Choking from your neck knife/PSK?

Shotgun

Shotgun

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Feb 3, 2006
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I read somewhere that it's a good idea that if you have a neck knife/PSK that you should have some sort of break away system so that if you fall down the side of a hill you don't choke to death if it were to get caught on a branch or something. Do any of you guys worry about this and if so what kind of set-ups do you have?
 
I highly recomend using a beaded chain. Take some 550 cord and gut it, then slide it over the chain, cut it just short of the clasp and flame melt the ends, You get the break away of the chain with the comfort of the cord & a short bootstring in a pinch.
2Door formerly just Bill
 
I have read that too. I don't really know if that is any more of a danger than a shirt collar.

I suppose in some situations like climbing it could be an issue.

I use chord or dogtag chain or chord covered dogtag chain but I have never had an issue with a necker snagging on anything.

I have woken up with my necker behind my back and cholking me so now I make sure I remember to take it off before I go to sleep.

I usually wear a relativeley small necker, with a Bic Mini and a piece of tire tube as the PSK.
 
Bud Nealy provides a cord-covered bead chain for neck carry of his knives. It's a good safety feature. There are other ways to make a break-away neck cord, like leaving one end of the neck cord unknotted, and tying the other end around it. If anything catches on it, it will pull the free end right through the knot. If nothing catches, it will hold quite well.

Personally, I hate cords with the knot at the back of my neck. They itch. :) I usually tie them through the holes at the end of the sheath, which also lets me see how they're holding.

Years ago, when I first heard about using a break-away neck chain rather than paracord, the idea was that someone could deliberately pull you or choke you with it in a fight. Not too far-fetched -- I've seen people grabbed by their ties. :D
 
I don't worry about it. If the necker comes with a chain I use it but otherwise I use a piece of gutted 550.
 
Shotgun said:
I read somewhere that it's a good idea that if you have a neck knife/PSK that you should have some sort of break away system so that if you fall down the side of a hill you don't choke to death if it were to get caught on a branch or something. Do any of you guys worry about this and if so what kind of set-ups do you have?
Click to expand...

Here's my list of relatively untested methods:

  • Melt the ends of the paracord together.
  • Gut the ends, slide one jacket inside the other and sew just a couple stiches to keep it together.
  • Use a chain alone, or run it through paracord jacket as stated in the previous message.
  • Use chain run through a length of silicone aquarium tubing which can be used for drinking from a seep.
  • Run the paracord parallel through a short (1/2") piece of tubing and melt the ends enough to keep it from slipping back through unless it is under heavy tension.
  • Make eyes in the ends of the paracord like you would with yacht braid and put a chain loop through the eyes.
  • Get safety lanyard hardware
  • Melt the ends and whip them together parallel with thread.
  • Use a plastic drawstring toggle and make the ends of the paracord smooth so it will pass through. I got a toggle with a compass in it-- this is my favorite.
 
I don't really worry about it. That said, most of my neckers are on bead chain or buckskin lace.

todd
 
I wore a medicine bag for many years and I can't recall it ever getting hung up on something. This is one of those subjects where you pay your dues and take your chances. Free choice is a wonderful thing eh?
 
Esav Benyamin said:
Years ago, when I first heard about using a break-away neck chain rather than paracord, the idea was that someone could deliberately pull you or choke you with it in a fight. Not too far-fetched -- I've seen people grabbed by their ties. :D
Click to expand...

I Really think This is where the Idea of breakaway on neckers really started. I know I wear break away for my ID tag in the hospital for this reason.
 
I use the "knot one end, leave the other unknotted" trick. Tie a double-fisherman's knot around the unknotted end, TIGHT, and that should do ya. Pulls through with a moderate amount of yank. I can get my Becker Necker out of the sheath without the cord slipping, and that takes a bit of pull right there. This technique works OK with full-on 550, no need to pull the threads. That way you have a little extra for emergencies.
 
Hey Guys...

This topic has literally been beaten to death over the years..

However new people always need to learn or hear different points of view...

I wear a piece of strong cord with a spy capsule in a custom holder 24/7. Only time I remove it is to shower or swim. Other than that it's on my person where ever I go. Yes there is a slight risk that I will get it hung up on something I'am aware of that, but it's a risk I understand and take.

In the 7-8 years that I have been wearing it, I've Never had it catch on anything or in a position that I was worried about it.

There are two schools of thought here...

If the knife you are wearing around your neck is just for daily chores where you life isn't depending on it then I say, go safety and wear a break away chain or necklace of some sort. If you get hung up it may save you neck.

Now on the other hand..

If you are wearing the knife around your neck for SD purposes or any other situation where you need to draw with one hand quickly, I suggest going with a very strong un breaking piece of 550.

