Boot knife in the boot?

T

THExKRAKEN

Joined
Jan 15, 2013
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Does anyone actually carry a boot knife in their boot? How comfortable is it? I know that I've put some folders in my boot and found it to be very uncomfortable. If you carry a knife advertised as a boot knife and have it in your boot I would assume that it would be slightly more comfortable to due to the sheath. Still, there is something in your boot taking up space. What about outside the boot? I would also assume that kind of defeats the purpose of a boot knife (I always thought they were supposed to be hidden) if its hanging off the side of your boot.

If you carry a boot knife, how do you carry it? Inside or outside? How comfortable is it? What kind of boot knife do you carry? Would you recommend it? Pics are always welcome.
 
You do it differently for lace-up vs. slip-on boots. :)

For lace up boots you're pretty much confined to a clip folder or outside the boot carry. Sometimes you can inside carry a small folder or fixed and just lace it snug at the top. Not often though. I usually don't boot carry w/ lace ups.

For halter or cowboy type boots, which fit more open around the leg, a good sheath is the key, to be worn inside the boot wherever it fits best...exact carry style is an individual thing. A good fitting sheath you won't even know it is there. A lot of good 'boot' knives out there right now. If you can get a decent sheath with one it's a prized bonus.

An off the boot sheath can be worn with either type of course. They can be rigged tip up or down. After about 4" in blade it's best to carry inverted if carrying off boot.

You want to carry a boot knife deep---the higher the pommel above the boot the higher you have to lift the pantleg to draw it. That's also why anything over about 4" in blade isn't really a boot knife IMO. To carry something like a USMC practically the tip would have to be on the shoesole just to make pulling it out reasonable.
 
Any boot knife recommendations? Specifically fixed blades. Cold steel offers a couple. I have a couple of their folders and like there knives. I guess I would be looking for something with maybe 4-5 in blade.
 
I wear pull on boots and carry a cold steel kobun (5.5" blade) on the inside of my right leg. The top of the handle kind of digs in to my leg but it doesnt really bother me, I would rather have that happen than carry a tiny boot knife. In my way of thinking a boot knife is the ideal way to conceal a decent sized combat/emergency survival fixed blade and it will be there anywhere you go without interfering with anything else you may carry (handgun IWB for example). I used to carry a zt 0170- a 6.5" combat knife with a full size handle, but after about a year I got tired of it and went to the kobun. If I were wearing lace up boots I would go with a push dagger and mount it on the front of the laces. In my experience if you want to be totally comfortable you may have to go with a pretty small knife, like an esee izula or becker bk24 and wear it on the outside of your leg, the short handles dont stick out so much that it would be obvious unlike the kobun.
 
Years ago as a young patrol officer I carried a knife in my boot. Luckily I never needed it, but I was comforted knowing it was there for a last ditch weapon.

After passing my probationary period and being allowed personally owned and secondary sidearms I traded the boot knife for a snub nose .38 on my ankle.
 
Since both open and concealed carry of fixed blades is legal in Texas, I only carry boot knives when I'm in a situation where open carry is less than optimal, visually, such as funeral, weddings, etc.

If my boot has a stovepipe shaft or has a very shallow scallop top, such as those found on cavalry, Wellington or motorcycle boots, I use a sheath with a belt clip, similar to this found on old Western boot knife sheaths.
boot knife sheath clip.jpg

If the boot top is moderately to heavily scalloped cowboy boot, such a belt clip is nearly worthless, as they allow the sheath to slip forward or backward along the boot top and make carry uncomfortable as the tip of the sheath digs into the foot. I've tried some "creatively engineered" fixes with results that were, well, let's just say they drew heavy vacuum.
 
I've always wanted some of those boots where the knife flicks out from the front. :p
 
Redmasta said:
I've always wanted some of those boots where the knife flicks out from the front. :p
Click to expand...
Those would definitely be cool. I'm not really sure how they work. It's there a button you press with your toes? I'd be afraid I would press it all the time and be walking around with my blade extended.
 
Provided I get a good pair of boots that can actually make it work, I've got plans for paracording my CS Kobun onto the side.
 
Look at my avatar picture.
 
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