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#218312 - 03/03/11 01:22 PM Re: attaching a knife to back pack [Re: ScouterMan]
JBMat Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 03/03/09
Posts: 745
Loc: NC
Mounting a knife on a strap handle down looks cool. Pretty freaking useless, but cool. If the strap restraining the knife hooks on something, or the button on your buck opens, the knife falls and you may not notice. No knife. Leads to dirty words.

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#218313 - 03/03/11 03:04 PM Re: attaching a knife to back pack [Re: JBMat]
hikermor Offline
Geezer in Chief
Geezer

Registered: 08/26/06
Posts: 7705
Loc: southern Cal
The upside down knife may or may not look cool - I really have no idea. I encountered this technique in cave diving, where you fairly regularly encounter situations where you really need a knife, and quickly. Drawing with either hand is a worthwhile advantage.

You are certainly correct about more easily losing the knife in this position. I would rather attach the knife to the waist belt of the pack, or just keep it in the pack. Another option is to simply slip a SAK into your pocket. It will do 99.9% of what the larger, more bulky blade will accomplish.

In a lot of situations, off trail in dense brush or in technical climbing situations, a slim uncluttered profile is a most important consideration. I can't ever recall a situation where I really needed the quick draw capability of the upside down mount. But if the QD is what you want, attach it handle down.
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Geezer in Chief

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#218315 - 03/03/11 03:17 PM Re: attaching a knife to back pack [Re: ScouterMan]
6pac Offline
Journeyman

Registered: 09/17/10
Posts: 80
Loc: N.E. Alabama
Here's a question that I know has been brought up in the past.

What if you carry your pocket knife in your right pocket and your right arm becomes disabled, how do you get to your knife?
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"Work like you don't need the money, love like you've never been hurt, and dance like you do when nobody's watching."

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#218316 - 03/03/11 03:22 PM Re: attaching a knife to back pack [Re: ScouterMan]
jzmtl Offline
Addict

Registered: 03/18/10
Posts: 530
Loc: Montreal Canada
Reach around with your left arm, it's not that hard lol.

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#218320 - 03/03/11 03:51 PM Re: attaching a knife to back pack [Re: 6pac]
bsmith Offline
day hiker
Addict

Registered: 02/15/07
Posts: 589
Loc: ventura county, ca
Originally Posted By: 6pac
What if you carry your pocket knife in your right pocket and your right arm becomes disabled, how do you get to your knife?

"Reach around with your left arm, it's not that hard lol."

it may be a little more difficult than that, esp. if wearing jeans, other less-than-loose pants, or not in cargo-type pockets.

i tried it once - had to drop the pants to access that pocket. knife or other items were then relocated to the left.
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“Everyone should have a horse. It is a great way to store meat without refrigeration. Just don’t ever get on one.”
- ponder's dad

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#218321 - 03/03/11 03:54 PM Re: attaching a knife to back pack [Re: Tyber]
JerryFountain Offline
Addict

Registered: 12/06/07
Posts: 418
Loc: St. Petersburg, Florida
Originally Posted By: Tyber
I would suggest doing a drop leg solution for your knife to get it out of the way of the hip belt.

While attaching it to the shoulder strap would work and would keep the knife near you while you had the backpack on, once you remove the pack you don't have the knife.

From my old SAR days, the philosophy was that if you didn't have it ON you, you didn't really have it. That type and style knife is a great tool one that I would rather have on my body than have to say "where is my pack" when I need it. Speaking of "where is my pack" if you take off your bag and it decides to go on "walk about" down a hill/ into a river or anything like that, well you get the picture.

Aside from all of that I would use Electrical tape to attach the knife to my shoulder strap. Just be VERY careful when you put the knife back in the sheath..


Tyber,

Although the leg mount looks tactical (and is very practical when you are tactical) it is a very poor way to carry anything while hiking. You are effectively carrying about 5 times the weight of the objects on your thigh because you are lifting them with every step. Not very useful for a long walk. If you don't need it often, keep it in the pack. If you need it regularly, mount it on the waistband or packstrap, or in my preferred position, alongside the pack (I mount it in the ski slots under the side pockets of my pack) upright so that I can reach it over my shoulder. A large knife or machete is easy to carry this way and accessable quickly.

