Anyone else surprised RFP carry is so common?

[Ippon]

Any one else surprised RFP carry is so common?

No, it's the proper place to carry a knife...

[vivi]

I always have a larger knife in the right back pocket, and smaller in right front pocket. I don't usually put anything else in there, so it doesn't matter about space. Although, I like to put my hands in my pockets, and sometimes it annoys me. In the waistband just seems so weird and wrong (to me).

It'd free up your pockets for your hands

I think its weirder to want to put your hands in your pocket, but choose to keep something there that could go somewhere else :p

I do not carry rear pocket, because, as a police officer friend once demonstrated to me, it is easy for a bad guy to come up behind you and take your knife.

That's one of the reasons I started carrying IWB. Worked security detail for a few years, and being packed in large crowds all the time made me reconsider a few choices.

The only thing that makes me hesitant is safety. Do you have anything to protect your body when carrying IWB? Do you carry tip up or tip down?

I carry tip up, but I only use locks with a strong self close. Lockbacks, Szabo style compression locks, and ball bearing locks are the only ones I'll purchase from Spyderco.

I've had compression locks and liner locks open in my pocket but never IWB, which is contrary to what you'd expect.

I have carried IWB at 3:30-4:00 a lot. I wear sweatpants or gym shorts a lot and IWB is the way to go there. I have never had any issues. I have jogged hundreds of miles like that, maybe thousands. In 2014 I ran over 1000 miles in one year. I never had any issues, surprisingly not even corrosion. It has never fallen out or come open. .

That's the biggest reason for me too, athletics. I corrode folder no matter where I carry them :p My salts have come with me for some long distance cycling trips. 2015 my PE Pacific Salt was my partner for a two week 1400 mile trip.

I carry my smaller blade RFP, and my larger blade LFP most times.

A question for the IWB, watch pocket, sheath/pouch, and hip pocket carries: does the Emerson Wave deploy with these carry methods?

IWB it can, but its tougher to do. You have to angle the knife a bit to get a 100% success rate. If I were carrying a dedicated self defense knife I'd carry a fixed blade IWBN or horizontal on my belt at 1 o clock. Luckily I live in a boring part of the world :)

[Doc Dan]

For IWB I would NEVER carry a liner/frame lock knife. I value my hide too much. A good back lock is choice number one. The BBL is choice 2.

(I would not even carry an Axis lock like this. I have had them come open. This is also the reason my wife carries a Spyderco back lock. Her Axis lock opened in her purse and nearly cut her.)

[bearfacedkiller]

I have jogged hundreds of miles with a Para2 IWB tip down. It never opened and I have no fears that it ever will. That said, the Delica is my preferred jogging knife.

[bearfacedkiller]

Tru-Spec cargo pants, special knife pocket on each leg at 3 and 9 o'clock. Unfortunately, only a skinny knife like the Caly will fit in it though.

I have actually picked up a few pairs of the Tru-Spec 24-7s and really like them. Is that the model you have? I can carry pretty much every knife in my rotation in mine except for the Manixs and they will fit but they are tight coming in and out. The Military, Para2, Sages and even the K2 fit easily in that pocket.

Does anybody else have cargos just for the fancy pockets? I have a pair of Proppers that I like too.

I wear the TruSpecs all the time because I treated them with permethrin and I am hiding in the woods in Lyme disease territory. I HATE ticks....

Farid K2 pretty much maxes the pocket out but it is easy to take in and out.

Sage2 on the weak side.

Military

[The Deacon]

I don't find the fact that most folks who carry a knife clipped where it's visible to others have it clipped to their right front pocket any more surprising than the fact most men who carry a wallet carry it in their right back pocket. Then too there's probably at least some "people are most likely to see things that are where they expect them to be" logic at work.

[LDB]

Yes, those are the pants I have although mine seem to have a somewhat narrower knife pocket than your photos. I'll have to check it again. Maybe I didn't hold my tongue right when I tried it.

[bearfacedkiller]

I think that they did come out with a newer version of them about a year ago. I think I have the newer ones. Not sure though.

I wish the top edges were reinforced a little better for wear but they are nice pants.

These types of pockets pretty much completely eliminate any chances of a knife opening in a pocket. Another nice feature.

[RLDubbya]

Tru-Spec cargo pants, special knife pocket on each leg at 3 and 9 o'clock. Unfortunately, only a skinny knife like the Caly will fit in it though.

I have actually picked up a few pairs of the Tru-Spec 24-7s and really like them. Is that the model you have? I can carry pretty much every knife in my rotation in mine except for the Manixs and they will fit but they are tight coming in and out. The Military, Para2, Sages and even the K2 fit easily in that pocket.

Does anybody else have cargos just for the fancy pockets? I have a pair of Proppers that I like too.

I wear the TruSpecs all the time because I treated them with permethrin and I am hiding in the woods in Lyme disease territory. I HATE ticks....

Farid K2 pretty much maxes the pocket out but it is easy to take in and out.

Sage2 on the weak side.

