Horizontal and Scout Carry is becoming a More Popular Way To Carry a Fixed Blade Knife on Your Belt
Here at Nothing But Knives we are constantly testing new horizontal and scout carry knives as they’re released. We’ve already added a new model to this article in 2024, and will add more as they’re released if we feel they make the cut (pun fully intended).
Most people equate the fixed blade horizontal carry style to some kind of tactical life decision when really it’s just a comfy life decision. Fashion statements aside, it’s a lot less awkward to take out a knife strapped across my left hip than it is to do the rocking butt dance to get at the folder in my right pocket.
There are more sensible sounding reasons to scout carry a knife, or to put it in the cross-draw position on a belt. For us, it makes hiking a lot more pleasant because drop-carry knives tend to bounce and grate against our weirdly proportioned legs.
But there are also tactical and plain old EDC reasons for a horizontal carry fixed blade, so we’ve tried to keep this article separated by bushcraft/survival and tactical purposes.
You can also find an explanation of the various positions and solutions for carrying knives like MOLLE and Tek Loks at the end of this article.
Here are Our Current Top Horizontal and Scout Carry Knife Picks.
Survival / Bushcraft Fixed-Blades
Hiking and climbing is where carrying a knife horizontally shines for me.
I don’t climb trees, rocks, and cliff sides like I used to, but I know that a knife in the pocket or hanging from your belt onto your leg is annoying as hell, and sometimes dangerous, when you’re doing that. It’s important to have knives with stiff sheath retention and a sturdy build in those situations.
Bradford Guardian 3
| Stand Out Features | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Compact, effective, and comfortable | 6.75” Overall |
| Made for gardening, camping, or EDC | 3.5” blade / M390 steel (or pick your flavor) |
| Right or left hand carry | G10 or MIcarta handle |
| Made in Kent, WA | Leather sheath w/ sewn loop |
It’s starting to feel like no list of fixed-blade knives will be complete without the Guardian 3, no matter how specific it is. But let’s do the review dance anyway: The Guardian 3 is a pretty simple survival knife (the best ones usually are), but there’s an odd number of straight lines to it.
A spear point and a flat grind make for some straightforward sharpening, and certainly make it a nice hunting knife. It really shines with its leather sheath, though. The leather looks nice, of course, but best of all is it holds, and the belt loop is good and snug.
The Guardian 3 has been out and popular a long time now, which has prompted Bradford to release it in a dozen different materials and configurations. There are Micarta and G10-handle versions, and you can have your pick of steels ranging from AEB-L to Magnacut.
About the Sheath
The Guardian 3 sheath pictured above is really easy to change between cross-draw carry or scout carry. The knife can just be flipped around in its sheath and you are good to go. You can’t wear the sheath in the vertical carry position since the belt loop is a stitched-in leather strap, but Bradford makes some great Kydex sheaths for this knife that are little more versatile.
A lot of people complain about the leather sheath loosening up too much over time. We’ve encountered a little but of that, but it hasn’t gotten bad enough that we still don’t carry it around in the yard. Still, if you’re worried about longevity, the Kydex sheath but be a safer route.
Click here to read our in-depth hands on review of the Bradford Guardian.
Vosteed Mink
| Stand Out Features | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Tough budget carry, lightweight for size | 7.13” Overall |
| Made for camping or backpacking | 3.33” blade / Nitro-V steel |
| Right or left hand carry | Micarta handle scales |
| Made in China | Kydex w/ clasp |
The Mink is a knife I have been excited about for quite a while. I first handled a prototype version of it at Blade Show in 2022, and really liked the size and feel.
It’s a lightweight and comfy little thing that makes a handy backpacking, fishing, or camping knife. It’s also a great small game hunting knife. It has a pretty subtle clip point blade shape. There’s just enough of a shift starting a third of the way up the blade to give the thumb a more comfortable angle when it rests on the spine.
The handle can feel a little too boxy sometimes, but it’s also easy to index the blade and control the angle of your cut. Plus the textured handles stay grippy in the elements, so if you need a knife for wet weather, the Mink is a good option.
About the Sheath
It ships with pancake Kydex sheath that can be configured for right or left vertical or horizontal carry. This sheath is similar to several of the other kydex sheaths in this article, but this one can be adjusted with a Phillips screwdriver rather than some weird hex driver that nobody ever has on a camping trip.
The sheath holds the knife snugly with no rattle, and it’s easy to draw and re-insert the knife one handed with a little practice.
My only complaint about it is how high the sheath rides on the hip when carried vertically. This is a common problem with small, fixed blade EDC knives. Hopefully Vosteed will offer a drop-down attachment at some point in the future.
Knafs Lander 4
| Stand Out Features | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Small and versatile | 5.92” Overall |
| Made for hard-use EDC and camping | 2.6” blade / S35VN or 14C28N steel |
| Right or left-hand carry | Paper Micarta or G10 Handle Scales |
| Designed by Ben Peterson / Made in China by Kizer | Pancake-style Kydex w/ belt loop |
The Ladner 4 was built as a sort of hybrid hard-use EDC fixed blade. The one we picked up was meant to invoke your grandpa’s knife: simple lines, clip point blade, and an overall build that just won’t quit.
It’s the kind of knife that feels at home just about anywhere ranging from a camp site to some work around the yard. The handle is comfortable in most grips, and even pinching up on the blade doesn’t feel too bad.
It comes with a lanyard and brass bead designed as an homage to the rocket 9 F1 engine that powered the Saturn 5 rockets which took us to the moon (because it absolutely could not be a Lander without a space rocket reference). And as much as we don’t normally like lanyards, not only does the shape of the bead make it viable in helping your grip, but it almost feels necessary sometimes for drawing or manipulating the knife.
