Do Glass Breakers Even Work? | Breaking Windows With Knives For "Science!"
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 31 พ.ค. 2024
- Glass breakers on knives come in all shapes and sizes but what we wanted to know if they actually work. Come hang out at the junk yard with us as we break a bunch of car windows and find out if you actually need a glass breaker on your knife!
0:00 Intro
0:22 Types of Glass Breakers
1:39 Glass Breaking Principals
3:29 Be Prepared and Get trained!
4:00 What Would I Chose?
4:30 Glass Breaker Alternatives
5:50 Can You Just Use Your Knife?
7:32 Outro
7:39 Extras!
Additional Context: A few of you have let me know that newer vehicles are now coming with laminated glass on the sides and rear (same stuff as the windshield). Thanks everyone!
New regulations are requiring that all vehicles as of 2018 use laminated glass to prevent ejections. Like we said, the windshield can't be broken with the tools we talked about in the video and the same applies to these newer windows. You will need a glass saw or shears in order to get through laminated glass. Make sure you know what type of glass is in your vehicle and that you have the tools to deal with it appropriately!
Also: As a junkyard aficionado it’s important for me to note that all the car windows we broke were cars going to the crusher that day, so we were not wasting glass someone might have needed😁. If you want to practice any of this you can go to your local junkyard and ask if they have any cars going to crusher that day it’s usually $5 a window and super fun.
The sparkplug trick is well known because thieves/gang members carried it tied to a piece of string/fishing line in their pocket and would walk through a parking lot or down the street breaking windows and snatching valuables. At first the cops didn't know what they were looking at when they searched a thug.
As of 2018 all new cars have laminated glass on all four sides. Your punch is no longer going to work. The only tool that works is the Victorinox rescue tool that has the window punch and the special saw to cut through the laminated glass. Fire departments also have new tools to cut through this glass. So your punch is not going to save your butt. Cheers from Canada. This is an American law you guys should have known that, a Canadian should not have to tell you haha.
@@James-ke5sx This is super good info. Looks like it's mainly due to reduce the amount of ejections in rollovers. Most of my knowledge and training comes from when I was in school back in 2010ish. While this is going to change pretty quick over the next few years the information in the video should be good for the majority of vehicles for a little while at least.
@@ImproveConditionsHe’s not apologizing. He’s explaining how it works with the junkyard owner. I was curious about this and it answered the questions I had while viewing the video.
@@James-ke5sxluckily i won the ultimate lottery and was born in the USA, and am free to carry a concealed handgun. If I’m wearing pants i’m carrying, so id just shoot the window out in an emergency.
The reason the spark plug thing is so popular isn't because of people using it in emergency situations. It's because it's how people break into your car
Doesn't always break the glass, but it always f*cks the windshield up. I thought the sparkplug thing was more about vandalism.
Do you mean they open your hood first and take your plugs out in order to break into your car?
@@Dellvmnyam you must be the smart one in your family
@@Dellvmnyam you throw a sparkplug at glass and it will explode
@@JeffreyAllanBackowski
Nope.
Quietly breaking the glass to steal your stereo…or whatever.
Back in the day, mostly stereos.
I can personally testify that the glass breaker on the Swiss Army Rescue tool works exactly as advertised. 2 summers ago I used mine to get to a man who’d been rear ended by a semi that was going 50 mph. It folded the quad cab pickup so opening the doors wasn’t possible. I took out the front windshield and two side windows in less than a minute.
Watching this with my husband who subscribes and I can't help but notice some differences in perspective. You guys presented everything to be prepared to help others in an emergency, where I would have shopped for a tool like this to break myself out. I'd love to see if the efficacy changes smashing from the inside out.
its actually easier from the inside since the windows have a subtle outward curve to it. But the same principles apply. If you realy want something that you literaly can fire and forget.. there are carbine glasbreakers on some sort of rubberband that you snap against it. those even work in the middle of the window (infact its recommended to use it there) so you basicly cant miss and with the rubberband firing the carbide so fast it is breaking after 1-3 hits at most
if you can open the window even a little, striking the edge with anything metallic should do the trick. the toughening process doesnt harden roughly 1 mm on the edge and any crack will shatter the window.
if you cant, the same rules apply, you need to make a crack. and the easiest way to do it is in an area that doesnt bounce, as in corners.
if you dont have any tools at hand, you probably arent going to be able to break the sides. kicking the front windshield would be the best bet in that case. its only 2+2 mm standard glass laminated together and repeated kicks should be able to break thu. just be aware that while the pvb plastic does hold the pieces together so you are less likely to end up with large swords and your leg isnt going to go thu suddenly (its fairly stretchy), its still sharp enough to cut your leg thu the fabric if you arent carefull. then again a cut might be preferrable over being stuck in an emergancy.
