Michael Janich
01-27-2002, 12:00 AM
Dear MBC Forumites:
There has been some discussion lately about methods of achieving more PC or "sheepl-friendly" knife carry. To some, the idea of clipping a knife to the top of the pocket is too high profile for the rules of their working environment. As such, I thought I'd share some hints on carrying knives in a pocket -- a lower profile yet still acceptable alternative for MBC carry. The following is an excerpt from my book "Street Steel." Hopefully, it covers the topic well and will give you some food for thought concerning alternative carry methods.
Thanks for your continued interest in the MBC forum and my writings.
POCKET CARRY OF FOLDING KNIVES
Carrying a folding knife in a pocket is convenient, practical, and low-profile way of packing a personal defense blade. When done properly, with a little bit of forethought, this carry can allow for surprisingly quick draws. When done incorrectly, however, such a carry can promote a false sense of security and make a quick draw nearly impossible.
The first rule when carrying a folder in your pocket is: Do not carry anything else in that pocket. Drawing a folding knife in a hurry is a difficult enough task without having to sort through a bunch of other junk to get at it. Keeping your knife alone in a pocket allows you to shove your hand in quickly and get an immediate purchase on it. Anything less simply won't do.
Next you must decide in which pocket you'll carry your knife. Though it's possible to carry a defensive folder in a shirt or coat pocket, unless all your shirts are of very similar design with pockets in exactly the same place or you wear the same style of coat all the time, you're better off carrying your knife in a pants pocket. In addition to the fact that pants styles are more uniform than shirt and coat styles, draws from pants pockets tend to be faster because the hand doesn't have to travel as far to access the weapon.
Most styles of pants have two interior front pockets and one or two exterior or "patch" pockets on the rear. Interior pockets have the disadvantage of snagging and turning inside out when you try to remove something from them quickly. Knives also tend to shift in interior pockets, making it difficult to get a predictable grip when you reach for your knife. These pockets are therefore a poor place to carry a knife. Since patch pockets are sewn directly to the base material, they cannot turn inside out and will normally give up a knife without snagging. The fact that most men carry their wallets in their back pockets also makes it possible to draw your knife by feigning a natural move for your wallet.
The problem with carrying a knife in your back pocket is that the pressure on the knife when you sit down tends to wear out the pocket. This is undesirable for two reasons: the outline of your knife prints through the pocket letting everyone know you're armed, and pants aren't cheap.
You can minimize the wear and tear on your pocket by choosing a knife with a very flat, smooth profile. Although you generally want to get as much of your hand in your pocket as possible to get a firm grasp on your knife before you draw, you can also reduce pocket wear by stitching part of your pocket shut to hold your knife more vertically. This is best done with pants that already have designer pocket stitching, since it gives you a pattern to follow and conceals the alteration. Pants that fit somewhat loosely also tend to minimize pocket wear, as well as making it easier to get your hand into the pocket to initiate a draw.
Once you've chosen a pocket in which to carry your knife, you need to place your knife properly within that pocket. A quick draw can be followed by a quick opening only if you know exactly how the knife is positioned in the pocket before you reach for it. In general, you'll want to place your knife in the pocket so you can immediately grasp it in the pre-opening position. For example, if you prefer a thumb opening with your right hand, your knife should be positioned in your right rear pocket blade down with the handle butt to the left. When you reach into your pocket, your palm will face your body so your fingers and thumb can encircle the knife in a secure standard grip before removing the knife. When your hand clears the pocket, it is already in position on the knife to execute a thumb opening. This positioning also works for a standard grip inertia opening.
If you prefer a blade grip/handle swing opening, your knife should be positioned blade up in the pocket with the butt of the handle facing to the right. To draw the knife, reach into your pocket with your palm facing your body and curl your fingers around the knife. As you do this, place your thumb and index finger on opposite sides of the blade back so that as soon as the knife clears the pocket, you can pinch the blade back and flow directly into your opening technique.
For reverse grip openings, including the ring finger opening and the reverse grip inertia opening, place the knife blade down in the pocket with the butt facing to the right. Reach into the pocket with your palm facing your body and you will find yourself gripping the knife in a perfect position to execute either of these reverse grip openings.
Another method of pocket carry is to have a special knife pocket sewn onto your pants. This allows you to take full advantage of your other pockets and gives you the ability to choose the exact location of the pocket to support a specific drawing and opening method. When I was working in Vietnam a few years ago, I had several pairs of work pants made for the occasion. Since Vietnamese laundry facilities, like practically everything else in that country, left something to be desired, I chose a durable permanent press cloth in various shades that hid dirt well. To foil the ever present Vietnamese pickpockets, I had the all open pockets cut very high to make it difficult to get anything into or out of them and I had cargo pockets with substantial Velcro closures added to each pants leg.
