Tactical, Combat Knife Sheath Accessories
Thanks Vic M., US Navy Seabee for his great input!
"Construimus, Batuimus"
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Note: I only make these accessories for my own knife sheaths!
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The only way to improve my service here is to have more carry options! With worthwhile advice and input from military clients, here are some of the new accessories I'm working on, with descriptions of materials and wear options. Note: I'm going to try this for a while, but no guarantees that I will continue or expand it. In order to make my sheaths even better, I've been asked by military personnel to create and offer some simple accessories that can extend the wear and carry options and arrangements of my military combat and tactical knife sheaths. Most of the sheaths I make for this purpose are double thickness kydex over an aluminum welt frame, secured with Chicago screws. The screws also secure at least one pair of 5052H32 high strength, corrosion resistant aluminum belt loops, die formed for a maximum 2" wide belt. The arrangement is solid and durable, probably the best made. I make two styles: tension fit and locking. Obviously, only the locking can be used in the handle-down orientation of the sheath sternum harness. First: the materials.
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I can use either. Stiffness: In order to make an extremely durable carry accessory, I first chose 2" polypropylene webbing as a base. I can also make these in nylon if requested. The polypropylene I've used is much stiffer than the nylon. Nylon is fairly floppy, so does not make a good stiffening component, but can probably be stiffened by multiple layers and heavy cross stitching. Strength: Nylon is a bit stronger than the polypropylene, but both will easily support the weight of several men, so that's not a problem. Stretching: Polypropylene has very little stretching, nylon has high elasticity. I'm not sure you would notice it in one of these accessories, either way. Water and Chemicals: This one is important. Polypropylene is more resistant to acids and chemicals, and significantly, does not expand when wet, but nylon can. Why doesn't polypropylene expand and change in water? Because water is not absorbed by polypropylene, but water is absorbed by nylon. This may be a problem in long wet wear, as mold and mildew can thrive in wet nylon. Polypropylene will float, nylon will sink. Polypropylene is also more resistant to staining than nylon. Heat: Nylon is a bit more resistant to heat, but if it gets hot enough to melt either, the wearer has other problems! Weight: Polypropylene is a lighter and less dense than nylon. In fact, polypropylene has the greatest weight to strength ratio of all synthetic fibers. Ultraviolet Light: Polypropylene will stiffen over time exposed to a great deal of ultraviolet light., but that's a great deal of UV light. In one experience I hade, it took a 1/2" diameter rope seven years to degrade by UV exposed to full sun every day. That's a lot of UV since I'm a mile above sea level! Before failure, I could easily see splintering of the fibers as the polypropylene became more brittle. Cost: Polypropylene is just a bit cheaper than nylon, but not much. Why Nylon everywhere? Why is so much nylon used in tactical accessories? Nylon comes in many colors, for one thing, polypropylene comes in only a few colors. Nylon is much easier to stitch on machines, and usually the fibers are much smaller. Nylon can be softer, and with more give between fibers also eases stitching, so is less labor intensive, and cheaper for the manufacturer. Polypropylene is pretty hard on the machines when stitching and fabricating. I've read here on the internet that nylon is harsher and more abrasive than polypropylene, but that is an error. My own experience the opposite is true. I suppose it depends on the size of the fibers and how the strap is manufactured. My stitching: I chose a heavy duty nylon upholstery thread (high strength here). This is very tough stuff. I use a triple zigzag stitch, for ultimate permanence, strength of bond, and stiffening. You won't find this stitch in any factory accessory, as factory machines only make one stitch, usually a single inline stitch. I have a special machine just for this, and it's quite sophisticated. The triple zigzag is nearly impossible to remove; it takes a half hour of picking with a razor under an Optivisor to correct a mistake an inch long! These stitches won't run, and won't come out. I do multiple rows, at least three on most unions, full width webbing bonds. The bonds are as permanent as the webbing, which should support several men. |
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Buckles: The buckles are usually ABS), but I can get them in mil-spec metal if needed. Bungees: The bungees are wide and flat elastic cords, used to prevent the knife from flopping around. They are secured with nickel plated steel snaps, but do not have to be unsnapped to be removed, just stretched. I made these accessories so that this component can be easily removed and/or replaced. Velcro: Where used, I opted for industrial strength Velcro, and I didn't use any where it might make noise in quiet operations. The Velcro is not imperative to maintaining the integrity of the accessory, only as additional insurance on securing it. So you won't have to hear that tearing sound unless you're changing the accessory out, not simply pulling your knife. The Velcro is adhesively mounted, and then stitched on the edges with the nylon upholstery thread. Rivets, snaps: I use nickel plated steel wherever possible. The nickel plating inhibits corrosion, the steel provides the strength. So those are the overall details, and I'll add more in time.
