Do you carry a boot knife?

[Barry the Bear]

I've been looking for a boot knife to fit in my western boots that I wear for a backup knife, my current edc is a taurus 85 UL in .38 spl with a ruger lcp riding backup gun, but the knife I carry is the buck model 110 on the belt, any of you ever carry in the boot? Is it comfortable the knife I'm thinking of buying is the cold Steel safe maker. http://www.knifecenter.com/item/CS12BS/cold-steel-12bs-safe-maker-i-push-knife-blade-kray-ex-handle

 

[jmorris]

Only thing close to that I have is a diving knife, pretty sure it would be illegal to carry in a lot of places.

http://www.tek-tite.com/proddetail.php?prod=TEKNA_OCEAN_EDGE_DIVE_KNIFE

They do sell boot/belt conversions for the sheath though

http://www.tek-tite.com/proddetail.php?prod=TEKNA_KNIFE_BOOT/BELT_CLIP

 

[hso]

Nope

 

[Corpral_Agarn]

I wear boots all the time.

It would take for-ever to get the knife out:
Bend over, Pullup pants (past top of boot, BTW), retrieve knife.

Why not just put a folder in your pocket?
Or, if you like fixed blade, one IWB?

 

[Steve Cover]

I've been looking for a boot knife to fit in my western boots that I wear for a backup knife, my current edc is a taurus 85 UL in .38 spl with a ruger lcp riding backup gun, but the knife I carry is the buck model 110 on the belt, any of you ever carry in the boot? Is it comfortable the knife I'm thinking of buying is the cold Steel safe maker. http://www.knifecenter.com/item/CS12BS/cold-steel-12bs-safe-maker-i-push-knife-blade-kray-ex-handle

Boot knives are in interesting subject.

Because of the way you wear them, they are definitely a second choice for defense.

Back in the day, I worked several jobs where a hidden boot knife made some sense.

My first tour in Vietnam, we were supporting the 9th infantry division L.R.R.P.s and the prospect of being shot down deep in Indian country was a real possibility.


L.R.R.P. Extraction


Some days were worse than others

I carried a knife strapped to my leg under my flight suit.


The Gerber Mk.II


Hubris etching on the knife blade




This Issue of the Knife had an Offset Blade Angle Designed to wear on the Leg.

It was comforting to have on me, but my knife fighting skills were definitely lacking.

After Vietnam, I spent some time in Iran working for Bell Helicopter training the Shah’s students how to fly helicopters.

When the Shah was overthrown, I was one of the many Americans stranded there.
I was given a cheap copy of the Marine Fighting Knife that I carried on the inside of my left boot.

From there I worked several jobs where having a secondary weapon seemed wise.


The side of my left boot was cut to allow the spring clipped sheath to fit lower in my boot.


The thumb snap was just above the top of the boot for an easy release of the knife.


This little Gerber was a constant partner for a long time.

Luckily, I never needed any of my boot knives for their intended use.
But I still had them if needed..

So, the answer is yes, long in the past, I worked jobs in areas where I wore a boot knife on a daily bases.

In your case, are you looking for a real working option, or something “Western” to wear?
You can’t go wrong with the Gerber Mk.I

Steve

 

[Barry the Bear]

Looking for an option that is legal for carry in my state ( max blade length 5.5 for carry here) and something that can be worn comfortably over a long day.

 

[Steve Cover]

Looking for an option that is legal for carry in my state ( max blade length 5.5 for carry here) and something that can be worn comfortably over a long day.

I just looked at you knife of interest.
(Should have done that the first time)

If you are looking for a great push knife, Bowen (www.bowen.com) makes a push knife belt buckle.

I wore one for many years.

Not being satisfied with the Bowen belt itself, I designed and made a more sturdy belt to accept the blade.


The basket stamped belt was strong enough to support my inside the belt holster when it was carried.


The loop for the belt tong was incorporated into the sheath design and was firmly stitched.


I chose a single edge design allowing me to rest my thumb on the back when needed feeling that the knife would be more useful than a double bevel design.

