How do you carry your traditional knives?

[Peregrin]

This question gets asked every few months but that's ok. We're seeing a lot of new posters. There is a search function so, If you don't get the info you need here you might try poking around in the old threads.

Here's what I do. The Mission Wallet holds my licenses, credit cards and cash, along with a peanut sized slip joint. This wallet is great for travelers too, it helps keep the pick pockets poor. The slip pouch is used as shown. I slip the knife under the flap retainer. The flap sits outside the retainer (strap). This combo goes in my right pocket, with nothing else. This keeps the knives upright, and accessible. I can access either knife without taking the wallet or pouch out of my pocket. The friction offered by the pouches keeps the knives from sliding out of my pocket when I'm seated. The slip pouch easily accommodates a 4" folder. This works in every pair of pants or shorts that I wear.

The pic of the two knives in the wallet works too.

It took me many years to come up with this convoluted solution to pocket carry.

 

[oldmanrunning]

The SAK clips inside my left front pocket and hangs down unobtrusively beside my handkerchief, the #66 Calf Roper or what ever of my rotation takes
my fancy rides in my watch pocket.

 

[sogflash]

I just drop it in the pocket along with my keys, and maybe a modern knife. I don't mind the scratches, and since none of my knives are made from styrofoam it works well for me.

 

[btmccutcheon]

Slips for both. The little #22 rides with my keys in my front left, while the #85 rides with occasional change in my right. The slips makes carry more comfortable and keeps the knives properly oriented in the pocket.

 

[WarrenPease]

Same way I have for over 40 years.... Knife goes in my right front pocket. If there is something else in there, so be it. I live in So. Cal. now so often a whole bunch of stuff gets stuffed in the front pockets of some shorts.

I have some very nice knives and yes, they probably won't make a collector drool with all of the "pocket wear". I'm hoping that those that come after me take them on adventures even better than the ones I've been fortunate enough to have.

We are fortunate to have some fantastic, highly skilled knife makers and designers at work today. I will probably keep buying more and I will probably keep using them. Bought a forum knife to "keep" and it's in my pocket today with a pretty good patina developing on the blade.

 

[harronek]

I am a fan of the belt sheath .
I will never understand the reluctance of people to use one .
They certainly don't have to be just for large knives , and they have many advantages .

Instant access to the knife , no digging around in your pocket , and certainly no circus contortionists act while trying to get your knife out of your jeans while sitting down or from a funny position while working on or under machinery for example .

Protects the knife from harmful scratches and damage , just as good as a pocket slip will , but you don't get the pocket lint in the knife that even a slip can't stop .

They free up your pockets for other things .

Secure , you will not lose a knife from a good sheath , you will never have to search under the cushions for your knife ever again .

A small knife only needs a small sheath , and if made correctly you will never know its there until you reach for it .
I have given reluctant sheath wearers sheaths and within a couple of weeks they have come back and admitted that they wish they had seen the light years ago .
But it comes down to getting the right sheath .
Personally I think that sheath in the picture looks like a monster of a thing and I , a dedicated sheath guy would hesitate to put it on my belt .

Ken

 

[JBravo920]

This question gets asked every few months but that's ok. We're seeing a lot of new posters. There is a search function so, If you don't get the info you need here you might try poking around in the old threads.

Here's what I do. The Mission Wallet holds my licenses, credit cards and cash, along with a peanut sized slip joint. This wallet is great for travelers too, it helps keep the pick pockets poor. The slip pouch is used as shown. I slip the knife under the flap retainer. The flap sits outside the retainer (strap). This combo goes in my right pocket, with nothing else. This keeps the knives upright, and accessible. I can access either knife without taking the wallet or pouch out of my pocket. The friction offered by the pouches keeps the knives from sliding out of my pocket when I'm seated. The slip pouch easily accommodates a 4" folder. This works in every pair of pants or shorts that I wear.

The pic of the two knives in the wallet works too.

It took me many years to come up with this convoluted solution to pocket carry.

View attachment 510086

Oh wow! This is just fantastic! I could carry my flashlight in the small pocket on The Mission Wallet and it looks like a decent sized folder will fit in the bigger pocket. That frees up a lot of space! I'll definitely be picking one of those up before too long! Is that a custom made or a production single knife slip pouch?
I had a feeling that this topic had probably been brought up in the past but I did a couple searches on here and Google and didn't really find what I was looking for. I'll try searching a little harder before posting a new thread next time, sorry about that!

 

[JBravo920]

Wow, this got a lot more responses than I figured it would! Thanks for all the ideas everyone, I'm going to try a few different options out over the next couple days to see which I like best. I had to run to the post office and a couple other errands today so I stuck my Wenger Cigar Cutter SAK in my back right pocket with my pocket to see if it was uncomfortable. Only once while I was sitting at a stop light did it bother me and even then I just readjusted it in the pocket and it was fine, so that seems like a possible option.