It’s always worth mentioning there are a couple other versions of the Lander 4. Ours is the clip point with S35VN steel and paper Micarta scales, but the budget drop point version and the sheepsfoot are definitely worth a look for finding the right tool to fit your style.
About the Sheath
It comes with a pancake-style Kydex sheath that’s compatible with Ulti-clips and Tek-Lok, but it comes stock with a large belt loop already set up for horizontal carry. It rides a little loose on standard sized belts, but it’s still manageable so long as you know where your belt loops are, especially if you wear it as an appendix carry (which is probably optimal for its size).
If you want to know more about the fun, new company behind the Lander 4, check out our in-depth article on the people driving the Knafs Rocket Ship.
Off-Grid Sidekick
| Stand Out Features | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Solid-grip handle, and a versatile clip | 7.75” |
| Camping- hunting, EDC | 3.5” blade / 14C28N steel |
| Ambidextrous carry | G10 handle scales |
| Cary Orifice / Made in Taiwan | Taco Kydex w/ rotating clip |
The SideKick is a little nessmuk blade on a boxy Off Grid handle. If you’ve ever held an Off Grid fixed blade then you know how rock solid this will feel in the hand. For those who don’t have any experience with Off Grid, we know it looks kinda boxy, but you’re only sacrificing a little bit of comfort for a lot of control over the blade.
As for the blade, it boasts all the hunting and camping task-east as a nessmuk blade ought to have. It’s a little pokey and gives you a lot more belly in the edge that the looks might suggest at first.
About the Sheath
Here we’ve got a taco-style Kydex sheath with a rotating clip. You’ll feel it click a little into place every time you move it, so it’s not quite free-rotating, but it’s still easy to move and adjust.
More importantly (for some people, possibly left-handed people) the clip is on a mounting plate so you can unscrew the whole rig and fasten it to either side, making it a highly modular system.
We spent a few weeks testing out this handy fixed blade, and we put together an in-depth Off-Grid Sidekick Review. It is probably worth reading if this knife looks like something you need.
Condor SBK
| Stand Out Features | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Big and choppy w/ excellent sheath | 10.5” |
| Bushcraft and survival | 5.25” blade / 1075 steel |
| Mostly right-hand carry | Micarta handle scales |
| Julio Diez / Made in El Salvador | Taco Kydex w/ leather straps |
There are a lot of details about the Condor SBK that make it a fantastic bushcraft and survival knife.
It has soft, tough steel you can fix up in the field, a scandi grind that does wonders with chopping and feather sticking, and a big, comfy Micarta handle.
This is the kind of thing Condor excels at. It’s pretty hard to go wrong with big fixed-blades from them.
About the Sheath
The sheath is kind of involved to wear horizontally, but it will sit secure once you get it on.
The two big leather straps have to snap on behind the belt if you want to wear it for right-handed scout carry. It’s a trick to pull off but definitely worth the trouble. Those straps hold this big thing tight to belt incredibly well, and since the buttons sit under the belt, there’s a very low risk of them coming undone accidentally.
Straps aside, the retention and deployment of the sheath feel nearly perfect. The knife clicks hard into place, there’s little to no rattling (a tough order for such a heavy knife), and the thumb ramp is molded and placed really well for getting a smooth draw.
If you want to learn more about this knife check out our Condor SBK review.
Esee 4 with MOLLE add-on
| Stand Out Features | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Tough and highly moddable | 9” Overall |
| Survival and camping | 4.5” blade / 1095 steel |
| Right or left carry | Micarta scales |
| Made in Idaho | Pancake polymer w/ MOLLE back |
This is an absolute beast of a blade. You could roll a tank over it and still use it to chop through a branch (probably; we haven’t had a chance to try that particular test).
The 1095 steel on this (and all ESEE knives) is a rugged, do-your-own-edge kind of a situation. It didn’t come especially sharp for us out of the box, but the blade is easy to work with, both in the field and on the sharpening stone.
Also worth noting that ESEE makes this (and most of their other models) with 3D Micarta scales and S35VN steel if you want to go stainless, but we haven’t had the pleasure of testing those particular configurations yet.
About the Sheath
ESEE finally started selling their knives with MOLLE-compatible sheaths, so we get to add one of their Micarta-handled knives to the list. Be warned this isn’t the standard option. Most ESEE listings you see out there will just come with the standard vertical-carry Kydex sheath.
After some digging, we discovered if you start looking for ESEE knives with the letters “MB” thrown into the product name you can find their knives being sold with their Cordura MOLLE backs, which is supposed to be an addition to the Kydex sheath.
Supposedly they designed this thing to stay secure while jumping out of planes, so you can carry an ESEE any way you like with it. You’ll have to fiddle with it some first, although, probably a lot less than you’ll need to with the ESEE Izula, which we talk about farther down.
Check out our review of the Esee 4 if you want to learn more about this knife.
Kizer Beaver
| Stand Out Features | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Compact, comfy, tall blade | 6.0” Overall |
| Camping and EDC | 2.75” blade / D2 or Nitro-V steel |
| Ambidextrous carry | G10 or Micarta |
| Made in China | Taco Kydex w/ clasp |
It’s a fat little knife, this Kizer Beaver. It has those pillow dimensions that make it easy to grab and use all over. The handle is wide enough to fill the hand and has a constant curve going all around so it nests comfortably into the palm. They’ve even put a sloped bolster-ish business at the top of the handle for easy pinch grips.
Really the only downside is that the blade is a little thick. The edge is nice (and Nitro-V is nice steel), but it’s not going to top out on slicing performance.
