pocket fixed blade edc?

mkjellgren

mkjellgren

Joined
Nov 1, 2005
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1,592
Hey guys, as of late I've been trying to talk myself into a small pocket fixed blade. I'm normally a folder only kinda guy when it comes to edc. I've always just assumed that fixed blades were just too "scary" for an edc role, but recently I've been rethinking that stance. Part of that is the fact that I've gotten to the point where I just flat out don't care what people think of my knife as long as I know that my knife is legal and my uses are reasonable.

Anyway, what are some of your favorite pocket fixed blades for edc carry? Any advantages you've found to carrying a fixed blade rather than a folder? Negatives? I'm also interested in hearing about carry style. I'm looking for something to carry in my front right pocket, sheath and all, but I'd be interested in hearing other clever carry methods if anybody has one.

As for which knife, I think I'd like to stick with something relatively inexpensive since for the time being, this whole thing is kind of an experiment for me so I'd prefer not to spend an arm and a leg. The izula/izula2, Becker necker, eskabar, and bk14 seem to be popular inexpensive options. I'd love to be able to afford to jump right into bark river, but they're a little steep for this experiment considering I won't necessarily be carrying it every day and I'm not even sure I'll like it. For the time being I think I'm leaning towards the izula since it is affordable and it's looks appeal to me most but I'd be more than willing to entertain other ideas if there is a good reason.

Thanks in advance guys, I'm very interested in hearing what everybody has to say.
 
Living in California I can't legally pocket carry a fixed blade, but around the house my Becker BK-14 is my best bud! It is tough, cheap, FFG, great steel, awesome blade shape, option of aftermarket zytel handles that make it feel like a dream in hand, just an awesome blade! I can't recommend it enough, I literally love mine! I got a kydex sheath from Godspeed fitted to work with the zytel scales and I wouldn't change anything about my setup!

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If you want to carry front pocket you're going to have to factor sheath cost into the equation. I edc a fixedblade everyday in my left front pocket, a quality sheath is a must. It has to be able to keep the knife in a comfortable position and not let it turn sideways making it difficult to sit. My edc rotation is a pb&j bread and butter in a ksf pocano sheath, a KFU edc in an obenriver pocket sheath, brkt tusk in a custom sheath I made that also fits a fiddleback forge edc, and a fiddleback forge 3finger karda in a ksf sheath. The sheat makes the difference in my opinion. If you go with the izula the sheath it come with is great for neck or belt carry but let's the knife turn all kind of ways in the pocket. So by the time you get a pocket sheath that it'll fit in your in bark river psk price range which already comes with a pocano pocket sheath (got one of those too)

Also I find being right handed it easier to carry in the left pocket allowing me to pull the knife out, sheath and all with my left hand and take the knife out of the sheath with my right hand and re sheath with my right hand all in my line of site to keep from cutting my pockets or the sheaths up.
 
daisy cutter said:
If you want to carry front pocket you're going to have to factor sheath cost into the equation. I edc a fixedblade everyday in my left front pocket, a quality sheath is a must. It has to be able to keep the knife in a comfortable position and not let it turn sideways making it difficult to sit. My edc rotation is a pb&j bread and butter in a ksf pocano sheath, a KFU edc in an obenriver pocket sheath, brkt tusk in a custom sheath I made that also fits a fiddleback forge edc, and a fiddleback forge 3finger karda in a ksf sheath. The sheat makes the difference in my opinion. If you go with the izula the sheath it come with is great for neck or belt carry but let's the knife turn all kind of ways in the pocket. So by the time you get a pocket sheath that it'll fit in your in bark river psk price range which already comes with a pocano pocket sheath (got one of those too)

Also I find being right handed it easier to carry in the left pocket allowing me to pull the knife out, sheath and all with my left hand and take the knife out of the sheath with my right hand and re sheath with my right hand all in my line of site to keep from cutting my pockets or the sheaths up.
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Thanks guys, some good info here already. This is exactly the kind of thing I'm looking for. I hadn't really factored in a quality sheath, I just assume the factory izula sheath would be adequate for me to get a feel for whether or not I liked carrying a fixed blade, but seeing as a large part of the first impressions left by any piece of edc gear is comfort, it makes perfect sense that a good sheath is a big part of what makes a good edc fixed blade. I guess all in all I'm not opposed to spending a bit more to get something I'll enjoy carrying and using rather than being overly frugal only to have the knife collect dust because of a subpar sheath. Ideally I'd like to keep the overall cost of the knife plus a quality sheath under $75 but would possibly go up to $100 if it's worth it.
 
It is VERY rare with production knives for the sheath to be adequate enough for serious users to not feel the need to replace. For many mass fixed blade producers the sheath is merely offered as a placeholder/freebie until you are able to set yourself up with a system in which you actually prefer to carry your knife. Your sheath is one of if not the most important aspect of your blade, especially considering your knife is going to spend roughly 90% of it's life there.
 
