+5 Knife of Exiting - CRKT Extrik-8-R

Alright...  this one is a personal must have especially with a family, my personally preferred CRKT McGowan Extrik-8-R Seat Belt Cutter. Note the hand-tied reflective orange paracord fob that comes attached, this was not my doing.   It is very easy to keep a grip on with the scalloped edges and very roomy finger holes.  This functional and well thought out tool is the design of one James McGowan, a professional firefighter and knifemaker residing in Toronto, Canada.  

It comes with a fitted Kydex sheath that facilitates multiple carry methods.  Personally, this is the only item I keep in my back pockets ever.  

Note the belt clip, the belt slots, and the grommets available for 550 cord tie.  

Note the flathead screwdriver on the butt end.  

And the other end, with a point usable in larger phillips head screwdriver applications, as well as the oxygen tank wrench opening.  Notice the curved cutting edge safely recessed to keep you cutting the belts and not the people needing freed from their vehicles, yet unlike many tools of it's kind, it can be sharpened with a rounded sharpening tool.  My particular tool has been toted around in my back pocket for a good number of years now, you can see the wear from usage on it around the edge.  

It's not only useful for life saving applications, but works wonders for package opening and cardboard reduction wherever you might need it.  

McGowan was very particular that this tool should work well for people wearing gloves of all sorts, I've already packed my heavy gloves for the season, however you can see my hands fit with lighter gloves with much room to spare.

Cutting thinner ropes and 550 cord is very easy with this as well.  

Note the relatively clean cut of the cord.  I know... I know... purple cord?!?  I made a belt for my wife out of the stuff, and was the easiest to grab for this use.

As to the use it was intended for, I've grabbed some strapping from an old backpack that is thicker than most seatbelts i've seen so far. I'm holding some tension on it, it does not really work that well with a slack belt with a lot of play.

Halfway through, i do have to pull some, but it's not too difficult.  

And through.  I wish I had taken pictures of this with real seatbelts and such.  My last use was to render useless some expired car seats for disposal, worked beautifully.  We've even used this to cut small amounts of carpeting, both home and automotive.  Worked great.

All that and it's reasonably small for carry but big enough to get a decent grip on unlike many other tools out there.  The CRKT McGowan Extrik-8-R Seat Belt Cutter is a great tool all said, one I've found numerous uses for outside of what it's designed for, and hopefully I'll never have to use it for what it IS designed for.  But at least I know I won't be sitting beside my vehicle powerless to get my family out of the vehicle when all that's holding them back is a seatbelt that is no longer functioning.