Tuckable Dagger Sheath

[Sam1911]

I was asked to work up a tuckable sheath for a small Gerber boot dagger.

I figured that might be a chance to illustrate how tuckable holsters and sheaths work, for those who've never used them before.

The knife:


In the sheath -- this side in, against the body:


This side goes out, toward the pants and belt.


The double j-hook slides outside the waistband of the pants but behind the belt. The under-hooks grab the bottom of the belt and keep it from pulling out when you draw.



Your shirt gets tucked down inbetween the J-hook and the body of the sheath and it disappears.

 

[TimboKhan]

Cool. I have to admit that the whole tuckable thing kind of befuddled me the first time I read about it.

I might be sending you a PM here at some point. My buddy Justin and I are interested in trying our hand with kydex, and I have questions...

 

[ThatGuyHank]

Wow nice job with that Sam. Where did you source that clip? I'd like to get one for my CRKT Dragon (love the knife, hate the name) because the clip thing that came with the knife doesn't agree with a single belt I own and even after I bought an acceptable belt (walking through the clothing department with a knife sheath and trying to slip it on different belts isn't that weird is it?) it would still flop because it didn't tuck.

 

[Sam1911]

Timbo, ask any question you want. I'm happy to share, and most of my techniques are pretty low-tech.

Hank, I think that clip came from KnifeKits.com: http://www.knifekits.com/vcom/index.php?cPath=41_56

Wow, they've got a lot of stuff added since the last time I visited. Heh...I could do a drop-thigh rig for it for extra tackytickle carry!

 

[Sam1911]

Here it is in use:



And under the shirt:



When you're staring at the clip close-up like this it doesn't seem quite so "invisible." When your shirt is blousing over it, and it's competing for space with all the other junk you hang on your belt, it's gone.

 

[hso]

Consider hiding it behind a cell phone carrier and no one will ever see it.

 

[rcmodel]

Nicely done!

That's why I always find it amusing when folks talk about a very small & flat pocket pistol like a Kel-Tec P32 "printing" when carried in a front pants pocket.

I don't know about you guys, but I become aware of it real fast if I find someone staring at my belt line or crotch in the first place.

And if they ain't staring at it, they ain't gonna see it or register it in their brain.
Even if it jumped out and bit them on the azz.

As for your belt clip?
If anyone does ask?
It's supporting your almost full to bursting colostomy bag!
Ask for thier help changing it in the bathroom!

Bet that will shut them up and make them want to mind their own business real fast!

rc

 

[Sam1911]

I've field tested the exact same set-up with a Spyderco Mule Team that I finished a while back, and have worn it around job sites and the office under a tucked-in work shirt and it is comfortable and very discreet.

The first time I make one of these up was with my big Valkman fighter. And... well, that's right on the edge between "too much knife" and "waaaay too much knife" to carry IWB! But it was discreet. No one ever guessed exactly why I started walking with that weird limp!

 

[JShirley]

Thanks for the pics and explanation.

John

 

[jahwarrior]

a couple of questions:

1. do you carry that particular knife regularly?
2. if so, do you carry it for defensive purposes?
3. how quckly can you deploy it using that setup?
4. do you carry another knife while carrying that one?

i'm asking because i've tried using a tuckable holster for a firearm, and i wasn't a fan of it, because it was slower to deploy the gun as opposed to other holster styles. but a gun isn't a knife, and i understand the mechanics of drawing them are different, as well.

 

[JShirley]

He made this sheath for a forum member.

He carried the Mule a few times, to see if he liked the concept, and then decided to stick with a folder for EDC, right, Sam?

You could always see if you could talk him out of his Mule. They say everyone has their price.

John

 

[ultradoc]

That is nice and not made cheap like some holsters with one hook

 

[Sam1911]

1. do you carry that particular knife regularly?

It isn't mine. I don't think that particular kind of knife even would be legal to carry here in PA, being a "dirk, dagger, or stilleto."

2. if so, do you carry it for defensive purposes?

What would the alternative be there? Offensive purposes? Actually, John has made the point many times that a blade (especially a blade like this) is a great killing tool, but not a first-choice defensive item. Sure would do in a pinch, though, to break someone's hold on you perhaps.

3. how quckly can you deploy it using that setup?

I've not timed that draw. Everything becomes situational, but if your hands are free, as fast as you can lift the shirt with one hand and yank the blade up with the other.

4. do you carry another knife while carrying that one?

When I was carrying my Mule Team blade around this way, yes, I did have a folder with me for the daily utility tasks.

i'm asking because i've tried using a tuckable holster for a firearm, and i wasn't a fan of it, because it was slower to deploy the gun as opposed to other holster styles.

Well, certainly a tucked-in holster is slower to draw from than an OWB. Any IWB is slower to draw than a quick OWB, too. I use versions of each, depending on the situation. Everything is a compromise, of course. When it's hot and sunny, being able to carry a full-sized 1911 under a breathable cool-max type golf shirt, neatly tucked in, is a lot better than having to wear a "shoot me" vest over my OWB or normal IWB rig.

As for drawing, practice, practice, practice -- with a timer -- and see if you can work that lift shirt-then-draw process down to a speed you're comfortable with. I can/did/do, when the weather calls for it.

 

[Sam1911]

You could always see if you could talk him out of his Mule. They say everyone has their price.

Oh, I don't know...

 

[scramasax]

Very nice scabbard. Any knife is better than your hands for SD. Yes the GG would be illegal to carry almost everywhere in the states. Used to carry a John Smith "inner city bowie" inside the pants when undercover. That was illegal too.

Cheers,

ts

 

[lemaymiami]

I've had a very nice Gerber Guardian for many years that I would have carried on duty - but the holster that came with it was just too bulky. That sheath of yours would have been just the ticket.... Very nice work.

 

[Sam1911]

Thanks! Yes, the sheath that comes with it is very nicely executed, but just too bulky and fussy.

 

[JShirley]

Yeah, the member who had it was going to get rid of it because of the unusability of the sheath. Don't do that, I said...It really isn't fair to a good knife, to let a poor sheath stop its usage.

 

[hso]

i understand the mechanics of drawing them are different,

They're really not that different when you break the draw down.

You still have to get a firm grip, clear the carrier and clothing and avoid injuring yourself in the process. The gun shouldn't sweep anyone with the muzzle that you don't intend to shoot, but the knive doesn't have to address this concern since it is a contact weapon instead of a projectile weapon.

 

[lemaymiami]

And since no one has mentioned it a pretty fair crotch stabber...

 

[ugaarguy]

Yes the GG would be illegal to carry almost everywhere in the states.

Thanks to the efforts of GCO in getting GA SB308 passed and signed into law a GA Weapons Carry License holder can carry just about any knife he or she wants here in GA.

 

[JShirley]

ugaarguy,

I'm really happy to hear the GA law has been corrected. Thank you for passing that on.

John

 

[conw]

Guess who just moved to Georgia...