Boker Plus make a number of small fixed blades including this version of the Tom Krein Pocket Bowie

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I use a wee paracord tether through one of the sheath eyelets, and loop it round my belt and keep it in my watch pocket.
 
The pocket sheaths on knives ship free are a good place to start. They make 3 dif sizes to fit an array of knives and won't break the bank. Custom leather gives you thicker material and often a one off design but can get spendy. Custom work tho if you decide you like carrying this way is a great reward
 
I've never really considered carrying a fixed blade in my pocket for EDC... mainly because it's illegal where I am, but still. NOW I wish I could! That BK-14 looks sweet, RogueBowie!

EDIT-- Actually, it's not. Now, off to find a good pocket-sized fixed blade! :D
 
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I've been EDCing a FB for a while now, mainly because of age-related issues with my hands. I still carry a folder a lot, usually a mini-CQC15 because the disk is easy to use, but I've come to depend on having the FB with me. I started with an Izula because of cost and because it's a bit shorter than the Izula 2. I also use mine w/o handles. I like the feel of the cord wrap for general use.

Daisy cutter and rogue bowie are right about the sheath. That will usually make or break pocket carry for most people. I use a variety of pocket sheaths. The Sharpshooter sheaths are good and I most often use one of them because I also carry a Streamlight Stylus Pro. Dakota Leather makes pocket sheaths that carry the knife only and keep it nicely centered in the sheath. There are a lot of makers on BF that will do leather or kydex pocket sheaths for you as well.

I've found that a 5.5" - 6.25" OAL is just about right for me for a pocket FB. I like 2.75" of blade and the rest in handle. The Boker-Krein Pocket Bowie looks interesting and is about the right OAL. I don't know how thick it is with that G10 handle, though. I'd have to handle it before I bought it to see if I'd like carrying it. My favorite dressy FB is a BRKT City Knife. Makes a nice suit & tie carry but it is pricey.
 
I didn't like the pocket bowie at all, looked great in the pictures but the handle felt way to short and thick for me.
Too bad, I really wanted to like (and buy) that knife.
 
Well how about the the crkt neck knives they would make a good edc
Handled a Couple they felt good and cheap to boot
 
I've tried a couple of those and they are really bad designs. They do look cool though, just not useful for anything other than opening mail. Try to make feather sticks with one and you'll find yourself wearing bandaids due to all the wicked hot spots.
 
I sound like a broken record whenever this topic comes up but check the maker's market here. You will not find better fixed blade edcs than those from makers like Alan Davis, Eliot, TRC Knives and many others. And they are usually reasonably priced.
 
Thanks again guys for the excellent advice. I'm not in a huge hurry on this one (gotta let the ol' wallet recoup a bit after the holidays) so I think I'll keep an eye on the custom maker's section and try to spot a good deal.

The other option would be a custom sheath for the izula. With regards to custom pocket sheaths I would assume most people prefer leather over kydex, but then again, I have very little experience so I could be way off base. Anybody have any recommendations for a nice, pocketable izula sheath?
 
I have a lot of edc fixed blades (esee, becker, bark river, tops, blind horse) but my favorite right now is the Blind Horse large Snapp Knapp. Very comfortable for a bare handled knife (for me more so than the Bark River, Izula, and Beckers) and the built in leather sheath effectively makes the handle a full four finger knife. Fits in the front pocket great, doesn't go horizontal on you. Price is very reasonable too. I like it so much I have the small snapp knapp on order.
 
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I pocket carry a bhk fronteir patch knife. It is my favorite knife. Tool steel blade, decent sheath. The knife connection is where I got mine. Dale is fabulous to deal with. Fast shipping
 
timbit said:
I pocket carry a bhk fronteir patch knife. It is my favorite knife. Tool steel blade, decent sheath. The knife connection is where I got mine. Dale is fabulous to deal with. Fast shipping
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That's good to hear, I had just been looking t that one on the bhk website and it looks like a fantastic option, and a bit classier than the esee's/Beckers etc.
 
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I have considered a fixed blade a few times and it would be an experiment for me too.

I think something about 6.5" overall length would work for my jeans pockets and I can't see how something like this would be frightening to people. The Becker BK14 is about 7" overall length with a blade a little over 3", something like a Benchmade mini-grip is about 6 3/4" overall length when opened, with a blade under 3". I consider this to be a relatively small knife and if you could use something like this in public without causing problems then a 6.5" fixed blade should look like the same or maybe even smaller.
 
bdmicarta said:
I have considered a fixed blade a few times and it would be an experiment for me too.

I think something about 6.5" overall length would work for my jeans pockets and I can't see how something like this would be frightening to people. The Becker BK14 is about 7" overall length with a blade a little over 3", something like a Benchmade mini-grip is about 6 3/4" overall length when opened, with a blade under 3". I consider this to be a relatively small knife and if you could use something like this in public without causing problems then a 6.5" fixed blade should look like the same or maybe even smaller.
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My thoughts exactly.
 
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