About the Sheath
It comes in a taco-style Kydex sheath which can cause some complications in horizontal carry because there aren’t as many holes to fasten the clip into, but this is short enough that placement doesn’t matter too much. It sits tight and tidy pretty much anywhere.
The Beaver is one of our all-time favorite Kizer fixed blade knives so far, which is saying a lot.
Reiff Circadian
| Stand Out Features | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Compact, rugged, and comfortable | 7.25” Overall |
| Made for camping and EDC | 3.28” Blade / Magnacut steel |
| Right or left-hand carry | Micarta scales |
| Made in Idaho | Canvas Micarta scales |
By far one of the most comfortable options we’ll ever have on the list, the Reiff Circadian is a solid, pint-sized camping knife. The handle is just big enough for a solid four-finger grip, and it’s just contoured enough to make that grip feel easy to shift and bear down on for hard cuts.
It also has a fairly tall blade for its size, which, combined with the high flat grind, makes it pretty slicey when it needs to be. The edge geometry is in that sweet spot that makes it great for carving wood, so as a whole it’s a great knife for processing for kindling and carving out tools and utensils.
About the Sheath
It comes in a pancake-style Kydex sheath with a standard sized Tek Lok that’s already in horizontal configuration. It’s a little handle heavy, but the Tek Lok manages the weight well, so it works well as both a scout and an appendix carry (although it borders on being too big for appendix carry).
Reiff talks about the Circadian as a fixed blade EDC. It feels sized and weighted just out of the category for us, but it rides well enough for us to consider it every now and then. It’s certainly a comfortable piece to take on a hike.
Gerber Principle
| Stand Out Features | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Compact w/ a nice scandi grind | 7.1” Overall |
| MAde for bushcraft | 3.1” blade / 420HC steel |
| MOLLE compatible | Rubber scales w/ polymer inserts |
| Made in Portland, OR | Polymer w/ MOLLE slots & mountain plate |
It’s always nice when knife companies listen to their customers, and that’s what it looks like Gerber was doing with the Principle.
Lots of us have been wanting a bushcraft style knife with a sheath system as versatile as the Gerber Ghostrike, and the Principle definitely delivered.
From a bushcraft standpoint the Principle checks a lot of boxes. It has a zero edge scandi grind, a 90 degree spine for starting fires with a ferro rod, and a comfortable handle for hard use. Gerber released this around 2019 and it became popular very quickly. Enough that they followed it up with a larger version called the Terracraft, which has a blade that’s about an inch longer in S30V steel.
About the Sheath
I deeply appreciate the mounting system on this knife, because you don’t have to deal with any screws to adjust it.
Basically there are slots in the back of the sheath, a separate mounting plate, and a long plastic tab that runs through both. When you want to change the position, you just pull the tab and shift the plate. It’s MOLLE-compatible and incredibly quick and simple.
If you want to know more about this knife check out our in depth review of the Gerber Principle.
Civivi Timberbark
| Stand Out Features | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Lightweight, aggressive slicer | 6.89” Overall |
| Made for camping, hunting, backpacking | 3.2” blade / 14C28N steel |
| Ambidextrous carry | G10 scales |
| Made in China | Pancake Kydex w/ T-clip |
The Civivi Timberbark is a thin little slicer. A full flat grind makes it cut like a dream, and the Sandvik steel is just about the easiest thing on the market to maintain and sharpen. Edge retention might be on the lower end, but the thin geometry helps with that.
One really impressive thing about the design is the handle. It’s thin along with the rest of the knife, so it really doesn’t take up much real estate on your belt or in your pack, but the Micarta is dry enough to give it a great grip.
About the Sheath
You’ve got a simple pancake style Kydex rig with Civivi’s own Terzuola-designed belt clasp system. It fastens with two phillips-head screws, and the clasp is wide enough for pretty much any reasonably sized belt. On the whole, it’s not much fuss at all to get into scout or appendix carry.
Ontario Rat 3
| Stand Out Features | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Reliable beater | 7.75” Overall |
| Made for survival | 3.37” blade / 1095 steel |
| Mostly right-hand carry | Micarta handle scales |
| Made in USA | Nylon w/ loop or straps |
Update: The OKC factory in Fayetteville shut down around July 2024. They were bought up by Blue Ridge Knives. We still aren’t sure where the manufacturing landed, but for now it looks like most models are still available in a most places.
This is kind of the cheaper, rougher, older brother to the ESEE 3 (which isn’t on this list, but is worth mentioning here, at least).
OKC doesn’t have quite the same level of fit and finish as ESEE with most of their knives, but the RAT 3 is a phenomenal beater knife for the price (and because of the price). I might even go so far as to sat that the flat Micarta scales on this are more comfortable than ESEE’s flat Micarta scales, but that’s as far as I’m willing to take this comparison.
About the Sheath
There are two sheath options for the Rat 3. The cheaper option is the basic nylon sheath pictured below. The other option is a kydex sheath with the Tek Lok. Both options allow you to carry the Rat 3 horizontally or vertically.
If you use the Tek Lok mechanism for the Rat 3’s kydex sheath you have near-infinite carry options. As good as the knife itself is, I think that’s probably one of my favorite features about the Rat 3.
They’ve designed the kydex sheath so that the clips can be set in four different ways with screws, and the retention is so strong you could wear the knife upside down without it falling out.
The included nylon sheath is really versatile, and makes it easy to carry the Rat 3 in a variety of ways including on a backpack. However the snaps are somewhat difficult to manage when worn in the scout carry position pictured above, so front carry may be the best option for most people when wearing the RAT horizontally.
Click here to read our in-depth review of the Ontario Knife Company Rat 3.
