The feature that makes this knife different from other folders is the inclusion of the rescue hook. The hook is designed to cut clothing and gear away from someone in an emergency. All of the Benchmade rescue hooks use a similar design with different size handles. The AutoTriage takes their field tested rescue hook design and connects it to a spring loaded mechanism to deploy it from the handle of the knife.
TL;DR:
Quality design and manufacturing from an excellent company.
I mostly use the rescue hook feature so just buying a rescue hook would be a lot cheaper than the AutoTriage (~$40 vs ~$300 USD) . YMMV.
I’m keeping it as it has sentimental value and proved to be useful as part of planned redundancy.
Review:
The Benchmade AutoTriage is a single action automatic knife (opens with a button, closes manually) with a rescue hook built in. Visit the Benchmade website for detailed info about dimensions, materials, etc.
Benchmade has a long tradition of making high quality products that reflect end user feedback. The blade and automatic mechanism is what you would expect from Benchmade. Both feel very solid, reliable, and I have yet to have any problems with them. I’m glossing over the automatic knife part of the tool because it is a pretty standard Benchmade product.
The feature that makes this knife different from other folders is the inclusion of the rescue hook. The hook is designed to cut clothing and gear away from someone in an emergency. All of the Benchmade rescue hooks use a similar design with different size handles. The AutoTriage takes their field tested rescue hook design and connects it to a spring loaded mechanism to deploy it from the handle of the knife.
I’ve used Benchmade rescue hooks for years and love them. The smallest one they make, the 5 Hook (Amazon), stayed on my belt throughout my ambulance career and performed incredibly well allowing me to cut through boots, motorcycle leathers, bulky clothing, and even carpet on one call. The longest hook they make, the 8 Hook (Amazon), is my go to tool for ski patrol as the exaggerated handle is super easy to use when wearing bulky gloves. The model in between those two is the 7 Hook (Amazon), and that one I added to the trauma kit which travels around the world with me, a Dark Angel Medical Direct Action Response Kit.
I’m glad that Benchmade kept the same hook design they have used on other products for the AutoTriage. The overall size and curvature of the blade works great. Rather than just using brute force to try pulling straight through a material, the curved blade allows a slight vertical rocking motion to be used rapidly cutting through nearly anything in its path. The size of the opening to the blade is ideal as well allowing it to deal with bulky materials without creating a hazard to the user.
As with most, if not all Benchmade products, the AutoTriage is backed by their LifeSharp warranty that allows you to send the product back to Benchmade and they will resharpen and service the tool free of charge. I’ve used the LifeSharp warranty for a knife and a rescue hook before and Benchmade does an outstanding job. Most users likely won’t need to use the warranty as Benchmade tools hold their edge for quite a while.
The partially serrated blade is wicked sharp out of the box and there’s hardly any wiggle in the blade. The automatic mechanism fires reliably and the blade locks up tight every time.
When looking at my gear for work I try to have some intentional redundancy in what I carry. With regards to cutting tools I might choose to carry the AutoTriage in a pocket on my person, then have a rescue hook on my chest rig, clinic belt, or backpack. With my trauma supplies I will also have a pair of trauma shears in addition to possibly having a pair of trauma shears on the outside of the pack which contains the trauma supplies.
Most of the time this redundancy is a minor convenience and helpful when someone else needs something.
One of the days in Mosul the redundancy was actually super handy as I got separated from all my gear and ended up working an MCI with only what I had on my person as the patients rolled in. Fortunately I had the AutoTriage in my pocket plus some gloves, an Inova Microlight clipped to my shirt, and a headlamp around my neck. When my gear arrived part way through the MCI I was able to grab my clinic belt which had additional items (including this Gerber Rescue Hook), but the stuff I had on me made the first few minutes go a bit smoother. When I go back to an environment like Mosul I’ll bring the AutoTriage with me again.
I’ve found that while I like the AutoTriage I just don’t use the blade nearly as much as the rescue hook. For some settings I will continue to carry the AutoTriage, but it is definitely not an every day carry item. I received the AutoTriage as a gift from a friend when he was retiring from AFSOC. I doubt I would have bought the AutoTriage and if I had I would have likely returned it or regretted the purchase. This isn’t to say it isn’t a solid tool, but for the price tag (~$300 USD) it’s basically a really expensive rescue hook for me. This is my opinion based on my usage. A different user may find it to be the perfect tool for them in which case the price is well justified.
If I were to go back to working on an ambulance I don’t think my opinion would change. The last few years I worked on a rig I didn’t carry a folding knife anymore as I just didn’t use it much. I would carry a multitool that had a locking blade plus a Benchmade 5 Hook and those two covered all of my cutting needs.
In terms of more wilderness applications I think the AutoTriage could stand up to the abuse most blades experience, but I would rather use a less expensive and studier fixed blade without serrations for those purposes. The fixed blade is easier to sharpen in the field and I won’t be nearly as sad if I damage it.
Bottom line, I use the thing as a pricey rescue hook, but I will be keeping it to use in very specific circumstances.