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Pocket sheaths?

K

kennyj

Joined
Feb 24, 2006
Messages
139
Partly inspired by this discussion at EDC Forums: http://edcforums.com/index.php?topic=272.0

I've been thinking about the drawbacks of both pocketclips and belt sheaths a bit lately. Pocket clips can sometimes be cumbersome to use, both to store and draw, and often wear away at clothes. They can also interfere with the grip of a knife, or diminish said grip's comfort. Lastly, quite a few leave some part of the knife exposed and unprotected.

Sheaths can have comfort issues at some times, often advertise the fact that you might be carrying a blade, and are either insecure (belt clips) or a bit of a bother to put on and take off (belt loops.) They also have to be relatively sturdy to adequately store and protect the knife, increasing their weight and size somewhat.

It seems to me that a sheath fitted inside one's pocket and held in place with a clip would be the best compromise to work around the weaknesses of standard pocketclips and belt sheaths. The discussion I linked to shows off a glasses sheath modified to hold a SAK in-pocket, as one example - thin, non-bulky, soft material. Very light, very easy on the knife, and minimal added bulk.

Has anyone encountered a sheath of this type before?
 
Magill's makes a pocket sheath for a knife or a pistol magazine. It's natural leather, keeps its shape, but isn't secured with a clip. It wouldn't be that hard to do that, though. Although, the sheath itself has a kind of "hook" shape to the back that would catch on the pocket and aid in getting the knife out. That's the only one I know of.
 
A.G. Russel has a back pocket leather sheath for his Woodswalker. That's a fixed blade, but its the only one I know of off hand. Its made like a pocket holster for a small pistol. It has the "sheath" part and then a leather wing or flap that fills the pocket.

FWIW, I don't like clips that much either, but other than taking off the clip and just going with pocket carry, I don't have any answers. If you wear jeans, that watch pocket is sometimes big enough for a small folder.
 
Barry Dawson has made a few knives with an inside the pocket sheath made of kydex. He makes some really nice small fixed-blade knives with japanese style cord wrapped handles.

He'll be at The Blade Show if you are going.

Jubei
 
For me its either a pocket sheath or a belt sheath.

The Magill pocket holster is in the middle of the page. I made one similar out of heavy felt.

My problem is I work in an office and wear dress slacks so I almost never clip a knife to my pocket.

On weekends I usually tinker with my cars so I won't clip a knife to my pocket for fear that I'll scratch the paint ( I've come close).

http://magills.com/index/29/?&page=3&nothumbs=&filter_1=&filter_2=&filter_3=&filter_4=
 
William Henry knives all come with leather pocket sheath that clips on your pocket. Got one and it works fine.
 
It's pretty easy to make a pocket sheath for knife or small pistol with felt, needle, thread and minimal stitching skills (or simply use a stapler).

General plan:
- Fold and cut the felt profile to fit pocket width, so it stays upright in pocket.
- Stitch a vertical 'pocket' for the knife so the knife stay upright in the sheath.
- Cut height of sheath so at least an inch of knife is exposed for draw.

It works because:
- Felt_fiber-to-pocket_fiber friction + gravity keeps the sheath in the pocket.
- Felt_fiber-to-metal friction is nearly zero, for easy draw.

Longevity sucks - but it'll be fine until the felt wears out.
 
The mAgill's looks interesting, but I'd prefer something that could be fitted to the knife more so that I could eschew the knife's clip (as well as to provide for carry of the knives I own that lack clips, such as SAKs, etc.)

I don't think I'd like using felt much at all, though I do like the fact that it'll essentially clean the knife and that it'll take the wear so my knife's finish doesn't have to.

I guess I'm probably going to have to go for a custom, but at least I'm getting some ideas as to what I'd be ordering. I've had a few ideas come up for wallet-style pocket sheaths, like being able to store the bit holder, bits, bit kit, etc. for the Leatherman Charge without taking up a massive amount of belt space (and as an added bonus, it'd be a good way to store the tools at other times as well.)

Thanks for all your help so far! Keep the ideas coming! :D
 
Kenny,
Most of our knives are fixed blade pocket knives, carried in either a
leather or kydex pocket sheath, they are not hard to make, and
the clips are covered with shrink tubing so they wont scratch.
Here are a couple examples.

newgraham.jpg


IMAG0003.jpg
 
These look really cool, they are a descrete way of carrying knives/tools :thumbup:
 
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