Necker Knife, Up or Down?

R

Ron Athay

Joined
Mar 12, 2006
Messages
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Necker Knives! Do you wear yours handle up or down? Is it really safe to wear handle down? I have read of knives coming out of leather pouch sheaths (handle up) when someone was running (or falling) and getting stabbed or cut. I am considering getting a neck knife, but I am worried about wearing it handle down. Has anyone heard of a handle down kneck knife coming out of the sheath?
Thanks in advance for your responses.
 
No experience of a knife falling out, but I like handle up...just to be on the safe side.
 
I guess it all depends on the sheath, and its' retention of the knife. Some ESEE and some Blind Horse knives have a slider/tensioner that keeps the knife in place very well. If you're talking leather, no strap, better carry it handle up.
And, no I've never had a knife fall out of it's sheath while around my neck, nor do I jog with one.
 
A well designed kydex sheath made of fairly thick material offers amazing blade retention. Very trustworthy. With a good one you can't shake it hard enough to make the blade come out, but you can still deploy it with a little push of your thumb.

I can't imagine a leather sheath i would be comfortable carrying inverted.

I've never had a problem with my factory izula sheath or the aftermarket kydex one for it that Mr Shotgunner11 made.

I did have the kydex sheath on my CRKT Minmalist wear out a bit and get loose after about a year. It came out a couple times so i retired it. It's thin kydex and i think it eventually just wore away or got bent after several thousand deploy/sheath cycles.
I'm intending to see if i can heat and reform it tighter, or make a new one but haven't gotten around to it yet.
 
I've got a couple of very well made kydex sheaths that I wear knife down, the knives literally snap in/out, I don't have the least worry of them ever coming out unintended

I've had leather necker sheaths as well- those I always wore knife up
 
I've done all sorts of things with an Izula tip-up around my neck, and never worried about it coming out. And, it hasn't.
 
I have several neck knives and I wear them all handle down,no problem.But,none of them sport leather pants.
 
i have always carried tip up with all small (sub 3" blades) or anything pretty much in injection mold or kydex sheaths, any thing large or in leather like ig i was going to run my main knife on a neck rig it would be tip down. thats my perspective on it
 
The Izula I would wear either way and not worry. If it is a leather sheath, the handle would be up for me. No way I'd wear it upside down in leather.
 
Becker Necker with Kydex sheath. Takes a fair amount of force to pull out-"snaps" in place. Been carrying it handle down for the past month with no worries.
 
You can't sling a Buck Hartsook out of it's sheath. It literally locks in it's sheath. Great LITTLE neck knife.
 
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I have a neck knife in a leather sheath that I wear handle, down. It is a custom and I told the maker I preferred handle down, so he made the sheath with rare earth magnets. Great retention, I tried to shake the knife out of the sheath and it stayed, but if I'm doing any running I still grab hold of it.
 
I have a nice little patch knife I built onto the back of a elk skin pouch I'd wear around my neck during my buckskinning days. The knife is razor sharp, but the sheath is leather reinforced with brass and copper rivets with the handle pointing up. I only had one scary moment with this knife. I was climbing to the top of a steep grassy hill in mocassins. Feet slipped on the dewey grass and I went face down. The point of the sheathed knife hit the ground, and the rounded deer antler handle of the patch knife went straight into the hollow of my throut. It didnt break the skin or anything, but it sure hurt like heck! Left a bruise too. Made me think twice about wearing it while doing anything besides standing around a campfire.
 
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