Carrying a large folder on a belt sheath

[Lapedog]

I think the sheaths thay auto open your Buck 110 when drawn are kinda cool!

 

[G. Scott H.]

I use the recorder to make notes while driving - 1 button to start recording rather than a password, app start, etc on a phone.

I thought you were going to say you were a ghost hunter and carried it for recording EVPs.

 

[maximus83]

These pics made this whole thread worth it. I think I went into the wrong line of work. I don't want to say anything to detract from these pics and beautiful sheaths. But....I will hold my ground that I think small-of-back carry is a pretty unsafe option, and I wouldn't recommend it to a friend or do it myself. Especially when riding horses. But that's just me, these pics are still awesome. Thanks.

I've made many, many horizontal sheaths, but mostly for fixed blades. Most folders don't have the shape I need for proper retention for horizontal carry. I have done some in my Pancake sheath that carries at more of a 45 instead of a true horizontal.

My own personal Horizontal knife and sheath:

Doesn't get in the way during active use:

A friend's Pancake, rides more at a 45:

Doesn't interfere either:

To a point that others have brought up. This young lady and her husband have both carried large fixed blades of my making, over many, many miles of rough terrain. Their preference is small of the back carry:

Rough active use too:

Really not any different than a holstered pistol.

 

[Horsewright]

Thanks! Yep a guy makes his own mind up about those kind of things and should. I personally don't carry SOB but have carried holstered pistols more miles than I care to think about. Been off the ol pony more times than I'd care to relate too, (fortunately there never seems to be a camera around on those occasions).

Checking Upper Bowl Canyon on our place:

But it is an individual deal. My son, a working cowboy, won't carry anything on his belt. Doctoring yearlings in Oregon:

He much prefers that pouch deal I showed early on. Its often called a Buckaroo Pouch but I call it a Folding Knife Pouch. Helping the neighbors at a branding:

Unsaddling after a long hot day, "dayworking" around here:

I've know guys to come off with a whole Batman Belt of goodies and not get hurt and I've seen guys come off not carrying anything and get pretty darn tore up. Helped carry em down the mountain to where the ambulance could get to em. In our deal if ya worry about what if too much ya end up like this cartoon.

https://community.ubnt.com/ubnt/attachments/ubnt/Lounge/21125/1/osha_cowboy.jpg

I would certainly second my friend Ken's opinion. if you are looking for a great horizontal sheath for a folder, get ahold of Gary Graley, (G2) here on the forums. Its what he does.

 

[Lapedog]

Thanks! Yep a guy makes his own mind up about those kind of things and should. I personally don't carry SOB but have carried holstered pistols more miles than I care to think about. Been off the ol pony more times than I'd care to relate too, (fortunately there never seems to be a camera around on those occasions).

Checking Upper Bowl Canyon on our place:

But it is an individual deal. My son, a working cowboy, won't carry anything on his belt. Doctoring yearlings in Oregon:

He much prefers that pouch deal I showed early on. Its often called a Buckaroo Pouch but I call it a Folding Knife Pouch. Helping the neighbors at a branding:

Unsaddling after a long hot day, "dayworking" around here:

I've know guys to come off with a whole Batman Belt of goodies and not get hurt and I've seen guys come off not carrying anything and get pretty darn tore up. Helped carry em down the mountain to where the ambulance could get to em. In our deal if ya worry about what if too much ya end up like this cartoon.

https://community.ubnt.com/ubnt/attachments/ubnt/Lounge/21125/1/osha_cowboy.jpg

I would certainly second my friend Ken's opinion. if you are looking for a great horizontal sheath for a folder, get ahold of Gary Graley, (G2) here on the forums. Its what he does.

I'm pretty sure that cartoon is what my mother was hoping I would look like when I was a kid riding a bike.

 

[Horsewright]

I use to work on a place that had that posted in the tack room. I use to laugh every time I'd be saddling.

 

[TAH]

Been using this one lately. Made south of the border in the 80s.

 

[Aussie john boy]

Hi I use a buck folding omni 12p ballistic pouch mounted horizontal on my belt it fits my zt300 and my xm24 quite well . John

 

[Zombie411]

I have to double up on the post stating the pictures here have really made this thread.

Some beautiful, and very real images.

Kind of makes loud, dirty engines seem trivial or worse. (marine mechanic)

 

[harronek]

Interested to find out if anyone carries large folders, say a 3.75" or greater blade, on a belt sheath.

If so...

• Can you show a pic of your setup?
• What do you like about this setup and why do you carry it this way versus other options like carrying a small fixed blade, or carrying the folder in your pocket or elsewhere?
• What disadvantages of this approach did you find versus other carry methods for a large folder?

This thread has got me thinking about my knife carry realities .

I only ever carry a folding knife these days ( I did carry a work related fixed blade years ago for about 2 years )

For years I only carried my folders in a belt sheath for a number of reasons .

