Neck Rig: Ever Have Problems?

R

Return of the J.D.

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I've recently read recommendations by wilderness survival instructors Mors Kochanski and Cody Lundin, suggesting that one carry one's knife (each seems to favor a Mora fixed-blade type) in a sheath suspended around one's neck by a length of paracord.

As I think about this, such an arrangement seems dangerous. To be sure, you can hang it inside your shirt, keep it unobtrusive, keep it always available, keep your belt free, and avoid problems of having a belt-hung knife snag on brush, etc.

However, there seem to be some inherent risks in this. For one thing, you've got a ready-made noose around your neck, which could become awkward if your emergency/survival situation sees you fall out of a tree, slide down some rocks, float down a river, or exit a vehicle in a hurry, etc., etc.--any one of which maneuvers could see the knife / neck rope snag on something --with unpleasant results. Second, you've got a razor-sharp, pointy blade suspended in the near environment of your lungs, heart, intestines, and other desirable organs. It seems just a little too easy for a sheath failure to leave that piece of steel unprotected and in unsafe proximity to places you'd best not get cut in any kind of far-from-civilization scenario. Third, the neck-cord deployment (unless you keep it under your shirt, and sometimes even then) seems like it would allow your knife to change locations to anyplace within about an 18-inch radius of your neck--so if you happen to end up upside down, you'll find it hanging "over" your head, etc.--again, this strikes me as a kind of randomness that would have great potential for accidents, knife loss, etc., as compared to a belt carry or some such.

I'm curious: who among you have had problems with neck-cord-type carry of knives? What have the problems been? What has gone wrong? What kind of carry, specifically, were you using? And what were the results?

(Incidentally, Mr. Lundin has generously responded by separate e-mail, saying he'd never encountered problems with this, but suggesting that one go with whatever one finds works best. I will take this opportunity to thank him for that response.)

Thanks!
 
you've got some good points. I've carried neck knives of various times over the years and have had no problems whatsoever. yes they do change positions but not to a point where it's a problem. as for the concern over accidentally stabbing/cutting yourself i feel that a quality kydex sheath pretty well takes care of that. a well fitted kydex sheath will also minimize the chance of loss. as far as your concern over hanging yourself i would recommend either a dog tag chain, or some cord with a relatively low breaking point. I use the chain. i guess the bottom line is it is not a method of carry that everyone likes or is comfortable with but can be handy in many instances. good luck,ahgar
my biggest complaint is it takes 2 hands to resheath.
 
There are neck cords that have a plastic connector that breaks away under force. I've got a couple that I use but I can't remember where I bought them.
 
I used to carry a CRKT Carson f4 as a neck knife. Several times, while wearing it inside my shirt, it dropped from its sheath and clattered to the floor. I never received any cuts from it, but the knife was eventually lost because of this. I imagine it was due to the fact that CRKT isn't really "high end" but alot of other folks don't seem to have a problem with CRKT or neck carry in general. It was probably just a flawed sheath.

If you have concerns about getting hung up in things and choking yourself out, but still like the look of paracord as apposed to a break-away ball chain, i've heard of pulling the guts out of a piece of paracord and threading the ball chain inside of it. It will still break away if you get snagged. It looks a little better, and is comfy to wear.

Just make sure you have a good quality sheath, and shop around for comfortable/practical/safe cord, and you shouldn't really have a problem.
 
These are my two favorite neck rigs, one from Scott Gossman at Razorback Knives and a FireAnt from Charles May.

Necker-Groupshot-1.jpg


Where the leather cord goes through the sheaths, it is not tied in the back, but connected with a small plastic zip tie. Plenty strong enough to carry the knives, but will give under enough stress to prevent choking me.
 
I don't carry this way but have heard of others doing so. Instead of just throwing the knife over your neck, put your arm thru the lanyard and then put it over your head.

This way the knife will always be located below your armpit. It will keep the knife from bouncing as much and were you turned upside down wouldnt move to far away. I would also imagine it would be less prone to catch on things but this is just speculation.

