imported beer but rest of the functions on the tool have pretty limited use (unless you want to get creative) I think their restrictions apply to assisted opening or spring loaded knives.

Matt

]Skater[

There's no restriction on buying the rescue hook. I bought them from Tadgear. Given a second chance, I would prefer to buy it with the soft pouch instead of the kydex sheath.

I agree that the handle for the Rescue 5 is a bit small. I'll go with the Model 6 H2O - Rescue Hook.

Model 5 - Rescue Hook


Model 6 H2O - Rescue Hook

Thank you very much for the input.
I have to ask, what is the purpose of the (what appears to be) yellow insert on the 6?
Thanks again.

The model 5 is fine for the average user, the 6 is made for people who will use it often with thick gloves and it is made of a special metal that doesn't rust like regular steel will. I have a 5 with the hard sheath and belt clip for the hard sheath, I also wear it around my neck. I prefer the kydex sheath to the nylon, much easier to clean. All you do is flush it out, cleaning the nylon is a bit more involved.

The yellow is just to make it more noticable.

My husband likes to sail and I know they use a lot of ropes. Is there anyone here that knows if the Benchmade Hook would be a good present for someone who likes to sail? I would then have to decide which one would be the best for him. I would tend towards model 5 with a soft pouch.

I might have to wait and get it for his birthday though, since I already have his Christmas present picked out.

I just read an article "Excalibur Down!"," in one of his magazines (Sail Magazine 12/2003 - special issue on safety at sea) where one of the survivors had to cut his safety line to keep from drowning. John Rogers, the survivor said: I was on deck, clipped on with my safety harness, and suddenly found myself trapped under water in complete darkness. Fortuenately, I had immediate access to my knife, as I could not get the safety clip on my tether undone and had to cut myself free. I found my way out from under the boat, inflated my PFD, and started looking around and calling for other survivors."

He said in the subtitle of this article: "In the ultimate survival test, it's the gear in your pockets that counts the most!" - sounds like you guys!

So, I am wondering if the Benchmade is something that you can have easy access to on your person if you ever found youself in a situaltion like this, or would his knife be better?

Here's an article on this accident on the web if someone is interested. The accident occured last year: Father clings to hope after yacht overturns

After reading articles on boating safety, and this artcile about how he had to cut himself free, it makes me think that maybe a tool like the Benchmade would be a good one to have. However, it may be easier to have a knife handy like he did then a Benchmade Rescue Hook. What do you think? Can it be attached on your outer clothes pretty easy to get to quickly?

Thanks!
Jan

When cutting close to the body in an emergency situation a tool like the rescue hook is preferable to a regular knife. They make it impossible to stab yourself or a person you want to rescue.

At first I couln't make sense of the 6 H2O image. Then it dawned on me that the iamge is actually showing two knives, the one on the bottom is in a sheath. Dough!

The manufacturer includes "rope" in it's list of items it will cut.

Well there is a difference between cutting a paracord and cutting 10 mm climbing rope or something even thicker. Rope is such a broad term. Just my 2 cents.

Matt