Mid sized fixed blade carry options?

[olybears57]

Hey guys, posted a thread about hard use folder suggestions a few days back, and was riddled with suggestions to use a fixed blade. I own a few mid sized fixed blades (Esee 6, Becker BK-16, and spartan blades phrike) and have tried to use them on the job, but just got too annoyed with the carry options I came up with, and just stopped carrying them. My needs are:
1. Will be on my person and easily accessible at all times, as it is used very often some days.
2. It has to be comfortable with a loaded pack on (I build and repair trails in washington state for a living, and am living out of my pack for 8 days at a time in the spring and summer, and working with my pack on 50% of the time.)
3. It can't be dangling/swinging around... I HATE when I have something freely swinging off of me while I hike. Drives me bonkers

I've tried scout carry and IWB carry, and it's just too inaccessible especially when it is pouring rain and I'm in 4 layers of clothing.

I'm thinking about maybe a secured drop leg system? But I don't know any specific make/models to choose... I Also have been thinking about just jerry rigging something with paracord through my sheath rivets, a strap around my thigh, and a strap running to my belt.. but it seems like it would be a bit finicky and uncomfortable.

Thanks all for the help!

 

[gadunz]

Closeable sheath, tied upside-down to your pack-strap.

 

[olybears57]

Closeable sheath, tied upside-down to your pack-strap.

I have used that before, but then the problem is that some sections of trail we do with packs on, and then that works great.. Other sections, we drop our packs and then work for a couple hundred yards, then leap frog the packs... The job is very fast paced with no time to screw around either removing the sheath from my pack when we're dropping them for a bit, or running back and getting it every time I need it.

 

[gadunz]

Horizontal, front of belt.

 

[Phoynix]

How long are your arms inside, maybe a forearm sheath?

Make an attachment sheet for your arm and pack that has velcro and quick release clip both female.
Add a a velcro strip to the sheath along with a quick release clip both male. Clip should be at top of sheath and near your wrist on the arm.

I do archery and have a hard arm protector thats about 8 inchs long you could actually use such a forearm protector to hold the sheath as long as its study on your arm.
Quick release clip is to stop you losing the knife in the event the velcro snags or fails.

As you drop the pack and are standing up you pull the shealth off velcro with a upward motion and once its pulled away at the top you have the clip for release. Then you attach it to your arm and clip it.
If the Sheath attachment is on the left forearm and your right handed(releasing the clip with your left) you should beable to just basicly pad the sheath down on your arm quickly and clip it in... when you want to take it off you pull it from the elbow out and flip it over holding it in your left hand as you undo the clip with your right and attach it to the pack as you bend down.

This is total theory however..
all the knives ive carried have been either standard belt with leg loop to stop slapping, to small on the belt to worry about movement, or fits in pocket or in my pack.
I can state I hunt and move though bush alot with archery arm guard and its never caused my discomfort or problems which is why I thought of this idea, but your knives maybe slightly to long for it to work effectively.
Pretty sure it wont work with the esse6 at all.

 

[Tdhurl1103]

I think you'd need a custom kydex cross draw using an angled tekloc. Of course, I only recommend this style for the BK16 or simillar type knife because that is the rig I carry. I love that mode of carry, and have done so while camping, and in the city.
If you want to carry a bigger blade maybe you should consider a baldric carry system with an anchor point on the belt.

Or, you could go with what you were thinking about a drop leg system, but, to be honest, I would only consider that for a large blade.

Keeping in mind that with the work you do, any carry system is going to get in the way...eventually. There is no such thing as the perfect carry system.

 

[dalefuller]

Honestly, it sounds to me like you may have to compromise a bit between what you like and what's useful to you. A knife can be secured to the right pack with MOLLE connectors and then be pretty quickly removed and secured to a belt with the same connectors, even while you're moving. A Tek-Lok or Spyderco G-Clip can be set for angled belt carry between 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock and be mostly out of the way until needed. Almost anything, even a pocket folder, is going to be hard to get to in the pouring rain when you're suited up to stay dry.

I don't do the kind of work you do, but I do carry smaller FBs pretty often. My preferred carry is angled crossdraw at about 10 o'clock. It stays in front of me, it's easy to reach from just about any position, and it's easy to re-sheath. I carry sizes from Izulas to ESEE 4s that way while working, hiking, or just driving and it works pretty well, even with a heavier coat on. I've tried leg, forearm, and ankle carry before. None of them are comfortable and the knife gets in the way / hangs up on stuff / slips around and causes problems more than it was worth to me.

My suggestion would be to pick a carry that seems to work best for you (not perfect... just the best of what's available) and stick to it for a month. See if you can make it work for you. Also, consider carefully what size knife you need to carry for what you do. Carry what you need to do your job, but don't grossly oversize the knife. And... if I was out for 7 or 8 days at a time living out of what I carried with me, I'd still drop a dependable folder in my pocket somewhere "just in case I needed it". Doesn't have to be expensive, just dependable. Spyderco, Kershaw, Benchmade, ZT, A. G. Russell, Buck, and Cold Steel all make folders that would be a useable and affordable backup.

 

[ryanh121]

Have you checked out the Specops sheaths? Th small fits my RMD very well and comes with a semi dropped leg option.

There are other sheaths if you search around the internet that are comparable for smaller knives.

Dale Fuller gives some good recommendations concerning a backup folder.