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This is my hanging extender for belt sheath wear. This accessory allows the knife sheath to be worn with the knife handle approximately even with the center of the belt line, much lower than the standard aluminum belt loop mounts. The length of the extender can be set on an individual basis, but are not adjustable as the length is permanently stitched into the accessory. The extender is custom created for each knife, and because of the differences in each knife sheath, they are usually not interchangeable with other sheaths, even my own. It is a custom piece. Below are some pictures of how the extender is attached to the tactical combat knife sheath.
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This is the typical combat knife that might use this type of accessory. The knife is a combat tactical "Horrocks" model, in bead-blasted stainless tool steel, with stainless steel bolsters and bead-blasted canvas reinforced micarta phenolic handle secured with stainless steel pins. The sheath is one of my locking combat waterproof models, with double-thick kydex over a 5052H32 corrosion resistant aluminum frame. The sheath is secured with nickel plated steel Chicago screws, and has an all-stainless locking mechanism with stainless steel hardware and spring. Read more about these fine sheaths on a special page here. |
 Here is the knife locked into the sheath. The handle is exposed for quick access, and you can see the lock mechanism is also exposed for the thumb to release it. This is the sheath front for typical right side wear, but the sheath can be reversed by simply mounting the belt loops on this side. |
 To mount the extender, you'll need a flat blade screwdriver. The sheath is turned over here so you can see the slotted screw heads of the Chicago screws. Important note: do not remove the top screw that is integral with the locking mechanism. Parts of the mechanism are assembled under tension can not be removed. Removing the screws securing the belt loops is no problem and that is what you'll be doing next. |
 Here the screw heads and aluminum belt loops are being removed. Do not worry about orientation or individual placement of the belt loops. Unless you have an older model of my locking sheath (over 5 years), these aluminum belt loops are interchangeable on each individual sheath. |
 The sheath extender is placed under the aluminum belt loops and the screws are reattached. You might wonder why not just thread the arms of the extender through the loops. Because of the thickness, size, toughness, and Velcro (hook and loop) pads, you can't do this; there simply is not enough room. In fact, the extender can not be removed once the belt loop screws are tightened. This is one of the custom measures that allows the extender only to be used on an individual knife sheath. The tolerances are very tight. The extender is placed so the anti-flop elastic shock cord (also called bungee or ockky strap) is wrapped around the knife handle. The shock cord in this photo is blue. |
 The Velcro pads are now closed over each other to fully secure the extender to the sheath. The strength of the extender does not rely upon the Velcro, the Velcro is there as an additional fastening agent for security. it also pads the back of the sheath extender where it might ride against the body. |
 The polypropylene/nylon/shock cord extender ready for wear. The blue shock cord is flat and strong, and is secured through and independent tube in the upper end of the extender's belt loop. It's held there by tension and because it has nickel plated steel snaps on the ends. This allows the shock cord to be removed if desired, or replaced if worn or deteriorated. The purpose is to keep the handle from flopping around away from the body when the wearer is active. It is NOT a security measure to assist or replace the locking mechanism on the knife sheath. |
 Here's a typical wearing style for the sheath extender and tactical knife, right side, blade back. Note how much lower the extender sets the handle than the aluminum belt loops. The handle is nearer to the belt line, rather than high by the ribs. The extender should not be too long, or the lower tip of the sheath will flop around and need to be secured to the thigh. Currently, I do not make thigh straps, as they may interfere with movement in the field. Also, a couple guys have asked if I could make the height adjustable. I think this is a bad idea, as that would weaken the whole vertical riser on the extender. I'd have to use something like Velcro, which could cause critical noise if the knife sheath is tugged, caught, or trapped. If the adjustment was made with metal fittings, this would concentrate the tension on the point of the metal fasteners, and they would wear. We've all seen many rivets and grommets fail this way on military webbing belts. Metal could also rub and abrade the clothes and gear beneath it, against the wearer. I also wanted the extender to be as strong as the aluminum loops and the locking mechanism. Adding adjustable height to the arrangement would weaken it. |
