I've had the same experience as your brother. You can create quite a reaction with a good size locking blade knife. I ususally carry 4" syderco clipped on the inside my pants. But for mixed company use I carry a smaller 1" blade folding locker in my pocket. Most of the time you don't get much of a reaction with that.

I normally carry several items on my belt which are covered by my vest. This includes a Leatherman Wave and a SureFire 6P, leather gloves, and pager(s). A sport coat will cover but the loaded belt does tend to get noticed in a setting where I remove the jacket. So in a more formal environment I have found that I can get by with just my large folder clipped to my pants waistband. I carry it just above my right pocket and find that the natural blousing of my shirt and the age related fat overhang conceal this very nicely. Only the knife clip is noticable and most of this is covered by my belt. Some folders are designed to ride very low on their clips and this would be my recommendation. (I carry an Emerson Viper 5 here, carry often, use very infrequently at work).<br><br>I also carry a Micra or a medium sized SAK both for their usefulness and as a loaner tool. I have found a SAK to be acceptable in nearly every work or social environment I have ever used it. Even my small Sebenza is more acceptable than my same sized Spydercos. The Sebenza looks like a "nice" tool with the utility blade shape, the grey handle scales....the Spyderco's look more scary for some reason, especially the all black serrated versions.<br><br>I generally avoid opening a knife one-handed in an office environment as most novices see this as scary. Open a medium sized folder with 2 hands before opening a box etc and you are much less noticable.<br><br>I think horizontal knife pouches are nearly invisible on your belt. You can again take advantage of shirt blousing or "fat" concealment.<br><br>I also carry a Leatherman Juice CS4 when I need smaller tools. The new leather pouch looks very nice and its bulk is much less than my Wave.<br><br>All my other "needs" are dumped in my EDC bag when I find I cannot carry them On-Body for some reason or other.<br>

Willie,<br><br>>>>It's also more likely to be returned if your keys are attached!<<<<br><br>The idea just keeps getting better and better.<br><br>Thanks,<br><br>John

Randy,<br><br>>>>I ... find that the natural blousing of my shirt and age related fat overhang conceal this very nicely.<<<<br><br>It's not fat; its an integrated annular nutrient survival store born form the wisdom of maturity. ... Or something like that. ;-}<br><br>John

Ah yes, John, you have sparked an idea.<br><br>I should probably add:<br><br>"quantity 15lb, integrated annular nutrient survival store"<br><br>to my EDC list:)<br><br>Thanks

Some say it's better to carry it on, not in you - see this

(horizontal cases for leatherman)<br><br>Have you tried a horizontal cell-phone case? I have a leather one, designed for medium-size Nokia phones, I keep my Wave, flashlight, duct tape and other stuff inside. Of course, I have to keep my phone separately, so I'm sometimes asked why do I carry two .

My regular carry knives with business dress are either the Chris Reeve Mnandi or a John Kubasek fancy folder. Both have unserrated blades under 3" and most people regard them more as Adult Toys/Male Jewelry rather than weapons. <br><br>The Mnandi's clip is shaped much like the clip of an upscale fountain pen. I can clip this knife to my shirt pocket and no one realizes it's a knife!<br><br>I also have a Leatherman WAVE in my briefbag, and keep a Swisstech Utili-key and a SOG Gent's knife on the keyring, along with a Photon Microlight. Plus an old dogtag, which can be used for a number of things. After the recent earthquake here I also carried a modified Penrith PSK and an Adventure Medical Kits Thermolite bivy in my briefbag as well.<br><br>If you have your suits custom tailored, they can put special pockets in the coat; I have tried to convince tailors to put special pockets inside trouser pockets, but they generally advise against doing so because of the effect it would have on the drape. Most tailors, and some off the rack suits, have small change pockets inside the right front trouser pocket. They tend to be flimsy, however. I have two suits with special knife pockets inside the coat. <br><br>One option is Dockers Mobile Pants. The right side front pocket has an inner pocket with a zipper which follows just inside the line of the outer pocket. Left unzipped, you can clip your folder to the inner pocket, and the clip will not show on the outside, yet the knife if still as accessible as if you had clipped it normally. I have yet to find a serious use for the other pockets, however. <br><br>Another option is to clip your knife to a large stiff postcard and place it inside the trouser pocket. The postcard also conceals the line of the knife. I was once compelled to carry a Benchmande 710 this way and it works fairly well.<br><br>

Thanks Grim, you make perfect sense here. I think I will try some of your suggestions. I also try and disguise things as much as possible otherwise people may get the wrong impression. I carry most of my small gear eg photon II, Fox40, windmill lighter, compass etc in a small pouch with my car keys attached with a small snap hook. My Swisstech Utilikey is with my house keys on another key case. I carry my Vic Swisschamp in my inside right jacket pocket and my Ryan 7 in my right trouser pocket behind my white handkerchief to mask shape. Phew!!! There's more...My PSK!!! in my left inside jacket pocket. I am starting to get used to all this. I have my 357 Magnum and my Polkowski Kasper in my Brief baf/Laptop bag.

Umm, does any1 know how to answer questions like "why do you have a whistle/wire/torch etc. without coming across as an extremely paranoid person? I'm talking now about an urban/business scenario, where a carrying a whisle seems very, well, paranoid.