How do you prevent your traditional from sliding out?

SVTFreak

SVTFreak

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Mar 8, 2011
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When I wear certain pants, especially gym pants (that slippery nylon material), my traditionals try to leave the premises. I've nearly lost one of my davisons, scuffed up a Lloyd, and several cases ended up under my car seat due to this. I'm beginning to settle on the specs of my desired daily use knife to have Davison make but I am torn on how to solve this issue. The two idea I have now both entail a lanyard tube. One is to attach a bail and use a key ring pocket clip. But I hate the idea of a bail on it the 60% of the time I have on jeans or pants that don't have the problem. The other method I am considering is threading the lanyard tube and using a single screw (I could make one) to hold a pocket clip in place. Would be easy on/off for removal or installation when needed.

Now I know many here eschew pocket clips, and often I do too, but I would rather a pocket clip to keep my (what will likely be an 800ish$ Davison) pal in my possession.

So I reach out to you guys. How do you prevent losing your traditionals when wearing pants that they can easily slide out of?
 
Well.... for one thing, I don't wear nylon gym shorts. Never had a pocket knife fall out of my pocket yet. But there are leather pouches that have clips on the pouches (not on the knife), and sueded leather pouches (that are pretty inexpensive) that might tend to keep your knife in place. Some carry a handkerchief or bandanna stuffed into the same pocket. Or if you wear a belt, there are all manner of belt sheaths available.
 
Luckily, I got into traditionals just as jeans weather hit Oklahoma (I run hot, so pants = 50 or below, anything higher and it's shorts) - but I grabbed a pocket slip with a clip from Collectorknives and, while it doesn't hold onto my pocket as snugly as I would like - I have to brace the slip with a finger to pull the knife out to prevent just pulling out the whole slip - it holds my slippies pretty firmly in place and will protect them from pocket neighbors when I'm wearing bottoms that don't have a watch pocket.
 
jc57 said:
Well.... for one thing, I don't wear nylon gym shorts. Never had a pocket knife fall out of my pocket yet. But there are leather pouches that have clips on the pouches (not on the knife), and sueded leather pouches (that are pretty inexpensive) that might tend to keep your knife in place. Some carry a handkerchief or bandanna stuffed into the same pocket. Or if you wear a belt, there are all manner of belt sheaths available.
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btmccutcheon said:
Have you tried a pocket slip?
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No belts on gym pants.

Hmm. Pocket slip. Haven't considered that. Not something I would want all the time but might work well enough for those times.

That might work well. I could make one from neoprene that wouldn't fall out or move easily at all on its own or the clipped one like you mention.

I'm glad I asked here first now. Problem solved. Can't believe it's that simple or why I didn't think about it. Thanks guys.
 
SVTFreak said:
When I wear certain pants, especially gym pants (that slippery nylon material), my traditionals try to leave the premises. How do you prevent losing your traditionals when wearing pants that they can easily slide out of?
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btmccutcheon said:
Have you tried a pocket slip?
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Well, I pretty much only wear jeans, or jean cut slacks. That pretty much takes care of the problem. But, a pocket slip does work for controlling such things. So does carrying a handkerchief in you your pocket on top of the knife. Kind of acts like a cork.
 
Neck carry?

12756740454_ac1526e1c9_z.jpg

image by Schwert
 
I've never had a knife come out of my jeans or dress slacks. It wasn't until 2 weeks ago, like the OP, I tried carrying in sweatpants. The wife and I were in a multi building, multi story trinket/craft/Christmas shop. There was a skiff of snow on the ground, and when we went to leave, I reached in to use my worry stone (57 geppetto whittler in buffalo), gone. I checked the other pocket, not there.
Where do you start?
In the snow, in the store that's dimly lit?
Nope, in between the center console and drivers seat of my ram 2500 diesel. It is a six speed and the slippery sweats must have shot it out. Down on the floor way under the seat up against the console. Lucky me. That's one of those situations where it eats you up inside and then 5 years down the road you clog the vacuum cleaner and find a long lost treasure.
Lesson learned-no carry in sweats.....
 
I run hot
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I hear that. I about can’t stand indoors in winter as hot as most people want to be. I have to wear shorts at work all winter just to survive.

Lost knives out of pockets while driving. I sure can sympathize. I lost a little Western Stockman getting out of my low to the ground wire wheel car when going into a Woodcraft store. I am still smarting from that one. I loved that knife ! ! ! and they don’t make them any more. A great day in the morning will be when I locate another one second hand.

By the way the pants were nice linen not nylon. The linen didn't help a bit at keeping the knife in place so I guess nylon is still good enough . . . jc57. :)

This isn’t the best example because it goes on a belt but you can wear shorts with a belt , yes ?
Sorry it is so ratty looking. It is put away in my “collection” and it and the knife are thirty years old.
Anyway look for something like this



Here is what I am currently EDCing and like them quite a lot. I have two so they fit the knives snug and don’t get stretched out swapping back and forth. They might fit your knife a little loose but could still work for you. I think they make two sizes but I have just two of the same size.

I am posting the second photo with an assortment of knives so you get an idea of size.
The Stag knife (Case Trapper) is a bit big and I let the knife stick up out of the pouch and it fits snug so works great.
The Swiss Army knife is a Mechanic and is the reason I bought the first pouch and it fits PERFECTLY.
The green knife (Boker medium stockman) fits quite loose but it works. To make it fit tighter you could add a layer of adhesive backed mole skin (sold for padding blisters while walking)

The clip on the back is leather covered and doesn’t bite my skin; especially with a shirt tucked in.
A bit pricy but very nice quality and worth the money.

PS : you could start a whole new trend and carry your knife in your hat band if you locate a hat that works.
PPS : the black leather pouch is a Wenger brand. Many vendors carry it.



 
Viewer caution for typical CMFTW cursing in videos but that kydex keyper is a very nice idea.
Especially for someone who does alot of driving or riding on a motorcycle. I'm constantly checking my pockets on the bike to see if my flashlight and knife are still present.

[video=youtube;1fwrx6vfDE4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fwrx6vfDE4[/video]
 
I dont recall ever losing a pocket knife until this little guy got away from me, i had it in my watch pocket with the Turks Head knot poking out the top, i can only assume the knot caught on the hem of my jacket and got lifted out, needless to say all the short lanyard ties have been removed from my SAKs, as for any other traditional knife i have a bunch of belt and slip pouches but i mostly drop any knife to big for my watch pocket into my left front pocket with a kerchief over it to snuggle it down.
PzN1j0il.jpg
 
Well since it hasn't quite gotten down to 40 but it's close, I still wear shorts and I've used those pocket clip whatchamacallit things. Or I've had a zipper sewn onto my right pocket of a few shorts to keep it in
 
Just a word of warning:

Yesterday I was wrestling around with my kids. I had my 77 barlow in my pocket in the CK slip it came in. I've never carried a knife in a slip before this 77. The slip kept the knife in the pocket, but it got flipped upside down at some point. Later on, I went to pull the knife out and when I pulled the slip out of my pocket the knife fell out of the slip and onto the concrete floor in our basement. Chipped the bone up pretty good. I took some sandpaper to it and rounded over the edge and you can't tell at all, I actually like it better without the sharp edge at the tail end. :thumbup:

Point being, give that slip a firm grasp when you're pulling it out so that if it's somehow gotten flipped upside down the knife doesn't just fall out.
 
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