Almost got hurt carrying my neck knife today!

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Wildone39

Joined
Dec 17, 2007
Messages
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I bought a Kabar TAB neck knife and I love the little guy. I started carrying it on a dog tag chain around my neck. Well it fell out as I was bending down and it stuck into me and cut me pretty bad. I am a heart patient and so Im on blood thinners and I have bled and bled until a few min. ago. These knife companies need to make their neck knife sheaths safe to carry. Ill start carrying my Izula again. I guess it doesn't matter what company makes a neck knife, always make sure the blade is secure in the sheath before buying it or it could be your life.
 
Retention is always extremely important. I lost a brand new Camillus PSK a few weeks ago on an early morning hike in the high desert. It fell out of my pocket as I was trying to run from a swarm of black flies that were eating me up. I had to backtrack four miles to find the damn thing. I hate the entire concept of neck knives-I love small fixed blades and have many of them, but the entire notion of carrying one around your neck just doesn't appease to me. It dangles, bounces, gets snagged on stuff, and if you do carry it under your shirt it's not exactly accessible. IMO, pocket or boot carry is more efficient, and much less likely to injure, damage or lose something in the process.
 
Wow that sucks! I've never had my Izula or my Murray Carter fall out, but people have asked me if I'm worried about. I still do routine checks to make sure it's in there nice and snug. Good to hear that you're ok.
 
Wildone39 said:
I bought a Kabar TAB neck knife and I love the little guy. I started carrying it on a dog tag chain around my neck. Well it fell out as I was bending down and it stuck into me and cut me pretty bad. I am a heart patient and so Im on blood thinners and I have bled and bled until a few min. ago. These knife companies need to make their neck knife sheaths safe to carry. Ill start carrying my Izula again. I guess it doesn't matter what company makes a neck knife, always make sure the blade is secure in the sheath before buying it or it could be your life.
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Sorry to hear it. A lot of companies just don't think neck sheaths through and it leads to things like this happening. I personally am not a neck knife guy, but I've resheathed enough neckers to see how many companies just don't grasp simple physics. The Izula sheath is a good example of a neck sheath done right. More companies need to follow their lead.
 
Yeah, I love the Izula sheath. I feel ok carrying it around. I may make some kind of sheath for the Kabar TAB because i like how small it is and light. It really felt light around my neck.
 
That's one of the advantages of the patch knife style of sheath -- leather, blade down.

Kydex has to * click * going in. The best necker sheath I own is the Bob Dozier sheath for his Canoe.
 
I have always considered a neck knife to be the equivalent of carrying a loaded and cocked wheel gun down the front of your pants. An accident waiting to happen.:(
 
Kiah said:
Sorry to hear it. A lot of companies just don't think neck sheaths through and it leads to things like this happening. I personally am not a neck knife guy, but I've resheathed enough neckers to see how many companies just don't grasp simple physics. The Izula sheath is a good example of a neck sheath done right. More companies need to follow their lead.
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I have two of your Swick II necker-sheaths Kiah, and Ive never had one failure. You do exemplary work.
 
was wondering if neck-knife makers do place product disclaimers concerning disengagement at all?
it's quite possible that there are unrecorded stories about lock-up failures of neck knives in general...
and Wildone39 sure was one lucky individual.
 
Sorry to hear about your wound. That sucks.

I always make sure my neck knife sheaths are tight. I rather deal with rub marks on the knife than to have one come loose. As long as I can get the blade out one handed, it can't have too much retention.
 
A good sheath is a real asset.

But, I have also had a neck knife come out of a good sheath. I was carrying 50 pounds of feed, sorta hunched over. The knife handle got pinched between my body and the feed sack. When I straightened up, I pulled the sheath off the knife, without even knowing it.

And neck knives often don't lend themselves to kydex sheath making. Skeleton type handles are challenging to make sheaths for.


Esav Benyamin said:
That's one of the advantages of the patch knife style of sheath -- leather, blade down.
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I have not been a huge fan of leather, but I think my Mora #2/0 would work really well in a sheath like that.


Best,
Marion
 
Glad to hear the OP is OK, but this brings to mind a question I have: What is the purpose of a neck knife? This is a serious question, not a criticism of the design. Educate me.

I have an Izula, but have only carried it lashed to the strap of a pack, and in the inside pocket of a winter coat.

I guess if you're wearing shorts with no pocket or belt when jogging or something and want to have a knife, it would be an option. Otherwise, it just seems like it would be a pain to get access to when worn underneath the shirt, and at risk for snagging on things when worn outside the shirt.
 
Blackie Collins designed a locking sheath years ago with a thumb button release. AG Russell uses it in the Hunters Scalpel and Gerber used it in their Buddy System knives. Seems like it would be very difficult to accidentally release one of these, and either of these small knives would be suitable for neck carry.
 
Marion David Poff said:
A good sheath is a real asset.
And neck knives often don't lend themselves to kydex sheath making. Skeleton type handles are challenging to make sheaths for.
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Just look at the CRKT Bear Claw. It has a Zytel handle, but it doesn't touch the sheath when carried. They just put a big screw on the ricasso, and that gives it more retention. It was actually ridiculously tight when I got it, had to break it in.
 
That was a close one and am glad to hear that you are still with us.

I like neckers, a small, flat, strong fixed blade that can be carried like a pocket knife. I never wear them around the neck, I carry them in a work coat/carhartt or the front or rear pocket of my jeans.

I mostly carry neckers as a rear pocket carry (Summer/warm non-coat weather), but Gus and Esav would say I was wearing it as a necker around the neck because of me posting with my head up my xxx. :eek: :D:D:D
 
Glad to hear your ok wildone, I know how you feel with the thinners, on 15mg a day and when i pull the knife out to use it usually goes through my mind dont do anything stupid or im gonna be in trouble,:eek: lol.
 
A.P.F. said:
I have always considered a neck knife to be the equivalent of carrying a loaded and cocked wheel gun down the front of your pants. An accident waiting to happen.:(
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Perfectly stated. I have a BRKT Neck knife, paracorded and wedged into the sheath, I carried it once that way and thought, man, you are thinking about your knife on EVERY step of the way....that's not fun for me.
 
FWIW, the Blind Horse Knives Tiger Knapp uses a really cool kydex sheath that has a tensioner on it. All it is, is a bolt that slides up and down the length of the knife to add/decrease tension. It works so well and it's so simple.
 
Glad your okay. Like others here, I feel neck knives are a gimmick, not truly practical. I love my izula, but around my neck just doesn't feel safe. I also found drawing the blade awkward. Ymmv
 
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