Esee Izula 2
| Stand Out Features | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Small but tough and comfy | 6.75” Overall |
| Camping, EDC | 2.875” blade / 1095 steel |
| Ambidextrous carry | Micarta scales |
| Made in Idaho | Pancake polymer w/ clip on mounting plate |
At 6.75 inches from tip to pommel, the Esee Izula II is the perfect size for scout carry.
It’s small enough to not get in the way, and light enough to be easily forgotten until you need it. The size and weight of the Izula II can been further minimized by removing the Micarta handle scales (or just buy the standard Izula, because that comes skeletonized), but the handle is so comfy with the scales on that the little bit of extra weight and bulk is worth it (to us anyway).
About the Sheath
The Izula II sheath can be worn vertically, horizontally, or as a neck knife. But the clip itself also has an interesting double sided feature where one side is wide and fat to accommodate larger belts or straps, and the other side is tight so it holds snug to whatever it’s on (someone told us once it’s for clipping ot eh waistband).
It takes some fiddling to figure out, but it’s turned out to be one of the better belt solutions we’ve seen on a horizontal carry.
It’s one of those conveniently versatile but surprisingly hardy knives. Or maybe not so surprising, since ESEE has pretty firmly established themselves as a household name in the survival knife world. Generally speaking, I would recommend this knife even if you aren’t looking for a horizontal carry, because if you use knives regularly you’re bound to end up using this one a lot.
EDC makes a pocket clip that allows the Izula 2 to be carried in a pocket. For some this knife may be too big for comfortable pocket carry but we included in are article on Fixed Blade EDC Pocket Knives for taller folks who have extra pocket space.
Civivi Elementum Fixed Blade
| Stand Out Features | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Incredibly comfortable | 8.48” Overall |
| Made for camping, hunting | 3.98” blade / D2 steel |
| Ambidextrous carry | Micarta scales |
| Designer / Country of origin | Pancake Kydex w/ T-clip |
This doesn’t have quite the same tactile experience as the standard Elementum folder. It’s quite a bit better actually.
Comfort is usually a big upside of fixed blades, but this feels especially good in hand. The slight curve on a neutral handle shape with soft Micarta scales makes the Elementum fixed blade practically melt into the hand.
About the Sheath
More importantly, Civivi has gotten pretty darn good with their sheaths. It’s nothing too fancy, but they have the retention dialed in pretty well to have a good grip with easy deployment.
The handle shape also has a slight lip at the top that makes a nice catching point for the sheath molding. It’ll take a lot of wear and tear to get this thing to loosen up.
The weight balances out just a little above the point the clip rests at, so you probably won’t feel it tugging at your belt much. But this design is still a little more handle than blade, so it leaves a bit sticking out from the sheath. Depending on where you place the thing you might get some handle poking out from your side.
For a little more detail, check out our full review of the Elementum Fixed Blade.
Kizer Harpoon
| Stand Out Features | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Tidy size, solid grip, cool blade | 7.75” Overall |
| Made for camping and hiking | 3.875” blade / D2 steel |
| Mostly right hand carry / horizontal only | Micarta scales |
| Designed James Buckley / Made in China | Taco Kydex w/ leather straps |
This is an impressive sub $100 fixed blade knife. It’s light and well balanced with the kind of grip, edge, and toughness that makes it useful anywhere at the campsite. The leather straps feel a little flimsy and the sheath could be just a little tighter, but it still works just fine as a hiking buddy.
The linen micarta handle of the Kizer Harpoon is extremely grippy in all kinds of weather. It’s also really comfortable even when performing hard use tasks like feather sticking or branch cleaning.
Kizer has released a few different versions of this, including a Mini size with a sub-three-blade and a lot of different handle options that might be worth checking out.
The D2 steel blade holds a good edge, and the black powder coating helps with corrosion resistance. I would still recommend using a food grade blade oil, because all coatings wear off eventually when a knife is used a lot, and D2 can be touchy with exposure.
About the Sheath
The sheath that ships with the Kizer Harpoon is horizontal carry only. Fortunately the it can be easily changed from right or left scout carry to right or left front horizontal carry without making any adjustments or taking off the belt. Kudos to Kizer and and the designer (Maverick Customs) for making a carry system that can be easily transitioned in the field.
Hopefully if this knife is popular enough, Kizer will offer an upgraded version of the sheath with tension screws, because the current kydex sheath does tend to lose its retention after a few months of use. This can be fixed fairly easy by reheating the kydex, but it would be nice to not have to do that on a regular basis.
You can find more great horizontal carry knives from Kizer by checking out our Kizer Fixed Blade Guide.
Southern Grind Jackal Pup
| Stand Out Features | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Tidy size, solid grip, cool blade | 5.75” Overall |
| Made for fishing and EDC | 2.75” blade / 8670M steel |
| Ambidextrous or neck carry | G10 scales |
| Made in Cocoa, FL | Pancake Kydex w/ canted loop |
This knife has been on the market for a few years, but we somehow missed it until 2021. The Southern Grind Jackal Pup is a super small knife that finds a way to still feel good in the hand.
The contoured G-10 handles are easy to grip even when the knife is wet. This is fortunate, because this knife is a great fishing buddy. It’s the perfect size for cleaning trout and the all the grooves, scoops, and angles on the knife ensure there’s always a bit of texture to help your grip along.
The blade of the Jackal Pup is made of 8670M steel which is a high carbon steel that holds its edge extremely well. It’s important to remember to dry the knife when it gets wet and occasionally wipe it down with a food grade knife oil to ensure it doesn’t develop rust spots. That is always downside of high carbon steels.
About the Sheath
This is one of the few options on this list that comes stock at a canted angle, so it’s not full horizontal.
That belt clip is easy to switch around, though. It just takes a couple phillips-head screws, and you can throw it on for left or right-handed carry anywhere on your belt and it’ll sit nice and tidy.