Security - ( I've never lost a knife secured in a good sheath )

Accessibility - ( its super quick to get your folder into action from a belt sheath , try extracting your folder from the front pocket of your Wranglers while sitting in your truck , or laying under a machine while trying to fix a problem )

The obvious discloser that you are carrying a pocket knife - ( It might sound strange , but Ive found that non knife people seem less threatened by a visible folder sheath on your belt , I think they get the impression that your not being sneaky or trying to hide something , it looks more like a tool than a weapon and its even better if the sheath completly covers the knife with a flap or similar .

My years of wearing a belt sheath lead me to start making my own because I was continually annoyed and disappointed with cheap mass produced rubbish that is usually avaliable or supplied with the knife .
Many enjoyable hours were spent assembling my own creations and because I was making my own I could try all sorts of different designs and ideas .

If I had to choose just one type it would be a horizontal sheath designed for and molded to the individual knife definitely not some generic sized one and it would have a flap secured with a snap or stud fastener .
I personally like horizontal as opposed to vertical because for me they are much more comfortable to wear and dont get caught and snagged on things like chairs and seatbelts etc .
The only vertical folder sheaths that I would use now are sheaths with an inbuilt pocket clip so that they can be clipped inside a pocket or more importantly for me clipped IWB .

Buutttttt...........

About 2 years ago I discovered modern folders with pocket clips and to be honest it killed my leather hobby overnight .
The modern pocket clip is a huge advancement in the knife world and I've not looked back since .
There is definately a place for sheaths and I do use mine at times , but nothing like I used to and only for my more traditional knives without pocket clips .

Here are a couple of pics , I know that they aren't of large folders , but these sheaths could be easily scaled to match any size of knife .

The first couple are of the only type of vertical sheath I use these days with a pocket clip





This one is my favourite design of horizontal belt sheath .



There are a number of expert sheathmakers here on the forum anyone of them could make you sheath that will meet your requirements .

Ken

 

[Gary W. Graley]

Always nice to see those Ken, well done sir and Dave, not sure why, but when I see you posting those cowboy photos, it really sets my mind at ease and I go to a happy place I know, I'm weird but I really like seeing things like that and the work that cowboys ... and cowgirls... do out there, even in today's digital world where most people stare at their phones, some still stare at the horizon and wonder what is just beyond that ridge !

And thanks guys for the vote of confidence, the Buck 110 is a larger folder and in my experience it is one with great contours for sheath carry, just snaps into place very strongly. Here's one I made for a fellow a while back that I liked how it turned out, a bit more work to do the dual colours, can't promise they will all be as clean as dye can seep into places you do not want it to, but I do try my best.

Buck_110 by GaryWGraley, on Flickr

Right now I am still settling in our house, have a few folks waiting on my return to 'active duty' but hopefully it will be soon.
G2

 

[deltaboy]

Always nice to see those Ken, well done sir and Dave, not sure why, but when I see you posting those cowboy photos, it really sets my mind at ease and I go to a happy place I know, I'm weird but I really like seeing things like that and the work that cowboys ... and cowgirls... do out there, even in today's digital world where most people stare at their phones, some still stare at the horizon and wonder what is just beyond that ridge !

And thanks guys for the vote of confidence, the Buck 110 is a larger folder and in my experience it is one with great contours for sheath carry, just snaps into place very strongly. Here's one I made for a fellow a while back that I liked how it turned out, a bit more work to do the dual colours, can't promise they will all be as clean as dye can seep into places you do not want it to, but I do try my best.

Buck_110 by GaryWGraley, on Flickr

Right now I am still settling in our house, have a few folks waiting on my return to 'active duty' but hopefully it will be soon.
G2

That some fine Leather work for a Buck 110!

 

[Gary W. Graley]

Thanks sir, forgot to mention that it is a vertical style carry, also make them horizontal as well but I favour the vertical for the less room it takes up on the belt.
G2

 

[jimmyd1982]

Horizontal sheath for the 110, pocket sheath for the large coppersmith.

 

[maximus83]

Thanks sir, forgot to mention that it is a vertical style carry, also make them horizontal as well but I favour the vertical for the less room it takes up on the belt.
G2

Agree, that is a beautiful, classy looking sheath. I agree with what some other posters have said about the conveniences of modern clips and pocket carry. But.....and partly why I raised the subject in the thread...I definitely still see plenty of cases for belt/sheath carry as well.

 

[WValtakis]

Just want to chime in and say Gary's ( Gary W. Graley ) sheaths are top notch!



~Chip

 

[Hickory n steel]

I think the sheaths thay auto open your Buck 110 when drawn are kinda cool!

They are cool, but illegal in many states here in the US.

 

[maximus83]

Gary W. Graley , I found some picks on your flickr site of your sheaths, very nice. Do you have more pics of your horizontal belt sheath designs?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/144522467@N08/albums/72157673313251094

 

[Gary W. Graley]

Thanks, not a lot more than that, the link that Ken put in earlier shows a tutorial I created to show how I go about making sheaths.

G2

 

[Grateful]

Great work Gary.