Effective ways to conceal your EDC boot knife

Most people take on the prepping journey for a reason, and the most important reason in my opinion would be learning how to take responsibility for our own troubles. This includes getting prepared with the right kind of gear so that you can face most of the threats.

The prepping community is starting to give importance to boot knifes because it is much easier and safer to conceal this than other weapons. Accessing a locating a boot knife would also be easy because it will usually be right on the side of your leg. Furthermore, boot knifes are cheaper as compared to most firearms, which makes it even more attractive.

However, there are several aspects which you may want to consider before picking a boot knife. First, the blade-point design must be considered because it affects how your knife would work in different situations. Also, you have to make sure that the boot knife is suitable for your boots. I would encourage you to use hunting boots because they have special straps and built-in compartments which makes it convenient for you to put the knife.

Another aspect is the length of the blade where you can choose between short, medium or large blades depending on how convenient it is for you and what you are using it for. Lastly, don’t forget to consider what kind of edge you want for the blade. Usually, you would come across straight-edged boot knife which is great for making precision cuts. Other edges include serrated-edged blade and combo edged knifes.

The post would basically be separated into two parts: First, I would talk about some common principles which applies across the board concerning how you should wear a boot knife. Second, I will discuss concerning some methods which I found useful for concealing boot knives.

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Here is a list of recommended knives:

1. Old Timer 162OT Boot Knife
2. Cold Steel Kobun Fixed Blade AUS 8A Plain Boot Knife
3. Schrade SCHF19 Small Boot Knife Spear Point Fixed Blade
4. Schrade SCHF21 One-Piece Drop Forged Boot Knife Spear Point Fixed Blade

Why a boot knife?

Knives are really useful and versatile tools where you can use it for many things, but the sole purpose of concealing a boot knife would be for safety. This is especially needed for those of you who are often doing law enforcement work or going out into the wilderness often.

However, you have to admit that boot knives are really handy and easily accessible (if you put it at the right place of course). It is a great everyday carry gear because of how small it is. Since they are normally hidden from sight, it would give you an edge when you meet a situation where you are threatened by a person or an animal.

There are some step-by-step guides on doing this as well. Where a lot of them would stress that you need to ensure that your knife is covered with a sheath so that you can avoid unwanted injury. Next, would be getting your feet inside the boots after you have employed one of the methods for storing the boot knife below. This is to see whether it is comfortable for you.

Some tips and precautions must be taken into account as well. You should ensure that your sheath’s strap is always secured on your boot properly so that you can avoid unwanted injury. Next, would be understanding the laws of the place you are going to because not every place would allow you to carry such a weapon. There are some states that even limit the length for your boot knife too.

My post would not delve too deeply into the instructions on how you should get your boot knife on your boots or what you should do to avoid harming yourself. Instead, it would be focused on giving you a general idea of how you should keep it and what options you have.

General Principles

Here, I would lay out some factors to consider when you want to conceal your knife. First, it depends on the design of the boot ring. However, in these contemporary times, boot knives usually are designed to carry a boot knife. Usually, the boots will come in built-in straps or integrated pockets.  This is one of the most basic factor, so don’t lose sight of it! I have stated some considerations below on how you should conceal your boot knife.

Principle 1: Allows you to access it easily

There are certain choices of clothing that would affect how you should conceal your blade. Especially for women, if you wear skirts or dresses you would definitely have limited your options for concealing your weapon.

Please understand that how the knife is designed would determine how those knife should be carried and where it should be placed. For example, a wave knife is suitable for you to hook on the spine of the blade. Therefore, it is vital to consider the design of the knife.

Next, would be the overall size of the knife, which influences how you should place the knife. Those with particularly big blades will usually be more difficult to conceal and draw, but may be capable of causing more damage.

Hence, after taking into account such factors, you have to find out the most appropriate way to conceal the knife in your boot. You have to keep in mind how easily assessible you want it where you can be able to take the knife with minimal effort and despite facing clothing barriers.

photo license: Some rights reserved by CapCase

Principle 2: Knowing what makes you feel most comfortable

Usually, the position most people will feel comfortable with is by putting it in such a way where the draw of the weapon is on our strong side. Alternatively, you can try to clip the knife to a pocket on your stronger side. Ultimately, we would encourage drawing weapons on the strong side.

