Bags with knifes attached

[htredneck]

The bag I am making is going to have a knife on it. I am still kicking around whether to hang the sheath or permanently attach it. Then it gets into side, back, strap, etc... Since there aren't enough squirrels already running around my feeble mind, I don't suppose the members those kinds of bags would post pics of them for study or the sake of consideration / ideas?

 

[MSW]

on the last bag I made, I put a patch knife in a sheath sewn onto the strap. I like this idea, and i'll probably do it next time.

one guy's free advice ... doubtless well worth the cost!

 

[htredneck]

Sorry, guess I should have been more specific.
This is not a patch knife. It's what I would consider to be a medium size belt knife.

 

[BrownBear]

Probably boils down to personal taste. I've tried them on each end of the bag, on the front under the flap, on each of the straps, inside the bag and on the back.

I really disliked knives on the straps or on the ends because they always hang in the dense brush I frequent. Back was a good compromise. Under the flap was better. Inside the bag was best. Just my taste.

 

[tenngun]

I have made multi 'squaw' sheaths. A simple sheath that ties to a belt and it's great advantage is no matter how you move or sit or bend it's never in your way . I often tie it to the stap of my bag. It's there and handy, never in the way or bulky.

 

[Artificer]

Thinking back, there was only one time I made a sheath that was attached to the rear of a hunting pouch and that was in 1975. The knife had a blade length of a bit over 7 inches, but the pouch was large enough to attach it at an angle back there. I wasn't sure whether it would work well there, but that is where the owner wanted it mounted and he really liked it there after using it often for both range shooting and hunting. That knife had an antler crown handle, but the crown was not overly large and he said it did not bother him there.

I agree with Brown Bear on attaching a sheath for
a mid sized knife on other places on a hunting pouch, though I have never used one attached under the flap and found that interesting.

Gus

 

[Claude Mathis]

Sorry, guess I should have been more specific.
This is not a patch knife. It's what I would consider to be a medium size belt knife.

If it's your "belt knife", does that mean you have to wear your bag just to carry your knife? Doesn't seem too practical.

 

[BrownBear]

...though I have never used one attached under the flap and found that interesting.

I know of no historic precedent for the arrangement, but I wanted to have the knife easily accessible yet well protected from tangles in the brush. That was in my days of bigger bags and a general purpose hunting knife with a 4" blade. I'd still be doing it if my bags weren't so small the flap won't even cover today's fanciful little "patch" knives.

Now I just toss the sheathed knife inside my small bag at a diagonal. Should I want it on my belt for some reason, it's ready to go there too.

 

[Artificer]

Now I just toss the sheathed knife inside my small bag at a diagonal. Should I want it on my belt for some reason, it's ready to go there too.

Sounds like a good way of doing it with a smaller bag.

Gus

 

[bowkill]

Tryed it on the strap and was in the way and made it hard to cradle the gun in your arms. Put mine on the back of the bag and is allot better. Using a pretty big knife 28th a good size antler.

 

[Artificer]

Got to thinking I did not mention a couple things earlier on that one bag I attached the knife sheath to the back of the bag. The owner was right handed and wore his bag over his left shoulder so the bag was on his right side. The owner wanted the antler crown handle facing forward, which gave sort of a "reverse draw" to the knife. I was concerned the antler crown facing forward may/would hang up on briars and branches when hunting in thick cover and wondered if it would be better to have the antler crown facing to the rear? However, he said the bag always brushed the branches away, so it was not a problem.

So I was wondering some things on the bag/s you used with the knife under the flap....

1. Are you left or right handed and which side of the body does your bag hang on?

2. Did you have the knife butt forward or rearward when you mounted it under the flap?

I am not sure if these things make a difference, but would be interested in what you found.

Gus

 

[Stophel]

Normally, I wear a knife like I would wear a pistol. Cross draw, butt forward.

I have sewed a knife sheath on the back of a bag once (no photo) and it actually did pretty well. The knife was handy and still out of the way. Mounted more vertical than horizontal, so it wouldn't want to fall out. I did another one, mounted much the same way, for a small knife.

I don't do that now, I have been in a state of flux with my shooting/load bearing gear (and everything else!) and I always seem to be reworking or thinking about reworking things. For my next bag, I think I'm going to see about hanging my small axe on the back... It has to go somewhere!!!

 

[BrownBear]

So I was wondering some things on the bag/s you used with the knife under the flap....

1. Are you left or right handed and which side of the body does your bag hang on?

2. Did you have the knife butt forward or rearward when you mounted it under the flap?

I am not sure if these things make a difference, but would be interested in what you found.

Good questions worthy of thought, especially if building a bag for someone else.

I'm a southpaw, wearing the bag on my right side. Never really had a dilemma with how to mount the knife, because I wanted the butt forward.