Ball chain is good, but it has it's limits.. Repeated jerking,tugging,yanking on ball chain WILL make it fail at some point.

If it decides to give way when you most need the knife to come out of the sheath, you will be left holding a sheathed knife, which *Could* cost you your life. This is worst case for sure, but still a very real possibility..

In a case like this you have to weigh the risks and decide , "Is it unsafe for me ? ".

Personally if I'm wearing Anything for SD it's going to be Bombproof and do what I need it to each and every time.

If you find it too unsafe and worry about it, then I suggest going for a different carry method, such as static line IWB or a Mercharness.

On a side note, several years ago I was speaking with my lawyer about business issues and showed him a neck knife that I was wearing. The neck knife happened to be on a strong 550 cord. The same cord I use to sell with my neckers...

In two minutes he had me convinced that I shouldn't be selling cord with my neckers, and this is why I don't even send cord with them any more. Too much liability...

Decide for yourself what is safe and what isn't..
Personally I find wearing a tie MUCH more dangerous than a neck knife...
As Esav said,, it is a Very good handhold in a fight..

Glad that I don't even Own a tie!! Too phucking Dangerous for me!!! :) :)

ttyle

Eric
O/ST
 
I agree with you Eric that ties are dangerous. The last time I wore one I got married! Hell that was even a bow tie.
 
It's kinda the same as the rule that says you don't take a dog out in the woods with a collar that won't break away.
Not talking about leashed dogs but free running dogs.
Non breakaway and there is the chance of getting hung up and choking.
Sure it's rare but does happen.
Same with you and your neck;)
Your choice.
 
1whitefoot said:
It's kinda the same as the rule that says you don't take a dog out in the woods with a collar that won't break away.
Not talking about leashed dogs but free running dogs.
Non breakaway and there is the chance of getting hung up and choking.
Sure it's rare but does happen.
Same with you and your neck;)
Your choice.
Click to expand...

This matches my own experience.

When I lived in New York City, I was desperate to get out in "wild" country from time to time. Central Park got me off the street at least, but it's not enough.

So I'd take the train up to Van Cortlandt Park, at the northern edge of the City, and hike across the worst parts of the Park, through bushes, creeks, down ravines -- I'd be a mess when I got out. :)

I moved fast through a lot of it, and noticed I was always getting snagged on something, usually small branches that broke off, and throns, and some that hooked my collar and stopped me.

I wouldn't have wanted an unbreakable neck cord, especially if the knife was swinging free outside my shirt.
 
I don't think there's too much of a chance of getting choked by a neck knife, but then again there's not too much of a chance of a lot of other things happening that we try to prepare for. I don't wear a neck knife anyway because I find them uncomfortable, but if I did I would try to keep it in mind and remove it in a situation where the risk of it getting snagged might increase, like if I were moving through particularly steep terrain or if I wanted or needed to climb a steep slope or a tree. I personally prefer a merc harness style set up. I can carry a larger knife comfortably this way, and the knife doesn't dangle or flop around as much. I particularly like this setup when I'm loafing around camp in a pair of pants or shorts that don't have belt loops but I still want to keep my knife handy.
 
Ive started to carry my Buck Hartsook and all I have is regular 550 around my neck. I do have a few of the break away lanyard connectors but Ive been debating mysaelf on if i should connect one on. I havent still because I'm just lazy lol. Still, since I'm in the city I don't expect to be caught up on branches or w/e and if someone were to grab it, well, id have a knife in hand anyways.

Heres more food for thought. If you do use some sort of break away, do you have a fail safe too? For example. If you tied some safety knot where one end slips out, what happens if someone grabs where the knot is, therefore having no tension on your safety? Should you put perhaps another safety knot opposite of where the first one is so that in case someone does grab the knot, you can still get out?
 
lmalterna said:
I highly recomend using a beaded chain. Take some 550 cord and gut it, then slide it over the chain, cut it just short of the clasp and flame melt the ends, You get the break away of the chain with the comfort of the cord & a short bootstring in a pinch.
2Door formerly just Bill
Click to expand...

This is the same method I use with my Becker necker. Works good.
 
An easy way to make a breakaway if you are using 550 is to tie a thick "retainer band" (rubber band for you non Airborne types) in between the ends of the 550. Feed one end of the 550 through the rubber band and tie it off to itself (the 550). Repeat with the other side. It's an old trick used for knife sheaths on drop legs when doing a static line jump. That way the tie down thong around your thigh for the sheath will break away if the static line or anything else should get hung up.

H
 
BTW I keep my necker inside my shirt unless I am using it. The Buck Hartsook I recently bought is an exception to that as I don't trust the sheath to retain it. The problem with this method is now the knife is concealed.
 
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