inexpensive paramedic shears here

at american science and surplus: $2/each. they often have inexpensive lights and occasional other treasures. Rubber chickens. Heavy duty swivel casters. Geiger counters.
If they had apartments for rent in their Chicago store, I would live there.
Somewhere in the archives here there is a long discussion of survival knives in which someone, Susan IIRC, presents avery convincing argument that the shears are more effective than knives in most respects.