How to Safely Carry a Knife Around

When handling a knife it is essential to keep in mind that it is quite dangerous and should be handled with absolute care. Different types of knives are applicable in different areas of our lives for various activities.

For instance, you have options like chef knives, cool pocket knives, tactical knives, and hunting knives among others. However, what is common with all the options available, is how you carry the knives around.

There are specific aspects you need to consider and keep in mind to avoid any injuries or accidents. Doing this will ensure that your experience with knives is pleasant. Here are some of the most important key points to consider when working with knives.

Hold Your Knife Correctly

Holding your knife correctly at all times is an art that you need to master and get good at. You have two different situations to consider when learning how to hold your knife correctly. They both apply different principles that are essential for you to consider. The two situations to keep in mind include:

Holding Your Knife While in Use

When it comes to working with a knife, you must learn the right way to hold it when in use. This applies mainly to when cutting up foods or sharpening a stick in the forest for your hunt.

You need to observe how you hold the knife to ensure you don’t end up hurting yourself in the process. The best way to hold a knife is definitely by staying clear of the blade and focussing on the handle.

Work with your hand firmly wrapped around the handle and use your thumb and index finger to pinch where the blade starts. This will help you get a firmer grip on your knife and make it easier to use.

Ensure that you are holding your knife with your dominant hand to make the cutting process easier. Holding your knife right will help you when out camping, hunting, or in the kitchen cooking.

Ensure that you pay attention to your form and always keep your eye on the movements. Focus on the blade to ensure that it doesn’t end up in the wrong place and cause any injuries.

Holding Your Knife When Walking

As you move around the kitchen or our campsite, it is important to ensure that your knife is held correctly. One wrong move and you could bump into someone and end up hurting them.

When walking around with your knife, ensure that your grip is firmly placed on the knife handle. This will help you stay in control of your knife and the movements to prevent it from slipping.

Next, place your arms to the side and point the knife blade to face directly to the floor. Doing this will prevent any situation where you bump into someone and end up hurting them especially when the knife is facing forward.

With your knife on the side facing down, walk to where you are going and ensure that you don’t swing your arms. Swinging your arms completely defeats the purpose and could end up harming you or someone else.

With the position you are in when holding your knife, if you happen to fall, drop it immediately before trying to support yourself on to anything. However, you have the option of covering the blade part with an edge protector if you want extra safety and assurance.

Practice Safely Passing the Knife

When it comes to passing your knife to another person, you need to consider your safety and that of the participating party. Doing this ensures that you both stay clear of any injuries and accidents that may occur. The best and most effective way to pass a knife is by placing it on a flat surface for the other person to pick up. This is by far the safest way to get it done which significantly reduces any risks of injuries for both parties.

On the other hand, if you want to pass the knife directly, you can also get it done. The only catch is that you need to be extra careful with how you go about this. First, you need to realize that when passing the knife, the handle should be facing the recipient. This helps reduce injuries and mistakes significantly and gives you a better chance at successfully carrying it out. With the handle facing the recipient, your hand should be tightly placed on the blade side.

For this, to be safe, ensure that the blunt side is facing your forearm. This way if the knife happens to be passed in the wrong way, you don’t end up with a nasty cut. When using this method to pass the knife, you need to ensure that you both pull away at the same time. The recipient should also ensure that they hold firmly to the handle to ensure the knife doesn’t fall during the exchange. Additionally, you also have the option of passing the knife with protection on.

For instance, with hunting and tactical knives, consider passing them while they are in their sheaths. When it comes to pocket knives, fold them before passing them to the recipient.  This goes a long way to ensure that you observe the best standards of safety when using knives. Keep your eye on the knife and accurately communicate with your partner to make the handing over an easy process.

Observe Safety Measures When Transporting Your Knife

When it comes to carrying a knife in the outdoors, you need to ensure that you observe basic safety measures. Doing this allows you the freedom and advantage to move around with ease and stress-free. There are a few aspects that come in handy especially when camping, hunting, or hiking.

These outdoor activities require you to carry a knife that will help you take care of a few survival aspects like cutting up wood and your meals among others. The best way to observe safety when moving around with your knife in the outdoors is by observing either of the following aspects.

Moving with a Backpack

When in transit, the best place to have your knife is inside your backpack. Seeing as you’ll not be using it while in transport, keeping it in your bag is the best bet. However, when doing this ensure that the blade is protected at all times. You could use a sheath or place the knife in a container that it can not compromise.

Doing this is important to ensure that the knife doesn’t cut through your bag harming you or anyone with access. Additionally, when picking something from your bag, it is essential to have the confidence that the knife won’t cut you. It is important to note that before you decide to go with this option, you need to familiarize yourself with the laws.

Research on the laws governing the area you’ll be visiting and focus on their regulations on knives and any requirements they state. This is essential mainly because in some states you find that walking around with a knife in your backpack is illegal. It may easily be mistaken for the concealment of a lethal weapon that could land you in a lot of trouble. To avoid this, do your research in advance and follow the instructions and laws given.

Carrying Your Knife in its Sheath

When purchasing an outdoor knife, you find that most of them will come with a sheath that is mostly made out of leather. Leather is a great material that cannot easily be compromised when working with a knife. The sheath is designed to hang easily from your belt or backpack making it a great option.

Using a sheath for your knife ensures your safety and that of others while also giving you the ability to have your knife readily available for use. The other great advantage is that the knife is out in the open which reduces the risk for charges of concealment. When using your sheath, the blade should be facing down into the sheath while the handle stays upright facing you.

Investing in a Folding Knife

Folding blade knives are a great option compared to fixed blade knives, especially when backpacking in the outdoors. They are designed to offer great performance when it comes to carrying out activities such as hunting and fishing among others.

These knives can easily be transported from one place to another without having to worry about safety. The blade can easily be folded and concealed when not in use and accessed later when the need arises. Folding knives can be carried in your pocket, belt, or backpack depending on the size of the blade.

Conclusion

Knives are great tools that come in handy both in the kitchen and in the outdoors. However, you need to always be mindful and ensure that you stay vigilant. Observe your safety at all times when working with these tools. When moving around with them be sure to use the right tools to help you enhance your safety. Additionally, be mindful of how you hold and pass your knife at all times. This will go a long way to ensuring that you observe your own safety and that of others.