Attach hook-knife

[riddler 0]

Shotgun at Square1 was able to set me up with a few personal items, including a nice aluminum hook-knife. I attached a pic. I'm wondering the best way to attach this to my rig.

I already have a button on the fabric cover of the shoulder strap - I'm not that good with gear names, so please forgive me. In the pic, my finger is pointing at it. I was planning on sliding the hook knife into the space between the fabric cover and the three-ring straps, as shown in the pic.

But it seems I also need a piece of fabric that has a similarly sized button that I can attach to the knife. Are most of these buttons the same size? This one looks to be about 3/8" on the snap. Can I get a strap that is attached to the knife and also has a button snap on it? Or should I just get a cover with a button snap? I think a cover is one extra step I would prefer to not have. Should I just get a rigger to make me something, or is there something commercially available that's cheap?

Also, I wouldn't at all be offended if anyone wants to chime in with the names of these rig parts that I don't know. I'm sure someone has come up with a better name than "fabric that covers the part of the shoulder strap where the three-ring straps are sewn to the container and holds in the cable-release conduits". But that's where I'm thinking about putting my hook knife.

[Dumpster 0]

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I'm sure someone has come up with a better name than "fabric that covers the part of the shoulder strap where the three-ring straps are sewn to the container and holds in the cable-release conduits".

Mudflap.

You rigger should be be able to make you something really cool for it, too.

Easy Does It

[billbooth 10]

That part of the container is called the "mud flap".

[riddler 0]

Bill - is the function of this to give protection to the stitching there? And can you see any problem with having an aluminum hook-knife in that space?

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

[billbooth 10]

Yes. The mud flap protects the 3-ring stitching, and it's a great hook knife pocket.

[nacmacfeegle 0]

Can I chime in?

Make a little lanyard to secure the knife from a pull up that inevitably accompanied your Square1 order...
Double over the pull up and make something like the attached pic, position it in the mud flap and finally fit the snap so that the handle extends enough for you to get a finger into it. You can buy snaps at any hardware or dressmaking (I'm told!)store. Hand stitch the pull up so it is reasonably snug on the metal frame of the knife. The elastoplast tape will keep the lanyard and knife in place, but will still allow a degree of flexing, In an emergency, the tape will tear and let you get your eager digits into the handle without any drama. The tape will also prevent the knife slipping out of the mud flap and flailing around in freefall...

On the subject of knives, they are there for cutting things in an emergency, so don't use them to fix your closing loops, trim laces, etc etc.

Happy flying...

--------------------

He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson

[JohnnyD 0]

I've had my hook knife there for years. Nac's picture attachment was a very good representation (says me). If you want to see mine before doing anything permanent, just hollar (I'm nearby).

[Faber 0]

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The tape will also prevent the knife slipping out of the mud flap and flailing around in freefall...

mine is securede by the way you described but instead of tape it have 1-2 stiches in each side,no problem for a human to pull it free,but it won fall off in freefall.

Stay safe
Stefan Faber

[callahan 0]

What's going on phil ! I like having my hook knive in a sheath on my chest strap so it's right in front . I even put some white electrical tape on the sheath so its easy to spot and it doesn't blend in with my black chest strap . It's looking too cold this weekend for jumping . Cya at mile hi !

[riddler 0]

Once again, you guys amaze me with your brilliance. I thought this was a great idea, so I did it.

Just want to add that I have an awesome rigger who offered to do this for me for no charge. But where's the fun in that? Plus, I want to be a rigger some day myself, so might as well practice.

I bought a button kit at Home Depot for USD $5. I already had needle, thread and scissors. I attached three pics. The one called materials shows the basic materials I started out with. The one called final is after stitching and attaching the button. The one called rig shows how it fits into my "mudflap" (thanks, Bill ) - you can just see the top of the knife above the top edge of the mudflap. I think the tape is a good idea for keeping the knife from sliding around in the mudflap, but I'm not sure the best way to attach it - anyone have pics of that?

Also, thanks to Square1 for the free pull-up cords that I used for basic materials to make it myself. I feel like the Martha Stewart of skydiving.

