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#236630 - 11/30/11 09:35 PM Re: Tip up carry? I just don't get it [Re: TeacherRO]
paramedicpete Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 04/09/02
Posts: 1920
Loc: Frederick, Maryland
I do carry the knife on my PFD tip up.

Pete

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#236631 - 11/30/11 10:10 PM Re: Tip up carry? I just don't get it [Re: TeacherRO]
Denis Offline
Addict

Registered: 01/09/09
Posts: 631
Loc: Calgary, AB
Would I carry my knife that way? Not with the sheath I have right now, it's not built for that. That said, I do like having it accessible when backpacking so I lash it to my waist belt, point down.

I think the key is knowing your gear; there are sheaths out there that can be used inverted both safely and securely. With the proper gear, I think carrying your knife that way is a valid choice; you likely don't run the risk of loosing it or stabbing yourself any more than with any other carry method.

It's when you try to do things your gear isn't designed for that you start running into problems.
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Victory awaits him who has everything in order — luck, people call it. Defeat is certain for him who has neglected to take the necessary precautions in time; this is called bad luck. Roald Amundsen

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#236633 - 11/30/11 10:38 PM Re: Tip up carry? I just don't get it [Re: TeacherRO]
Adventureboy Offline
Journeyman

Registered: 11/18/09
Posts: 51
Loc: Peoria, AZ ,USA
I confess.... I do carry my LMF II tip up on the left side of my rucksack strap. However this is because I have extensively tested the locking system on the sheath and even without having the handle retaining straps fastened the thing won't fall out. Also when I am in the bush i hesitate to put anything on my belt larger than a Leatherman case.

Adventureboy

Standard Disclaimer- No Affiliation with Gerber Knives and Tools, I just like my product.
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Give what you cannot keep to gain what you cannot lose
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#236636 - 11/30/11 10:50 PM Re: Tip up carry? I just don't get it [Re: TeacherRO]
Adventureboy Offline
Journeyman

Registered: 11/18/09
Posts: 51
Loc: Peoria, AZ ,USA
@CANOEDOGS- Agreed, i copied my mentor, he was a Ranger during the first and second gulf wars.
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Give what you cannot keep to gain what you cannot lose
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#236637 - 11/30/11 11:03 PM Re: Tip up carry? I just don't get it [Re: Denis]
Paul810 Offline
Veteran

Registered: 03/02/03
Posts: 1428
Loc: NJ, USA
Running a fixed blade inverted over your shoulder was most notably a military thing. With all the stuff they carried (pack, multiple belts, ect) there wasn't too many places left one could keep a fixed blade/bayonet. Especially if you wanted it to be easily and quickly accessible with both hands and tight to your body.

Nowadays, you also see a lot of neck knives specifically designed for inverted neck carry.

As many have stated, the biggest downside to this form of carry is loss of knife and/or potential injury. A sheath specifically designed for inverted carry can help to mitigate this.

With that in mind, it's not a carry method I would recommend for everybody. Nor would it be the way I would want to carry my only knife in a survival situation.



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#236639 - 11/30/11 11:56 PM Re: Tip up carry? I just don't get it [Re: ]
hikermor Offline
Geezer in Chief
Geezer

Registered: 08/26/06
Posts: 7705
Loc: southern Cal
As others have stated, tip up carry on my PFD, typically worn when kayaking. In that mode, it is accessible to either hand. Being right handed, I prefer to mount it on the left side. I don't know if it looks cool or not, but it is there when I need it.
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#236656 - 12/01/11 05:45 AM Re: Tip up carry? I just don't get it [Re: TeacherRO]
comms Offline
Veteran

Registered: 07/23/08
Posts: 1502
Loc: Mesa, AZ
I did carry my knife tip up, electrical taped to my LBE when I was in. When you had a 60+ pound ruck sack on top of a LBE that had a buttpack, poncho, two canteens, full ammo cases, a compass and whatever else, including a M16 in front of you, it was damn hard to reach a fixed blade on your web belt digging into all those straps and whatsits. I switched off that style when I got an Sypderco Endura with serrated blade. It was super easy to clip to gear and be secure. Of course Leatherman wasn't really that big a name then, Gerber just came out with there multiplier, SA was still popular but bulky. Most grunts only kept a multi tool on their belt in garrison. But out in the field it was in a pocket and not easy to reach with full kit. MOLLE kind makes that easier now.

Sort of the same issue with low riding thigh holsters. You see this in a lot of movies and psuedo-crime/LEO shows on tv. That looks cool but its reality with operators or real LEO. It flops around way to much. A low ride might be offset off the belt a bit but not dropped low thigh. If on the belt its more than likely flush. I do know a lot of tactical teams now, thanks to MOLLE gear and better safeties, that put the sidearm on their weak side chest almost horizontal, so grabbing it is like putting your hand over your heart. It's high up on the chest when in CQB, or low crawling or laying behind cover.
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#236662 - 12/01/11 08:42 AM Re: Tip up carry? I just don't get it [Re: ]
Phaedrus Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 04/28/10
Posts: 3148
Loc: Big Sky Country
Originally Posted By: IzzyJG99


The only knives I trust to stay in their sheathes no matter the method of carry are the ESEE knives. I have two Izulas and God help you...you need to be George Atlas (Obscure reference from a 25 year old...) to get them out of that sheath the first time you get them.


+1. Regardless of the merits of carrying large fixed blades this way, it's virtually incomprehensible that you could lose an IZULA/I2 this way. It locks in very tightly and requires quite a tug to free it. And the sheath is sturdy enough that I think it eliminates the risk of being impaled.

But with the exception of a few neckers meant to be carried in this manner, carrying tip up is probably tempting fate. I wouldn't trust the retention of most sheaths on sub-$100 knives.
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#236663 - 12/01/11 12:58 PM Re: Tip up carry? I just don't get it [Re: Leigh_Ratcliffe]
NAro Online   content
Addict

Registered: 03/15/01
Posts: 518
IMHO tip up is easier with either hand on a LBV or lifejacket, or pack strap....as long as the knife is mounted higher than mid-point on your chest. If you mount your knife below your sternum, tip down is easier with either hand.

A sheath properly made for tip up carry shouldn't cost you a knife if it is used properly. Many (sometimes called "jump certified" or "para-certified") have secondary fasteners, too.

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#236671 - 12/01/11 04:33 PM Re: Tip up carry? I just don't get it [Re: Paul810]
ireckon Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 04/01/10
Posts: 1629
Loc: Northern California
Originally Posted By: Paul810
Nowadays, you also see a lot of neck knives specifically designed for inverted neck carry.


Hey, that reminds me! Have people here had experience loosing any neck knives? I was planning on getting a neck knife, but not if they're easily lost. (I have noted ESSE is reliable.)
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