Neck Knives

D

DracoKrys

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Jan 17, 2018
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I recently found out that neck knives are apparently a thing, what are your opinions on them? Do you use them? Why?

Fixed knives in a sheath seem like they would be uncomfortable but I could see a small 2-3 inch folder like a Spyderco Grasshopper being ok.
 
I occasionally wear a crkt minimalist bowie variety. It's small and I forget I'm wearing it, I wear it with a bead chain. Obviously the larger the more obvious it is that you have a knife.

Some people wear a small fixed blade around their neck in the woods.
 
I own a few neck knives. But, I never wear them around my neck. One of them included a belt loop and the others I made a belt loop with paracord. They carry very well horizontally on my front left.
 
I have several and they see routine use. If I'm wading or fishing from a canoe it's easy for me to access. A light necker is great when camping. I'll hang it up in a convenient spot and not have to hand my wife a knife every time she needs one. Don't bother saying buy her one of her own. She has as many nice knives as she does flashlights but seems to enjoy using mine. When I'm hunting I spend a lot of time sitting. Again the neck knife is easier for me to access than one on my belt or in my pocket. I'm not a fan of chains on them, I prefer cord. To be carried a knife has to be light enough to not be noticeable and sharp enough to do the light cutting task required. I never carry one as my primary blade but after years of use appreciate the convenience.
 
I make a quick(and cheap) paracord necklace, then put a small folder with a pocket clip and use that pocket clip to attach the folder to the paracord. Works perfectly!!
I have small fixed blades that work too. Both work just fine.
 
I like small fixed blades for pocket carry. While I have a neck knife, I would be hard pressed to wear it around my neck - too uncomfortable. Maybe I would if I was on that nekk'ed and scared show, and lost that bag they give them. But, to each his/her own.
 
I carry a neck knife for one reason : half assed self defense against huge unsocialized dogs on the bike trail. There are some that lunge so hard that for sure some day they are going to break their collar or leash because the dongs that own them can't be relied on to inspect the leash and collar let alone train the dog. Target jaw muscle. (or stab straight down their throat).

Why a neck knife ? With gloves and coat on a folder is not much of an option . . . especially if one is laying on their back on the ground. I wear it twice a day to commute to work then home. I knock on wood before I say this but it seems to have worked as some weird assed talisman because stupid doggy boys seem to have disappeared from the paths I ride. Viva la neck knife.

I never wear one otherwise. I have two.
Here is Murray Carter telling you all about it. In general some of his info is quite good; especially his views on edge thickness, edge geometry and determining those for your uses. Sharpening we differ but that's OK.

 
I like CRKT Minimalists, I have and use several, but I just can't understand people who will toss them on a loop of paracord around their necks. Without a breakaway clasp or putting them on a ball chain, snagging that loop will end badly. I saw a guy go end over end by getting a neck lanyard caught, and he got off lucky with just a twisted ankle.
 
BitingSarcasm said:
I like CRKT Minimalists, I have and use several, but I just can't understand people who will toss them on a loop of paracord around their necks. Without a breakaway clasp or putting them on a ball chain, snagging that loop will end badly. I saw a guy go end over end by getting a neck lanyard caught, and he got off lucky with just a twisted ankle.
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Yes I hear ya. It is a real toss up for me. I just imagine the chain breaking about the time I need to actually use the knife and the dang sheath will be on the knife. I paracorded mine. Stupid but at least I can draw the knife. Often it is quite cold . . . the plastic in the sheath is effected (made less pliable) by the cold; it is hard for me to trust the "precision" tensile strength of that fifty cent neck chain; good argument for a leather sheath with a metal knife gripper but do they even make those ?
 
A high quality ball chain doesn't fail easily. I withdraw my minimalist without issue. And it can't be used to strangle me.
 
high quality ball chain . . . can't be used to strangle me.
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I get that too.
Just hard for me to leave that little chain as the weakest link in my defense as it were.

Every man's intelligence is a god
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There is no Devil; that's just God when he's drunk. (Tom Waits)
 
DracoKrys said:
I recently found out that neck knives are apparently a thing, what are your opinions on them? Do you use them? Why?

Fixed knives in a sheath seem like they would be uncomfortable but I could see a small 2-3 inch folder like a Spyderco Grasshopper being ok.
Click to expand...

I love them, especially as last ditch self defense knives. They make handy little utility knives too having enough blade for most tasks found in urban living. Personally I usually loop the neck chain through one of my belt loops and tuck my neck knife in my waist band, but depending on the situation I may throw them around my neck.

I usually prefer neck knives of this style. (The ones in the middle are not neck knives)
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I carry my esee candiru like this... (can be switched to a neck knife as needed)
18556246_209988082852690_1850850921740013717_n.jpg
 
Wowbagger said:
I get that too.
Just hard for me to leave that little chain as the weakest link in my defense as it were.


There is no Devil; that's just God when he's drunk. (Tom Waits)
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I understand, I'm not judging.

And that's funny!
 
I don’t forsee drawing a neckknife with a ball chain as a static cord to ever cause the chain to break and leave the knife with the sheath on.

If that is happening your sheath is too tight or your chain is too cheap. Even if it did happen then just push the sheath off with your thumb. (Not an ideal solution as it is an extra step but better than getting choked out with your paracord when you wear it around your neck)

If you only waistband carry your neckknife then a paracord is fine. I use good quality ball chains so I can swirch from neck to IWB any time.
 
Wowbagger said:
Took me a minute.
Where does one procure such a marvelous device.
Thanks !
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They are pretty ubiquitous, sold pretty much wherever I have bought paracord online. I bought a bag of five, then tested one until it broke. They hold strongly enough that you draw your knife like normal, but give it a much sharper tug and it pops open before you get more than a rub mark on your skin. You can bend the prongs out a bit more so it holds stronger, too, but then the breakaway force was enough to sting.
 
In my opinion a tiny neck knife is a handy little blade useful for so many things.
Go with a 1" sheep's foot blade and you've got the perfect package blade.
I made myself one from an old hobby file years ago and wore it around my neck every single day for a long time , also a different one after that which I carried for a couple years until last summer.

I say it has to be the right neck knife for you and your needs and carried for the right reasons or it just won't work out.
 
One of the problems with a neck knife is that if you have to run, the knife may chip your teeth or blacken your eye as it bounces. Another issue is that it takes two hands to put the knife back into its sheath. However, an FRN Manbug in a Kydex sheath is pretty light (less than an Oz.)
 
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