Choking from your neck knife/PSK?

I don't carry a neck knife, or anything else around my neck; but if I did it would be on some sort of break-away device and worn underneath my shirt.
That being said I would like to think that if I had a neck knife around my neck with 550 cord (Again, underneath the shirt), and if said cord were to get hung on a branch or otherwise snagged (Highly unlikely I believe, but possible), I could just utilize said knife to cut the cord...?
As for the cord being grabbed in an attack of some kind (Even more unlikely in my opinion), that's another story...
 
Bad Hammer said:
I don't carry a neck knife, or anything else around my neck; but if I did it would be on some sort of break-away device and worn underneath my shirt.
That being said I would like to think that if I had a neck knife around my neck with 550 cord (Again, underneath the shirt), and if said cord were to get hung on a branch or otherwise snagged (Highly unlikely I believe, but possible), I could just utilize said knife to cut the cord...?
As for the cord being grabbed in an attack of some kind (Even more unlikely in my opinion), that's another story...
Click to expand...

I think it is just good common sense to include a break-away if you put something around your neck that is strong enough to hang you. The idea that you would be able to cut yourself free in time makes a lot of assumptions-- can you get your hand to the knife, can you remain calm enough, is your trachea intact, etc, etc. I don't know how long you can go with the blood supply to your brain shut down, but it can't be more than a few seconds.

I'm hiking in steep country with lots of switchbacks and brush. If you go over the edge, the possibility of catching a neck lanyard on a tree limb is very real and it will be in an out of control way-- tumbling, twirling, spinning, where you could get a good yank. I weigh 220 so it wouldn't be gentle. The possibility of having broken limbs and dislocated joints on the way is real too, so the idea of calmly reaching my neck knife or one in a belt sheath and cutting myself loose before I pass out while being garroted by 550 paracord and a vine maple is slim to none. SAR is going to find me bug-eyed and my swollen tongue hanging out like some character from the Godfather. No-thank-you-sir!

The possibility of being gored by a broken branch is real too. Many loggers have had nasty injuries from falling on broken wood.

The other way to handle a PSK on a lanyard is to loop it over your belt and drop it in your pocket. If you fall in a stream, it will still be there and less prone to tangling or hanging up.
 
To each his own on yhis one. I've been carrying a necker in the woods for several years now. It is hung on a single piece of paracord that forms a double loop. My sheath is covered with rubber innertube and the loose ends of the cord are slipped under it to for a tension slide that allows me to adjust the knife height.

I don't worry about it getting caught on stuff as it is inside my shirt most of the time. I think I would be just as likely to get hung my my T-shirt as I would the knife cord.

When I wear a necker in the city for SD purposes I wear it on a ball chain with a section of gutted paracord over it. Ball chain rips at my chest hair and get really irritating. I want a breakaway on an SD knife for fear of someone getting ahold of it in a fight. As to the repeated tugging, good point, but my neckers don't get tugged a whole lot when I carry them for SD. Mac
 
Normark said:
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...

O/ST
Click to expand...

Inquiring minds want to know--what were the liabilities your lawyer talked to you about that in two minutes convinced you to forever quit sending 550 cord with your products? It melts in fires? It could choke a person? What were his reasons? :confused:
 
Just thought of another idea for safety break away for neck knife and gave it kwik try here at my desk. . . insert the ends of your cord through the holes in your sheath, then heat up the ends with lighter and flatten them with pair of pliers so that they can't slip back through the holes. It worked great with my CRKT Bear Claw in the new sheath I just got for it from Normark. Plenty strong enough to hold up to drawing the knife, but one gave way when I gave the sheath a good tug. Sorry I don't have any pics. . . one of these days I'll get my camera up and running again.
 
After years of doing the same with Dogtags, I do the same with my neck knives - ballchain covered in paracord with a section to break-away if necessary.

Reason I was always given to do this while with the 101st, involved soldiers getting hung up during a Air Assault. Never saw or heard of it ever happening, but I did not want to be the silly Private that was the 1st.
 
I quess it could happen. But I have worn a neck knife for several years without worrying about it. As mentioned, a dress tie is far more dangerous. But what can you expect from an old man. After all, we didn't have helmets while riding our bikes, seatbelts were only in planes, and instead of sitting with a video game, when I was young we would go play in the woods. Momma told me not to run with sharp objects and my third grade teacher told me to get under my desk if they drop "The Bomb". If you are worrying about handing yourself...... You worry too much.
 
Terrill said:
I quess it could happen. But I have worn a neck knife for several years without worrying about it. As mentioned, a dress tie is far more dangerous. But what can you expect from an old man. After all, we didn't have helmets while riding our bikes, seatbelts were only in planes, and instead of sitting with a video game, when I was young we would go play in the woods. Momma told me not to run with sharp objects and my third grade teacher told me to get under my desk if they drop "The Bomb". If you are worrying about handing yourself...... You worry too much.
Click to expand...

Luca Brasi says hello :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpD_mjCMiGw&mode=related&search=
 
No, I don't think a Leatherman Wave or anything else could've helped Luca. :)

My wife wears her HAK over the shoulder and under her strong arm when she's jogging or out late. Hops around less and is easier for her to grab esp if some assh0le tried to get on top of her.
 
Just wondering how many of the people who are worried about choking on their neck knife wear t-shirts and sweaters. As a jujitsu stylist I can assure you that one can be choked by their shirt collar very easily. This is meant as food for thought as I have rarely gotten either caught (and I don't worry about either situation)
 
I just got a Benchmade Snody Instigator neck knife in the mail and the neck cord for it is, for all practical intents and purposes, a bootlace. Benchmade's approach is to cut a little peice of soft vinyl tubing that is a tight fit on the plastic tips of the bootlace to form a break-away. Thread the lace through the eyes in the sheath and shove the tips into the tubing. Heat shrink tubing and paracord would do about the same thing.
 
I wear my neck knife tucked inside my shirt and around my neck when I walk throught the woods.I don't ever find myself running through brush and I've never had a problem. Realistically, it isn't a problem for me.
 
For stabilizing a necker, I think a slight modifying of the design of the Survival Sheath Systems chest sheath by BFC's own Robert H would work well. The mods would mostly be to lighten the sturdiness of the rig and soften the materials some, since this is intended to be worn against the skin 24/7 as a "never leaves the body" rig.

I like his design of that rig overall -- it shows his usual consideration for purpose-driven functionality. I especially like that it places the "package" front & center at about sternum level, which offers easy access for either hand. However, instead of his cross-chest main strap, I envision an around-the-neck break-away chain with paracord cover (as others have described).

Secondarily, I'd look to replace his sturdy around-the-body nylon webbing with a lighter-fabric-but-equally-as-wide strap. For comfort, wrapping it in a micro-fleece sheathing might help keep strap edge abrasion down. For safety, a Fastex buckle comes to mind as a device to make it easy to remove when you choose and to offer a break-away device on that part of the harness as well.

knifechest3.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top