Following on the heels of last month's article about the Nite Ize eClipse comes a few more carry methods that I make use of on a regular basis. This month I'll be reviewing the Maxpedition knife sheath, the Venture Clip from SOSAK member Jeff Venture, owner of VentureTech Sheaths and looking in on the long term use and abuse of my trusty old Pock-Its XL sheath which has been on my duty belt through more than a few bar brawls.
I'll start off with the Maxpedition sheath- it's an olive drab affair, although it is available in other colors, and perhaps most important, it's designed for use with MOLLE gear. Why is this important? Simple- it means it not only holds onto a variety of locations, eqiupment and gear, it also fits pretty well anywhere or on anything you may be wearing around the house, office, job site or in the woods. It may be a bit "tactical" looking for many offices though, but if you've seen my wardrobe then you know enough not to take fashion advice from me!
As with many MOLLE attachment things, it not only has multiple mounting options, it also has loops at the top and bottom for hanging other goodies on it as well. Miine rides securely on the shoulder strap of my netbook bag, ready for action wherever I go. Since it is listed as a sheath for knives, tools or a pistol clip it's got a fair bit of space inside, and i usually have a Wenger Ranger tucked inside. It seems to struggle with anything over a three or four layer Ranger model, and barely holds my 172. Still, given the size of a NewRanger, that's still quite impressive, and should fit almost any other folding knife or tool you may want to have with you.
And, given that it's Maxpedition, you can be assured that it will last a long time, what with the heavy duty velcro, ballistic nylon and reinforced stitching typical of the brand. For under $20, it's a nice method for carrying your favorite knife pretty well anywhere.
Moving on to the Venture Clip we see the other end of the spectrum- while Maxpedition is overbuilt and obvious, the Venture Clip is innocuous and discrete. It's also one of those "why didn't I think of that?" kinds of ideas- it's basically a small strip of kydex folded over on itself with a hole in one side. It weighs almost nothing on it's own and clips securely to your pocket in the same way that a more traditional knife pocket clip would, only it allows the knife to hang down inside your pocket, safe and sound.
One of the big issues with SAK carry is that they often don't sit right in your pocket, and create odd looking pocket bulges- especially when carrying wider SAKs like a SwissChamp or longer ones like the 111mm or 120mm series. This is where a clip like the VentureClip comes in handy as it holds the knife vertical in your pocket, keeping it in line with your leg.
Last but not least is a short revisit of an old friend- my XL pouch from Pock-its, which has been faithfully serving me on my duty belt since I initially reviewed it way back in September of 2008! It’s showing a bit of wear, but there have been no significant issues with it despite having hit the floor (and many other things!) on numerous occasions during my nights working the door in a popular nightclub. Since the original review, some of the items packed inside have changed- for example, the Spirit has given way to a SOG Powerlock, the Victorinox LED light has given way to a Gerber Infinity Ultra, and I now carry a Topeak Mini 9 bicycle tool in the lower pouch for locking and unlocking crash bars on emergency exits. My Fisher Bullet Space Pen is still riding safe and secure in the front elastic strap, which surprisingly enough has yet to deform or lose its elasticity.
In fact, the only real way to show that this sheath has been used (other than the staining and slight pilling on the top which is easily removed) is that the internal coating is a bit worn that it’s a little less crisp than it used to be, having worn in nicely around the tools inside it. After just over two years of heavy use, I’d say that is pretty impressive- so impressive in fact, that Bob Reichardt (President of Pock-its) and I have been working together on potentially creating a new sheath, but I can’t go into any more detail as it’s still ultra-secret at this point!
Meanwhile, Bob has been gracious enough to offer us a coupon code in case any SOSAK members want to pick up a sheath for themselves or someone else! Here’s the email I got from him:
Hi Grant,
I have the SOSAK Holiday Coupon coupon set up, it runs from 11/26/2010 to 12/31/2010 the discount is 20% and the coupon code is SOSAK. Let me know if you need anything else!
Best Regards,
Bob Reichardt
President/Pock-its
Disabled Veteran Owned Business
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A big thanks from me on behalf of all SOSAK members goes out to Bob at Pock-Its and Jeff at Venturetech for all they are doing to keep my knives where they are meant to be! Happy Holidays guys, and I’ll see you all in the new Year!