I also had a knife pocket added to the outer side of the right pant leg so that the bottom of the pocket was even with the tips of my fingers when my hand hung naturally at my side. The dimensions of this narrow vertical pocket were based on the dimensions of my carry knife at the time, a Benchmade balisong with a three inch blade. When placed in the pocket butt first, the knife was completely concealed. It also could not fall out, even during rigorous movements such as jumping out of hovering helicopters, falling down mountainsides, and kicking obnoxious cyclo drivers (believe me, I've done them all and still have my knife). However, when I curled my fingers under the pocket and lifted, the knife would slide upward out of the pocket and directly into the grip of my index finger and thumb. As I gained a partial grip on the knife and continued to lift it out of my pocket, the locking latch (which secures the two handles together when the knife is fully open or closed) hooked purposefully on the narrow lip of the pocket and was released just as the knife cleared. This left the knife in perfect position in my hand for a rapid standard grip opening.
This is just one example of how a special knife pocket can be used to tailor a carry to your specific needs. The disadvantage of this is that you must also tailor all your pants and shorts to meet this need. Unless you or a close friend are handy with a needle and thread, custom tailoring of this sort can be an expensive proposition.
If you carry a non-standard folding design as your personal defense knife, there is a simple way to determine how to position it in your pocket. Hold the closed knife in the beginning grip for your preferred one-handed opening technique and simply stick your hand all the way in your pocket. Release the knife, being careful not to let it roll or turn as you remove your hand. Then reinsert your hand and see if you can automatically establish the same grip. If so, note the knife's position and ensure that you place it in your pocket the same way every time.
For example, when I carried a balisong in my back pocket, I preferred a reverse forward swing opening technique. As described earlier, this requires that the knife be gripped butt end up with the safe handle be against your palm. For "Batangas-style" knives, which have the locking latch attached to the free handle, the latch is popped with the thumb before the opening begins. Gripping the knife in the preparatory position for this opening and placing it in my right rear pocket, the knife came to rest with the butt end facing to the right and the safe handle uppermost. By reaching into the pocket with my right hand, palm facing my body, I could instantly establish this grip and open the knife the instant it cleared the pocket. As mentioned earlier, being able to index your grip on a balisong the second you grip it is extremely important to avoid cutting yourself when opening the knife one handed.
One final note on pocket carries: If you carry your defensive blade in a pocket, check and clean it often. Pockets tend to collect all kinds of lint and trash that can prevent your knife from opening and locking properly. By flattening the end of a cotton swab with a pair of pliers and dipping it in alcohol, you can swab the inside of a folder clean in a few minutes. Toothpicks also work well to clean dirt and lint from the locking notches of lockback knives. Once everything is clean, a drop or two of oil or other lubricant will keep the action of your knife slick. Too much oil will actually attract lint and dust, so don't get carried away.
Stay safe,
mike j
There has been some discussion lately about methods of achieving more PC or "sheepl-friendly" knife carry. To some, the idea of clipping a knife to the top of the pocket is too high profile for the rules of their working environment. As such, I thought I'd share some hints on carrying knives in a pocket -- a lower profile yet still acceptable alternative for MBC carry. The following is an excerpt from my book "Street Steel." Hopefully, it covers the topic well and will give you some food for thought concerning alternative carry methods.
Thanks for your continued interest in the MBC forum and my writings.
POCKET CARRY OF FOLDING KNIVES
Carrying a folding knife in a pocket is convenient, practical, and low-profile way of packing a personal defense blade. When done properly, with a little bit of forethought, this carry can allow for surprisingly quick draws. When done incorrectly, however, such a carry can promote a false sense of security and make a quick draw nearly impossible.
The first rule when carrying a folder in your pocket is: Do not carry anything else in that pocket. Drawing a folding knife in a hurry is a difficult enough task without having to sort through a bunch of other junk to get at it. Keeping your knife alone in a pocket allows you to shove your hand in quickly and get an immediate purchase on it. Anything less simply won't do.
Next you must decide in which pocket you'll carry your knife. Though it's possible to carry a defensive folder in a shirt or coat pocket, unless all your shirts are of very similar design with pockets in exactly the same place or you wear the same style of coat all the time, you're better off carrying your knife in a pants pocket. In addition to the fact that pants styles are more uniform than shirt and coat styles, draws from pants pockets tend to be faster because the hand doesn't have to travel as far to access the weapon.
Most styles of pants have two interior front pockets and one or two exterior or "patch" pockets on the rear. Interior pockets have the disadvantage of snagging and turning inside out when you try to remove something from them quickly. Knives also tend to shift in interior pockets, making it difficult to get a predictable grip when you reach for your knife. These pockets are therefore a poor place to carry a knife. Since patch pockets are sewn directly to the base material, they cannot turn inside out and will normally give up a knife without snagging. The fact that most men carry their wallets in their back pockets also makes it possible to draw your knife by feigning a natural move for your wallet.
The problem with carrying a knife in your back pocket is that the pressure on the knife when you sit down tends to wear out the pocket. This is undesirable for two reasons: the outline of your knife prints through the pocket letting everyone know you're armed, and pants aren't cheap.
