Photos Pocket Fixed Blades

madcap_magician said:
I like Mummert for anything that will get carried on the belt but I find it doesn't retain well and is too bulky in the pocket. I agree the DCC are the best pocket options, but I think many erstwhile pocket sheath makers mount the clips too low and you end up with a knife that sticks halfway out of the pocket.
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Pocket sheaths are an art form. You can screw a clip onto just about any sheath and shove it in your pocket but a good pocket sheath has to be designed as such from the beginning.

The amtac northman pocket sheaths are the first good kydex pocket sheath that comes to mind.

If the sheath isn't designed for pocket carry, you end up with a bunch of the handle sticking out of your pocket to keep the mouth of the sheath near the opening of your pocket.
 
Latest small knife. Pocket Humpback.
Had a small piece of CPM S110V steel, started grinding and this is what came out. A pocket skinner wearing blue linen micarta in a brown leather pocket clip sheath. 1.75 inch cutting edge and 4.5 inches overall length.

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knIjPgt.jpeg

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navman said:
Latest small knife. Pocket Humpback.
Had a small piece of CPM S110V steel, started grinding and this is what came out. A pocket skinner wearing blue linen micarta in a brown leather pocket clip sheath. 1.75 inch cutting edge and 4.5 inches overall length.

xXRmmq5.jpeg

knIjPgt.jpeg

rHC9ohx.jpeg
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Pretty Kool. 👍😊👍
John 😎
 
dfarm said:
Pocket sheaths are an art form. You can screw a clip onto just about any sheath and shove it in your pocket but a good pocket sheath has to be designed as such from the beginning.

The amtac northman pocket sheaths are the first good kydex pocket sheath that comes to mind.

If the sheath isn't designed for pocket carry, you end up with a bunch of the handle sticking out of your pocket to keep the mouth of the sheath near the opening of your pocket.
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Here is a picture of what you are talking about. The pancake sheath on the left can be used as a slip sheath. You can draw by pushing the sheath off with your thumb. The center is a standard IWB sheath. As mentioned, a lot of handle is above the pocket. Also, the taco sheath takes up less width. The Northman pocket sheath, on the right is a taco style with micro rivets to reduce width. It sits deeper, has a drain hole at the bottom and a tension adjustment screw. It is a pretty sophisticated sheath.IMG_8492.jpeg
 
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I sit too much for a fixed blade, however small, to be comfortable.

Additionally, I find a one-blade folder to be limiting in the context of my current life-way.

My EDC is a Leathermn Wave Plus. nAd I find that to be too heavy for the pocket as well. I carry it in a horizontal belt pouch located behind my right hip at !4:30 depending on belt loop location.
 
Damon said:
Here is a picture of what you are talking about. The pancake sheath on the left can be used as a slip sheath. You can draw by pushing the sheath off with your thumb. The center is a standard IWB sheath. As mentioned, a lot of handle is above the pocket. Also, the taco sheath takes up less width. The Northman pocket sheath, on the right is a taco style with micro rivets to reduce width. It sits deeper, has a drain hole at the bottom and a tension adjustment screw. It is a pretty sophisticated sheath.View attachment 3069850
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The northman sheath is probably the best, most well thought out pocket sheath I've seen. I don't really care for the knife but the sheath is very well designed and executed. You hit the high points but I'll add that it also allows the knife to fit in it both ways so it will work in either pocket and with the edge forward or backwards.

The leather sheath that I made for that little "pocket fighter" that I posted above was inspired by the northman's
 
This thread has been great! I haven't done a lot of pocket fixed blades (I carry pocket knife in right side pocket, car/house keys in left pocket, my smaller "pocket sized" fixed blade goes horizontally across my belt under my belly), and for the few I did do, I asked what the customer what they liked since I hadn't done many and they would send pictures of pocket sheaths they liked, so I would try to copy what they liked.

