The way you carry your knife is important, regardless of whether you are using it for cutting boxes or for self-defense.
Carrying a fixed blade knife horizontally, also called scout carry, is a comfortable way to do so. Keeping your tool concealed while drawing with it is easy.
What is the best way to carry a knife as a scout? Is it necessary to be a Boy Scout or in the military to participate in this program?
I don’t think so!
Sheaths and belts are all you need.
Related: Best Horizontal Carry Fixed Blade Knives
This is how a scout should carry a knife
Scouts carry their equipment simply. Sheaths are worn horizontally on belts.
For this to work, you need a sheath that can be carried horizontally.
The Gerber Ghostrike, for example, has this setup natively. There are others that allow the clip to be rotated.
Alternatively, you can slide the sheath through eyelets on your belt, but this method will take a while.
A knife’s carrying location should also be considered.
The majority of scouts attach their knives to their belts on their front side, slightly to the left, or in the small of their back. A six-o’clock or an eleven-o’clock meeting.
Make sure your dominant hand is facing the handle!
It is not uncommon for scouts to carry their knives on the side of their hips. As a result, the knife handle sticks out, which eliminates one of the reasons to carry a knife for scouts.
Taking a knife on a Scout
How could you justify carrying your blade horizontally on your belt?
A snag-free garment provides comfort, concealment, and concealment.
Here are some details about them.
Comfort
A knife is a long, thin tool. In order to keep them from rubbing against or jabbing into your body, they should match your lines as much as possible.
When you’re standing up, you’ll make a line from leg to the torso when you carry vertically. Would you be able to bend to one side if you needed to? Do you want to sit or stand?
A chair may force the knife up, lifting your belt and causing discomfort, even if it does not poke into you.
When you carry your knife scout style, it lies alongside your body where it is in line with your body. Your waist won’t be stabbed by the knife as you bend over and sit down!
Concealment
Knives with horizontal blades blend into horizontal belts.
Furthermore, wearing your shirt untucked will prevent the knife’s tip from sticking out.
The scout carry style provides greater concealment than other OWB styles, while still making the knife easy to draw compared to if it were carried inside your pocket.
Reducing Snag
When innocent branches pass by, your hip knife reaches out and grabs them.
Sheaths hang much less when knives are carried parallel to your belt on the front or back.
While scouts carrying knives won’t eliminate all drag, they greatly reduce the likelihood of snagging underbrush.
Alternative Knife Carry Methods
Like all carrying methods, scout carry isn’t always the best for all knives and situations.
Here are some times when other options are better.
- Pocket Carry – For folding knives, keeping the knife in your pocket is a great idea. If you need to use your offhand, the deployment of a pocket knife is slow and may not be possible.
- A large fixed blade that won’t fit in a scout carry pouch can be carried vertically outside the waistband.
- Knife carry inside the waistband – Carrying a knife inside the waistband is your best bet if you’re worried about people looking at it.
- When in the city you can hide a knife under your shirt, but when you’re in the woods you can leave it on your shirt top. The sheath can bang around when running, and it only works with smaller knives.
- Especially for larger knives, inside the boot is a good place to conceal a blade if you want to conceal it comfortably. Kneeling down low is necessary during deployment, however!
- Sheaths strapped to your arm are not practical. They may look cool but are not practical.
- Attaching a knife to your pack’s shoulder strap is a great way to carry it while hunting, hiking, or backpacking. As a result, it is easy to access with either arm and easy to grab in an emergency without bouncing around.
The best way to carry a knife as a scout
These tips will help you improve your results if you choose to carry a knife while scouting.
It is a good idea to carry fixed blades in a scout fashion if you have a small or medium blade. Knives over a certain size do not work as well. Scouts carry folding knives in pouches, but I hesitate to call them scout knives.
Once you have placed your sheath, make sure to test it out. The knife should be drawn and returned from multiple angles multiple times.
Put your offhand to the test, too.
This is easier to do with 11 o’clock carry than with 6 o’clock carry.
If your main hand gets trapped in the sheath, it won’t be difficult to use in the field.
Practice both upright and reverse draws when drawing a knife from a horizontal sheath.
You should also consider changing your position when using a backpack if you prefer to carry the knife in the small of your back.
The knife shouldn’t be pushed into your spine by your bag!
In addition, many people don’t like 6-o’clock carries because you could fall onto your back if you don’t wear a backpack.
Conclusion
You can carry a hunting knife or a backup self-defense knife while scouting.
When I tromp through the woods, I carry scout carry instead of my EDC knives.
The knife doesn’t hang off the side of my belt as a knife would!
Is scout carry something you’d like to know more about? What tips or anecdotes would you like to share? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!
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