Neck Knife

My problem with neck knives is that they are easy to deploy (you do it with one hand) but you can't put them away with just one hand. Besides, unless you are wearing them outside the shirt, you cant wear it under your shirt if the shirt is tucked inside your pants. For me a neck knife is only an option that I'll think of if I'm not wearing pants or my pants/shorts do not have pockets where I can keep a pocket knife.

BTW, I have a Walther (Bocker) "Solace" neck knife, with skeleton handle (wrapped in paracord), kydex sheet but in 440A :rolleyes:. Takes a good edge but dulls up fast.
 
Heres a comparison pic of the Izula and BK11.

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I can understand the 'fun' part of it. That's pretty valid in my book. And the ease of carry when not wearing a belt or with pants that are too lightweight for pocket carry.

But don't the short little blades cause any difficulties? My usual EDC is a 4" folder and I find that when I need to carry a smaller, lighter 'gentleman's knife' because I'm wearing a suit, that the blade feels teeny to me!


Stitchawl.
 
LUW said:
My problem with neck knives is that they are easy to deploy (you do it with one hand) but you can't put them away with just one hand. Besides, unless you are wearing them outside the shirt, you cant wear it under your shirt if the shirt is tucked inside your pants. For me a neck knife is only an option that I'll think of if I'm not wearing pants or my pants/shorts do not have pockets where I can keep a pocket knife.
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you can put them away with one hand with some practice, but you are right it isn't to easy at first.

2nd question: yes you can deploy them with a tucked in shirt you just grab the lanyard/whatever you have the knife on, and bring up the entire sheath.

check out these 2 videos...he demonstrates both

http://www.youtube.com/user/WesAtCarterCutlery#p/search/1/Awro-7Z5pPk

http://www.youtube.com/user/WesAtCarterCutlery#p/search/2/TiwgDlfZT9Q

oh and can someone point me in the direction if there is a new guy thread/forum?

I'll be picking up a Rat Izula here pretty soon, and cut down the sheath:cool:

Chad
 
stitchawl said:
Can I ask a serious question without starting a fight? I'm really curious.

Other than self-defense purposes what are the reasons for choosing to wear a knife around your neck rather than on your belt?

Most of them seem to have small blades to them like a small folder, so obviously they aren't for chopping firewood. Why do you choose to have something hanging off your neck, swinging in the breeze when you bend over? Do you keep them outside your shirts when walking around or do you have to dig them out to use them?

I'm not dissing them. I just don't understand them, except for a self-defense purpose. Please tell me how you use them. Thanks.

Stitchawl
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I find it more handy generally. I wear long coats and getting into belt is usually not so fast. And usually I have a lot other stuff in belt too. neck knife is excellent small utility knife when well done. I don't know what I would do without my Necker in the camping or such.

I just find the small utility knife hanging around neck in the woods be very handy and comfortable option vs. belt hanging.

Usually I wear mine when more crowded areas beneath jacket or somehow away from the eyes while deeper in the wild and camping I wear the Necker over clothes.

My Necker is now taken place everything from small general tasks like making splinters to make food, food preppepping and such where I usually used my puukko.

When I making fire woods or generally doing a lot grouching and bending over, I usually just swing my necker on back, just like I did my dog tags in army. No worries, nothing hanging front of you.
 
Nimitz87 said:
you can put them away with one hand with some practice, but you are right it isn't to easy at first.

2nd question: yes you can deploy them with a tucked in shirt you just grab the lanyard/whatever you have the knife on, and bring up the entire sheath.

check out these 2 videos...he demonstrates both

http://www.youtube.com/user/WesAtCarterCutlery#p/search/1/Awro-7Z5pPk

http://www.youtube.com/user/WesAtCarterCutlery#p/search/2/TiwgDlfZT9Q
Click to expand...
Those are some great videos! Definetely makes a good case for neck carry. And if I could afford a piece from Carter Cutlery I would get one for sure.

That brings me to my next point. I am in the market for a good neck knife and have narrowed my choices down to these two:

Enyo from Spartan Blades
Enyo+FDE.JPG



Izula from ESEE (Rat Cutlery)
2009-05-rat-izula-knife-03.jpg


I know the Izula has a huge following here but that Enyo is really speaking to me. One more question...does the manufacturer wrap the handle with paracord or is that up to the user? I've never really been too good at that type of thing. Do any bladeforum members provide a service of this type? Thanks again.
 
