Have you ever looked at EMT shears and thought, "Those are really ugly." You probably haven't, I sure have. My mom gave me a pair of Gingher sewing shears for Valentine's Day when I was sixteen. I think it was one of the most thoughtful gifts I've ever received. They were (and still are) beautiful.
EMT shears are not. But you have to have them in a trauma kit. They'll cut through clothing, tape, and seat belts. And skin, if you're not careful. And maybe even if you are. Sometimes it's just hard to see clearly.
In my off-grid medicine class this summer, the good doctor shared one of his latest discoveries, the Klever Kutter.
I fell in love right away. As a result of tendinitis and age, I've lost a bit of strength in my hands. It has become difficult to cut lightweight cotton fabric with good shears. I pretty much quit sewing because of it. So I've been concerned about whether I could cut away a seat belt, if necessary, or even a pair of pants up the side to treat a leg injury. With the Klever Kutter, those worries are gone.
The Klever Kutter was not actually designed for medical use. It's marketed as "the safest disposable box cutter on the market today." I've actually started carrying one in my pocket instead of a pocket knife (which I never carried because I never felt comfortable using it).
As far as medical uses go, I used it for the first time last week. One of my daughter's French angora rabbits, Coal, really did quite the number on his leg, and we've been changing bandages on him twice a week. He's now gotten quite tired of the whole procedure and is becoming a bit more difficult as a patient. Removing the bandage has become quite the chore. He doesn't want to keep still. And it's his back leg. Very powerful back leg.
The Klever Kutter made removing the bandages a little bit easier. Were I working on a person, who wasn't fighting me with a very powerful back leg, the Klever Kutter would have made things a lot easier. However, the Klever Kutter did make the process a whole lot safer. With the curved edges and recessed blade, I had no concerns about injuring Coal at all. The Klever Kutter cut away his tape and bandages pretty easily. I also like that the Klever Kutter is easily used by lefties (we do have one of those in the family, sigh) and that it is thin and small, so it fits easily into emergency medical kits.
The Klever Kutter runs about $5 for a single one; I ordered a ten-pack through Amazon for about $20. After looking around a bit, it seemed to be the best way to go.
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