If you are open to other options rather than just keeping the knife in the boot, you can try concealing it outside the waistband too. This is because it would be in a better position for you to grab it with even less movement. The only downside is that the choice of clothing you are wearing would affect the visibility of the knife.

Also, you can look to folding knives as well because they are more suitable to be clipped on your clothes. Folding knives are great if you want to keep your knife safely, but it is not good for an effective draw.

Principle 3: Understand why you are doing it

If you are concealing your knife because you know that there would be an immediate threat, it would be wise to conceal more than one knife. There are several locations you can consider, especially having one in your boots and near your waist.

By storing multiple knives, you would be able to face most SHTF situation. You are ensuring that you would be able to access your gear in the best possible manner, since the accessibility of the knife would depend on what situation you are in. However, you have a bigger hurdle of concealing more of your knives from view. Another possible hindrance is that it could make you feel uncomfortable, especially when you need to move around.

Ways to conceal your boot knife

After knowing some important aspects to consider when choosing which place to put your boot knife, I would like to share some options you can choose for keeping your boot knife.

Method 1: Storing it in the boot sheath.

It is common for boots to come with a sheath, especially when the manufacturer is specially producing boots to carry knives. The sheath on the boots allows you to store a knife inside it (basically conceal it). This is one of the most ideal ways to carry the knife because the manufacturer would usually take into account all considerations and make the boots suitable for carrying knives.

After getting a boot that has a sheath, the next step you need is to choose a knife which is capable of fitting comfortably into the sheath. Basically, you must consider getting a blade with a suitable length.

There are other considerations as well such as determining which type of sheath is the best. Make sure that the sheath is made out of thick and durable materials such as thick leather so that there would not be any accident.

Method 2: Storing it beside your ankle

If your boots do not come with a sheath, you can use this method to put your boot knife. This works especially well if you wear a boot with high ankle because there is sufficient space there for you to store knives inside it.

However, this option only allows you to store folding boot knives or smaller knives since it would be placed in the ankle of your boot. The plus point is that you would be able to easily access the knife especially in times when you need it the most.

Method 3: Putting an extra sheath to your boot

Another alternative is to add an extra sheath to your boot so that you can store your knife comfortably. One way to add a sheath is to sew two to three laces on your sheath. Basically, tie up one of the laces with your boot and another one of the laces on your ankle so that it sticks to you.

Of course, you may want to be as accurate as possible by sewing it properly. Make sure that you tie the laces around your leg properly to ensure that it remains tight on your leg to avoid it from falling off.

Method 4: Sliding it under your feet

This method can only be employed to really small and thin knives. Basically, you would be placing the boot knife under your feet. You just stuff it in your boot and wear it. Since the knife is lying under your feet, you may feel a bit uneasy and uncomfortable.

You have to make sure that the knife is think enough so that the knife do not eventually wear out the sheath and hurt your feet. One other consideration is that it would be a nuisance for you when you are required to walk a long distance or run with this. Hence, only consider this option if none of the others work for you.

Method 5: Place your boot knife using the lace on the boots

This method is easier for people with boots that have a long ankle. You have the option to store your knife inside the lace of the boots, only when the boot has sufficient space. Remember to get a sheath for your knife although you are storing it using this method because the knife may cut the lace on your boots.

Conclusion

After knowing what is the best method to conceal your knife, it is time to master the art of using it. It is important that you learn how to sharpen your knife too. Some common things to avoid, especially when you are a novice, include starting off with a knife that is really dull. One alternative that you can take is have someone else who knows how to do it sharpen the knife for you. It is much better to train your skills on a fairly sharp knife so that you can easily see what works.

Also, you should prevent yourself from constantly changing techniques even when you do not see any particular progress. Don’t get discouraged too fast! If you think that your knife is not being any sharper despite sharpening it for 5 to 10 minutes, take a rest and come back to it. This is because it may take around 20 to 30 minutes to actually see progress.

Also, remember to be open to other possibilities as well! Your boot knife can be useful in opening up packages, slicing your fruits or even sharpening pencils. Do this only when you are alone or with people you trust, if not you will lose the whole purpose of concealing the knife.

By understanding some general principles and knowing some methods to store your boot knife, I really hope that it can serve as a comprehensive guide! If you have any ideas or suggestions to share, feel free to comment below.

Author Bio: I am John Lewis, a blogger, survivalist and outdoor enthusiast. You can follow me over at Epic Wilderness.