Just thought I would throw this out there for you to consider.

Ryan
 
Got too heavy for me, even with the dog tag chain through empty para cord wrap.

Easier on the belt or with a pocket sheath. YMMV

I DO use a ARC AA on a dog chain at work, but it sits in my R F pocket of the work shirt and zero weight on my neck.

When I have to pop it out for use and drop it if my hands are full, I don't forget it's hanging there.

Point is, doesn't take much weight to remind your neck something is hanging there.

For me, only if there was no other place available.

Rob
 
I've used ball chain to carry my neck knives. It is strong enough to carry but it will break with maybe 30 pounds of stress. I definitely wouldn't want paracord around my neck just in case it gets hung up on something or someone comes from behind me and chokes me with it. But if they try to strangle me, I'll make sure that I take the knive out and do what I need to do to survive.
 
Consider George "mercop" Matheis' mercharness instead of neck carry:

"The Mercharness is a shoulder holster made of mil spec parachute cord."
 
I never knew anyone to get hung up wearing dogtags. same thing right?
 
mauiblue, the mercharness is very cool. It is extremely minimal, it is lightweight and unobtrusive. And you can attach an object on each side.

a223cat, dogtags are so light you don't feel them, but some people can be distracted by a necker, especially one of the heavier ones. And dogtags are generally hidden under a shirt. Wearing a necker outside a shirt for access means exposing it to catching on something.

Personally, I have never had a problem wearing even heavy neckers, like the Busse Assault Shaker. But you can't get away with it some places, and under a shirt, you may not be sure where it's slid to when you need it.
 
A problem in California is that any fixed blade that is "concealed" (neck knife under a t-shirt) is a felony.
 
Re Last Confederate's rigs:

Native Americans often carried their knives in a neck rig, handle up, like yours. No breakaway that I know of, but they were using leather or rawhide strips to hold them, so they would have a much lower break strength than the paracord.
 
Return of the J.D., this gets brought up occasionally. I totally agree with you. Some don't agree with my intransigent position, but when I was an Army Company Commander, I did not let my troops wear neck knives. You cataloged most of the important points. I'm sure most would never have any problem but I just didn't want to add to the "possibilities". You don't need to add any new ways to get hurt -- even remote ones.

Thorough list on your part!
 
I Wore A gerber buddy System Knife for about 3 years and never had any problems,this used a thin braided cotton chord and had a plastic sheath with a molded release. I used this in water and on land. I do remember it coming out and falling inside my tucked in shirt on one or two occasions, oddly enough it was never when I was doing anything physical just walking along. I replaced that some years later with one I bought from Pat Crawford in a kydex sheath with a chain This one never came out of its sheath accidently. I stopped wearing them for daily carry simply because they tend to "Print" through clothes and draw unwanted attention in "PC" environments. I do sometimes bring the Crawford for outdoor ventures generally as a back up to something larger, and it is really handy under a jacket and tie if you dont want a folder bulge in your pocket at formal events.
 
On a beaded chain and carried in the shirt pocket works best for me. Nothing larger or heavier than a LaGriffe. Others like a Livesay and CS get to be alot heavy and big at the days end.

Matador-
 
Grampa said:
Re Last Confederate's rigs:

Native Americans often carried their knives in a neck rig, handle up, like yours. No breakaway that I know of, but they were using leather or rawhide strips to hold them, so they would have a much lower break strength than the paracord.
Click to expand...

Cool, that's sorta the look I was aiming for. I use the plastic thing, but I sorta doubt the leather cord I use would choke me if it ever got hung up, but I would hate to find out I was wrong someday! :D
 
I used to carry a Cold Steel Bird & Trout in its little kydex necker. One day I felt a sting on my belly. The knife had come loose and I didn't realize it. It nicked me a little bit but wasn't bad. I don't carry it anymore!
 
My Cold Steel Mini Tac had a similar sheath failure. During a cross country run it slipped out of its sheath and cut me superficially. I should have fixed it to the sheath with tape before running but back than I didn't know how crappy the sheath was.
 
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