[Faber 0]

Beautiful job

But you migth lose that one...I have the same done whith out the loop.But whith a bit larger strap(so you dont have to fumble whit it in emergency).I also gave it 1-2 stitches in each side(so it sewn into the mudflab).this prevent it to fall off even whit colides in freefall and it dont take much force to pull(i have came down where then button have realeased,but the sitches hold it back.I dont have my cabel to my camera here,ill post a pic next weekend.

Stay safe
Stefan Faber

[riddler 0]

Hey Glen - I would've sent you a private message, but you have them disabled (I think - it says I can't send one to you). I tend to jump more at Brush these days, but I also jump at Mile-Hi sometimes. Next time I see you, I want to take a closer look at your hook-knife setup, so I can get some ideas.

[ernokaikkonen 0]

> Plus, I want to be a rigger some day myself, so might as well practice.

Practicing is a good idea, but you would get more out of it if you practiced under the supervision of a rigger.

About your design, there are a few things I'd like to mention:

*I personally don't like the idea of a unsheathed knife in the mudflap. I'd feel more comfortable if the knife was in a sheath, and the sheath was tacked on the inside of the mudflap.

*The strap seems to be the wrong way around. There's a theoretical possibility that you might cut your chest-strap when pulling the knife out with the current setup. Turn the the strap so that the blade points outwards.

*When you hammered the snap on the mudflap, how did you make sure you wouldn't damage the main lift web underneath? Did you have a plate of some sort under the "anvil" of the snap set? The area of the anvil is small enough that it might damage the webbing when hammered on(if it's like the ones I've seen before).

There's a reason that riggers are the ones to do this kind of things: You don't need to re-invent the wheel. I'm sure your local rigger would be more than happy to give you instructions and supervision on projects like this.

[ernokaikkonen 0]

Ah. It was pointed out to me that you already had the snap on the mudflap. My bad.

Still, I would turn the knife around so that the blade can't cut your chest-strap when you pull it out.

[riddler 0]

These are both good points that I have considered and I don't really have a good reason why I did things the way I did. I also recognize that you are right about consulting a rigger for these things, which may seem trivial at first, but really nothing in this sport is trivial.

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The strap seems to be the wrong way around. There's a theoretical possibility that you might cut your chest-strap when pulling the knife out with the current setup. Turn the the strap so that the blade points outwards.

On this second point, I think that's valid and I'll probably change the orientation at some point. This is just the way the knife ended up being attached. I thought that there was a small possibility that it would catch something, so I wore the rig and removed the knife quickly a few times to see what it might catch, and the risk is small, but it could potentially catch a few things, but you're right - of all the possibilities, the chest strap is probably the most important.

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I personally don't like the idea of a unsheathed knife in the mudflap. I'd feel more comfortable if the knife was in a sheath, and the sheath was tacked on the inside of the mudflap.

As far as this first point, my first thought was to get (or make) a sheath or pouch that snaps to the mudflap, and which also holds the knife. To do that, I would also need some way to make sure the knife stays in the sheath. The main disadvantages in my (un-expert) opinion was the time required under canopy to remove the sheath and then the knife, and also the possibility that that process may cause me to drop the knife or sheath or both under canopy. I like the idea of being able to retract the knife quickly, but I've never had a line-over on reserve, so I don't know if speed is important. Maybe you or someone else that has some experience using a knife in a real situation may have a better view of the importance of speed with a knife.

Another thing I don't like about not having a sheath is the aluminum knife moving around (and possibly wearing on) the lift-web stitches - that is why I asked the question to mr. booth. I think this may be resolved by using tape.

[ernokaikkonen 0]

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As far as this first point, my first thought was to get (or make) a sheath or pouch that snaps to the mudflap, and which also holds the knife. To do that, I would also need some way to make sure the knife stays in the sheath

My Atom Legend has a hook-knife in the mudflap, installed at the factory. There is a snap on the mudflap, to which the strap on the knife attaches. The sheath is a totally separate thing, it's just a pouch sewn on the inside of the mudflap. The pouch is sewn with the sides of the opening turned outwards(see pic) to minimize the possibility of a snag. Also the pouch keeps the knife from snagging on anything on the inside of the mudflap.