Modification of the Cold Steel Bird and Trout Neck Knife

Recently while working outside I misplaced my neck knife, it was a CKRT Neck Peck.  This was a huge loss for me.  I really like having a neck knife, its easy to carry, and always there.  I do know that there is a lot of tactical questions about a neck knife.  Questions come mostly from those with a ground fighting perspective.  However,  my opinion come from a middle aged fat guy that works from a desk.  I doubt I will be ground fighting near as much as I will be cutting open amazon.com packages….

My Favorite Neck Knife was Discontinued

What made the loss so painful was that I could not get a replacement.  In its infinite wisdom Columbia River Knife and Tool has discontinued the Neck Peck knives.  I was forced to find a suitable replacement.

After searching online and in a couple different stores I decided on a Cold Steel Bird and Trout.  I did not come out of the box as sharp as the I wanted, but it sharpened easily.  What I really love about it is the finger ring on the handle.  Being able to dangle it on my pinky while performing tasks is nice.  That will keep me from setting it down in the woods and getting it lost in the leaves (like its predecessor).

Turning a Good Knife into a Better Kit

While searching online for good neck knives I found a couple of you tube videos about mini survival kits that were attached to different models of neck knives.   I must admit I like the idea, but its more important for me to have my neck knife small and concealable rather than have a EDC (everyday carry) wilderness survival kit.

Something I did like with the survival kits was the flashlight idea.  So I purchased a small blue led light (I think it was a photon microlight), and while I was at it, I also decided to install a sailcloth needle with about 10 ft of mono-filament line since it takes up almost no space and adds negligible weight.

First I added the sewing needle, then I electrician taped the light over the sheath.  For added security, I ran the chain through the flashlight so it would not be able to fall out.  I then used a Ranger Band (cut up bike inner tube) to waterproof the sheath and electrician taped it tightly to the sheath.

You Must add Para-cord

Next I took out the innards of some para-cord and used a stiff wire to thread the ball chain necklace in the center of the paracord.  I did this mostly for looks but in deference to the idea that somebody may try to choke me to death with my chain, I did it in two sections after putting the chain on the knife sheath so that it can break at the clasp, or at either hole of the sheath.

Lastly I wrapped about yard of 7 strand para-cord around the handle.  While this makes the knife easier to hold, and gives me some cordage, it does tend to overcome the friction fit of the bird and trout sheath.  Unlike the Peck, which had a raised dot that “locked” into a dimple in the sheath, the Bird and Trout relies on friction only.  This makes it extremely easy for the knife to fall out of the sheath.

Still Not Done

Since I have been planning on experimenting with Kydex sheaths for some time, I am going to have to make a new sheath that has a more positive lock on the knife.  If Cold Steel’s sheath held the B&T better, this would be a near perfect knife for my usage.