Kobun sheath help

C

Charlie_K

Joined
Jul 16, 2012
Messages
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I recently ordered a new Kobun with the new Secure-Ex sheath with the intent of using it as a boot knife since that's legal here in Kansas. So far the results have been mostly positive, with it being comfortable to wear, impossible to see through my jeans, and easy enough to forget about most of the time when being worn. The only problem is that it doesn't always stay where it's clipped to, and can sometimes shift or come loose.







Is this a common problem encountered with boot knives, or is it because of my style of boot? And if it is, is there any way to keep it from working its way off the boot and falling to the ground?
 
Nice boot knife!

You might want to experiment with placing a lace through one of the holes on the sheath, and then tying the lace around your boot. It would probably hold the sheath pretty well. If you go hunting, and have to run through snow and brush, I'd simply use duck tape for the day... Seriously. :)

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Charlie_K said:
Is this a common problem encountered with boot knives, or is it because of my style of boot?
Click to expand...

Actually, it's both. It's a common problem with boot knife clips, but your style of boot exacerbates the issue. Those clips were really designed with cowboy boots in mind. Any boot top with a thicker collar than that of a cowboy boot will have retention problems.

Charlie_K said:
And if it is, is there any way to keep it from working its way off the boot and falling to the ground?
Click to expand...

It's a lot less comfortable, but wearing it with the blade inside the boot instead of outside will help stabilize it. You can remove the clip, buy longer laces, and thread the laces through the clip's screw holes, running them around the rear of the boot through the pull-strap and back to the front for tying. Alternatively, if you didn't want the knife flopping around when you untied your boot, you could run a Velcro strap through the sheath's slots and around the collar of your boot.

Just my $.02.

-Steve
 
Agree with The Whip. Boot lining is a smooth surface, so you will get some sliding. Best all around concealed carry is IWB. ..... my $.02
 
Drdan said:
Nice boot knife!

You might want to experiment with placing a lace through one of the holes on the sheath, and then tying the lace around your boot. It would probably hold the sheath pretty well. If you go hunting, and have to run through snow and brush, I'd simply use duck tape for the day... Seriously. :)
Click to expand...

The Whip said:
Actually, it's both. It's a common problem with boot knife clips, but your style of boot exacerbates the issue. Those clips were really designed with cowboy boots in mind. Any boot top with a thicker collar than that of a cowboy boot will have retention problems.

It's a lot less comfortable, but wearing it with the blade inside the boot instead of outside will help stabilize it. You can remove the clip, buy longer laces, and thread the laces through the clip's screw holes, running them around the rear of the boot through the pull-strap and back to the front for tying. Alternatively, if you didn't want the knife flopping around when you untied your boot, you could run a Velcro strap through the sheath's slots and around the collar of your boot.

Just my $.02.

-Steve
Click to expand...

Thanks for the ideas on how to better secure the sheath. As a result I came up with this prototype for a retention rig.







Only time will tell how well it'll work out.

Mike Sastre said:
Agree with The Whip. Boot lining is a smooth surface, so you will get some sliding. Best all around concealed carry is IWB. ..... my $.02
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I've tried that a few times with a couple of knives, and IWB doesn't work for me with this type of sheath. The handle sits too high up on the belt, poking me right in the ribs anytime I have to turn, twist or bend.
 
Mike Sastre said:
Agree with The Whip. Boot lining is a smooth surface, so you will get some sliding. Best all around concealed carry is IWB. ..... my $.02
Click to expand...

You've found a good solution to secure the sheath to your boot. :thumbup: For self defense and general carry purposes, however, I agree 100% with Mike that there's nothing better than an IWB rig. With practice, you'll be able to take the knife out when needed in less than a heatbeat, and it is very secure... Even if self defense does not enter the equation, it will be a lot more secure when worn IWB.
 
Drdan said:
You've found a good solution to secure the sheath to your boot. :thumbup: For self defense and general carry purposes, however, I agree 100% with Mike that there's nothing better than an IWB rig. With practice, you'll be able to take the knife out when needed in less than a heatbeat, and it is very secure... Even if self defense does not enter the equation, it will be a lot more secure when worn IWB.
Click to expand...

While Mike might have some good point, it doesn't really change the fact that I can't wear it IWB because I keep getting jabbed in the ribs when I try. The handle just plain sits way too high to be comfortable.

There's also the fact that the new sheath doesn't secure itself to the belt like the old sheath does. If you don't break the friction lock with your thumb when drawing, you can wind up pulling the whole sheath off instead.
 
Drdan said:
How about a shoulder harness rig?
Click to expand...

It's a possibility, but it's not as feasible with the new sheath design as it is the old one. I've got a Kobun with the older model sheath that I've rigged up to ride under the arm with a paracord loop. The only problem is I can't wear it under my shirt unless it's colder out, because I tend to keep my regular shirt tucked in.
 
I wear my kobun iwb and it does not jab or poke me. A bit uncomfortable when I have got a harness or tool belt on over it, but i usually just have to find the right spot for it to sit on my side.
I would like to know how our boot rig works out though, I am thinking about picking up a second one just in case.
Are you plannin on wrapping the handle in paracord for more of a grip?
 
So I've been testing out the boot rig that I designed, wearing it literally everywhere I've got, every day since I made it, apart from the few days when the snow was too deep to make it feasible. It's been put through everything that I go through myself in terms of environment and working conditions. And after all that I'm proud to report that everything has been holding up quite well. The sheath is still firmly affixed to the boot and shows no signs of slipping, and the hardware I used has shown no signs of failing. Outside of actually going hiking to test it, I don't think it's going to fail on me anytime soon. I've been wearing it for so long, I don't even feel it there anymore.

The only downside of it all is that I had no idea just how much dirt and grime a boot knife tends to attract! This things gets as dirty as any pocket pistol from riding where it does.
 
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