Almost all of them liked some adjustment in the ride height, so I used the Utilclip Slim 3.3 or XL, but most still wanted a good bit of handle exposed and sometimes with the mouth of the sheath deep in the pocket and the clip sticking up more. They were happy with them, but those pocket setups always felt weird to me! The sheaths ended up being wider because the Utilclip would need more space on the edge of the sheath so it would be even with the mouth of the sheath and if it was too close to the guard/front of the handle, it wouldn't lie flat on the sheath and the hand would hit it. With a lot of handle sticking up, with baggier pants, the handle (where more of the weight is) would move around more. So when I tried the ones I made for people, they all felt "weird" to me, but they liked them! One guy is even carrying a nearly 9" OAL Kephart as a pocket fixed blade! LOL.

Going to play around with a centrally located clip going forward and a deeper riding sheath (less handle exposed) and see how that feels! I am getting ready to do up a bunch of smaller pocket fixies based off the Bugout and Mini Bugout (like the 2 smaller ones with Carbon fiber bolster/Koa handle and the Snakeskin Micarta/Toxic Green handle one) soon and wanted to get a better designed sheath figured out for them, so this thread has been perfect! Really like Navman, Hammer 67 and DFarm's leather pocket sheaths; so clean looking and look really well designed and comfy to wear!
 
Really cool ideas, you do get ideas from others to try and incorporate or experiment how the sheaths would work. I have a MKM pocket tango Nessmuk I like, the pocket sheath is cool the magnets to hold the flap on the pocket, it still wiggled free when I took the knife out, and would shift when carrying.
 
After having use of right arm only for 6 weeks, I came to appreciate a small fixed blade clipped to RFP. Made life easier. Now that left arm is usable I still pocket carry a small fixed blade. I sit all day for work and it does not bother me. Sharp & Fiery Sharp & Fiery
Sheath with belt loops replaced with clip.
No problems drawing or inserting the knife.
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Damon said:
Here is a picture of what you are talking about. The pancake sheath on the left can be used as a slip sheath. You can draw by pushing the sheath off with your thumb. The center is a standard IWB sheath. As mentioned, a lot of handle is above the pocket. Also, the taco sheath takes up less width. The Northman pocket sheath, on the right is a taco style with micro rivets to reduce width. It sits deeper, has a drain hole at the bottom and a tension adjustment screw. It is a pretty sophisticated sheath.View attachment 3069850
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On the Ban Tang SAF sheath on the left, it allows multi carry options. He really figured out the hole spacing really well. A tek lok can fit allowing OWB vertical and horizontal carry. It has holes for neck carry. It can accommodate Utilclips and DCC clips for pocket or IWB carry. As will as being used as a slip sheath. With earlier small fixed knives, I have tried neck, IWB, and horizontal OWB carry. I settled on a large folder for everything until last year when I started experimenting with the pocket fixed blade idea.

I have a friend who experimented with fixed blade pocket carry, but sticks with his folder. He still carries a small fixed blade on the belt, though. He says he has worked under machinery where he was able to draw, open, close, and pocket his folder with one hand while using his other had to hold onto something. I can one hand operate my folder, too.

Sheath retention is really key for pocket carry. If its too much it will overcome the clip whether it is a magnet or dcc clip and you will pull the whole sheath out. For a leather sheath, you can try wet molding to adjust the tension. For a kydex sheath, a heat gun can be used. On the photo of the Bark River knives I posted, the sheath has a piece of fuzzy velcro on the side under the clip inside the sheath. I think its for some friction or to reduce rattle, but I don't know.

There are companies out there that make pocket sheaths. Here is one example of a leather one, https://deltasheath.com/
This is another maker that someone posted a picture of earlier, https://joufuu.com/
 
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I don't like things in my front pockets.
I work hard, and don't like the weight carried there, or worried aby breaking phones/etc.

I waistband carry usually. Or pouch for little stuff.
I've been requested to start making smaller knives now, so I better read this post over for all the good information.... Thanks.
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