I carry an Al Mar S.E.R.E. knife whenever I go out. Like many others, the Al Mar comes with a pocket clip to keep it in place, but the disadvantage is that it's obvious to anyone you're carrying a big honkin' knife. The alternative is to put it in the pocket, but then it usually falls irritatingly flat to the bottom of the pocket.

My solution to this was to comandeer my wife's sewing machine one day last spring. For those of you (like me) who had never given it any thought before, the pocket on men's pants consists of a small envelope of material that is sewn into the pant material. I gathered up all my pants and sewed a vertical line up the right edge of the right pocket in each pair of pants. This line was made so there was about a 1.5 inch mini-pocket. For the Al Mar, this is just wide enough to hold it upright on the outside edge (that is, the edge by the hip, not by the zipper). I also sewed a horizontal line at a level just low enough to allow me to insert the knife completely into the pocket. This still gives me a functional pocket (somewhat narrower now) and my knife exactly where I want it (sans pocket clip) without it being obvious.

My wife fixed the sewing machine the several times I got it hopelessly balled up with thread and has since forgiven me. I didn't know they were so complicated. (Sewing machines that is. I did know how complicated wives were.)

My wife was pissed that she showed me how to thread the machine, and I took it from there and sewed up a down vest from a kit with hardly any help from her. Near as I can tell, it's just another power tool.

Two survival items that don't get nearly enough attention on this forum:

(1) A crisp $100.00 bill in an ankle holder.
(2) The ability to sense when the Mrs. is getting unhappy.

All the gear in the world isn't going to help you with #2!

<img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Another reason to keep that Al Mar handy.

She's not really all that pissed, "jovially ticked off" might be a better description. Anyways, I'm very fortunate that my wife never really gets irrational. And I've learned that if she does, I just have to feed her, water her, and make sure she's had a nap, and she recovers.

Oh, so you know my wife.

I used to do that years ago for an old Buck Folding Hunter, but had forgotten all about doing that. As I recall it worked just great, have to try it again. Thanks for reminding me of it!!!

That's a great idea. I am finding that when wearing jeans, I end up with two raquet ball sized bulges on each side. Keys and lighter on the left, EDC kit on a ket ring on the right. I carry my Griptilian in my back right pocket, but that vertical mini pocket would be good for a flashlight. I have three pairs of Columbia Roc pants that have great organization and cause little trouble, but I look rather odd in jeans if I've been standing a while and everything has "settled".

The $100 bill thing works very well with my wife. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Perhaps not, but offering to buy her some jewelry from QVC might!

That's where I bought My Better Half a bracelet for our 13th anniversary. I let her pick it out and I picked up the tab.

-- Craig