Spyderco World Trade Center Folding Rescue Knife

EDITOR’S NOTE:  In March of 2004, my wife and I traveled to the New York State Museum in Albany, NY.  Among the other material there we saw the World Trade Center: Rescue Recovery Response exhibit.  Among the sobering artifacts recovered from the World Trade Center attacks of September 11 were various items of clothing, such as holsters and other belt gear, worn by law enforcement and rescue personnel killed in the collapse of the towers.  A fire engine, largely intact but with its cab burned and twisted, dominated the large room.  Under glass in one corner was a pile of half-melted firearms – a shotgun and several handguns burned white and piled atop each other, the legacy of evidence housed in a government office.  An American flag, which flew on one of the towers the day of their collapse, hung over the somber scene.

Perhaps the most poignant of the artifacts was a plastic rescue backboard, the type of thing paramedics and rescue workers use to transport victims.  It was red-orange and almost whole – except for one side, which was twisted and broken as if it had exploded from within.  I think that piece of rescue equipment, more than anything in that exhibit, touched me with the horror and the indecency of it all.  Men and women who were trying to help their fellow humans were killed as they tried to fulfill their duties.

Not long after returning home, I was in the drugstore.  On one shelf amidst puzzles and games in the toy aisle were three plastic jars of the type used to sell small merchandise at the cash registers.  These had once been in the front of the store.  They were filled with American flag pins – all of them reduced for clearance to less than 50 cents each.  I reached in and bought half a dozen.  I could not help myself.  I could not shake the memories of September 11, nor could I help but be saddened that so many of us have forgotten so easily.

The next time someone tries to tell you that the victims of September 11 somehow "had it coming" for "failing to understand" how America’s foreign policy somehow prompts murderous cowards to massacre innocent, unarmed civilians, I want you to tell them to go to Hell.  The next time enemies foreign AND domestic tell you that we are to blame for the mass-murder of men, women, and children, many of whom spent their last moments in unutterable terror, remember that torn and ruined backboard.  Remember the good men and women of a good country built on ideals of freedom and gave their lives for the sake of helping one another.

Remember.

If you have ever wondered what we, as knife enthusiasts and martialists, could do to help the families of those brave souls who gave their lives rescuing people from the World Trade Center towers on September 11, 2001, our friends at Spyderco have an answer.

Through collaboration between company founder Sal Glesser and a group of firefighters and first responders in the New York City area, Spyderco has designed a special folder to commemorate their service. The company is offering a limited number of special folders that honor the men and women who fell in New York City on that day none of us should ever forget.

Basically, the folder is a special Rescue model with a CPM S30V steel sheepsfoot blade. This model was also chosen to debut the company’s new ball bearing lock, which is such an interesting concept that it really deserves a separate article. The knife is marked with a serial number from 1-2819, to commemorate all those who died in the towers that day. The WTC Rescue by itself would be a beautiful and handy folder for any first responder’s kit, but it boasts at least a couple of other special features.

A plate on the side of each Rescue depicts the skyline of NYC with the towers in the background. It is tastefully done, but here is the special part: The plate is made from steel salvaged from the wreckage of World Trade Center Tower number One. I am not a man given to sentimentality, but just to touch this small piece of steel brought forth some serious emotions that I cannot explain in this piece. I feel the knife is done with a sense of style and reverence of which any collector would be proud.

The WTC Rescue is supplied with a tasteful wooden presentation box complete with a letter of authenticity certifying that the steel used is in fact from the towers. One hundred percent of the profits from these knives will be donated to the New York City Police and Firefighters Widows and Children’s Benefit Fund. In a small way, We can help the loved ones these brave souls left behind to have a better future. I know I will be buying one very soon.

The special edition retails for $225 and can be obtained from many dealers.  It can also be purchased directly from Spyderco Knives. To purchase a World Trade Center Commemorative folder, call Pat Palmer at 1-800-525-7770. There is a small $6.95 charge for shipping.

September 11, 2001: Never Forget.