I have commented in this Forum and in the General Discussion Forum that my experience of the Chinook is that it is too heavy to be carried in the pocket, either on its clip or dropped into the pocket. But I have seen it suggested that you can carry one in your waist band. Well, I tried it over the weekend, and it worked quite well. I carried it just behind the point of my right hip and it rode quite unobtrusively there; even when I went to Quaker Meeting, nobody noticed it. Of course, I was wearing dark blue jeans and a wide belt, so that the black clip blended in quite well, but it was quite satisfactorily low observable. I was also pleased to note that it did not poke or prod me in any way that I found uncomfortable; indeed, I stopped noticing it after a short time of wearing it.
Drawing the knife from the chosen position was certainly easy enough, almost as fast as from my pocket, but returning it was not so easily done. It usually took two hands to accomplish this, one to tauten the waistband and the other to clip the knife onto it. I suspect that I would get better at this with practice, but I doubt that it would ever be as easy and unobtrusive to return the knife to IWB carry as it is to pocket carry.
My conclusion is that carrying the heavy (7.25 oz.) Chinook in the waist band is a very viable alternative to having it drag down your pocket. It is comfortable, unobtrusive, easy to access, and relatively easy to replace. And you would likely have your belt over the clip to help protect the clip and to help to secure it. As I have, otherwise, been very impressed withthis knife, I am quite pleased to report that my trial at IWB carry has proven so successful.
Drawing the knife from the chosen position was certainly easy enough, almost as fast as from my pocket, but returning it was not so easily done. It usually took two hands to accomplish this, one to tauten the waistband and the other to clip the knife onto it. I suspect that I would get better at this with practice, but I doubt that it would ever be as easy and unobtrusive to return the knife to IWB carry as it is to pocket carry.
My conclusion is that carrying the heavy (7.25 oz.) Chinook in the waist band is a very viable alternative to having it drag down your pocket. It is comfortable, unobtrusive, easy to access, and relatively easy to replace. And you would likely have your belt over the clip to help protect the clip and to help to secure it. As I have, otherwise, been very impressed withthis knife, I am quite pleased to report that my trial at IWB carry has proven so successful.
