Knife - Bino Harness - Fixed vs Folder

[rds1865]

Curious your feedback and strategy on carrying a knife in your bino harness.

For me, I’ve used both fixed and folders over the years. My goal is to triangulate accessibility, safety and performance effectiveness/variability.

For fixed, behind the harness in the mesh pocke, against my chest, I’ve carried (all in Kydex, some with lock slide):




- ESEE CR2.5
- Buck 135 Caper (skeleton handle)
- Victorinox Paring
- MKC Triumph SL
- Kizer Mini Harpoon

For folder, clipped in the same behind the harness pocket or inside one of the side harness pockets, I’ve carried:
- Buck 112 Slim
- Benchmade Mini Bugout
- Opinel #8

Accessibility - never had an issue with any getting them in hand with reasonable ease (none are setup for optimum speed as in a self-defense scenario).

Safety - never considered it a major risk, but wonder if there is any real concern of carrying a fixed blade near the chest, neck in a scuffle, fall, crash scenario??

Effectiveness/Variability of Use - have moved more towards knives that can balance EDC tasks, assisting or even doing game breakdown, woods tasks (fire, materials prep) and safe use (guard/finger stop) whether that be for game cleaning or a rare self defense scenario where a knife was my best remaining option. I’ve used both steels easy to maintain in the field (12c27, 52100, 420HC, 1095) and those that are unlikely to need it (Magnacut, 3V and S35VN). I’ve also attached a thin paracord to the sheath, then attached to my bino harness so that it stays attached to my body when I draw and use it.

**my main field knife stays in my pack (usually one of my Canadian belt knife design models or my Argali Serac).

Your thoughts and feedback on choice, setup, preferences?

 

[2Stamp]

My preference is I just stick my small fixed in the side pocket (marsupial large zippered). I'm not looking for quick access with it. I have a small pocket knife for that if I need to cut a snack or something open. My fixed blade in the pouch is for field dressing.

 

[MoeFaux]

I carry a fixed (Becker BK7) using the MOLLE on the bottom of my bino harness. Never in the way and always accessible.

 

[rds1865]

I carry a fixed (Becker BK7) using the MOLLE on the bottom of my bino harness. Never in the way and always accessible.

BK7 - that’s a hell of a knife on a bino harness.

 

[MoeFaux]

BK7 - that’s a hell of a knife on a bino harness.

NOPE! Got my beckers confused. It's the BK16 I carry. Pretty big difference!

 

[rds1865]

NOPE! Got my beckers confused. It's the BK16 I carry. Pretty big difference!

Ha, BK16 is a great designed knife. Fits my hand well. Ever see the Magnacut model they made more recently?

 

[flyfisher117]

it’s just more shit and more weight on my chest. I tried to carry a knife on the harness just didn’t find a utility. Knives stay in my pack. Maybe a small folder in my pants pocket. I guess I do have a leatherman in my packs hip belt pouch.

After seeing sheaths fail and knives jab through them during a fall or impact I just don’t see a value added.

 

[MoeFaux]

Ha, BK16 is a great designed knife. Fits my hand well. Ever see the Magnacut model they made more recently?

I've seen the magnacut, and I think it's really cool, BUT. . . the appeal of the 16 for me is that it's all function, no flash. It's not a pretty knife, but it is forever functional. I also think there's an appeal to 1095 for a general use knockaround knife, and i like not worrying about the steel if it sometimes gets used as a hammer or a prybar.

At today's prices, I don't know I'd be happy with the BK16 as a trusty beater, but back when I paid 70 bucks, it was a bit of a no-brainer.

 

[WeiserBucks]

Knives stay in my pack. Maybe a small folder in my pants pocket.

Same here.

 

[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

I never step into the wild (and rarely the house) without a Benchmade bugout in my pants pocket. 90% of the time that's the only knife that gets used. Even on elk. Why are we sticking knives on the chest?

 

[CMcCormick1805]

I use a 2 knife and one multi tool system. I keep my multi-tool in my hip pouch and my fixed blade knife in my pack with my kill kit.

I keep a folding outdoor edge knife on my off hand side clipped into a hip pocket. I go with where my muscle memory is best. 40+ hours a week my knife is in that pocket.

I’ll start forgetting my knife if it’s somewhere I don’t usually keep it. It would suck to forget a fixed blade or fail to place it back in the sheath in the field. If you use that fixed blade out of the harness and have 100’s of reps pulling it out and putting it back in I see no issues.