Overall, we’ve found the size and design of this knife to be extremely practical in a variety of situations which explains its popularity. We wouldn’t mind seeing this sold with some kind of option for a sheath with a pocket clip similar to the Boker Barlow Burnley BFF, because it’s a good size of fixed blade EDC.
LionSteel M2M
| Stand Out Features | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Big comfy grip and a great leather sheath | 7.99” Overall |
| Made for camping and hunting | 3.54” blade / M390 steel |
| Right-hand vertical or appendix / left-hand scout | Micarta scales |
| Designed Moletta / Made in Italy | MOLLE-compatible leather |
We loved the LionSteel M2. That was one of the few knives we bought almost entirely because we just liked the way it looked. The fact that it actually makes a good camping and skinning knife is a big plus. The M2M is a somewhat meatier improvement to the M2 with a more rounded and comfier handle, nicer steel, and a more versatile leather sheath.
It still has all the high-style clean-cutting of the original M2, though. It’s one of the classiest camping knives we still take out into the woods.
About the Sheath
Then LionSteel updated the M2 with big, comfy Micarta scales and a sturdier leather sheath that’s compatible with MOLLE systems.
Basically all that means is they bolted two thick straps in the horizontal position. That top strap is surprisingly versatile for all its simplicity, though. It rotates easily, so you can use it in a vertical-carry position that was actually pretty comfortable for me.
One issue is that the straps are set up so you can only scout carry it in the left-handed position. But for all its size, it sits very comfortably in front of the left hip. That’s become my preference.
Check out our in-depth review of the LionSteel M2M to learn more about this impressive mid-size fixed blade and its versatile sheath.
Off-Grid Hoglet
| Stand Out Features | Specifications |
|---|---|
| EDC-sized, crazy-sharp cleaver blade | 6.5” Overall |
| Made for camping and EDC | 2.75” blade / D2 steel |
| Ambidextrous | G10 scales |
| Designed by Cary Orifice / Made in Taiwan | Pancake Kydex w/ G-style clip |
The G-10 handle is incredibly comfortable. We thought maybe it was just a good size for our hands, so we had several other people with various hand sizes try it out. Turns out it’s just a good handle design, because they all wanted to steal it.
We’re generally not big fans of cleaver-style fixed blade knives, but the Off-Grid Hoglet is one of our exceptions.
The cleaver style blade of the Hoglet is Cryo D2 steel, which Off Grid takes pains to workshop to have excellent edge retention. Toughness is on point too, because it’s held up to a lot of hard use from us. It’s become one of our favorite steels for hard-use because it just keeps cutting through abuse.
About the Sheath
The kydex sheath of the Hoglet has a wide G-style clip that can be set up for both left and right horizontal or vertical carry. It’s only attached with two screws, so switching it over is quick work.
The sheath does leave a lot of handle sticking out, which can make the knife feel a little unbalanced on the belt sometimes, but the clip is wide and the knife is pretty light so it doesn’t really become much of an issue once you get used to the feel.
CRKT S.P.E.W.
| Stand Out Features | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Simple and small | 6.19” Overall |
| Made for EDC and fishing | 3.0” blades / 5Cr15MoV steel |
| Ambidextrous | G10 scales |
| Designed by Alan Folts / Made in China | Pancake GRN sheath |
This is probably the most subtle knife on this list, and might be the one we’ve actually packed out the most just because it’s easy to slip on or throw in a pocket.
The name stands for “Small Pocket Everyday Wharncliffe”, and that pretty well summarizes its scope. You can use this little thing on all kinds of daily tasks around the house, and a few more out in the bush, although I’d rather not count on it for survival.
It makes a great fishing knife, and thanks to the size and weight you can carry it pretty much anywhere, including your pocket. It’s also surprisingly comfortable for being so small. The handle is a great shape for larger hands. So far my fat fingers haven’t had too much trouble keeping a grip on the thing.
About the Sheath
A knife this small doesn’t need much for the belt loop to work well. This mounts up with a couple screws and you’re good to go. The handle does tend to stick out pretty far from the sheath, but the overall length keeps that from becoming an issue most of the time.
Click here to read our in-depth review of the CRKT Spew.
White RIver Knives 3 & 4
| Stand Out Features | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Slim and slicey | 7.0” & 8.5” Overall |
| Made for military use | 3.15” & 3.88” blades / S35VN steel |
| Ambidextrous | Micarta scales |
| Designed by Jacob Peterson / Made in Fremont, MI | Pancake Kydex w/ button strap |
This is actually about two knives of the same design but different sizes.
The Exodus 3 and 4 are both White River productions of Jacob Peterson’s Adventurecraft and Jackalope designs. The larger knife (Exodus 4 / Jackalope) is meant more for bushcraft and survival tasks where the smaller one (Exodus 3 / Adventurecraft) is meant to put the bushcraft-y design into a size that’s more EDC-friendly.
About the Sheath
Both knives come in a kydex sheath with a single button strap, which isn’t exactly ideal for the belt, but for knives this light, it works pretty well.
If you’re going to carry either of these knives horizontally, we highly recommend moving the leather strap up to the highest hole on the sheath (we’re pretty sure the Exodus 4 comes that way). That will help balance out the weight so the handle doesn’t sag so much, and it’ll make it feel a little nicer on the belt.
Overall we like the Exodus 3 better for horizontal carry. It’s lighter and better balanced for it, but this can become a debate of body types pretty quickly, so we figured it would be best to throw both in here.
You can read more about the Exodus 4 in our full review here.
