[Ramius]

You'd think. I think at my time it was a policy change, because many of us had carried them until then, and we all had to go out and get folders.

We made the argument (and I think rightfully so) that a fixed sheath knife is substantially safer than a folder that -almost- always locks up. Not to mention that they're inherently stronger... blah blah blah...

My guess is that they made the rule because the rank and file were getting a little out of hand with the size of their sheath knives. As Winmag said... the tendency to go to the "hollywood" knife had affected too many. To change to a folder inherently limits the blade size, in most cases. I'm guessing it was something like that.

[300winmag]

My guess is that they made the rule because the rank and file were getting a little out of hand with the size of their sheath knives. As Winmag said... the tendency to go to the "hollywood" knife had affected too many. To change to a folder inherently limits the blade size, in most cases. I'm guessing it was something like that.

While all that's true, there's a genuine danger in wearing a sheath knife, unless the sheath is metal or plastic, or has a hard liner. A fall under freak conditions can push the blade through the stitching, and into YOU. Or the blade can poke through the flat sides of the sheath, also into uncomfortable locations.

That's why bayonets have had hard scabbards for the last 100 years. Unless it's a collectible, I won't have a sheath knife that lacks a plastic sheath liner, or a hard plastic sheath.