 Here's how to remove the anti-flop shock cord. A simple pull and the cord is pulled over the top of the rear bolster. A lanyard should not be used when the knife is worn this way, it may interfere with the shock cord. Another way to remove the shock cord would be to unsnap the nickel plated steel snap at the rear of the shock cord. The color of the shock cord is a visual aid that helps the wearer to assure the handle is secured against the extender. Remember, even with the shock cord removed, the knife is still secure in the sheath. Even with the shock cord snap unsnapped, the shock cord can not be removed from the tube without tremendous effort. It's flat and tight. Round shock cord would not work here. |
 The anti-flop elastic shock cord snaps out of the way of the handle. This is important since retaining straps on sheaths frequently get in the way of the knife blade when removing and inserting the knife from the sheath. This is a sore spot with most knife wearers, and on my sheaths and combat knives page, I state that snap/loop retention of knife handles should be outlawed. The knife blade will eventually contact and cut through this kind of sheath strap. With my arrangement and use of this type of shock cord, that won't happen. The shock cord is not used to retain the knife in the sheath, the lock mechanism is. The elastic is pulled tightly out of the way of the knife handle and blade, and is snug against the belt loop extender, staying out of the way of the hand and blade. |
 With the anti-flop shock cord out of the way, the knife is easily unlocked with the thumb and removed from the sheath. Here's where the stiffness of the polypropylene and the multiple layers and heavy stitching reinforce the extender. When you pull up on the knife, a weaker, thinner extender would buckle, allowing the sheath to flop outward away from the body. In military style pistol loop extenders, sometimes a piece of plastic or aluminum is sewn into the layers to stiffen them. For my extender, I did not want to hassle with metal or plastic, I wanted the entire extender to be tough yet comfortable. The double layers, the multiple cross triple zigzag stitching stiffens the entire vertical length. The extender is light, simple, and comfortable to wear. |
Tactical Sheath Harness (Locking Sheath Only)
 The tactical sheath harness is attached by first removing the screws that hold the aluminum belt loops to the knife sheath. The harness is made of 2" wide polypropylene webbing, .100" thick. The webbing just fits under the belt loops, and is tightly held in place when they are screwed to the sheath. The harness is laid across the back as shown. The area where the sheath sits is custom made just wide enough for the sheath, and the sheath will not slide around because there is no play to allow it. The angle change of the flat web has six full runs of triple zigzag stitching in upholstery nylon, so is permanent. |
 Here you can see how the harness is attached. The fit is tight and secure. The buckle is ABS plastic, the buckle rivets are nickel plated steel. This is a highly water-resistant rig. |
 The harness secure. In this photo, you can see that the sheath can not slip around on the webbing, even if it had play (which it doesn't) I made this to be as solid and tight as possible. This orientation allows the sheath to be worn handle down, upside down, across the chest and an adjustable height. |
 Here, your favorite knife maker shows the quickest way to don the harness. Simply put your arm through, and slip over the head. For information, this rig can be made reversible for left handed wearers, as can be the sheath, as the aluminum sheath loops can be screwed to either side of the sheath. Remember, this accessory is only for a positively locking sheath. |
 Here's how it rides: simple, clean, and snug. the angle of the webbing wraps comfortable under the armpit, and up over the back without wrinkling. The harness sash is adjustable above the buckle. If clients request it, an additional security strap could be attached that girths the chest. Currently, this is a very stable platform and puts the knife very conveniently at the ready. |
 The knife can be easily unlocked with the thumb and the blade pulled in a very natural motion. Reinsertion into the sheath is equally easy. |
 In an emergency, the harness can be quickly removed. The hardware can also be made in mil-spec metals if desired. |
If you are a previous or current client and have one or more of my combat sheaths, and have ideas that make sense, I'd like to hear them! Email me here.
