Show me what is hiding under your handles.

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Sep 20, 2012
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505
After reading the thread about removing handles I started wondering how many people keep fire starting equipment under them, such as, a fero rod, quick tender tabs, etc.

I'm looking for pictures that show anything you carry in the hollowed out area under the handles.

Thanks.
 
I had thought about putting tinder tabs or fishing stuff under my handles. I decided not to for a few reasons.

If I NEED to get a fire going that is too much of a fine motor function to perform when you are cold. Finding the allen key, undoing the three bolts and not loosing them, fishing out the items you have compressed into the voids in the scales.

If you loose any of the hardwear the scales are less secure. Loose them all and you have a knife that will hurt you under extended use.

Most of the Beckers with grivory scales have a pouch on the sheath. Use that.

In my opinion the hassle and risk out weighs the function.

Jeremy
 
I had thought about putting tinder tabs or fishing stuff under my handles. I decided not to for a few reasons.

If I NEED to get a fire going that is too much of a fine motor function to perform when you are cold. Finding the allen key, undoing the three bolts and not loosing them, fishing out the items you have compressed into the voids in the scales.

Most of the Beckers with grivory scales have a pouch on the sheath. Use that.
In my opinion the hassle and risk out weighs the function.

Jeremy

I agree with this. We have pouches and packs for the purpose of carrying tinder to avoid such hassle. For me, I carry some in my pack, and some in my pocket. If I were to pack stuff in the handles, it would probably just be just some cotton since I have a firesteel on my sheath.
 
I had thought about putting tinder tabs or fishing stuff under my handles. I decided not to for a few reasons.

If I NEED to get a fire going that is too much of a fine motor function to perform when you are cold. Finding the allen key, undoing the three bolts and not loosing them, fishing out the items you have compressed into the voids in the scales.

Most of the Beckers with grivory scales have a pouch on the sheath. Use that.
In my opinion the hassle and risk out weighs the function.

Jeremy

Right now I'm in the process of putting clearcoat under my handles :) I am on my second coat after sanding the first. I am using VHT Clear Wheel Paint. Its very hard, almost like superglue when its dry. It does darken the steel a bit but its pretty much invisible otherwise.
 
Fishing line and hooks would be a perfect type of item to store in there. Maybe some aspirin or pepcid or something.

Use nylon locking nuts on the fullsize Beckers and just keep up with your hardware when you take it apart. Not that hard, and if it means there is 3 cubic inches more of storage space in an area that isn't going to negatively impact my setup in any way, then that is another 3 cubic inches of space. Worrying beforehand about what *might* happen (losing the handle hardware) is to me like saying "I will spend the next 30 days in the woods with just a knife, but I won't eat that cookie off the ground because it touched dirt."

Besides, I thought you liked a challenge Dres? ;)
 
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I had thought about putting tinder tabs or fishing stuff under my handles. I decided not to for a few reasons.

If I NEED to get a fire going that is too much of a fine motor function to perform when you are cold. Finding the allen key, undoing the three bolts and not loosing them, fishing out the items you have compressed into the voids in the scales.

If you loose any of the hardwear the scales are less secure. Loose them all and you have a knife that will hurt you under extended use.

Most of the Beckers with grivory scales have a pouch on the sheath. Use that.

In my opinion the hassle and risk out weighs the function.

Jeremy

I had the same thought.
 
Fishing line and hooks would be a perfect type of item to store in there. Maybe some aspirin or pepcid or something.

Use nylon locking nuts on the fullsize Beckers and just keep up with your hardware when you take it apart. Not that hard, and if it means there is 3 cubic inches more of storage space in an area that isn't going to negatively impact my setup in anyway, then that is another 3 cubic inches of space. Worrying beforehand about what *might* happen (losing the handle hardware) is to me like saying "I will spend the next 30 days in the woods with just a knife, but I won't eat that cookie off the ground because it touched dirt."

Besides, I thought you liked a challenge Dres? ;)

Nice Derek, way to call me out. Ha!

I agree, analysis can be paralysis. But the origional question was about fire starting stuff. It could be used for a 3rd or 4th option though.

Jeremy
 
This thread is probably only going to be legal in Washington and Colorado.
 
I think that if you only need the fire to combat the cold, then yes, that would be a mistake to store those items inside the handle scales, however, there are several reasons other than cold that one would need a fire for. Water sterilization, drying off cause you got wet in the creek, or maybe just to cook the fish you caught.

Of course, putting fire stuff in an easier to access location makes more sense to me, and if you have seen the size of my firesteel you would agree, there is no way I am getting that under my handle scales.
 
I agree with dresnor, and derekH. You could put fire making "survival" stuff in the little pouch that most of the knives have on the sheaths. and on the smaller knives (bk-14 bk-11) you could put piece of a bike tires inner tube around the sheath and store stuff that way. I did have an ESEE HEST once and put a bit of money in the handle for a "just in case....." sort of thing.
 
I think that if you only need the fire to combat the cold, then yes, that would be a mistake to store those items inside the handle scales, however, there are several reasons other than cold that one would need a fire for. Water sterilization, drying off cause you got wet in the creek, or maybe just to cook the fish you caught.

Of course, putting fire stuff in an easier to access location makes more sense to me, and if you have seen the size of my firesteel you would agree, there is no way I am getting that under my handle scales.

I agree there are other reasons to have a fire, I was trying to point out my thoughs on it. I admit most of my ways are based on safety.

That being said, I would like to try to see what I can fit in there for future reference. I don't think it would be the best practice for me but it would be a way to pass the time.

Jeremy
 
You know, some weatherproof matches, a chunk of magnesium, wetfire tenders, sewing supplies, fishing gear, water purification tabs, simple meds, safety pins, extra cash, rubber bands, snare wire, etc........would all be very handy. I'll never do this, cause I can fit twice the stuff in an altoids can, but for some it may be practical.
 
i think the spare allen wrench is a top shelf idea!! never know when you will have too take the handles off!!:D
 
I'm borrowing Guyon's knife when I go camping. Much more relaxing that way.
 
I havent used the space but If I do, I would put back ups of what I would already be carrying. Then way what I needed was easily available in my bag or accessory pouch, but if I was having a bad day and everything went wrong I would have those back ups... you know the days when Murphy is in a bad mood and takes it out on you. But like I said I havent used the space yet. Still working on primary set ups.
 
That's a great idea. I don't have a BK in hand at this moment, but there might be a place either in the sheath or even on the grip that one might store the wrench. Something to contemplate when deciding what mods to do.
 
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