Kizer Smolt
| Stand Out Features | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Simple and small | 6.5” Overall |
| Made for EDC | 2.93” blades / 3V steel |
| Ambidextrous | G10 scales w/ Micarta insert |
| Designed by Jonothan Styles / Made in China | Pancake Kydex w/ button clasp |
The Smolt falls comfortably into the compact-knife category. It has a slim, neutral handle, a small drop point blade with a full flat grind, and a sheath that you could slip into your back pocket.
It was designed by Jonathan Styles of Newfoundland Knife Co. His other Kizer collaboration credits include the Militaw and Ti’an folders, and the Sou’Wes and Elgon fixed blades. This is definitely the smallest design he’s put out so far, but between the thin grind and the 3V steel, it’s still a strong little cutter.
About the Sheath
This features a thinner clip with a button mechanism that works in a similar way to a Tek-Lok or Civivi’s T-Clip. It handles the weight of the knife well, and it has two spacers inside so you can adjust the fit for different belt widths.
With both spacers in there’s about 1.5 inches of space. With both spacers removed there’s a little over 2.25 inches, so it can fit over a broad range of belts and systems.
It’s easy to switch since it only has two screws that you can get with a Phillips head screwdriver, but the hole spacing is a little awkward for horizontal carry. The clip won’t sit flush against the sheath the way it does in the vertical position, but it’ll still ride securely so long as you make sure you get both screws back in evenly.
You can find more photos and hands on opinions about this compact EDC fixed blade by checking out our Kizer Smolt Photo Tour and Review.
Tactical Fixed Blades
There are a lot of knives made for horizontal carry under the “tactical” category, but most of the time it feels more like a gimmick than an actually functional design (either that or a copy). But when it’s done well, it’s hard to beat the comfort and adaptability of a tactical horizontal carry.
CRKT Ramadi
| Stand Out Features | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Tough, comfy, and quick to deploy | 8.5” Overall |
| Made for survival and tactical | 4.37” blades / SK-5 steel |
| Ambidextrous | G10 scales |
| Designed by Darren WIlliams / Made in China | Taco polymer sheath w/ button clip |
The Ramadi is part of CRKT’s Forged By War series of knives which were all designed by veterans with combat experience. A portion of the proceeds from this series of knives are donated to the veteran’s charity of the designer’s choice.
This Ramadi was designed by Special Ops veteran, Darren William Sirois who also designed the CRKT Siwi which appears further down in this article.
This knife is obviously a tactical-first tool, but it is also a capable camping or backpacking knife too thanks to it’s grippy G-10 scales, versatile sheath, and tough SK-5 steel blade. At an overall length of 8.5 inches the Ramadi hits the sweet spot from a size standpoint for a survival or camping horizontal carry knife. It is just big enough to be useful for a variety of tasks, but not quite big enough to feel cumbersome or catch on branches along the trail.
About the Sheath
The sheath with a button-open clip that pretty much works like a Tek-Lok, so it’s extremely versatile and easy to adjust and switch around. It can be used in left or right horizontal or vertical carry.
There’s also something about the way the sheath and handle are shaped that makes deployment feel faster. The Ramadi shifts right into a firm grip out of the sheath, so I almost never have to adjust before I start cutting with it
If you want to read a bit more about this knife or check out some action shots, jump over to our in-depth review of the CRKT Ramadi.
Spartan Blades Alala
| Stand Out Features | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Secure sheath, small and tough | 7.875” Overall |
| Made for military use | 3.75” blade / 1095 Cro-Van steel |
| Ambidextrous, horizontal only | Micarta scales |
| Designed by Curtis Lovito / Made in Southern Pines, NC | Polymer sheath w/ retention lever & straps |
This is kind of a pry bar of a knife, but we loved using it as a camping and buscrafting tool, in spite of the fact that it was very clearly designed with military use in mind.
But it’s a small blade with thick blade stock, so you have to expect that edge to need a little but of work before it really sings. Edge geometry aside, the ergonomics of the Alala are beautifully thought out.
About the Sheath
If you’re looking for something to jump out of planes with, this is a pretty solid option. Curtis Lovito (the designer and co-owner of Spartan Blades) put a retention lever and a button strap on this to make it carry as securely as possible.
As for the horizontal carry aspect, there’s a little bit of nuance to discuss:
You can use the straps it ships with to carry the Alala on your belt. There are a series of holes on the belt strap that let you tighten it, and it’s fairly easy to do since it’s fastened with a phillips-head screw.
Once I got this tuned in to my nylon belt it became one of the best scout carries on my shelf. I know the picture shows me wearing it in front of the hip. At the time we shot the Alala for this blog that seemed like the best solution. But I’m wiser now. The small of the back is where it’s at for me with this thing.
But you should keep in mind that the retention strap can unbutton from both sides, and poses a higher-than-normal risk of coming undone if you’re hiking through dense terrain. That never happened to me as long as I wore it in the scout-carry position, and even if the retention strap fails, the other strap will keep it on your belt.
Of course, the easy solution is to just slap a small Tek-Lok on the thing. In the meantime, you can check out our full review of the Alala here.
SOG Altair FX
| Stand Out Features | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Light, sharp, adaptable carry | 7.6” Overall |
| Made for camping, fishing, and EDC | 3.63” blades / 154CM steel |
| Ambidextrous | GRN scales |
| Made in Taiwan | Pouch-style GRN sheath w/ Universal Mounting System |
The Altair FX is another fixed blade adaptation of a folder.
In this case, though, SOG took a model that’s generally seen as tactical and geared the fixed design more toward hunting and backpacking. It has an aggressive, toothy edge, and the drop point blade is fantastically thin. The whole package is amazingly lightweight at about 4 oz total. The knife alone is around 2.8 oz, which is an impressive weight-to-blade ratio.
