In 2005, Gerber introduced their candidate for a new ASEK (Aircrew Survival Egress Knife) for the US Army. This is a knife intended for aircrews to cut their way out of a downed aircraft. If it's good enough for that, it's good enough to get me out of the cab of my truck, or possibly into someone else's automobile, in order to render assistance.

I got mine in 2006 at the Blade Show in Atlanta. A Gerber rep was selling the LMF II for 60 dollars or thereabouts- might have been even less than that, I can't recall.

These days, Gerber uses 420HC steel for the LMF II, but they first offered it in Sandvik 12C27, and that's mine.





The LMF II's handle is electrically insulated from the blade. The large spiked pommel, intended for smashing and as a hammer, is also insulated from the blade.





Well-done serrations, excellent for slicing seat belts.




I wanted to be able to reach this knife quickly. Glovebox carry was out. I didn't want to have the knife visible by merely looking into the windows of my truck, so mounting it on the door or the side of the transmission hump was out. Under the driver seat was the way to go, and this worked out perfectly.

The ESEE-5, another favorite of mine, would serve well in place of the LMF II except for one thing- the sheath. I couldn't trust the factory ESEE-5 sheath, nice though it is. It's simply not secure for a high-speed impact. The Gerber sheath, on the other hand, secures the handle of the knife in three places: a firm friction lock at the mouth of the sheath, and two pull-the-dot straps on the handle. Very secure.

In order to be able to get the knife out of the sheath with it under the seat and with me seated, I devised a simple system.

The knife sits pommel forward on the right side of the space under my seat. The sheath is attached in two places. Using one of the leg straps which came with the knife, I cinched the bottom of the sheath to one of the seat belt mount points. At the top of the sheath, I looped a Molle strap on the back of the sheath around a wiring conduit. The sheath is held firmly by the strap on the seat belt mount and the other attachment is only keeping the sheath pointed forward. This ensures that I do not yank on the wiring bundle every time I remove the knife, and end up with no tail lights.

With the sheath now properly oriented and firmly mounted, I needed to be able to remove the knife from the sheath while in a sitting position. In order to open the two straps, I threaded a length of paracord through the eyelets of each strap then tied an overhand knot on each end of the cord in order to make an adjustable-length release cord. The cord is held on the left side of the transmission hump, just behind the center console, by a safety pin stuck in the carpet.

Laid out as it sits under the seat:





Pulling on the release cord opens both snaps, consistently.




In order to get the knife out of the sheath once the snaps have been opened, a lanyard is required. There is simply no other way to get this knife out of its sheath- while it's under the seat and I am seated above it- consistently and without fumbling around. The sheath has a very firm grip on the knife handle. I created a pull handle/lanyard out of neon orange paracord, which drapes over the pommel and is easily found by my right hand when I reach under the seat.

The knife and sheath in place, with the paracord handle draping over the pommel.





Rear attachment. The two ranger bands are holding excess strap.




The handle of the release cord, held on the left side of the transmission hump by the safety pin. Of course the safety pin is not actually closed around the cord; it merely serves as a hook. Originally, I had a plastic push pin but it kept falling out of the carpet. Grab the cord, pull to the right, or up and to the right and both straps are open.




The paracord handle also serves as an oddball lanyard. I didn't want a traditional lanyard on the knife since it might snag when coming out from under the seat, so I made the lanyard in such a way as to be held on the last two fingers of my right hand. Letting go of the knife, it doesn't fall any real distance. Roll my hand over, and the knife is back in my hand. Also configured this way, there is no paracord getting in the way of the point of the pommel in case I need to use it to break glass.

I bought a little tool called Resqme. It has a punch that will break
the drivers window and a razor to cut the seat belt. Not expensive.
Got one for me,wife, and both boys to keep in the car.

https://www.amazon.com/01-100-...sq%2Caps%2C97&sr=8-1

I have the Resqume attached to the passenger visor in the Challenger. My go to, emergency use tool is carried on the floor between the driver seat and door. There is a depression there that holds it in place. This tool is a Stanley Fatmax 10 inch Demo Wrench. Its a hammer, adjustable wrench and prybar all in one. I recommend it! Tough SOB for multiple uses and priced right. My vehicle knife is a Cold Steel Bushman. Its hollow handle contains fire making materials. A must for the two seasons of the Yoop: Winter and August. The Bushman is a tough knife, priced right and easily replaced if lost or damaged.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
The LMF II's handle is electrically insulated from the blade. The large spiked pommel ... is also insulated from the blade.

Both were something I confirmed when I was told that they were features of a good SWAT knife that might be used to cut a gun port through a room wall: i.e., less shock risk if encountering a hidden wire. I’m not sure if that is something any SWAT operator has ever done, but I can imagine how an insulated handle could be important in some reasonably likely situations.

Very slick set-up.
I'm gonna try your un-snap idea. My sheath has single snap, different knife.

