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IWA: Tommaso Rumici Creates the C.A.R. for Firefighters

March 3, 2022

IWA Outdoor Classics 2022 kicks off today in Nuremburg, Germany. Like pretty much every other major show, IWA is making its return after a two year COVID hiatus. As always, IWA will provide a showcase for new blades from companies around world, and one early standout is the latest design from Italy’s Tommaso Rumici, who has teamed up with Antonini Knives for the CAR, a prybar-based multitool for firefighters.

Antonini does make ‘regular’ folding knives, but a large part of their catalogue is devoted to specialized knives for various professional applications. “CAR” is an acronym, and it stands for Car Accident Rescue, which tells you a lot about the role this tool was designed to play. Our default image of a firefighter might be of someone who rushes into burning buildings, but firefighters also deal with dangerous car accidents, and Rumici heard recurring requests from these professionals for a tool built for vehicular rescues; the CAR is his attempt to fill that need.

We’ve seen pliers-based multitools and knife-based multitools; the CAR might be the first prybar-based multitool, and certainly the first in the category we’ve covered on this site. The main tool is a thick, sturdy prybar with a seatbelt cutter and nail lifter built into it. On the other end we see a whole other suite of secondary tools. There are two blades, each measuring 3.15 inches but with very different applications. There’s a hawkbill blade for cutting through car upholstery, and a serrated saw designed to chew threw safety glass. Both blades secure into place with a button lock and, like the most of the other implements, are made from Nitro-B steel, a nitrogen-enhanced European recipe that is durable and highly stain resistant.

Between the two blades there’s a glass breaker, which is itself flanked by 10 and 13mm wrenches. There’s a ruler on the off-side body piece, which is made entirely from steel while show side has a yellow G-10 scale; Rumici included a glow in the dark strip on each side as well. Designed for carry in a firefighter jacket, the CAR comes with a wire clip and weighs 9.88 oz.

The CAR is slated for release later this year.

Knife in Featured Image: Antonini CAR

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