I've always worn handgun holsters crossdraw, and same for sheath knives. Anything on my left side has always seemed to get in the way, so I've just naturally "leaned" that way. On the practical side in the brush, it's usually my left hand that reaches out for brush clearing while my right hand/arm squeezes and secures whatever is on the right. For whatever reason, I usually carry long arms in my right hand too. Might be because when I was a kid, my rifle scabbard was always on the right side of the horse and my left hand was on the reins.

My carry routine might not seem practical or sensible to anyone else, but I'm waaaay too geezerly to change anything this late in the game.

Good, thought-provoking questions. Thanks.

 

[Artificer]

Like you, I normally wear a knife cross draw, butt forward. Since I'm right handed, that means it goes on the left front or side of my body.

Normally, I wear a knife like I would wear a pistol. Cross draw, butt forward.

I have sewed a knife sheath on the back of a bag once (no photo) and it actually did pretty well. The knife was handy and still out of the way. Mounted more vertical than horizontal, so it wouldn't want to fall out. I did another one, mounted much the same way, for a small knife.


I don't do that now, I have been in a state of flux with my shooting/load bearing gear (and everything else!) and I always seem to be reworking or thinking about reworking things. For my next bag, I think I'm going to see about hanging my small axe on the back... It has to go somewhere!!!

:rotf: Got a real kick out of the emboldened sentence. Good humour!

Good point about mounting the knife more vertical on the back of the bag. On the one I did, it got it as vertical as possible for the same reason.

Gus

 

[Artificer]

This thread topic is very timely for me as I am currently in the process of planning another hunting pouch, knife sheath, tomahawk sheath and other accourtrements suite. I have thought about mounting the knife sheath to the back of the bag, as well.

Like you and Stophel, I prefer to carry my knife butt forward for a cross draw. I am right handed, though.

However, I tried the hunting pouch on both the left and right side of my body and long ago learned for me it has to go on the right side of the body. I think I am talking myself out of putting the knife sheath on the back side of the hunting pouch for that reason.

Oh, and to Stophel on another way to carry your tomahawk. Back in the 70's when I was doing an impression of a Sergeant in Captain Willing's Continental Marines, I made a sliding double frog for a waist belt that carries a bayonet above and a sword below it. THEN I found out that none of Captain Willing's NCO's carried swords. So I stuck my tomahawk in the bottom of the frog where the sword went. It actually carried very well there, though I did not hunt with it. THEN I later found out that there is no historic precedence for carrying a bayonet and tomahawk in a double frog. Oh well.

There is historic precedence for civilians carrying an over the shoulder belt/frog combination for a tomahawk as early as the FIW, but even while never having used one, I don't think I want to go that route. It looks too unwieldy to me, though I might be mistaken.

Gus

 

[Hermit]

Seems to me this would be a good time for you to think about a neck knife, works for most every thing we do with a knife and you always have it with you.
Hermit

 

[htredneck]

I can't stand to have anything around my neck so that isn't an option. If this works, this is the actual knife I want to attach...

 

[rustyh]

Here are some pictures of mine I have a patch knife on the strap and a small butcher on the back.

[/URL]

[/URL]

[/URL]

 

[Stophel]

There is historic precedence for civilians carrying an over the shoulder belt/frog combination for a tomahawk as early as the FIW, but even while never having used one, I don't think I want to go that route. It looks too unwieldy to me, though I might be mistaken.

Gus

I've thought about those, and I don't know. Basically, I DESPISE any kind of loose, shoulder-slung stuff. I don't even like the shot bag! (my next one will be lashed to my belt to hold the stinkin' thing still!). So, already have a shot bag, a canteen, and a powder horn swinging around wildly on my body, I want to avoid yet another shoulder strap! :haha: I have seen Mark Baker with his shoulder holster for his axe, and he will take the axe handle and tuck it in the back of his belt/sash to hold the thing in place! A possibility...

My little chopper is pretty small, and would do alright on the back of the bag, I think. It's only very slightly larger than the "Ft. Meigs" axe. (I have seen old bags with the axe so attached. "Old" meaning probably mid 19th century, like most old shot bags that we see.) My slightly larger axe that I'm working on can be lashed to my snapsack or bedroll (which surprisingly, don't swing around on me!). I may even try to devise a way to attach my canteen on there too, to eliminate that annoying thing.

 

[Artificer]

I certainly hope htredneck is enjoying your and Brown Bear's thoughts in this thread at least half as much as I am. :hatsoff:

Yes, good point on having so many straps hanging from one's shoulders and not adding another one for a tomahawk.

Your latest post reminded me that I should include a "Lyman Type" belt pouch in the accoutrements suite I am planning. Thank you. I am going to have to make a list to ensure I remember everything I want to make in that suite so CRS doesn't get me and I wind up thinking about it AFTER other pieces are completed. :haha:

Gus