Neck knife aus Damaszener Stahl von Holger Müller

A neck knife is a

knife A knife ( : knives; from Old Norse 'knife, dirk') is a tool or weapon with a cutting edge or blade, usually attached to a handle or hilt. One of the earliest tools used by humanity, knives appeared at least 2.5 million years ago, as evid ...

worn on a cord hanging from a person's

neck The neck is the part of the body on many vertebrates that connects the head with the torso. The neck supports the weight of the head and protects the nerves that carry sensory and motor information from the brain down to the rest of the body. In ...

. It usually means a small fixed-blade knife which is carried by means of a cord, by which the knife sheath is suspended from around one's neck. They can either hang handle up ("mountain man style") or handle down. The knife may be hung from a loop of natural or synthetic cord, a length of braided

paracord Parachute cord (also paracord or 550 cord when referring to type-III paracord) is a lightweight nylon kernmantle rope originally used in the suspension lines of parachutes. This cord is now used as a general purpose utility cord. This versati ...

, a leather thong, or even a breakaway beaded or ball chain such as those utilized for military

dog tag Dog tag is an informal but common term for a specific type of identification tag worn by military personnel. The tags' primary use is for the identification of casualties; they have information about the individual written on them, including ...

s. The upside-down carry knife often stays in place by means of a form-fitting synthetic sheath, which holds it securely in place until yanked sharply. Some manufacturers prefer a looser fitting sheath augmented with magnets. When carried handle up, a normal style leather sheath can be used. When drawing the knife from this sort of carry, the off side hand holds the sheath while the dominant hand pulls the knife free. Neck knives are usually single-edged, with blade lengths typically under four inches, and frequently less than three inches. They are primarily intended for utilitarian use, although non-utilitarian versions (i.e.,

dagger A dagger is a fighting knife with a very sharp point and usually two sharp edges, typically designed or capable of being used as a thrusting or stabbing weapon.State v. Martin, 633 S.W.2d 80 (Mo. 1982): This is the dictionary or popular-use def ...

s and T-handled

push dagger A push dagger (alternately known as: punch dagger, punch knife, or push knife) is a short-bladed dagger with a "T" handle designed to be grasped and held in closed-fist hand, so that the blade protrudes from the front of the fist, either between ...

s) also exist. Neck knives are most frequently worn around the neck, but may be suspended from under the arm as well. They are sometimes worn under one's shirt for concealment, although this makes a quick draw nearly impossible, and even simple retrieval for utility purposes awkward. They are more frequently worn outside a shirt. Not only does this make drawing the knife far easier, but it also avoids legal issues in jurisdictions where concealed knives are regulated.

References

{{Knives Knives Neckwear

See also

References