The Tourist
member
As you know, it's getting warmer in Wisconsin--yikes, the winter is over--and I'll be taking to the roads once again. I cannot wait. Black Betty is done, and I will riding her home 04-23-08. Pictures to follow.
And with that change in habits comes the old question, "How do I carry defensive weapons and tools on the bike?"
After all, we could take a fall, land on them and break a rib. We could draw undue attention to ourselves--and I mean other than a big chrome 700 pound toy with Stage II pipes. The item should be handy, not strapped in some form of saddle-bag or pouch.
Here's my idea. And I'm experimenting.
I love my clip knives. However one of the negative aspects of weight lifting is that a four-inch knife carried in your right front pocket will dig into the crest of your thigh. Try that for one hundred miles.
The traditional Buck-110-in-a-sheath keeps getting caught on the back or side of my jacket, especially a denim jean jacket.
However, along with a recent order, I came across a very stout and durable ballistic nylon sheath from Blackie Collins. I also have a Buck knock-off Bushmaster (Camillus blade) that a client dropped off three years ago and never retrieved. The nice thing about the Blackie Collins sheath is that it has additional straps on the obverse side that allow it to be carried like an eyeglass case. Heck, it even looks like an eyeglass case, and "urban camouflage" is a good thing in a nice restaurant.
I decided to slip the case on my belt with the top facing forward to the fly on my jeans. I thought about placing it facing outward for a fast retrieval because the case is hefty and well made with secure velcro. However I figured over time the fastener would vibrate and weaken, and I don't think this style of retrieval is factually slower.
Last night I buffed and sharpened the knife to a mirror finish and I'll be doing a shake down run for a few days. I will also be carrying Emerson (not shown) but I will try to limit my slicing duties (UPS boxes, envelopes, thread, steaks, townie muggers) to the Bushmaster.
I found my case at PVK&T. Josh got it for me for about nine bucks, and that covers his profit, as well. I'll bet a cheaper price could be found with an internet search.
And with that change in habits comes the old question, "How do I carry defensive weapons and tools on the bike?"
After all, we could take a fall, land on them and break a rib. We could draw undue attention to ourselves--and I mean other than a big chrome 700 pound toy with Stage II pipes. The item should be handy, not strapped in some form of saddle-bag or pouch.
Here's my idea. And I'm experimenting.
I love my clip knives. However one of the negative aspects of weight lifting is that a four-inch knife carried in your right front pocket will dig into the crest of your thigh. Try that for one hundred miles.
The traditional Buck-110-in-a-sheath keeps getting caught on the back or side of my jacket, especially a denim jean jacket.
However, along with a recent order, I came across a very stout and durable ballistic nylon sheath from Blackie Collins. I also have a Buck knock-off Bushmaster (Camillus blade) that a client dropped off three years ago and never retrieved. The nice thing about the Blackie Collins sheath is that it has additional straps on the obverse side that allow it to be carried like an eyeglass case. Heck, it even looks like an eyeglass case, and "urban camouflage" is a good thing in a nice restaurant.
I decided to slip the case on my belt with the top facing forward to the fly on my jeans. I thought about placing it facing outward for a fast retrieval because the case is hefty and well made with secure velcro. However I figured over time the fastener would vibrate and weaken, and I don't think this style of retrieval is factually slower.
Last night I buffed and sharpened the knife to a mirror finish and I'll be doing a shake down run for a few days. I will also be carrying Emerson (not shown) but I will try to limit my slicing duties (UPS boxes, envelopes, thread, steaks, townie muggers) to the Bushmaster.
I found my case at PVK&T. Josh got it for me for about nine bucks, and that covers his profit, as well. I'll bet a cheaper price could be found with an internet search.