I’ve had a Bencmade Model 7 Rescue Cutter for many years. I went out and purchased it and attached it to my snowboard pack shoulder strap immediately after seeing some video footage of a kid slipping out of a chairlift and ending up suspended by his helmet strap. Being able to cut out of a situation like that one handed definitely seemed like a good idea, and not getting impaled by a sharp instrument when subsequently hitting the ground seemed like an even better idea (if you’ve seen Will Smith in I Am Legend, you know what I mean). Conceivably, one could toss a conventional knife after cutting loose, but the reality of the situation is that when you’re falling after being suspended by your pack straps or helmet straps, all intentions aside, you’re more likely to unconsciously clench your fist and hold onto the knife rather than ditch it when that falling sensation kicks in. Thusly, I chose a safety cutter. The Model 7 is a great tool, but it is not cheap, so when Dave at Power Edge told me a less expensive polymer version was coming out, I was intrigued.
I picked one up when they arrived. They are available in black or yellow with a matte finish. Construction is of a stiff synthetic material with a stainless steel cutting blade insert and cap lifter insert. It’s not like cheapy LDPE or anything like that – it’s like the stuff they make polymer pistol frames out of. The cutter is curved like a banana, but roughly rectangular. The overall length is about 132mm and the width is around 35mm. The total width from the ends to the outermost point of the banana bend is around 40mm. The body is around 6mm thick, but the sliding blade guard is 9mm thick. The cutting notch is 10mm across, so things like webbing, cloth, or shroud lines will fit easily. This isn’t designed to cut thick ropes. As mentioned above, there is a sliding plastic guard that covers the cutting notch. It slides in rails molded into the back of the cutter body and has an internal catch that holds the guard open or closed. The detent pressure is not great, so it is pretty easy for the cover to unintentionally open or close. The handle end of the skeletonized plastic body is discontinuous on the underside and is closed by a bent piece of black-chromed steel wire, forming a wire-gate carabiner. This carabiner hook was the intended method of attachment for this tool, since it was not supplied with a sheath.
On the plus side, this is a good, solid, lightweight emergency cutter. For the $22 USD price, you really can’t go wrong. The handle fits nicely in the hand and is easy to use while wearing gloves. The length and pebbled surface of the handle allows you to get a good grip on it and apply a substantial amount of cutting force against the blade. The addition of the cap lifter is just gravy, but that was something I wish my Model 7 had.
On the negative side, the guard opens too easily, and the clip is lame. I put some shock cord around the guard to keep the guard closed. The carabiner clip is definitely not the best way to attach this tool to your gear. One, it puts the tool in an upside-down position, making it difficult to unhook the tool with one hand and get it into the proper orientation during a dire emergency. Two, it probably isn’t a good idea to have something with a questionable guard swinging around and randomly cutting stuff. The gap in the plastic also makes that part of the handle somewhat uncomfortable. This tool should have come with a simple sheath and had a complete handle. The skeletonized handle would have still allowed for the attachment of a dummy cord without the carabiner gate. Since it didn’t come with a sheath, I picked up a TAD Gear 0S sheath ($13 USD), which allows for inverted vertical carry on pack or chest rig straps.
Recommended
Made in The USA
About $22 USD
Three out of four gear monkeys
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