Wearing a blade on your back.

H

howjadoo22

Joined
Jul 7, 2013
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5
This is my first time on this forum, so please be gentle. :p

I'm wondering if there are any reasons to wear a fixed-blade knife on the back of a MOLLE vest(Behind the right shoulder if you're right-handed)?

What would be the pros and cons of this kind of set-up?

What would be the maximum blade-length to use effectively (as in, NOT being too long to draw from the sheath)?

Is there an orientation for on-the-back carry that would be better than behind the strong-side shoulder?

Is small-of-the-back carry dangerous (falling on it and breaking your back)?

I'm not very knowledgeable when it comes to fixed-blades, so if this is a completely stupid idea, please forgive my ignorance. ;)

Thank you in advance for the help!
 
Why not try it yourself? I assume you already own a vest... so, just look around here a bit, pick out the fixed blade of your choosing (that comes with a sheath that you'll be able to attach/tie to MOLLE webbing) and test it out. Worst case scenario, it doesn't work, and you devise some other way to carry your blade.

My thoughts are that the latter situation is far more likely; having a knife behind your shoulder seems pretty impractical. Awkward to get to, compared to just having it on your chest or belt. But I've never worn a MOLLE vest before, (or MOLLE anything, or vest anything, come to think of it,) so take that opinion with a grain of salt.
 
On the back seems impractical unless you find yourself yawning and stretching in dangerous situations a lot. The worst place I can recommend is on your belt just above your butt, obviously set to draw with the preferred hand. Other than that there is on the chest, on the shin, on the thigh, and on the belt of course. Anywhere else (other than in the boot) is kinda stupid.
 
The first issue that comes to mind is ease of access and the extra time needed to deploy the knife. When it's on your waist, you don't have to move your hand very far to draw the knife. If it's up at your shoulder, you have to reach all the way up there, which takes longer.
 
If you're talking using it as a weapon, I agree with the guys above. If you're talking say a knife or short machete in the woods, having it out of the way on your pack like that but within reach MIGHT work, but I wouldn't recommend more than a 14" blade. Any long knives or machetes I take out, go in the same place as an axe or hawk, at my waist. When I wear my pack, I have a 4-6" knife strapped to the left strap on my chest for ease of access. If you're talking military application, I have no idea, except it seems you'd be better off with a smaller knife in easy reach.
 
If we're talking about a machete or something similar, on the back doesn't seem like it'd be that bad. I'm not sure about a molle vest, but I know that if I'm hiking somewhere and have my machete, it's usually on my pack where i can reach it.
 
Thanks for the replies, they were actually very helpful! If I were to have a blade mounted on a MOLLE system, it would be for emergency defensive use, and you guys are right that on-the-back is way too awkward and slow to reach for in that kind of situation.

If it were for a machete for clearing brush, then I think on-the-back would probably be the best place for it (if you're not wearing a pack).

For emergency defensive use, a blade mounted on a strong-side thigh rig seems like the best option.

If you have to reach across your body, your arm could be pinned by your attacker. If you're on the ground, you probably wouldn't be able to reach across at all anyway.

Are there any points there that I'm missing?
 
RemyKaze said:
Not that I can see. What kinda knife are you talking about?
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A fixed-blade "tactical" (yes I realize that word is over-used) knife with a blade between four and eight inches long (still trying to decide on a specific knife), in a kydex sheath.
 
I'm not going to be like everyone else and ask about your training, but I will ask whether you are in the military or a civilian. If you're a civilian, even if your state allows open carry of larger knives, having a smaller concealed knife will work better as a self defense item. It also can conveniently double as a work knife for every day use.

To be honest though, it takes a lot of wounds to put a full grown adult down with a knife. In that time, they could retaliate and hurt you as much as you hurt them. You'd basically get one to zero shots in before the SHTF, which is why I recommended a smaller concealable blade. Keep in mind, if you have to defend yourself and use a knife, you could easily be charged with a violent crime.
 
I am a civilian, but I would NOT be using that large of a knife as an EDC defensive blade, even if it were legal to carry in my state.

I'm not trying to be some kind of internet commando, or soldier wannabe, but I personally think it's a good idea for a responsible citizen to have a "tactical" (for lack of a better word) rig for any kind of "without-rule-of-law" situation. Also, this stuff just interests me.
I already have the basics of the gear I'd be wearing (vests, leg rigs, that kind of thing), and the gun-related stuff for it (I'm definitely much more of a gun guy and knowledgeable about firearms than I am about knives), so I'm just looking for advice on the blade side of things.
Originally I was (and still am) planning on having the blade in a kydex sheath mounted next to my sidearm on my right thigh using a MOLLE leg rig, but thought I would explore some other options.