Yes, SAR philosophy is ON you, which is why you keep your 24 hr. pack with you at all times.

Respectfully,

Jerry

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#218322 - 03/03/11 03:57 PM Re: attaching a knife to back pack [Re: ScouterMan]
bsmith Offline
day hiker
Addict

Registered: 02/15/07
Posts: 589
Loc: ventura county, ca
use to carry a large knife in that position. i used velcro strips, normally used for securing computer or other electrical wires. the kydex sheath had attachment holes that accommodated them. after several years i relocated it to inside the pack. i felt i had no need for immediate use - useless against bears, lions are faster, and outside carry might antagonize knuckleheads. and i've read that in a knife fight, someone dies.
_________________________
“Everyone should have a horse. It is a great way to store meat without refrigeration. Just don’t ever get on one.”
- ponder's dad

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#218323 - 03/03/11 04:55 PM Re: attaching a knife to back pack [Re: 6pac]
Tyber Offline
Sheriff
Enthusiast

Registered: 04/27/09
Posts: 304
Loc: ST. Paul MN
Originally Posted By: 6pac
Here's a question that I know has been brought up in the past.

What if you carry your pocket knife in your right pocket and your right arm becomes disabled, how do you get to your knife?


I cheat.. I carry a knife in my left back pocket, in adition to my right front pocket. and ocasionaly I even carry a knife in my right back pocket. all are one handed openers and ocasionaly the left handed knife is an assitted opening knife.

I have been in a situation where my right hand was holidng me up while I was climbing industrial shelving and I couldn't reach my knife with my left hand. That is why I now carry at least two single handed opening knives.

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#218324 - 03/03/11 05:05 PM Re: attaching a knife to back pack [Re: Teslinhiker]
Eugene Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 12/26/02
Posts: 2995
Originally Posted By: Teslinhiker
I have the Buck 119. The total length of the knife is 10.5 inches and you can add on a bit more for the sheath. That is lot of knife to be hanging off the shoulder strap of a backpack. That said, when I carry the Buck, it goes in the top external pocket of the pack and although it is not fully and readily accessible, it is still not that difficult to get to if needed.

Hikermor mentioned zip ties. However I am not sure they would work if the newer sheaths are like my old sheath which is fairly thick, stiff and very slick. The zip ties to hold the sheath 100% in place upside down would need to fairly tight to not squish the sheath to the point that the knife is difficult to remove/insert back into the sheath.

With the sheath and most backpack straps being black,you may want to utilize a couple or 3 narrow strips of black duct or gaffers tape in order to keep the neat appearance you are looking for.


Edit: Curiosity got the best of me. I tried the zip ties (only have white.) As I suspected, I would really have to crank the ties up tight in order to keep the sheath from eventually working it's way lose. Although that could be mitigated by adding another tie around the sheath right under where the handle strap is.

Still I would rather keep the knife in the backpack pocket as that knife is too big to be carried in this manner for me.






I can't see pictures at work so I'm assuming since my Buck 110 Sheath has a belt loop that the 119 would too. I think thats what hikermor was intending, put the zip ites through the belt loop on the sheath not around the whole sheath then the sheath can't fall. Or are you saying the knife works it way loose from the sheath.
Maybe this is where the idea os the small neck knives came from, son't want to put your big heavy knife on the strap so get a small knife to go on the strap.

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#218325 - 03/03/11 05:09 PM Re: attaching a knife to back pack [Re: Eugene]
thseng Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 03/24/06
Posts: 900
Loc: NW NJ
One simple solution is to simply unthread the lower webbing of the pack strap, thread it through the sheath's belt loop and then re-thread it through the buckle. Then the sheath rides on your side, approximately where it would on your belt.
_________________________
- Tom S.

"Never trust and engineer who doesn't carry a pocketknife."

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