My 40 year old knife is made of good steel and holds an edge well.
(Yes, I’ve played with it in the woods, and it worked very well as a backup to my Randal survival knife.)

As a defensive weapon, this would allow a much quicker response than a boot knife.

Steve

 

[Barry the Bear]

Wow I've never seen that sort if thing and it definitely looks like it can be drawn quickly if need be I'll definitely take a look at that thanks

 

[Piraticalbob]

A.G. Russell's Sting is a perfect example of a classic boot knife, and he currently sells a half-dozen or so variations, some very nice indeed:

http://agrussell.com/search?query=sting

I have one of the old Western boot knives that I bought in the early 1980's:



If I had to hazard a guess I'd say that the boot knife has been replaced in popularity by the neck knife.

 

[Swing]

Nope. Conceal carrying a fix blade knife is a misdemeanor in this locality. I can, and do, carry large-bore handguns legally with a CHL though. Go figure.

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

Steve,
Those are some great pictures and you have excellent taste in your choice of knives.
I agree, the Bowen is a good backup blade but the belts are a tad lightweight.
(Mine even shrunk.. )

 

[rcmodel]

Wow I've never seen that sort if thing and it definitely looks like it can be drawn quickly if need be I'll definitely take a look at that thanks

The problem with belt buckle knives is:

It's hard to knife fight when you unbuckle your belt and your pants fall down!

Can't even do the smart thing to do, AND RUN!!

rc

 

[jmorris]

For belt buckle knifes Gerber had one called the touché back in the '80's that came off the buckle and still held your pants up. I always figured it was the inspiration for the little revolver holster/buckles.

***Steve resized the photos and posted them on the next page so I removed them for an easier read. (Thanks Steve).***

I never had one but do have another Blackie Collins designed knife that Gerber used to sell, I think they called it the river runner.



It's not a long ash away from the knife I posted in #2 but the one I have is single sided but the steel is not as good as the tek knives.

Sorry for the gigantic photos, not mine just links.

 

[lemaymiami]

Since I always carried a knife (and still do today...) as part of my gear I gave a bit of thought to carrying a small fixed blade instead of a folder but could never work out a way to do it comfortably and still have it accessible when needed (even considered having something made to conceal in my body armor that I wore every day for many years but never came up with anything satisfactory. Since I'm located in south Florida that whole "boot knife" carry just wasn't going to be in the cards. Funny thing, though, on several occasions I did take into custody one young man or other with some sort of cheap blade in their boot....

The blade I was considering was a perfect Gerber (a small Loveless double edged design specifically made for concealment) - but it was never workable for this small frame individual...

 

[Barry the Bear]

Well it turns out in TX although I can own double edged blades I can only carry a single edge so I may have to look at other options then the ones listed.

 

[Piraticalbob]

Check out Scottish sgian dubh knives, which are usually single-edged.

 

[jmorris]

Well it turns out in TX although I can own double edged blades I can only carry a single edge so I may have to l

That's why I own the single edged version of the knife in the last photo I posted.

 

[thewillweeks]

Watch the laws on concealing a fixed blade knife, Kansas is all good so I do.

I've carried both folding knives and fixed in my cowboy boots and this is my favorite so far: https://www.amazon.com/SOG-NB1011-CP-Instinct-Knife-Full/dp/B01ALT7KZM?ie=UTF8&tag=nw1111-20

 

[Ohen Cepel]

Cold Steel makes a viable boot knife now at a very good price point. I would look at their offering if I was in the market for one.

 

[Steve Cover]

The problem with belt buckle knives is:

It's hard to knife fight when you unbuckle your belt and your pants fall down!

Can't even do the smart thing to do, AND RUN!!

rc

Back when I wore a badge, we wore a Velcro inner belt under the gun belt.
With a little forethought dropping your trousers in a fight shouldn't be a problem.

As mentioned, there is a legal angle to belt buckle and boot knife carry.
I didn't address this as I interpreted the question being about the knives themselves.
Naturally, you don't want to go foul of the laws.

