Boot knives anyone?

Graham_S

Squirrely!
Feb 27, 2005
4,041
66
51
Saudi Arabia
When diving I used to carry my knife on my BCD on the centerline.
Unless I was wreck diving, Then I'd carry something a bit bigger on my thigh.
 

3bears

Settler
Jun 28, 2010
619
0
Anglesey, North Wales
your quite right calf carry is the worst place to carry a dive knife not only might you not be able to get it when tangled its probably the reason you get into a tangle

small cutter on the waist band next to the buckle is the best bet for not getting tangled or lost and being able to get it with either hand ;) (you never know when one hand might be trapped or busy and unable to get it

ATB

Duncan

lol I'm not fan of anything dangling- i've seen too many screw ups with people themselves getting caught up in the stuff they have festooned on themselves trying to move around a boat- (and laughed as a gauge console to the knackers look pretty painful!) or snagged below.

my knife lives pretty much next to the quick release for the weight system on my bcd, so it's easy to grab... I like the idea of shears though, I might have to invest in a pair :)
 

Ronnie

Settler
Oct 7, 2010
588
0
Highland
I used to have a boot knife when working on trawlers,it was there for the sole purpose of cutting ropes or nets that had tangled around my legs and threatened to drag me overboard.Yes there was the possibility of the rope trapping the knife but the chances of hanging onto a knife whilst being dragged to certain doom was far less.Other than that Personally I think having a knife in your boot would be classed as concealed carry in a place that you wouldn't normally conceal a knife and leave yourself wide open to people getting the wrong impression.

I used to have one of these:

CR2510ER_xlarge_9511_full_70.jpg


Hanging from my oilskins - no sheath so it was always to hand. Never got it caught up, but if it did it would just rip out anyway. I was on creel boats mostly and these were the days before self-shooting
 

Samon

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 24, 2011
3,970
45
Britannia!
It's when the sheath goes across your belt sideways and at the back of your belt..apparently. I think mr.grylls uses it and I'm guessing the scouts too..

Does seem fiddley though, but that's just my assumption.

Boot carry works quite nicely for me when mushrooming, I might glue a leather pocket/sheath on the inside of my boot and see how practical it is when I do some gardening tomorrow :)
 

Retired Member southey

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jun 4, 2006
11,098
13
your house!
I do like the pouch on the moccasins thing though, trying to get some tread less shoes at the moment to replace some that are worn, and looking at high moccasins, a little pouch would be cool!
 

Retired Member southey

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jun 4, 2006
11,098
13
your house!
It's scout carry because IIRC as the lead of a party you would be the guy pushing through the undergrowth and branches therefore having your knife on the back of your belt makes sense, then drawing it is easier if it's horizontal, all so it hides it if you come face to face with chaps, but still allowing for it to be drawn quickly if needed say a branch were to try and whip you?
 

sapper1

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Feb 3, 2008
2,572
1
swansea
It's scout carry because IIRC as the lead of a party you would be the guy pushing through the undergrowth and branches therefore having your knife on the back of your belt makes sense, then drawing it is easier if it's horizontal, all so it hides it if you come face to face with chaps, but still allowing for it to be drawn quickly if needed say a branch were to try and whip you?
I'd like to see the man who can draw his knife and cut a branch down before it hits him when it's whipping towards him.:)
(tongue firmly in cheek,I know what you mean though)
 

Graham_S

Squirrely!
Feb 27, 2005
4,041
66
51
Saudi Arabia
As I understand it, the term "Scout Carry" was coined by Tom Brown jr to refer to the way that Native American scouts carried their blades, a method he championed for use with his Tracker knives.
 

Tyla

Tenderfoot
Oct 9, 2006
73
1
45
Sussex, UK
Whats wrong with pockets? An opinel lives in my pocket permanently and does everything from making sandwiches to processing "roadkill" deer. Never needed anything else, seems to be alot of knives that are more a work of art than a tool on here. Very nice to look at but not very practical if you use it everyday.
 

Samon

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 24, 2011
3,970
45
Britannia!
Pockets are fine mate, but like I saidwhen I'm down on my knees foraging for mushrooms and ground injects I can't get my knife out of my trouser pocket easily. The boot carry over jacket pocket is because I don't want mess or gunk in my coat pockets but rather my dirty jeans and boots.
 

HHazeldean

Native
Feb 17, 2011
1,529
0
Sussex
Why can't you just take the knife out before you kneel down so that it is ready, that way it removes the potential risk of being caught with a concealed blade (perhaps, I don't know the law very well). This is what I do anyway.

However, boot knives are fantastic and I love the whole thing about knives 'hidden' in ones boot.

Cheers
 

Samon

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 24, 2011
3,970
45
Britannia!
Could do that, but would you feel as cool? ;)

I wouldn't boot carry a knife in any other circumstance than specifically going in the garden/woods with mushrooming or foraging intentions.
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,120
67
Florida
Why can't you just take the knife out before you kneel down so that it is ready, that way it removes the potential risk of being caught with a concealed blade (perhaps, I don't know the law very well). This is what I do anyway.

However, boot knives are fantastic and I love the whole thing about knives 'hidden' in ones boot.

Cheers

Not all boot carry is neccessarily concealed. As pointed out earlier a Daniel Boone style with an ordinary outdoors type knife on the outside of the boot would be quite as visible as a belt sheath. On the other hand a pouch such as Samon is describing would probably hold a folder and I'm not sure how that would really be any more concealed than if that same folder were carried in your pocket. Just trying to get away from the short dagger image that the word "boot knife" tends to conjure.
 

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