You can minimize the wear and tear on your pocket by choosing a knife with a very flat, smooth profile. Although you generally want to get as much of your hand in your pocket as possible to get a firm grasp on your knife before you draw, you can also reduce pocket wear by stitching part of your pocket shut to hold your knife more vertically. This is best done with pants that already have designer pocket stitching, since it gives you a pattern to follow and conceals the alteration. Pants that fit somewhat loosely also tend to minimize pocket wear, as well as making it easier to get your hand into the pocket to initiate a draw.
Once you've chosen a pocket in which to carry your knife, you need to place your knife properly within that pocket. A quick draw can be followed by a quick opening only if you know exactly how the knife is positioned in the pocket before you reach for it. In general, you'll want to place your knife in the pocket so you can immediately grasp it in the pre-opening position. For example, if you prefer a thumb opening with your right hand, your knife should be positioned in your right rear pocket blade down with the handle butt to the left. When you reach into your pocket, your palm will face your body so your fingers and thumb can encircle the knife in a secure standard grip before removing the knife. When your hand clears the pocket, it is already in position on the knife to execute a thumb opening. This positioning also works for a standard grip inertia opening.
If you prefer a blade grip/handle swing opening, your knife should be positioned blade up in the pocket with the butt of the handle facing to the right. To draw the knife, reach into your pocket with your palm facing your body and curl your fingers around the knife. As you do this, place your thumb and index finger on opposite sides of the blade back so that as soon as the knife clears the pocket, you can pinch the blade back and flow directly into your opening technique.
For reverse grip openings, including the ring finger opening and the reverse grip inertia opening, place the knife blade down in the pocket with the butt facing to the right. Reach into the pocket with your palm facing your body and you will find yourself gripping the knife in a perfect position to execute either of these reverse grip openings.
Another method of pocket carry is to have a special knife pocket sewn onto your pants. This allows you to take full advantage of your other pockets and gives you the ability to choose the exact location of the pocket to support a specific drawing and opening method. When I was working in Vietnam a few years ago, I had several pairs of work pants made for the occasion. Since Vietnamese laundry facilities, like practically everything else in that country, left something to be desired, I chose a durable permanent press cloth in various shades that hid dirt well. To foil the ever present Vietnamese pickpockets, I had the all open pockets cut very high to make it difficult to get anything into or out of them and I had cargo pockets with substantial Velcro closures added to each pants leg.
I also had a knife pocket added to the outer side of the right pant leg so that the bottom of the pocket was even with the tips of my fingers when my hand hung naturally at my side. The dimensions of this narrow vertical pocket were based on the dimensions of my carry knife at the time, a Benchmade balisong with a three inch blade. When placed in the pocket butt first, the knife was completely concealed. It also could not fall out, even during rigorous movements such as jumping out of hovering helicopters, falling down mountainsides, and kicking obnoxious cyclo drivers (believe me, I've done them all and still have my knife). However, when I curled my fingers under the pocket and lifted, the knife would slide upward out of the pocket and directly into the grip of my index finger and thumb. As I gained a partial grip on the knife and continued to lift it out of my pocket, the locking latch (which secures the two handles together when the knife is fully open or closed) hooked purposefully on the narrow lip of the pocket and was released just as the knife cleared. This left the knife in perfect position in my hand for a rapid standard grip opening.
This is just one example of how a special knife pocket can be used to tailor a carry to your specific needs. The disadvantage of this is that you must also tailor all your pants and shorts to meet this need. Unless you or a close friend are handy with a needle and thread, custom tailoring of this sort can be an expensive proposition.
If you carry a non-standard folding design as your personal defense knife, there is a simple way to determine how to position it in your pocket. Hold the closed knife in the beginning grip for your preferred one-handed opening technique and simply stick your hand all the way in your pocket. Release the knife, being careful not to let it roll or turn as you remove your hand. Then reinsert your hand and see if you can automatically establish the same grip. If so, note the knife's position and ensure that you place it in your pocket the same way every time.
For example, when I carried a balisong in my back pocket, I preferred a reverse forward swing opening technique. As described earlier, this requires that the knife be gripped butt end up with the safe handle be against your palm. For "Batangas-style" knives, which have the locking latch attached to the free handle, the latch is popped with the thumb before the opening begins. Gripping the knife in the preparatory position for this opening and placing it in my right rear pocket, the knife came to rest with the butt end facing to the right and the safe handle uppermost. By reaching into the pocket with my right hand, palm facing my body, I could instantly establish this grip and open the knife the instant it cleared the pocket. As mentioned earlier, being able to index your grip on a balisong the second you grip it is extremely important to avoid cutting yourself when opening the knife one handed.
One final note on pocket carries: If you carry your defensive blade in a pocket, check and clean it often. Pockets tend to collect all kinds of lint and trash that can prevent your knife from opening and locking properly. By flattening the end of a cotton swab with a pair of pliers and dipping it in alcohol, you can swab the inside of a folder clean in a few minutes. Toothpicks also work well to clean dirt and lint from the locking notches of lockback knives. Once everything is clean, a drop or two of oil or other lubricant will keep the action of your knife slick. Too much oil will actually attract lint and dust, so don't get carried away.
Stay safe,
mike j