In the military when it comes to being prepared for contingencies we have multiple plans and multiple weapons. They fall into the categories of primary, secondary and tertiary. As responsible citizens who carry concealed we should adopt the same mindset each day before we leave the safety of our homes. For most, their primary weapon will be their pistol of choice. Typically the secondary weapon would be a knife of some sort. When it comes to carrying a knife most will choose to carry a folding knife of some type. There are a-lot of folding knives that claim to be ‘tactical’ knives for self defense. It doesn’t matter what the opening mechanism is (automatic, assisted opening, or the Emerson Wave feature), they will never be as fast and reliable as a good fixed blade. With a fixed blade there is no need to worry about opening the knife under stress or the locking mechanism failing under stress causing injury to yourself.
Concealable fixed blades also come in many different configurations. I have reviewed some other concealable fixed blades here on the Loadout Room in the past. They all have their pros and cons.
Today we are going to take a look at an offering from the company Sentinel Gear. They offer a few different options, but the one we’re looking at in this article is the Mk3 Blade. The Sentinel Gear Mk3 seems to be an ideal size for a concealable option. With a blade length of 3.3″ and a overall length of 7″, you’re able to get a full grip on the handle and have plenty of blade to work with. This also doubles as a great everyday blade due to it’s size. Even though it’s a fixed blade, it’s not going to scare people when you use it for everyday utility tasks.
The handle has great ergonomics and feels great in the hand. The design allows you to lock in a full grip protecting you from ‘riding’ the blade during use. The material used is a sculpted black G10, providing excellent traction in wet or sweaty conditions.
The Sheath that comes with the knife, out of the box, is setup for inside the waistband carry via the single IWB clip. The clip is movable depending on what side of the body you want to carry the blade and what your preference is for the orientation of the blade in the sheath.
As you can see below the IWB sheath and clip fit well on a 1.5″ belt. I’ve been carrying the Sentinel Gear Mk3 in this configuration for about a week now (obviously with my shirt untucked in order to conceal the blade). The only hit I would give this sheath is that you have to have a belt on in order for the sheath to be retained on your body when drawing the blade. Due to the clip design you cannot just clip it to the waistband of your pants or shorts like you can with a Blade Rigs sheath. I will probably end up getting a custom Blade Rigs sheath made for this knife for that very reason.
You also have the option of wearing this as a neck knife, thanks to the eyelets in the sheath. If your clothing options for some reason do not allow for a concealed waistband carry or you just need to be more low vis, the neck carry option is available.
Specifications courtesy of (sentinelconcealmentgear.com):
- 3.30″ blade
- 7″ overall length
- 5/32″ thick
- G10 scales
- Includes kydex sheath
- Price: $185.00