Steve

 

[Steve Cover]

Well it turns out in TX although I can own double edged blades I can only carry a single edge so I may have to look at other options then the ones listed.

My Bowen is a single edge.
A good single edge knife should be easy to find.

Steve

 

[Steve Cover]

Watch the laws on concealing a fixed blade knife, Kansas is all good so I do.

I've carried both folding knives and fixed in my cowboy boots and this is my favorite so far: https://www.amazon.com/SOG-NB1011-CP-Instinct-Knife-Full/dp/B01ALT7KZM?ie=UTF8&tag=nw1111-20

Looks like a great choice.
I'll have to convince the Frau, that I need another knife.
(I have a large collection)

Thanks for the heads up.

Steve

 

[Steve Cover]

A.G. Russell's Sting is a perfect example of a classic boot knife, and he currently sells a half-dozen or so variations, some very nice indeed:

<<< SNIP >>>
I have one of the old Western boot knives that I bought in the early 1980's:

<<< SNIP >>>
If I had to hazard a guess I'd say that the boot knife has been replaced in popularity by the neck knife.

Here is my customized Sting.

I ordered a regular Sting back in the 1970s.
The one shipped to me had a flaw in one of the scales.
I called about a replacement and asked if they could send me an unfinished knife with stag scales that I could attach myself.
The exchange was easily made. (Russell is a class act. I’m a real fan)
When I received the knife, I substituted scales that I cut out a set of Mule Deer antlers.

At this point in time it is still incomplete.
I plan to bead blast it to prevent a bright reflection.
As you can see, my attempts so far haven't been successful.
Luckily I have a new neighbor who is a gunsmith and he has agreed to let me use his equipment to finish the knife.







The little Sting was taken to Alaska one summer when I was working as a bush pilot for the BLM.
It was carried in my survival kit rather than as a boot knife.
I didn’t use it much, but did cut some fuzz sticks for a fire and cleaned a couple of fish.
The Sting holds an edge well and is a nice addition to my collection.

One feature that I really like about the design is that the actual cutting edge starts about an inch forward of the scales.
This allows me to choke up on the blade for skinning or close work.

As boot knives go this has a lot going for it.

Steve

 

[Steve Cover]

Since I always carried a knife (and still do today...) as part of my gear I gave a bit of thought to carrying a small fixed blade instead of a folder but could never work out a way to do it comfortably and still have it accessible when needed (even considered having something made to conceal in my body armor that I wore every day for many years but never came up with anything satisfactory. Since I'm located in south Florida that whole "boot knife" carry just wasn't going to be in the cards. Funny thing, though, on several occasions I did take into custody one young man or other with some sort of cheap blade in their boot....

The blade I was considering was a perfect Gerber (a small Loveless double edged design specifically made for concealment) - but it was never workable for this small frame individual...

I prefer a folding knife over a fixed blade for EDC carry

Easy access to my knife was a problem until I designed a sheath built into the rear pocket on my denim jeans.


Easy to reach in a hurry if needed


I still have full use of the pocket


For a lot of years this was my EDC method.


My work EDC was a Buck 110 that I modified by roughing up the blade to allow a one hand opening.

This predated the button on the blade or spring assist knives by several years
You can really see that this was used as a tool, not a weapon.

However, when I carried a knife as a defensive weapon a different knife was substituted.


This the Gerber Applegate/Fairbairn folding fighting knife.

It is very rugged and quiet opening.


My collection contains both the single edge and double bevel blade configurations in several different sizes..

When carried, it was the single edge that was chosen.
(Single edge being much easier to explain than the dreaded double edged people killer in the eyes of a concerned law enforcement officer.)

I usually wore a light weight jack shirt that covered my back pockets so I wasn’t advertising that I was carrying a knife and yet still had a rapid access to it if need be.

Steve

 

[Barry the Bear]

Cold Steel makes a viable boot knife now at a very good price point. I would look at their offering if I was in the market for one.

And so I have, ordered the peace maker 1 for about 20 bucks off amazon should be here by Tuesday hopefully works well.