We are big fans of Rip Shears. Designed by Naval Special Warfare Corpsmen, Rip Shears are Made in the USA and crafted from fiberglass-reinforced nylon that can be autoclaved up to 270 deg F. Additionally, the blades are 440A stainless steel and are treated with a special DLC tungsten coating for increased lubricity. In fact, the coating will extend the life of the blades 4-5 times normal stainless steel. The design is simple and safe to clean with your fingers as well as replace blades. In fact, when you finally do need to change the blades, they are designed in such a manner that they are impossible to install incorrectly.
They are available in a variety of different color schemes. Here you can see the Glow-in-the-dark Firefly mounted on Orange handled EMT shears with Black blades.
Their tagline is “Just Snip and Rip” and it’s really that simple. We use them all of the time to open a wide variety of items.
Tags: Rip Shears
This is a brilliant idea!
We carry em on our rigs and the ER and CCU/ICU each have them. Have used them several times. Fast and easy and no worry about catching the skin of the patient. Awesome tool indeed.
I’ve gotten a set for myself, to carry in my vehicle jump kit. Good cutters, and I like the combination of shears and blade cutter in one. Also love the glow-in-the-dark feature – improves the chances I’ll be able to find them on the roadside.
However, there are some weak points. The cutter will jam on loose-weave fabric, much like other multi-blade cutters (I carry a Benchmade strap cutter on my belt for this sort of task). Also, they are a real PITA to put on the shears – very tight fit. Finally, the entire unit must be removed to replace blades.
Good piece of kit – but I’d prefer to see a Benchmade-style hook rather than the razors, and something a bit easier to install.
Good feed-back, will they cut through leather like the hooks will? That was my only concern. The opening looks a little too narrow to cut off a boot. The hooks are really becoming popular with EMS now. Just wondering if these Rip Shears could be a replacement.