Knife carry; left or right side of belt?

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On which side do you wear your knife?

  • Right side, I'm right handed

    Votes: 32 45.7%
  • Right side, I'm left handed

    Votes: 7 10.0%
  • Left side, I'm left handed

    Votes: 6 8.6%
  • Left side, I'm right handed

    Votes: 13 18.6%
  • Either side, I'm ambidextrous

    Votes: 1 1.4%
  • Left side, I'm ambidextrous

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Right side, I'm ambidextrous

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Other, please state

    Votes: 11 15.7%

  • Total voters
    70
  • Poll closed .

shaggystu

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Nov 10, 2003
4,345
33
Derbyshire
Thanks for the advice. It wasn`t unsafe as much as it was inconvenient though. I solved it by carrying my knife on the right hip so it isn`t 'backwards' anymore and that works for me. I should experiment a bit with the baldric carry too, as I`ve heard much good about it on here in the last couple of days.

no worries mate. i hope you don't think i was trying to preach at all, but i get goosebumps when i hear someone say that they're getting the knife upside down. scary :yikes:
 

Two Socks

Settler
Jan 27, 2011
750
0
Norway
no worries mate. i hope you don't think i was trying to preach at all, but i get goosebumps when i hear someone say that they're getting the knife upside down. scary :yikes:

And indeed: A pushcut could have been rather unpleasant... I didn`t take it as preaching. All well meant advice is always welcome.
 

Dougster

Bushcrafter through and through
Oct 13, 2005
5,254
238
The banks of the Deveron.
I always used to carry mine right hip as I'm right handed. Since I started to wear my rifle over my left shoulder I always carry it in a dangler sheath on my left. I even do this for buschrafting as you have found imagedude. Hope the belt is standing up well.

Richard
 

Shewie

Mod
Mod
Dec 15, 2005
24,259
24
48
Yorkshire
Left side, I'm right handed

I got one of Lees horizontal sheaths a few months ago and that feels great tucked away round the back or on my left hip for a cross draw.

Regular belt loop or dangler also goes on my left.
 

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,715
1,962
Mercia
I always used to carry mine right hip as I'm right handed. Since I started to wear my rifle over my left shoulder I always carry it in a dangler sheath on my left. I even do this for buschrafting as you have found imagedude. Hope the belt is standing up well.

Richard

Ahh - similar to the reason I carry on the right hip :)

I generally weak hand reload a shotgun, so carry cartridges on the left - hence knife on the strong side

I was
 

JonathanD

Ophiological Genius
Sep 3, 2004
12,809
1,481
Stourton,UK
Right hip, sometimes tucked into my front or rear pocket if walking through areas with loadsa folks about.

23Feb201222.jpg
 

Swallow

Native
May 27, 2011
1,545
4
London
I'm right handing and was considering carrying it on the left, but then realised that if I did so that when putting the knife away I'd be putting the pointy bit accross bits of me I really don't like pointy things pointing towards.

That fear increases a bit when coupled with the fact that often I have not had a optimum night's sleep when doing these kind of activities.

I have been considering a waist coat of some description so I can carry it down the sternum, but haven't yet got into considering the mechanics of what is likely to impact where if I fell. That's from taking Lofty's comments about not carrying too high so you don't hit floating ribs if you fall over.
 

Tiley

Life Member
Oct 19, 2006
2,364
375
60
Gloucestershire
Although I'm left-handed, I carry my knife on the right, usually just on or behind the hip. My preferred knife has a sort of 'dangler' arrangement to it so it doesn't interfere with hipbelts, is easy to draw and is removable when returning to 'civilisation' without needing to undo or remove my belt. Why I 'cross draw', I don't know. I think it's habit or the perceived awkwardness of doing what the Roman legionnaries used to do with their gladii...
 

Silverclaws

Forager
Jul 23, 2009
249
1
Plymouth, Devon
At the Moot I realised that I find it easier to wear my knife on the left even though I am right handed. I hold the sheath with my left hand and remove/replace the knife with my right, I find this much easier than trying to place a knife (held in my right hand) back into a sheath on my right. On which side do you wear your knife and which is your primary hand?

The same with myself, but interesting or not, the ancient Britons, Iron age in particular were either left handed or drew swords from their right side right handed, which is fine with the earlier anthropomorphic short swords, but it doesn't work so well with the long Gallic swords, but the Romans drew across the body from left to right, something that continued from then on and it was also why we in Britain drive on the wrong side of the road.

I have my old wooden handled Mora marked on the handle as to which side is the edge and so when drawing, I look to see and hold the scabbard accordingly, as there is the potential for the blade to scythe the sheath and my fingers if I am not careful, it is honed that sharp as the scabbard is of the thin boiled leather type and is of the dangler arrangement which can be clipped on and off relatively easily, it also aids when is at an odd angle, the knife hangs according to gravity, no matter at what angle the body is, so up trees and along branches the knife does not fall out.
 
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