Pick up an automatic center punch from harbor freight or something, they're VERY hard spring loaded rods, you just press it against the glass, it fires and shatters it. I keep one in all of my vehicles just because you don't know what situation you're going to end up in, if you end up underwater, it can be hard to get enough force with your arm to actually break the window, the center punch you just need to apply pressure which you can do in all environments. They're also like $7.
Also, don't bother with the windshield.
Really, your husband, what's her name?
As a crackhead from San Francisco, I’m so excited to start busting windows the proper and safe way. Im gonna break so many windows with this info. Thanks guys!
Pro tip: A spark plug shoplifted from the local Autozone makes for a wonderful glass breaker, when thrown. Also saves money for more delicious crack !! A absolute win !!
16 year fireman checking in- you nailed it bro ❤️ ⚔️ I’ve put my hand and arm through tempered glass too many times with crappy tools…. But my Microtech has been king when it’s all I have at the moment
I have been asking myself the question "Can I just use my knife?" for the longest time now! Thank you for answering this question! This was one of my favorite videos of yours. I like the topic of realistic emergency uses for knives.
yes , you ve got to be very careful with your hand because you can cut yourself with the knife and the window
a knife with a stronger point can do it easier than the one in the video
tanto points and scandi edge knives can work very well suffering less damage to the point
I would ask myself the question "Can I just use my common sense enough to not put myself into these situations?"
@@JeffreyAllanBackowski A car accident? I suppose if you caused it.
@@JeffreyAllanBackowski what ?! Is this guy a bot ? You realize this what mainly talking about if you come across the scene of accident.
sure, i mean if i come across an incident where someone is trapped in a car, i could just "walk away" and avoid the situation.@@JeffreyAllanBackowski
I personally have a Resqme in my car. It has a pressurized punch that is really easy to use and also has a built in seatbelt cutter. It's made in USA and is inexpensive and I highly recommend people keep one in their vehicles!
This needs to be the top comment
I recommend keeping it attached to your car keys. Then it is always with you and impossible to lose in a cubby hole, or under a seat.
Carried one for years and gave them to all of my family members.
Great stuff.
@@the_once-and-future_king. failing that, long loop of paracord attatched to a anchor point in the glovebox (but with enough length that you can reach both windows, or a quick release) personally i hate having bulky stuff on my keys, and i know theyre not huge, but compared to a pair of yale keys and a car key, its pretty chunky
@ste887 True but what if the passenger side gets deformed and you cannot get in the glove box? If you're gonna secure it anywhere but the keys, do it somewhere you can reach it from the driver's seat without moving much. Maybe tied to the inner door pull.
My employer (state government) had a highway patrolman do a seminar with us on armed intruders in the building and he also said breaking large plate glass windows in the corner were an option for those trying to escape to safety. Happy to see it mentioned here, but not surprised with Jaime’s experience. Love the videos.
Arm yourself and you won’t have to escape.
@@UltraMagaFan No need to escape when you've been shot by police on arrival
No potential window donors were harmed in the making of this video (only knife blades).
Also I've never seen this concept explored on video , yet its so simple . I nominate this for content of the year.
I was thinking "I hope they had permission from the yard owner" - not everything in a junk yard is junk - including the glass....
instructions unclear, after my knife went through the window i forgot there was still a person on the other side
guys i think i messed up
What about those carbide-bead-elastic bracelets? You should try those.
When you and Jamie started your own channel I wasn't sure if the hype was worth it and if it was going to be anything worth writing home about really, but for real your channel is actually so great. The continued quality you have delivered for quite some time now is actually amazing. Thank you both for the effort you put into your content.
The spark plug trick was used by all the kids that would borrow people’s cars they didn’t know to go joy riding. They didn’t take it out of the car they were using they used to just carry it around. I think that’s part of the reason it’s so well known on the internets. That trick has been around since I was a teenager. And for the record I took no part in any such activities.
rrriiiigggghgtttt... I remember hearing about it on the radio as a kid though
I carry a Spyderco Assist FRN Orange at work (I’m a paramedic). It has a retractable glass breaker, and the CombinationEdge absolutely EATS seatbelts and airbags. Also, some new cars now have laminated glass all around, and as Jamie mentioned, none of these will work on laminated glass. Fun video as always tho!