Why don't you try making your own .
There is a huge amount of info here in the sheaths and leather forum , and YouTube is a great resource .
It's not that hard to do , minimal tools are required and its a great hobby to get into . Why not spend to those long winter nights making yourself exactly what you want , instead of just buying and choosing from a limited selection of what's available in a shop .
Have a go its great fun


Ken

Making my own sheath is an option that I'm definitely going to try, I just don't have tons of experience with leather working yet. This is currently the only real thing I've made with leather and my own hands, it isn't all that pretty, haha.

A leather Chapstick holder for my wife:

I now use a Pocket slip.... real easy to make from small scraps of leather

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Those are fantastic! Do you have a template or are you just making them on the fly with what you've got?

 

[chickenfried]

I wear capris on the bike. Depending on who you ask I'm either wearing girl's pants or I'm very european. Turns out they have excellent knife pockets on the side, one thin that's perfect for my #48 and one for a bigger modern folder. It fits so well I don't think I could've intentionally made one better. But yeah I'm not wearing these away from the bike. So in my right pocket with my keys, change, and handkerchief. Even for a guy that wears girl pants having a sheath for your pocket knife seems a little prissy
http://swrve.myshopify.com/products/cotton-regular-fit-knickers?variant=746908005

 

[JBravo920]

I am a fan of the belt sheath .
I will never understand the reluctance of people to use one .
They certainly don't have to be just for large knives , and they have many advantages .

Instant access to the knife , no digging around in your pocket , and certainly no circus contortionists act while trying to get your knife out of your jeans while sitting down or from a funny position while working on or under machinery for example .

Protects the knife from harmful scratches and damage , just as good as a pocket slip will , but you don't get the pocket lint in the knife that even a slip can't stop .

They free up your pockets for other things .

Secure , you will not lose a knife from a good sheath , you will never have to search under the cushions for your knife ever again .

A small knife only needs a small sheath , and if made correctly you will never know its there until you reach for it .
I have given reluctant sheath wearers sheaths and within a couple of weeks they have come back and admitted that they wish they had seen the light years ago .
But it comes down to getting the right sheath .
Personally I think that sheath in the picture looks like a monster of a thing and I , a dedicated sheath guy would hesitate to put it on my belt .

Ken

A belt sheath is what I was originally wanting and still an option I'm definitely going to pursue, whether I make one or buy one. I figured a horizontal carry would probably be able to hold from a Case Peanut up to a 4-5" knife without noticing much difference. I'm really looking for just an simple yet quality sheath to try out to see if I even like it right now so I'm not really looking to have something custom made. I found a bunch of vertical sheaths on the big auction site and other places that are made for the Case Trapper or Hobo and they look to be really nice sheaths, just some of the reviews I read for them make it seem as though that is all you carry in that particular sheath.
What kind of sheath do you personally carry? I hate just blindly purchasing something without anything to go on so I'd love to know what you actually prefer since you seem to be pretty knowledgeable on the subject!

 

[Woodrow F Call]

Roundhouse overalls have two pockets perfect for knives and all the pocket I can stand otherwise. I absolutely love them.


When I'm wearing jeans, I got a traditional in the watch pocket and one in the left front pocket and nothing else.... except the handkerchief. If I must stick something in that pocket, the knife gets wrapped in the handkerchief.

 

[harronek]

A belt sheath is what I was originally wanting and still an option I'm definitely going to pursue, whether I make one or buy one. I figured a horizontal carry would probably be able to hold from a Case Peanut up to a 4-5" knife without noticing much difference. I'm really looking for just an simple yet quality sheath to try out to see if I even like it right now so I'm not really looking to have something custom made. I found a bunch of vertical sheaths on the big auction site and other places that are made for the Case Trapper or Hobo and they look to be really nice sheaths, just some of the reviews I read for them make it seem as though that is all you carry in that particular sheath.
What kind of sheath do you personally carry? I hate just blindly purchasing something without anything to go on so I'd love to know what you actually prefer since you seem to be pretty knowledgeable on the subject!

I admit I'm different from most because I make my own .
I personally prefer a horizontal sheath at work because it is more comfortable to wear and doesn't seem to get hooked up on things like a vertical sheath does , but at home and on the weekends I have no problems with a vertical .
A horizontal sheath in my experience is easier to retrieve a knife from if your sitting down or in an awkward position .
If you make your own the only obstacle is your imagination .

Here's a selection of a few I've made recently which show a few different designs and types of carry .

Ken

 

[JBravo920]

Those are gorgeous! Maybe I need to spend some serious time getting into leather working! It amazes me how much talent is on BF!

