Knife sheath explination needed.

adam0321

adam0321

Joined
Aug 20, 2009
Messages
495
Ok first off if this is in the wrong spot I am sorry and please move. Also I am sure it has been explained before but I could not seem to find a thread that did. What is the deal with the knife sheaths that encapsulate 90% of the knifes handle? I see this all the times and to be honest can not stand them. I guess I just dont understand the benefit. Maybe it comes from shooting pistols and not being able to get a firm grasp on the handle prior to extracting the knife from the sheath. I can seem to find a leather sheath anymore for a knifebthat does not encase the majority of the handle? Could someone please shed some lite on this

Thank you.
 
Thats what I figured. I would still prefer a snap closure. And what are people doing with these knives that the handle needs that much protection.
 
Often when you draw or resheath your knife, you nick the keeper strap. The more you use the knife, the more you nick the strap.

To avoid this you must hold the keeper out of the way every time you deploy the knife. That’s bad ergonomics.

About that strip. Your sheath needs a keeper to retain your knife. What happens when the keeper breaks? What happens when you forget to snap it?

Keepers demand extra time/motions. Unsnap, draw, use, reseath, snap.

Deep pocket sheaths—and Kydex sheaths—don’t demand that. Draw, use, resheath.

There’s a reason the deep pocket sheath was popular with British/American/French frontiersmen. In the tall tinder, losing your knife was a serious business. Just as it is for the Sami.
 
I have seen another style which is a hood that fits over the butt or pommel of the knife. When I have a little more free time I think I'll make one for one of my knives. I don't know how well they work as I haven't had the opportunity to handle one.
 
I would say: protection, retention and perception. Many people do use and carry their knives in very active enviroments. I make and sell a lot of knives and sheaths to working cowboys and buckaroos. These guys and gals do use these knives hard, protecting the knife handle is important. I have cutomers that will go through 3 or 4 sheaths on one knife. A lot of life happens but the knife is protected. On my sheaths the retention is built into the welt, a cam basically that the knife has to ride up and over. This is sometimes called a Loveless cam or welt as Bob Loveless kind of popularised it in his sheaths. This retention occurs at the finger guard. However the extra height of the sheath also gives the "perception" of greater retention why not really adding too much.
 
For all of the reasons given. Also, a person might want one sheath to fit two (or more) of their knives. Knives with big guards require a more fitted sheath with a retention strap (snap, stud) or flap so the style of knife is important when deciding on the sheath. A knife with no features that can be used well with a strap (straight handle with no curve) needs other means of retention, ie: wet forming and deep carry. Lastly, coupled with a dangler, a pouch sheath gets the weight down on your leg, and helps keep the handle from digging into your side when being very active or driving/riding.

Everything has a work-around. Mostly I do pouches because they are popular and the customer wants it.
 
Quite a few years ago when I was younger and my knees both worked and pointed in the same direction , an essential part of my work tool kit was a knife .
It wasn't some special custom knife , but a simple Butchers boning knife that we used to gut ( disembowel ) deer with , before the helicopter came to retrieve the carcasses .
We were shooting for money so time and efficiency were at a premium when you consider what a Hugh's 500 helicopter costs to run per hour .
A sheath that encloses nearly all the handle is and was the only thing that made the grade .
When you reached for your knife it was always there .
Those early explorer's knew what they were doing , their world wasn't influenced by fashion , but by day to day requirement and performance .

I'm not trying to ruffle feathers and annoy anyone here , but true working knives when sheathed are fully enclosed and when it comes to the knives themselves they don't have to have a crazy amount of metal technology and edge holding ability , but they do have to be there when you reach for them and you certainly don't want to be going through a maze of snaps , clasps and fasteners .

Ken.
 
Fair enough I see the points and great explanations. I just don't care for them. For work I carry a karambit or a RMD depending on the need. I just like being able to grab the entire handle when needed.
 
:D Personal preferences are the reason why we have so many top level craftsmen here on BF.

I personally do not like kydex, but its place in the knife world is unquestionable.
 
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