I came down to comments just to mention the assist. I keep mine in the truck on the outside of my jump bag. Great knife and I don't remember but I paid but I remember being really happy with the price.
2018 federal law, new cars have to have laminated glass on all four sides. The Victorinox rescue tool has a special laminated glass cutting saw along with the window punch. It's the only one that has this special saw.
Good info thanks!
@@James-ke5sx could I get out of a car with power laminated windows and shorted battery under water? Seems like a dead end to me. Back window of truck was not laminated when hit by lean mower thrown rock. 2008 Toyota tacoma….
Zac, awesome video!!!! So informative on a great topic. Thank you!
Honestly could be one of the most useful video on TH-cam
I was waiting for someone to explore the glass breakers on knives. Good job
Zac, thanks for the eye-opening info on glass breakers! Your video covered the concerns most people have about breaking glass during emergencies. Great job! -Alex @ Vanquest
+1 to More tests against all knives / axes / tools for IRL usability! Great video, Zac
I totally just learned something new. Great video, Zac!😊
I remember my dad telling me like 25 years ago about the spark plug. People used to break into cars using that method in the area we lived in.
That’s pretty cool guys! I have a couple of spring loaded punches in my shop I don’t use much at all so I’ll keep one in my console now if I need it! 👍
Great tips on what to use (and not) and techniques for best results. Now I want to go to a junk yard and try it.
Great video guys ! Thanks
I feel the same way about glass breakers Zac. Thanks for the knowledge and entertainment. Take care bud.
I’ve never seen this topic addressed in a knife video. Very cool!
Great video guys. Very useful info
Good to know a glass breaker is both necessary and sufficient. I carry a Microtech knife that has one, but I've never used it, nor has its presence ever bothered me.
From my understanding, while these are really effective at breaking car windows, they are really intended to be used in place of a hammer per se. They are intended to be used underwater if you were to drive your car into a lake or something. When you are underwater glass gets much much stronger and a hammer or really any object wont break it. It would just bounce. These are intended to be tapped against the glass, and I mean tap.. it's that easy, to allow water to flow into the car so that you can then crawl out or open your door and get out. Otherwise you cannot get out of the car until the entire car has been filled with water, by which time you are already dead.
Unbelievable I was just thinking about this! Thanks guys!
I had a ring of spark plug ceramic tied to the inside of my car door handle with light fishing line for a while. Made it accessible and easily removable way to break glass.
That's pretty cool to see and learn the proper method. Zac, get the black bailout with plastic handles it doesn't have the glass breaker! And I know on some knives it can be removed.
I was thinking if you could use your knife, them you answered that right after.
And I 100% agree, if it's an emergency, breaking your knife tip doesn't matter at all compared to helping someone.
I put a lanyard in my bailout that it shields my hand from scraping the glass breaker pretty well.
Great video, thank you!
Thanks for sharing this. It may save somebody’s life.
Hey Zac, wondering if you could do a video on serrated knives? I've always heard people say they're great for rope and other fibers, but in my experience all they do is rip the rope to shreds. The only use case I have for them is cardboard and occasionally used it on seatbelt when I was a volunteer EMT.
GREAT video! I’ve been trying to put together a gear/edc type kit in my car trunk..I’ve got everything from jumper cables to a pen..definitely going to look for a center punch to put in my glove box! Look forward to more videos inbound! You guys are awesome!
They will not work on new cars after 2018 which have laminated glass on all four sides. It was a federal law that most people don't even know about but you can Google it yourself. I have a Victorinox rescue tool that has a laminated glass cutting saw and it's the only one that has this extra feature. But if you have an older car don't worry it's only on the new ones.
@@James-ke5sx interesting..good to know..most people however don’t drive that new of a vehicle but it is good to know just in case..
Thank you, Zac.
I worked construction for a bathroom remodeling operation for a while. Demo day was always the best 'cause breaking shit is ALWAYS fun.
i wish i could like this video more than once. thank you zac and the rest of the team.
Interesting results, hopefully never needed but good to know. I have seen a few bodycam videos here on YT of police trying to break side windows by whaling on them with telescopic batons and they had real problems doing it. In one video a fellow officer suggested hitting a bottom corner of the window and it finally worked.
Great info and video, thanks
Great video. Agreed that I avoid glass breakers on my knives and instead keep one of the small ones in my car (has a seatbelt cutter on it too). Definitely glad I watched this video because I'm not sure I would've ever thought to try my knife, even if I had no other choice... just didn't even come to my mind as an option til you said it.
Hard, sharp and fast and make sure you are confident in your locking mechanism.
Great video very informative.