Military

I have a couple pairs of the Duluth Trading Fire Hose Work Shorts - they have a lot of pockets, including a dedicated knife/flashlight pocket. I think they're more of the "fat man's" version of the Tru-Spec.

[LDB]

I tried them again this morning and the Manix will not fit. It's just a bit too wide. I've never tried Duluth Trading. They are a bit too proud of their stuff for me. Maybe one of these days.

[RocketBen]

I think I might be odd. I carry my knife in my left front pocket, despite being right handed. Back when I got my first spyderco, my cellphone had already resided in my right pocket. So not knowing any better, I clipped my knife in my left pocket to hang out with my keys. I know it doesn't make sense from a practical standpoint, but it's been so long, it feels right to me.
Occasionally on the weekends, a knife might find itself in a cargo pocket. I don't really care for things in my back pockets when I sit down, so they rarely end up there.

[anycal]

Carried my Delica, Native 5 LW, and PM2 tip up IWB at 3 o'clock, jumping and diving off of platforms; one as high as 30 feet with N5.

Crashed on my bike with PM2 IWB. Mountain biking rough trails mostly with PM2. Some trail running as well. Never had a problem.

Never had any of my knives open in RFP.

I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but I haven't experienced it... yet. I guess it also depends on how snug knives are clipped in. But I'm not really sporting nut huggers or anything.

[Evil D]

I'm really more surprised at all the other places people find to carry knives. Seems to me the front pocket left or right handed is by far the most logical place to carry.

[wrdwrght]

RFP for me, and perhaps surprised at that.

I'm left-handed, but evidently more ambidextrous (or confused) than I thought as a kid. Ended up throwing left but batting and golfing right (did throw clubs left). Carried a sidearm in Vietnam on the right; still shoot handguns more competently right, but long guns left.

IWB, unless in boardshorts, surprises me far more. Never happy to carry anything IWB and will only carry a firearm there when circumstances dictate. If I need to conceal a knife to avoid controversy, I just let it fall to the bottom of my pocket. Fast access to a knife for self-defense does not factor in my life.

[jayhawk]

Thanks for the comments everyone, very informative. Now I clearly need to pick up a Manix 2, so I have a justifiable reason to carry IWB. :D

I think I might be odd. I carry my knife in my left front pocket, despite being right handed. Back when I got my first spyderco, my cellphone had already resided in my right pocket. So not knowing any better, I clipped my knife in my left pocket to hang out with my keys. I know it doesn't make sense from a practical standpoint, but it's been so long, it feels right to me.
Occasionally on the weekends, a knife might find itself in a cargo pocket. I don't really care for things in my back pockets when I sit down, so they rarely end up there.

I'm left handed and carry RFP for basically the same reason. I'm not really in any situations where rapid deployment of my DF2 is critical. :p I've thought about going to some semi-dressy tactical pants for a dedicated cell phone and/or knife pocket.

[Ryno]

RFP is just a rookie mistake :)

I tend to only buy pants with a 5th pocket somewhere, like dickies with a cell phone pocket or Lee Dungaree cargo shorts that have a hidden pocket behind the left cargo pocket. Almost lost a knife once with RFP when I first started carrying a folder with a clip.

[ZMW]

With small folders I RFP carry all day. Urban or even my Delica. The Urban does not interfere with my pocket space at all. Larger folders usually go BRP.

I live in Phx, its 105 right now, will be 115 in a month or two. Pants are not an option, so with shorts it limits the size of knife you can carry. I also work in an office, so I only need a small knife 90% of the time.

[zhyla]

I'm really more surprised at all the other places people find to carry knives. Seems to me the front pocket left or right handed is by far the most logical place to carry.

There's an obvious reason to carry a knife in a different position: because you already have a knife in RFP :)

I can't see any position other than strong hand front pocket competing in terms of speed of deployment and un-deployment. To me that's all that matters. And not so much for tactical reasons, just for convenience when used for EDC stuff. Faster deployment equals less time fumbling with something while also holding a knife because it takes too long to put it away between tasks.

Strong hand rear pocket is nearly as fast but sitting on a knife kind of sucks, especially if it's long. And those narrow pockets for tools or knives just slow you down.

Anywho, just my 2 cents, whatever works for you works for you :)

[PayneTrain]

You guys are weird. :p

RFP by default. Occasionally something will require that it be moved to the rear or, rarely, IWB. RFP is just what I find to be the best combination of comfort and convenience, i.e. accessibility. I'm​ a pretty lean dude and don't have a lot of padding, so rear pockets are often uncomfortable if sitting is on the agenda. I would actually like to carry IWB more, but I'm gross and can corrode even 204P if the weather is just right. For my butt's sake and my knife's sake, it usually rides shotgun.

[C99c]

I carry clipped to a front pocket probably 99% of the time. Otherwise it's IWB somewhere forward of the hips when swimming, running or other miscellaneous activities and on the very rare occasion it's needed, I drop it into a front pocket or clip to a RCS Pocket Shield.
RFP/LFP has worked well for me for the 25ish years I've been carrying a clipped folder.