Nice Gerber, looks like the perfect truck knife.

.

I was motivated, like Para, to have a solid emergency tool available in my vehicles. I found local police had equipped their cruisers with these so in the '80s I acquired a pair of the original Becker BK3 Tactools commonly referred to as a sharpened prybar. Sports a seatbelt cutter and a section of the blade with serrations. Mine don't have the neat sheath improvements of Para's Gerber, but still....

Typical Police review (this written a good number of years after the blade was introduced to the market):
https://www.policemag.com/3391...s-becker-tactool-bk3
Lots of articles online as well as YouTube videos.

7" epoxy coated 1/4" thick 0170-6C steel blade 58-59C hardness with GV6H handle (design collaboration between Ethan Becker of BK&T and John Benner of TDI) with an overall length of 12.5".





No longer marketed by BKT or Camillus, Ka-Bar handles them these days.
https://www.kabar.com/products/product.jsp?item=BK3

My Eickhorn RT IV, blade was incredibly thick and with the small pry tip could be used to pry doors open, lots of Firefighter used these in Germany. Just sits in a drawer now but was my main road knife, insulated, and has the brightest lume on the handles. I used to have my harness attached to the seatbelt where it runs straight up before it goes thru the ring and crosses over my chest.

Slick. The knife, the sheath, the mounting and the retrieval method. All of it well thought out.

I've got a Res q me handy from the driver's seat and a Gerber Strongarm velcro'd above the visor. I'm cleaning the truck today and will be digging around under the seat because I like your positioning much more than mine.

I use the CRKT M16-14ZER rescue folder in my vehicles.

Large Tanto blade with integrated belt cutter in the "flipper" tab, and Tungsten Carbide bit at the butt for window breaking.

I've actually used this to cut the side curtain airbags and seatbelt of an accident I came upon on the highway. It is rather humorous looking back now, that orange handle seemed to calm down the other people (more rescue than scary knife I guess).

Thanks for the education, Para.

I got an LMF in 2010, some guy had them for $60 on the Blade Forum. The steel doesn't seem to be indicated, the receipt says LMF, not LMF II. Seemed like a bargain but later I had regrets when some dissed the LMF for not being a full tang blade.

Now I know there was engineering behind the blade, not just some cost-cutting design. I now have an Estwing tomahawk in the truck, maybe I'll reconsider. And yeah, that Gerber sheath really clamps on.

Well done, Para. Thanks.

Gerber USA makes a good knife. I have a Strongarm in my truck, not set up like yours though


I kind of have it by default. My youngest son wanted to go to Washington DC for his graduation trip. I happened to mention this to a co-worker, he said his son was in the Old Guard and he would see if he would give us a tour of Arlington. The Old Guard was a dream post of mine while I was in the Army.

We were all set for our behind the scenes tour. I wanted to get him something for his troubles, so I picked up the Strongarm as a gift for him.

The day came for our tour, it was a Saturday. We walked around the Cemetery for a bit waiting for him to get freed up, I was beyond excited. Then I get the call that he was unable to meet us.

Highly disappointed but we still enjoyed seeing the cemetery and I get to keep the knife



"StrongArm tactical knife features a black handle and a fine edge, full tang 420HC steel blade
Durable survival knife has ceramic blade coating and rubberized diamond texture grip
Break through hard surfaces in emergencies with the tactical knife’s striking pommel
Four mounting pieces and sheath can be used for mounting on MOLLE, belt, or in drop-leg fashion
Gerber gear is proudly made in USA at Gerber's Portland, Oregon factory"

Good pick for that mission. I think the LMF II is now $120 at the local Army post PX. May commit a Justin Case M-4 on hand here for that need, except for a "no" on using it to cut through metal.

Appears to be the same sheath that my prodigy came in. I live that knife so much, I bought a spare. Got it for bushcraft, thick blade takes batoning very well. You are making me want more knives.

After watching weird gas mask guy trying to destroy one, I ordered a Becker Tac. Tool.

I put the M4 Tenasi in my wife's glovebox and she gave me crap that she would never use it but as thay say better to have it I asked her if she has used it and she said I didn't want to tell you I have used it a least 1/2 dozen times already I put the clip off my esee xancudo that way you can clip it to your pants if you didn't have a belt on

Dang it. I've been resisting the urge to get an Esse 5. Now I want that TAC Tool too...

Thanks for the idea. I have an LMF II hanging on my headboard. I think you have just given me a much better use for it. I really should mount a small fire extinguisher as well in the cab as well.

Yes, the Becker Tac Tool- the literal "sharpened pry bar". I think this is a great choice for an emergency tool for your automobile, provided you have this 19 ounce behemoth properly secured for high-speed impact- prepared to take some Gs without separating from its sheath and go flying through your vehicle like the prop in some damn martial arts film. If I were to use one, I think I'd have to look at custom sheathing for it.