 

[Brumby53]

Wow, this got a lot more responses than I figured it would! Thanks for all the ideas everyone, I'm going to try a few different options out over the next couple days to see which I like best. I had to run to the post office and a couple other errands today so I stuck my Wenger Cigar Cutter SAK in my back right pocket with my pocket to see if it was uncomfortable. Only once while I was sitting at a stop light did it bother me and even then I just readjusted it in the pocket and it was fine, so that seems like a possible option.



Making my own sheath is an option that I'm definitely going to try, I just don't have tons of experience with leather working yet. This is currently the only real thing I've made with leather and my own hands, it isn't all that pretty, haha.

A leather Chapstick holder for my wife:




Those are fantastic! Do you have a template or are you just making them on the fly with what you've got?

Regarding the Pocket knife slips not the chap stick holder shown

I probably started out with a template but now just do it straight onto the leather. Lay the piece of leather on the bench with the side you want to be the outside of the slip facing down.

Put your knife on the leather and draw a generous rectangle around it... Draw a second rectangle to the left of the first .... round the corners to suit ... most of mine now have a contrasting liner layer of softer leather but that isn't really required.

Have a couple of trial runs with some soft card board and you will soon make your own template.

The first few I made years ago way before you tube tutorials, and I used leather from an old pair of high top boots.

Have fun - Brumby53

 

[5K Qs]

That's helpful advice, Brumby; thanks! :thumbup:
I'd really appreciate some advice about the next steps, though. Do I need special equipment to lay out and punch holes for the stitching, or can I just measure by hand, mark, and use an awl to punch holes, and use any big old needle and some waxed thread? Do I need to use TWO needles for stitching? Inquiring minds want to know, and your work looks simple, yet elegant.

- GT

 

[link2derek]

You have some nice stuff there, harronek! I also prefer leather, but I go with the stock stuff:

 

[Brumby53]

just measure by hand, mark, and use an awl to punch holes Just take your time mark a straight line lightly with a soft pencil and/or a chinagraph pencil .... (At this point if the leather is firm like the ones pictured from knives ship free you can you can run a 'trench' along the stitching line with a rounded piece of metal - shaped like the back of a sheepsfoot blade) hold a ruler along the line decide on what distance you want the stitches a part 3/16 is good... mark the position of each hole lightly with a sharp awl don't try to punch the hole right through at this stage as you are sure to go off the straight line. Once you have the holes marked discard the ruler and go to work with the awl. I usually go through with the awl from one side turn the work over and push it in from the other side too - just makes a neater job of it.
I use two darning needles - they are not really 'big' about 2 1/2 inches long and just a little thicker than a regular needle and they have a rounded point but with an eye big enough to get the thread through. One piece of waxed thread (Judging how much you need is a tad tricky but always allow a bit more than you think you need). A needle on either end of the thread and stitch back and forth.
I have never looked but I am sure there would be plenty on You Tube on how to go about it. I call it a "saddle stitch" but there are probably other names for it too. When you get to the end of the stitching line just stitch back 2 - 3 holes (so that point is double stitched) and trim the thread off flush with the work.
Head for You Tube and have some fun....:thumbup:

I am a rank beginner at leather work really - just self taught. I am sure there are other Dudes on here that can give you better advice.

 

[Mike-The-Knife]

I always liked SAK knives but really didn't like the way they lay crossways in the bottom of my pocket . So I was carrying modern folders with the pocket clips UNTILL I found the same little clip as Oldmanrunning . Now I can carry my SAK Farmer in my front pocket and it simply hangs down along the side of my pocket like a modern folder and doesn't wear through my pant legs .

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[JBravo920]

Thanks so much for all of the responses everyone! I've definitely have a few new ideas to try out!

As for everyone who told me to just make my own, I made a couple of attempts tonight! They are pretty much a joke compared to what I've seen posted in this thread but, I'm actually pretty happy with their functionality. I just did a very rough copy of the KSF Mainstreet design where you just pinch the sides to release the friction between the slip and knife. My lines aren't straight and my stitch work is horrible at best but, here are my two attempts:

First attempt is on the left and it actually has surprisingly good retention on all the traditional knives that I have, even held upside down and shaking the slip the knives don't budge free without pinching the sides. The second attempt, on the right, looks a little bit nicer to me and I tried a little bit harder to make the stitching look nice (still looks awful, haha) and it still holds the knife just fine even in the upside down position but won't stand up to the shake test as well as the first.







They may not be beautiful works of art but, they do serve the function that I was looking for and I'm glad to have made them! Laugh away if you like, I'm fully aware that they aren't anything fun to look at but, I really appreciate all the ideas and inspiration that led up to me deciding to try my hand at making my first two slip sheaths!

 

[harronek]

Fantastic :thumbup:

I just want to go on the record and say I was the first to say " Make your own " .
I just want you to remember that when your a professional sheath maker

Its good fun isn't it .
Post those pics over on the Sheath and Leather forum , everyone over there would love to see them I'm sure .


Ken