Why Ripshears

THE IDEA

Arterial lacerations, penetrating chest wounds, blast trauma, and other kinetic injuries can quickly become life-threatening.  Seconds may mean the difference between life and death. Rapidly exposing patient's wounds faster gives first responders more time to identify and treat them. In the early to mid-2000's, combat medics often carried trauma shears and hook knives for patient exposure, but switching between them was cumbersome, inefficient, and often impossible in the heat of battle. In 2006, we came up with a better idea: we'd combine the two cutting tools into one, and the first RIPSHEARS prototype was born. We spent the next few years refining our design and establishing domestic production capability in between rigorous training and deployment cycles before hitting the market with the RS-1 Ripper and RS-2 RIPSHEARS models in 2010. We quickly expanded our lineup with the Glow-In-The-Dark RS-3 FIREFLY, followed by the RS-4 MINI RIPSHEARS, RS-5 HOOK KNIFE (larger single blade design for thicker fabrics or hunting applications), the RS-6 GLASSBREAK for vehicle extrication, and our TiCN-coated Trauma Shears. Numerous competitors have tried to copy us over the years, but none has been able to match our simplicity, reliability, patient exposure speed, or our prices.

THE ADVANTAGE

Our RIPSHEARS are more than just scissors, they're a trauma multi-tool. Use the shears to start initial cuts in clothing or to get through thick belts, boots, or straps, then use the hook-knife to finish the cut. Use the flat side of the Ripper as a percussion hammer to test Deep Tendon Reflexes or percuss the chest or abdomen. Use the built-in O2 wrench in the Ripper to open an O2 cylinder. All without wasting time switching from tool to tool.

Unlike simple hook-knife designs, our RIPSHEARS maintain the ability to cut through clothing or body armor without manipulating bones, joints, or the spine. This aspect is critical for exposing an entire patient in a "head to toe, treat as you go" manner without slowing down. RIPSHEARS will cut through thick material such as insulated, waterproof leather boots, firefighters' turnout gear, neoprene wetsuits, drysuits, Chemical Biological Radiological (CBR) gear, bike leathers and various materials that other products simply cannot handle.

We are a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business dedicated to medical innovation.  We invite you to check out our site to learn more about our range of products.