I keep a ResqMe on my turn signal stalk, but keep my CRKT pocket knife with seatbelt cutter and carbide tip in my pocket. Got to use it once-a crash happened just in front of me. Driver was having a seizure and had their foot firmly planted on the accelerator but smashed up against the other car. (I initially thought it was on fire because the tires were burning out.) Popped the window with my knife, sliced the seatbelt, and pulled the driver to safety, still seizing. Put it in park and checked for other occupants.
That small sledgehammer demonstration was impressive. Never ever expected that a carwindow could ever EVER withsrand that.
you have to hit it with a little of angle , that way the side of the hammer acts as the windowbreaker
Do Americans not call them club hammers?
@@tomclayton9881Club hammer and Sledge hammers are actually two different things but a "mini" sledge hammer does look a lot like a club hammer. ^_^
@dtester in the UK a sledgehammer is long handled, usually much heavier and swung with 2 hands. A club hammer is shorter handled, lighter and 1 handed.
@@tomclayton9881 In the US we have these mini Sledge Hammers and Club Hammers. They're pretty much the same thing :D
It's great to know what to trust. Thanks guys.
Bro.. I literally had a dream about this EXACT topic last night.. and here you are doing it.. 🤯
That might be my first actually premonition 😂
Thanks for the fun and informative video I always enjoy and appreciate the content have safe and memorable Merry Christmas gentlemen
Great video is always gentlemen. Zac, I did not carry my bailout for the same reason so I got a titanium backspacer from rock scale design, and it makes a world of difference. you should pick one up and try it🤙🍻
Hey Zach, I love the video and the information! Just a fun idea if you wanted to eliminate the bailout spike so you could carry it, Rockscale Designs makes a replacement titanium backspacer for the Bailout. It eliminates the spike and creates a smooth surface on the bottom of the knife. Just a thought!
Ive got a Spyderco Salt Assist that lives in my car, and has a retractable glass breaker. Its really cool. While the blade is closed, you squeeze the blade further closed, and out pops the glass breaker.
I was wondering about this very question. But no one has ever addressed it (as far as I know). Thanks, guys!
This was good stuff. Thank you
Oscar Delta has a lovely little hair tie with a carbide bead on it that shatters windows; they also have a breakaway necklace with a similar bead for swinging into glass as well.
Great work fellas.
Years ago I bought a bunch of super inexpensive spring center punches from harbor freight as stocking stuffers. Luckily no one has had to use them yet.
My Winkler Crusher Belt knife with rubber handles is great at smashing and breaking glass. My favorite knife
This was awesome!
Glad I caught this video. I always thought just jam the damn knife in there lol.
I always carry a sog trident folsing knife with the carbide tip in my bugout bag as a 2nd knife....got it real cheap....and definitely works in those types of emergency situations
I got a SOG trident, it has a carbide breaker on the top side of the knife so when you have it on your pocket the carbide tip is pointing down. Never broken any glass with it. But feels like a nice design detail from SOG
I've always heard the prongs of a head rest (at least in older cars) were shaped to be an emergency glass breaker if you had nothing else to use.
I always wondered if they would work if your in The car and under water ? Next video idea 💡😀
You can test the sharp type by scratching regular glass. You can use a old water cup or smt. Wear protection and don't apply too much pressure
Thank you for this simple yet interesting video! Been debating getting the carbide for the Leatherman for years. Never got it because seems useless on an all metal tool.
i have a one of those glass breaker hammers with seatbelt cutter in my car that's easy to get to. i feel that's all most people probably need when it comes to getting out in an emergency. and yes, a decent medical kit, and a few bottles of water is a good idea.
Shout out to the letherman raptor. Never used the glass breaker, but the strap cutter and shears are awesome.
When I went through my Car Extrication Class we were taught to use the pointer of the windshield wiper to brake the class in case you need it in an emergency.
Last august on i70 in Kansas a semi rolled over in the median. I used my benchmade with the window breaker on the front windshield. I had to hit the windshield about 20 times and then kick it out. Got the driver out and across the median before I could shut the engine down.
Love seeing the wasatch in the background
Thank you! This was a very helpful video but I was wondering what do you do if you have one of the newer cars that have side windows that use the same glass as the windshield
It’s actually wild that the tiny little poke from the bailout kept you from carrying it
Years ago i saw about the spring loaded center punches, and there are companies making keychain tools for exactely that. The one i bought is calles resque me and has a spring loaded punch as well as a protected beltcutter on it, and lives on my carkeys. Cause that's most likely where i would need them.
The most important thing: it's small and light and pretty cheap.
