Spyderco named this knife after its principal job function, to Assist. The Assist was designed for emergency/fire/rescue professionals (and for the well-equipped civilian) who rely on their knives to function flawlessly under pressure. Even with twenty-five years experience in making rescue knives, Spyderco is still offering new high-tech features and the Assist model showcases the latest and greatest in this knife genre. The VG-10 patented blunt-tipped blade is a toothy eighty-percent SpyderEdged for aggressively cutting seatbelts and fibrous material. The last inch of the tip we've left PlainEdge for detailed cutting (think sharpening pencils). Perched above the Round Hole, a Cobra Hood positions the thumb directly over the hole for quick blade deployment, then doubles as a leveraging platform for the thumb. The wavy pattern cut from the top of the blade (created by a fireman from Sweden) and along the inside of the handle let you place a piece of rope (between the half-open blade and handle) and scissor the blade shut- especially convenient for cutting rope in-and-around flesh without having to fully open/expose the knife's blade. The FRN handle is a molded wonder of Bi-Directional textured contours and bulges that ergonomically wrap around your palm. In the closed position, squeeze the blade deeper into the handle and a retractable carbide tip protrudes out from the base for breaking glass. Outlined in safety orange on the handle's spine is a shrill and attention-pitched survival whistle. Carries left/right handed, tip-up by means of a tension wire clip.