(Also posted to Spyderco forum)
I recently got both a Gunting and Gunting trainer, and I love this knife. So much so that it has become my EDC. As most forumites know, the Gunting is a large folder, with a protruding ramp above the Spyderhole. I normally take the clips off my folders, and carry them in my pocket. However, because of its size and the ramp, the Gunting cant be carried this way, since the ramp will eat up pockets, and if the ramp snags on the inside of the pocket or your hand, it can open the knife accidentally (ouch!). Apparently, plenty of Gunting owners dont like to use the clip provided with the knife, since there is a bit of discussion about aftermarket sheaths for this knife. Since I dont like to use folder clips (too much wear and tear on the pockets), I was looking into an aftermarket sheath when I had a brainstorm.
I took a mini Tek-lok, removed the mounting screws on the outside face, and ran a short length of paracord through 2 of the holes in the outside face, so that I could clip the Gunting onto the horizontal length of paracord. [For those who dont know, a Tek-lok is a plastic widget, manufactured by Blade-Tech, which consists of 2 pieces of plastic which are hinged together on one end, and which snap closed over a belt. When attached, the outside face of the Tek-lok (which has a grid of holes drilled into it) can be used to attach a sheath by fixing 2 or more screws through the rivet holes in the sheath and through some of the holes on the face of the Tek-lok.] It worked great! It held the knife securely, yet not rigidly. The knife can rotate enough in all directions that it never digs into my side when I sit or bend at the waist. The clip on the Gunting is very wide and is located in the center of the knife, not on the end like most knives, so the Gunting doesnt dangle from the Tek-lok it is held in a very stable position. After a day, and many practice draws, I could see that the paracord wasnt going to hold up very well, so I replaced it with a short length of speaker wire (I separated a two-strand length of medium-gauge wire; the wire is narrow enough to fit easily through the holes on the Tek-lok, but if you knot the wire, it wont pull through the hole). Perfect! Total material cost: zero (I already had a spare Tek-lok).
Advantages:
-Tek-lok can be located at almost any position around your waist.
-No wear-and-tear on the pocket or belt.
-Good retention.
-Knife held in a good position for a natural draw.
-Minimal cost.
-Minimal weight and bulk.
-If knife is removed and placed in a pocket, Tek-lok is almost invisible, and even if noticed, it is not obvious what it is.
Disadvantages:
-You need to wear a belt.
-Tek-lok doesnt hold knife closed, so it is theoretically possible for the knife to open accidentally while on the Tek-lok, although this seems very unlikely with knife clipped tip-down.
-Doesnt work well for most folders because the clip is usually located at the end of the knife and the clips are usually narrow, so the knife tends to dangle loosely from the Tech-lok, making a draw more difficult, and drawing attention to the knife. Its easier to just clip the folder to a pocket, or carry it loose.
I appreciate a well-made sheath as much as anyone, but for the Gunting and for my purposes, the Tek-lok seems to be just about the perfect carry solution.
miguel
I recently got both a Gunting and Gunting trainer, and I love this knife. So much so that it has become my EDC. As most forumites know, the Gunting is a large folder, with a protruding ramp above the Spyderhole. I normally take the clips off my folders, and carry them in my pocket. However, because of its size and the ramp, the Gunting cant be carried this way, since the ramp will eat up pockets, and if the ramp snags on the inside of the pocket or your hand, it can open the knife accidentally (ouch!). Apparently, plenty of Gunting owners dont like to use the clip provided with the knife, since there is a bit of discussion about aftermarket sheaths for this knife. Since I dont like to use folder clips (too much wear and tear on the pockets), I was looking into an aftermarket sheath when I had a brainstorm.
I took a mini Tek-lok, removed the mounting screws on the outside face, and ran a short length of paracord through 2 of the holes in the outside face, so that I could clip the Gunting onto the horizontal length of paracord. [For those who dont know, a Tek-lok is a plastic widget, manufactured by Blade-Tech, which consists of 2 pieces of plastic which are hinged together on one end, and which snap closed over a belt. When attached, the outside face of the Tek-lok (which has a grid of holes drilled into it) can be used to attach a sheath by fixing 2 or more screws through the rivet holes in the sheath and through some of the holes on the face of the Tek-lok.] It worked great! It held the knife securely, yet not rigidly. The knife can rotate enough in all directions that it never digs into my side when I sit or bend at the waist. The clip on the Gunting is very wide and is located in the center of the knife, not on the end like most knives, so the Gunting doesnt dangle from the Tek-lok it is held in a very stable position. After a day, and many practice draws, I could see that the paracord wasnt going to hold up very well, so I replaced it with a short length of speaker wire (I separated a two-strand length of medium-gauge wire; the wire is narrow enough to fit easily through the holes on the Tek-lok, but if you knot the wire, it wont pull through the hole). Perfect! Total material cost: zero (I already had a spare Tek-lok).
Advantages:
-Tek-lok can be located at almost any position around your waist.
-No wear-and-tear on the pocket or belt.
-Good retention.
-Knife held in a good position for a natural draw.
-Minimal cost.
-Minimal weight and bulk.
-If knife is removed and placed in a pocket, Tek-lok is almost invisible, and even if noticed, it is not obvious what it is.
Disadvantages:
-You need to wear a belt.
-Tek-lok doesnt hold knife closed, so it is theoretically possible for the knife to open accidentally while on the Tek-lok, although this seems very unlikely with knife clipped tip-down.
-Doesnt work well for most folders because the clip is usually located at the end of the knife and the clips are usually narrow, so the knife tends to dangle loosely from the Tech-lok, making a draw more difficult, and drawing attention to the knife. Its easier to just clip the folder to a pocket, or carry it loose.
I appreciate a well-made sheath as much as anyone, but for the Gunting and for my purposes, the Tek-lok seems to be just about the perfect carry solution.
miguel