About the Sheath
SOG’s Universal Mounting System makes the Altair FX an especially attractive belt-carry knife. It’s basically a triangular piece with a hole at each end, and a Y-pattern cutout with a divot between each arm, allowing a full clock rotation of positions for the belt loop to be set into.
The whole thing can be adjusted and moved around with a T8 torx driver, and you don’t even need to remove any of the screws to switch the sides or adjust the angle. Just loosen a few things up and you’ll be able to move it around however you like.
Getting everything where you want it and fully tightened down can become a bit of a logic puzzle, but the versatility provided by the system is pretty phenomenal once you acclimate to the nuance of it.
TOPS Ephyra
| Stand Out Features | Specifications |
|---|---|
| S-Grip handle for comfort and grip strength | 6.6” Overall |
| Multi-purpose and self defense | 2.88” Blade / 1095 Steel |
| Right or left-hand carry | G10 handle scales |
| Made in Idaho | Taco-style Kydex w/ spring clip |
TOPS calls this handle an “S” grip, and it’s meant to give you a more comfortable and stronger grip. The design intent here is for self defense in a sort of “defanging the snake” style, so slashing has a big emphasis, even though the blade is a tanto-inspired style.
That’s not to say you couldn’t find other uses for it, though. Thin as it looks, the Ephyra has a tough full-tang construction with a 1095-steel blade with a stout geometry. There’s a world where this could be abused variously as a pry tool out in the yard or construction site, and the handle configuration can definitely open up some interesting cutting techniques once you get used to the feel of it.
About the Sheath
This comes stock with a spring-style clip that’s big enough to fit around pretty much any size of belt. It sits pretty steady on the belt and draws easily. You just need to learn to account for the hard angle of the spine. It only takes a slight adjustment upward to get it to draw smoothly, but it’s still something that’s worth practicing a couple times before you carry it seriously.
TOPS refers to the sheath as “multi-purpose” implying it could ride in several different configurations. That’s probably true, but horizontally as an appendix carry definitely felt optimal to us.
TOPS 3 Pointer
| Stand Out Features | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Tough, small, and comfy | 6.63” Overall |
| Made for hunting | 3.13” blades / 1095 steel |
| Left-hand scout, right-hand appendix / horizontal or neck carry | Micarta scales |
| Designed by Leo Espinoza / Made in Idaho Falls, ID | Taco Kydex w/ button straps |
This Leo Espinoza designed fixed blade from TOPS is one of our favorite horizontal carry knives due to it’s practical size and the fact that it can also be carried as a neck knife.
When worn horizontally, the 3 Pointer can be carried behind the back in the left facing position or on the front in the right facing position.
We wish it was capable of ambidextrous carry in both front and back, but the fact that it can be carried as a neck knife helps make it one of the most versatile knives in this article.
About the Sheath
The relatively large thumb ramp makes it easy to draw the 3 Pointer from its sheath with one hand. The straps that allow this knife to be worn on a belt or a backpack can be easily removed with a Phillips screwdriver if you decide you want to carry it as a neck knife or in a pocket with a lanyard attached.
The easily concealable size of the 3 Pointer combined with its super grippy micarta handles and tough 1095 steel blade make it a good tactical option. It also makes great work knife or small hunting knife. After several weeks of use the 3 Pointer has become one of our favorite small fixed blades for a variety of uses.
Gerber StrongArm
| Stand Out Features | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Good comfy grip, versatile sheath | 9.75” Overall |
| Made for survival and military | 4.9” blades / 420HC steel |
| Ambidextrous | Rubber handle |
| Made in Portland, OR | Molded polymer sheath, MOLLE compatible |
It might take some fiddling, but the StrongArm is pretty solid as a horizontal knife.
Gerber has done their best to make it adaptable. While as a rule I consider most tactical knives to be stupid, I do like the big rubber handle and plain edge on this knife. I feel like there aren’t enough survival and tactical designs out there that use rubber or rubber-like materials.
It adds miles of grip to a knife even in wet or dirty conditions, and reduces a lot of risk of slipping, which is especially great if you plan on needing to pull it out fast. I make it a point to never be somewhere I would need fast deployment, but I appreciate the option.
About the Sheath
The StrongArm sheath is ambidextrous and MOLLE compatible. It’s their own system that features loops on the back of the polymer sheath where you can insert a tab piece that can interact with straps in a few different positions.
It can be carried in the scout or front horizontal positions regardless of whether you are left or right handed, and it feels like a pretty solid fit anywhere.
We did discover that if you have a smaller waist the the StrongArm tends to bump into things. The person pictured above has a 29-inch waist, and scout carry was a little problematic. A 32-inch waist seems to be less of an issue.
But they did a good job making is modular, so you should be able to find a comfortable way to wear it no matter what your waist size is.
Civivi Tamashii
| Stand Out Features | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Fine-cutting blade, adaptable carry | 8.8” Overall |
| Made for tactical and camping | 3.34” blades / SK5 steel |
| Ambidextrous | G10 scales |
| Designed by Terzuola / Made in China | Pancake Kydex w/ T-Clip |
This Terzuola-designed knife can pack a big punch for being so light.
It’s a great slicer with decent edge retention, and it performs all around exceedingly well for the price it usually goes for. It won Best Factory Tactical Knife and Best in Show Factory Knife at Blade Show West 2021, but we had a fine time using it as a camping knife.
About the Sheath
The belt-carry experience with this is much the same as any other Civivi fixed blade.
The retention is on point, and the T-Clip (also designed by Bob Terzuola) makes it easy to switch between vertical and horizontal positions, and carry on just about any kind of belt or strap.
The shape of this knife and the way it seats does leave about five-and-a-half inches to one side of the clip, so the balance can feel a little weird. But you can adjust the clip inside to hold tighter to the belt, and the Tamashii is light enough that you won’t feel that handle-heavy balance after a while.