Well.. from the looks of it the enyo is coated S30V? i'm not sure why they'd coat stainless steel? the gind looks rather steep (vs. the FFG of the izula) which would make it less of a slicer... I don't know much about the warranty either, but the izula is basically "if you break it, we replace it" lifetime warranty.

You have to wrap it yourself, there are plenty of youtube tutorials, it's actually much easier than you'd think. (I had never done it before and mine came out very well on the first try).

I should also mention the izula when wrapped with paracord is actually super comfortable, and I'm really doubting (based on looks) that the enyo is as comfy.

my vote:
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Old thread, I realize, but here's another vote for the Becker Necker. I love mine and wear it and use it all the time.
 
Another vote for the Izula...
-Lightweight
-Tough
-Ergonomic
-Great Warranty

If ESEE doesnt do it for you the Spyderco Swick 2 is a S30V leaf-shaped blade with finger hole. Very nice, ergonomic, strong, neckknife.
 
The HAK is a cool little neck knife. Made in USA.
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Nemesis 2 Zero
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Jim burke/Randall king "snitch"
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Randall King Knives Jim Burke "The Syphon"
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I carry a neck knife most every day. I started using them extensively after having lost both a belt carry and a pocket clip carry the same summer processing cattle on the ranch. Before that I had used them mostly when wade and kick-boat fishing. I just got used to having one around my neck even though I usually have at least one other knife on me. As far as USA made neck knives I can offer my opinion on the following.

Izula with cord wrap and aftermarket or homemade Kydex sheath for neck carry is a great option. The stock sheaths aren't exactly low profile, nor are the optional Micarta scales. The sheaths are often modified, but I would suggest keeping the original and equip it with a Tek-Lok (don't like the Molle clips) for belt carry and/or by itself for pocket/pouch carry. That way you have multiple carry options readily available.

The Buck Hartsook is very low profile and a great little knife with the emphasis on little. I look at it more as a backup than a single carry option, but I don't think you can get much lower profile than this little bad boy.

The Buck Mayo Kaala (also S30V w/Bos heat treatment) is a more practical size than the Hartsook yet still is very low profile. The sheath design I'm not crazy about, so I think I'm going to put some thin micarta scales on it and made a Kydex sheath for it.

The Spyderco Swick2 is a great design. I still haven't made my handles for mine or carried it, but I think it might quickly move to the top of my rotation when I do.

The Murray Carter neck knife is flawless in every way except for the price. The size, ergos, profile and craftsmanship are all first rate and it is the standard I use to judge all my other neck knives. Mine is the 175 Original and he gets $395 for these because he can. I am thankful that I was in the right place at the right time to pick up mine for a fraction of that.

I deleted the A.G. Russell Woodsman after realizing that it is made in Japan. Great little knife, but it doesn't fit your selection criteria.
 
luvsogknives said:
any ideas for a slim-profiled kydex-sheathed neck knife? made in USA plz
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Does it absolutely have to be slim? I find that neck knives without handle materials or even just paracord wrap are too 'thin' in the hand. You may want to judge that for yourself.

Personally, I carry this one myself in 154cm.

Specs: 5/32", 6 3/4" OAL, 3 1/4" blade. Sculpted green g10 handles over black g10 liners.
coye-ridgeback-satin.jpg
It's a Coye Ridgeback, and here she is being tested by the maker no less.

This would be the side of a refrigerator.
rb1.jpg


= no chips, rolls, or edge damage
rb2.jpg
 
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I don't use a neck knife everyday, but always do when camping. I carry a "camp knife" in the pack, but a neck knife for the hike. For me, it's much more convenient to have it there than on my pack somewhere (which isn't easy to reach or won't be with me if I drop the pack), on my belt (which conflicts with the hip rest of the pack), or a pocket (which requires fighting with the pack hip rest to get in, or bending over with weight on my back to get to a cargo pocket).

I chose the Izula. Here's mine:

ESEEIzulaWrap.jpg
 
FWIW, if you do want an Izula, no one that I know has better prices than our resident forumite.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=722747

I suppose I should chime in and say that I have owned an Izula in the past as well as a Swamp Warden. Great knives...sharp as hell, but I couldn't deal with the skinny grips even after cord wrap. Micarta scales on the Izula probably would have helped, but they were not out at the time. Plus, my favorite small fixed of right now is the Ridgeback.
 
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