Chapter 20Tools and knife
Chapter 20 · Advanced skills · 17 min read

Tools and knife

A few good tools, well cared for and well used, solve most emergency problems: cutting, opening, repairing, shutting off the water, covering a broken window, preparing firewood. This chapter treats tools as what they are: work instruments. You will learn to choose them, to use them without hurting yourself, to sharpen and maintain them, and what toolbox is worth having in an apartment.

The essentials · if you only have a minute
  • A multitool and a basic toolbox cover almost everything in an apartment. The knife, ax, and saw are for the outdoors or a prolonged emergency.
  • Always cut away from your body and with a “safety zone” free of people around you.
  • A dull edge is dangerous: a blunt knife slips. Keep the edge sharp and the tool clean and dry.
  • Water: all adults should know where the apartment's shutoff valve is and how to close it. Find it today.
  • Gas: shut it off only if you smell gas or are told to and it is safe. Never turn it back on yourself: your gas company does that.
  • Broken window: wear gloves and shoes, remove loose glass, and cover with heavy plastic and tape (or wood).
  • Tools, not weapons. This guide does not cover using knives or tools for defense.

In this chapter

20.1The most useful tools1 min read20.2How to choose a survival knife1 min read20.3Safe knife use2 min read20.4Sharpening2 min read0/320.5Maintenance and rust1 min read0/720.6Ax and saw: safe use3 min read0/620.7Shutting off the apartment's water and gas2 min read20.8Emergency repairs at home2 min read20.9Improvised tools1 min read20.10Recommended toolbox for an apartment1 min read0/3720.11Common mistakes1 min read
Chapter sources (1)
  1. 1.An Ax to Grind: A Practical Ax Manual (seguridad: despeje, postura, equipo de protección, transporte) — USDA Forest Service, Missoula Technology and Development Center — https://www.fs.usda.gov/t-d/pubs/htmlpubs/htm99232823/page04.htm 2.Handtools for Trail Work (seguridad del hacha, afilado) — USDA Forest Service — https://www.fs.usda.gov/t-d/pubs/htmlpubs/ htm05232810/page05.htm ; https://www.fs.usda.gov/t-d/pubs/htmlpubs/htm04232822/page10.htm 3.What Is the Best Knife Angle (ángulos por tipo de cuchillo y truco del marcador) — Work Sharp — https://worksharptools.com/blogs/ education-hub/what-is-the-best-knife-angle-and-how-do-i-tell-what-angle-my-knife-is 4.Survival (FM 21-76) / ATP 3-50.21, Survival, Evasion and Recovery — Departamento del Ejército de EE.UU. (herramientas improvisadas) 5.Shut Off Natural Gas (cuándo cerrar, cuarto de vuelta, llave de 12 in, no reabrir) — SoCalGas — https://www.socalgas.com/safety/ emergency-information/shut-off-natural-gas 6.Gas leak safety y teléfono de emergencias — CPS Energy (ver capítulo 9) — https://www.cpsenergy.com 7.Emergency water main breaks — San Antonio Water System (SAWS) (ver capítulos 9 y 10) — https://www.saws.org 8.A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture, and Your Home (secar en 24–48 horas) — EPA — https://www.epa.gov/mold/brief-guide-mold-moisture- and-your-home 9.Ready.gov — Utility shut-off and safety; Power outages — FEMA — https://www.ready.gov