I really appreciate the advice!
 
howjadoo22 said:
I'm wondering if there are any reasons to wear a fixed-blade knife on the back of a MOLLE vest(Behind the right shoulder if you're right-handed)?
Click to expand...
Personally, I cant see wearing a knife like that would be an advantage for me under any circumstance. Sounds awkward.

howjadoo22 said:
Is there an orientation for on-the-back carry that would be better than behind the strong-side shoulder?
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I like MOB. Knife is out of the way, but still readily accessible. Good way to carry a knife - for example when out on an ATV etc.




howjadoo22 said:
Is small-of-the-back carry dangerous (falling on it and breaking your back)?
Click to expand...
I guess, in a worst case scenario. Not more dangerous than a hundred other nightmare scenarios, that one can come up with though.
I wouldnt worry about it.
I'd worry more about having the knife being snatched by another person when carrying openly with a MOB carry.
Thats of course only a problem when in town and not really an issue when out hunting/hiking etc.
 
HWF said:
I wouldn't carry a fixed blade on my back, YMMV.
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But what if you want to be just like these guys?
Teenage-Mutant-Ninja-Turtles.jpg


I have carried a machete strapped to the side of my backpack, but that's as I have come to carrying a sword on my back.

n2s
 
I'm not trying to be a "mall ninja" or anything like that (I'm also definitely NOT talking about swords). "Tactical" just happens to be my current mindset. I would never wear MOLLE gear or similar things when out and about.

I appreciate wood and steel just as much as I can appreciate polymer and aluminum. I also appreciate friction folders, leather-handled bowies, and ancient weapons just as much as I do butterfly knives, assisted openers and "tactical" blades.

As for small-of-the-back carry, personally I think that I would only use it if I HAD to, only because it makes me paranoid. I understand that it is VERY unlikely that something would happen that makes you fall on it JUST the right way to break your back, but I guess that's just my own... weirdness.
 
Over the shoulder, on the back is not a good place to keep a blade, it's hard to reach quickly, and very hard to re-sheath easily.
Plus, there is the issue of a live blade edge near your neck/face, get excited, you're probably going to cut your own ear off.
I've found out in the woods, Small of Back or scout carry as it's sometimes called is very handy, as it doesn't catch on brush and undergrowth.
As to the risk to the back from falling, no real danger in my opinion.
 
I really like the cross draw position for a horizontal knife and sheath like Bob Dozier makes. His horizontal kydex sheaths are really fast and handy. When I EDC a fixed blade, it is a small <3" blade made by Dozier in that little sheath than almost nobody even notices. The knife I am referring to is a K42 Personal in 154 CPM (vs D2) with a Wharncliffe blade design similar to the K36 personal but with no finger grips on the handle and a little shorter blade. It is a position that allows you to get in and out of cars without catching on anything and very quick to grab the knife when standing. I carry this one in the woods too.

You have to ask yourself what you are carrying the blade to accomplish and make these tasks convenient for yourself. What size of a blade is comfortable for you to use?

Placing a larger fixed blade on a pack or some kind of tactical vest is okay. Police often have folders on their tactical vests. Hard to reach a small knife behind your back. I would rather have it attached at a convenient point on my chest or on my strong side in a vertical sheath. Machetes in a sheath attached to a pack is a different matter and works well. Normally you aren't grabbing them in an emergency.

I prefer to not bring a lot of attention to a knife that I am carrying. A big knife strapped to a vest or pack in the woods or along the trail is a great approach simply because the location of the blade is non-threatening to anyone you might encounter and it is out of the way for wearing other stuff. My pockets tend to be heavily used. A spare folder clipped to a back pants pocket is also are great carry approach.
 
You do not want anything on your back and very little in front of you if you are going for real world use. The most tactical rig is the one that gets rid of all the useless clutter. You run faster the less you carry and you can get those balls closer to the floor without a 4 inch standoff in front of you.

If you are holding a rifle you do not want or need much in the way of a combat knife. You need friends with rifles. For a rifleman type rig where you are not carrying body armor you want to get down as close to the ground as possible when the shooting starts. So as to present a small target for whoever is shooting at you. Charging into buildings standing up presenting a large target for people to shoot at is for SWAT TEAMS, not for lone civilians.

Oh yeah and it is pretty hard to holster stuff behind your back as well.
 
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