And the spring loaded punches also work under water when you would not manage to get enough speed for a glass breaker on the end of a knifehandle.
(have seen that tried and tested by some car journalists in germany)
Btw.: there's a Victorinox for exactely those circumtstances which even has a replaceable glass breaker and a replacable winshield saw.
Jamie did a ridiculously good job in front of the camera! Natural presenter
Great video, thanks for sharing even with a cost at the end for science. lol Be safe Zac
I travel a lot and cant take knives with me so I just got a pen with a carbide tip. It solves the knife/pocket problem because it is going down in my pocket. Never had an issue with it. It is just as important, if not more so, to my EDC as my knife.
If it's something you want to keep in your vehicle I'd say to check out a ResQMe, it's a compact, spring-loaded, dedicated glass-breaker/seat belt cutter.
They have a safety cover for the blade and you can get a visor clip so it's to hand when you need it, for yourself or another vehicle.
I agree. I've 3 in my car: at my car keys, sun visor and at the passengers door overhead grip.
Good video I was woundering what works and what don’t work.
within 13 seconds you can see it worked and did its job thanks for stretching the video out to 8:23 though 👍
Very educational
I personally keep a pocket knife with a carbide tip and seatbelt cutter in my center console. It's there in case of emergencies, and I've also always got a knife on hand if I forgot my EDC, lent it out, or broke it somehow.
The quote “you’re not going to rise the level of your expectation but fall to the level of your training” is truer words never said
Man I wished you had a Zaan to test out in this video. Great content.
I think its Original Goat that has the aftermarket backspacer that deletes the glass breaker on the Bailout. I went with the purple one to give it a 940 look. Highly recommend it to make the Bailout more carry-friendly
Awesome video
Favorite junkyard? I'll have to think about that. As for how to break a window, I was self taught as a kid.
I've always wondered if my car knife would be enough to both cut the belts and break the glass thanks for testing!
I personally carry a Tactical Triage as a cop - I've used the glassbreaker to shatter a bunch of side windows, and it's always worked great. It sits in its own smaller pocket so I never end up getting poked by it.
Generally guys think to use their baton, and it will work but it's not as effective. I would only use it to clear glass out of a windowframe after it's already been broken.
The same principle that allows glass breakers to work are also applied with tank sabot rounds, where instead of an explosive projectile, the tank fires what is basically a large dart, which is able to penetrate armor effectively.
I think you're the first one that cover the "glass breaker" in pocket knife or multitool, well done
But unfortunately as people from outside the US,.glass breaker can be a real deal in emergency situation.
Unlike in the US where people go everywhere using private vehicle, most of people in my country will go everywhere using public transportation, and glass breaker is useful in that context,
Yea of course most of public transportation have their own emergency hammer to break the glass but with additional glass breaker in your hand that you can access more quickly,.I think it can be huge difference
definitely a big fan of having one on the knife but i like it to be subtle, i’ve been carrying an esee 3 for years with the pointed pommel and it’s barely noticeable and not obtrusive or even really sharp but still breaks windows no problem
It's popular for smash and grabs in South Africa! That's why it's popular on the internet! Wrt Spark plug ceramic
Tungsten carbide machine tool insert. Very hard, usually have a hole in the middle for fixing. Stick one of those on a piece of cord and flick that at a window, and it should do the trick.
I just got the 2023 exclusive bailout and was a bit disappointed it didn’t have the glass breaker on the end. But I guess it was sort of uncomfortable every time you went to take the knife out of your pocket
Aftermarket back spacers without the glass breaker are available for the Bailout. Pete over at Cedric and Ada has one on his.
Cool video. I was wondering how you guys look at things like the Leatherman Raptor as a car emergency tool.
The spark plugs are used by people who break into cars, it's a cheap and fast way to break the windows. For anyone interested the "Channel 5" TH-cam channel just did a series of videos in San Francisco partially focusing on the people who rob cars this way. They use spark plugs but also small ceramic dishes that they break up and use the same way.
Do you know if you can use the small ring there is on most Swiss army knifes, the one where the keyring normally is in?
This kinda puts into perspective the force of a random pebble at highway speeds
Neat video, I swapped out the standard Philips flathead that came with my leatherman signal with the flat head/glass breaker bit you can buy separately. I bought the signal for survival and seemed that this made it more survival than a standard bit. Have you tried it yet?
I wonder how flipper tab, does. Like on a zt 0562, if you hold the blade closed in a nice grip. Then use the pocket pecker like a hammer at the glass. Just a thought. Good job with the video.👍🙇