Do you prefer carry With or without fire steel loop?

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bushcraft

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Hi everyone,
Do you frefer to carry your knife and firesteel together in the same sheeth?
or do you prefer the knife to be separate?
 
Without on my fixed blade sheath. Reasoning is that my fire steel (BSA Hotspark) is attached to my Vic Trekker SAK, which is carried on my belt in a nylon folding knife pouch.
 
I've never understood the concept of carrying the fire steel on the knife sheath....It's not like you have to quick draw it like you would the knife itself...you still have to prepare for the fire, gather stuff to burn, etc...plenty time to reach into your pocket, pack, pouch, whatever, to reach for the fire steel...or your Bic...firesteel on the sheath, just something else to get snagged on something along the way...

I carry matches in my first-aid kit....works pretty good.
 
The main benefit of having a firesteel loop on your knife sheath is that you'll always have it with you. I agree that it's not like you need to "quick draw" your firesteel, but so long as you have your knife, or more precisely your sheath, your firestarter is with you as well. Those two items alone can go a long way to improving a bad situation.

That being said, I recently sold my one knife with an integral firesteel holder. I'm in the process of designing a sheath for my big chopper and haven't decided if it will have a dedicated firesteel loop or if it will go in the pouch.
 
Naw...its not about quick draw, but accessibility. I hate things in my pocket! I have my standby (money clip, blistex, peanut lighter and my Wave clipped) in my pockets, but I don't want anymore! I used to backpack a lot and I remember a saying....if you have pockets, you'll fill them. I try my best to keep my pockets as free as possible and if I can put my fire steel in a pouch on my knife (I do), all the better for ME. Maybe not for you, but certainly for me :-)
 
Yes.

I love the firesteel slot on my pocket sheath for my daily carry 3" fixed blade.It is a convenient way to carry the rather large LMF Army.

Those rare times I chose to carry a different fixed it is a 4" on my belt, with the LMF Army in the sheath's loop.
 
I'm not a big fan of the firesteel loop on the sheath. It just doesn't make sense to me. I can't imagine a situation in which I would need mire firesteel that readily available. It just seems like one more thing for straps/branches/brush to get caught on.

Mine stays in my pack. I must state that I don't use my firesteel much, though.
 
I like the firesteel loop, even though I don't always use it. It is like the extended tang, I don't use it often but there is something to be said for the fact that it is there if or when I want to use it. That said, I never use a good knife on the firesteel.
 
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Mixed feelings on em..... It makes sense to have a mini kit attatched to the sheath, with a firesteel on the side... However, I find I dont use em much. Usually my LMF Army is in my bag, or pocket.
 
I never got around to putting a firesteel loop on my sheath, and maybe never will. I just carry them in my pockets and pouches.
 
All my user knives have a firesteel loop with a firesteel attached. If a knife's original sheath does not have it, I will put in a sheath that does.
 
in my oh so humble opinion, having a fire steel on the sheath is an affectation. I have some, but just because they came that way.

I prefer matches or a BIC for making fires anyway.
 
yeah, I am not a huge fan. Looks cool but a bit of a pain IMO. My bravo 1 has one but other tha that I have no others. DOnt plan on having any more either.
 
I have a small peanut lighter in my jeans coin pocket - that's all I really need unless it fails, then I would have to go to my pack for a backup. I could always slip a spare peanut lighter into a knife sheath I suppose.
 
I used a firesteel loop on a sheath for a time... I found it to be a novelty item, with no performance based validity for the bush. At the most, they are useful as a grab and go set-up for quick trail walks. You never see me put them on my sheaths for a reason.


Rick
 
I think it's also about redeundancy, when hiking/camping I carry a bic in my pocket, but I like the idea of having a backup in my sheath. And since I always have my knife on me, I know I always have a means for firemaking too.
 
I like it because it puts the firesteel in a defined spot no matter where I'm going or what activity I'm doing. I can just grab the knife in its sheath, and the firesteel is there. Both function together as a unit, and I like having them connected in one holder.

Unless the knife & sheath are smaller than the firesteel....then I don't want one on there. Instead I just connect the sheath and the firesteel with a keyring or biner.
 
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