Check out our full review of the Tamashii here.
CRKT SiWi
| Stand Out Features | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Fine-cutting blade, adaptable carry | 7.25” Overall |
| Made for tactical and hard use | 3.5” blades / 154CM steel |
| Ambidextrous | G10 scales |
| Designed by Chis William & Darrin Sirois / Made in China | Pancake polymer w/ small Tek-Lok |
The SRKT Siwi is a result of a collaboration between knife maker Chris Williams and retired Army vet, Darrin Sirois. The end product is a small, tactical fixed blade that is a practical camping, fishing or bushcraft knife.
The overall aesthetic of the SiWi is undeniably tactical, but this knife surprised us in the field where we found it excelled as a camp knife or a backup bushcraft knife. The thick spine, tall flat grind, and super grippy handle make it an ideal outdoor tool.
About the Sheath
The SiWi ships with a Tek-Lok attachment for it’s GFN sheath.
The Tek-Lok can be attached to either side of the sheath which means the sheath can be worn right or left facing in the front or the back of the waist. However, the impressive retention of the sheath makes it an ideal option to be carried upside down on a backpack.
This above average retention does mean the SiWi requires for than a little force to remove and re insert the knife, so it takes a little practice to get the hang of it.
The blade of the SiWi is high carbon, so it will need to be oiled occasionally and dried anytime it gets wet to prevent corrosion. We found the edge retention of this steel to be decent, but knot great. The handle is one of the grippiest G-10 handles I have felt thanks to it’s texturing, deep choil and finger indents. This handle is easy to grip even when wet.
At it’s current price point of around $70 the SiWi offers excellent value and versatility, and it is a great compact tactical/survival knife hybrid.
Horizontal & Scout Carry Knife FAQ
What is Scout Carry?
The scout carry position is when the knife sits horizontally at the small of your back.
We’ve been corrected before that a “proper” scout carry is when the knife is sitting with the handle angled slightly upward, but we’ve never found it useful to make that distinction.
What are the Benefits of the Scout Carry Position?
More than anything, the scout carry keeps the knife out of your way when you have to move through dense or rough terrain.
If you’re going to be doing any kind of crawling or climbing, having your knife tucked at your back will keep the knife from dragging along the ground or ending up underneath your body if you have to move into a prone position.
What is Cross Draw?
Cross draw is when the knife is sitting on the front of the hip opposite to your strong hand with the handle pointing toward your center line.
There’s also appendix carry, which could technically be considered the same thing. That’s when you wear it behind your waistband on the front to the right of your belly button (roughly where the appendix is).
What are the Benefits of the Cross Draw Position?
This is probably the best position for drawing the knife quickly.
The body mechanics are a lot more natural than reaching behind your back or hiking your shoulder up to draw from a vertical sheath. It’s also the easiest position for re-sheathing your knife, which not many people seem to think about, but it really improves the workflow of whatever you’re doing.
What is MOLLE?
MOLLE stands for modular lightweight load-carrying equipment. Basically it’s a bunch of straps and pockets stitched to the outside of backpacks, vests, pants, and whatever other piece of clothing can take the weight.
A lot of knives that are made for horizontal carry tend to be MOLLE compatible. Usually this means you can fix the knife to a shoulder strap in an upside down vertical position, to the side of your backpack, and even horizontally over the stomach area in some cases. Not all of those positions are horizontal, but if you’re here, it’s probably because you’re looking for a way out of the awkward tyranny of the vertical hip-carry position. You need options. MOLLE bags and vests are nothing but options.
What are the Benefits of Carrying Inside the Waistband?
Most of the time is about concealing the knife, but it’s also a good way to keep it out of your own way, especially if you have other things on the belt.
It’s common for law enforcement to carry fixed blades this way, usually in the cross draw position, although I’ve met a few people who claim they prefer the small of the back for waistband carrying. That seems like it would add to the fuss of drawing it, but to each their own.
Our Personal Testing Method for Horizontal Carry Knives
Basically any knife that feels comfortable on the belt and is easy to draw makes it on this list.
Our methods tend to change depending on what season of the year it is, but the testing process generally involves the following:
- Camping
- Hiking
- Jogging
- Climbing trees
- Swimming up a creek
- Mowing the lawn
- Tripping over rocks
- Shaking our fists at the neighbor kids
- Sitting on couches
- Eating BBQ
- Shopping for groceries
- Tying our shoes
- And generally existing in a way that doesn’t involve the handle of our belt-carry knife jabbing us in the ribs every other step.
This article is updated regularly as we discover and test more fixed blade knives that can be worn in the horizontal and scout carry positions. We also remove knives once they have been discontinued and are out of stock at most major retailers. If you know of any great knives that you think should be included, please leave a comment below. Horizontal carry seems to be increasing popularity, so we expect a lot of new options from knife companies in 2024.
A Note on Tek Loks
While every knife I’ve put on this list should come out of the box with the ability to be carried horizontally, they are not all equal in that capacity.
It’s hard to overstate the usefulness of a Tek Lok in converting a knife to scout carry or just trying to improve the way it carries. Knives like the Kizer Little River Bowie really benefit from this kind of accessory because the manufacturer just didn’t quite put in the thought to perfect the sheath and belt clip. So a couple things about Tek Loks:
- They should be compatible with most Kydex sheaths,
- They can be adjusted to belt size with the spacers inside the clip,
- They are cheap and tough as hell.
Frankly, it’s worth getting a few Tek Loks just in case you want to play around with a new knife. If nothing else, they’re fun to play with, but at their best they completely change the way you carry your favorite knife for the better.
