Knife Used Often for Messy Tasks: What's the Best Way to Carry it?

[coote]

When you need to use your knife often, what system do you like to use?

If the task is clean... say you undo a lot of packages.... then you can have a retractable box cutter in your pocket and your operation can be quick. Grabbing the knife, pushing the blade forward, retracting the blade and slipping it back into the pocket will soon become automatic.

When I go hunting with a rifle, I'm only likely to use my knife occasionally. If I have to gut or skin something then my sheath knife only needs to go out of and back into the sheath a couple of times. And generally I can wipe it clean before returning it to the sheath.

If I have a lot of tasks to do, then it is possible I will get frustrated trying to line up my knife with my leather sheath every time so I don't cut the sheath or miss it altogether. And if I'm doing a lot of messy jobs, then it is likely I will get a build-up of gunk in the sheath.

When I was setting a lot of traps, I needed to use a knife frequently to cut support twigs, to remove obstructions, spread lure etc etc. Then, when I was checking the traps I might need to stop and skin several animals.

I found that a one-hand opening folder was very convenient. It is a natural movement to put my hand in my pocket to pull out the knife or to return it. However if I was wearing a raincoat I'd have to lift the coat to get to my pocket. And my pocket soon became fairly smelly.

In fish and meat processing plants, knives are often carried in a plastic scabbard which is easily cleaned. However the scabbards that I'd seen did not hold a knife securely for hiking, they were noisy and just too bulky.

I came up with the solution illustrated below. The knife has a tapered handle and it sits snugly and securely in the sheath which is made from low density polyethylene water pipe (which is softer than some pipe).

I hung the 'sheath' from a simple plaited cord belt. The cord has an eye at one end, and a hook fitted on a prussik loop at the other. The prussik loop can be slid along the cord to adjust the belt.

I found this to be a very convenient rig that was quick to use and easy to keep clean. It doesn't look like something you'd see on a knife collectors forum, but it is a practical solution.... and something I could quickly make myself. The knife blade, I think, was a sawmill bandsaw blade in a past life. The scales were made from worn plastic scrapers that once were part of a big batter mixing machine. The blade is around 2.7 inches long.

When setting or checking traps I would generally have another blade or two with me of course. For a while I carried a hatchet... then a few different khukuris..... and sometimes a machete. Sometimes I'd carry my hollow-handled Cold Steel Bushman and the 'walking stick' it fitted on in case something I had to deal with was too big or out of reach (sometimes a snared possum would have enough tether cord to climb a tree to where I couldn't grab him).

I'd be interested to learn what other folks do for carrying a knife that is used often. Thanks in advance.... best wishes... Coote.

 

[kgd]

Great point coop. Looks like a fine rig you've made yourself there. I sometimes find resheathing my knife a bit frustrating, especially when the sheath has some kind of retention strap with it (although some blade styles necessitate a strap of some type). I generally don't do things that messy on a frequent basis except for clean fish and in that case take the time to wash my knife while I'm by the water. Dirt and grime can sometimes be a problem though.

 

[baldtaco-II]

Good looking bit of reclaim that knife.

When I had the F1 I used to mostly carry it in my pocket but when it came time to work with it on and off I'd poke the sheath down through a webbing loop sewn onto clothing. I've sewn webbing loops like that onto all sorts of outer clothing over the years. It's no different in principle to the loop for a hammer on a tool belt. Originally I started sewing loops to carry Maglites chest high but it worked just as well with the Zytel F1 sheath. Now I'm back to using a leather sheath I carry that on a baldric. I find that much less of an impediment than a belt carry too.

 

[gadgetgeek]

I chose my "new" camp food prep knife with that in mind, I have a mora 2000, which being stainless and with a big tube sheath means that it can be secured, and cleaned at a later time if needed. I prefer to clean it as I go, but sometimes that isn't possible or practical. the sheath can be rinsed out much easier than my other plastic sheath knives (ESEE-3 and izula) or something with a lined leather sheath (Buck 119). I have the Mora sheath on a dangler with a small caribiner so I can hang it where convenient. IHMO most folders are poor choices for messy tasks, slipjoints/friction folders being the easiest to clean, I'd hate to fill my Griptillian with blood and gunk, I think if I needed to dress an animal with it, I'd take extra care to keep the inside of the handle clean, whereas I know I can easily clean out my Opinel.