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I would like to hear your thoughts on this. I learned from a LEO friend many years ago that it is best to carry your cell phone and clip knife on your weak side instead of strong side. His argument was that if you were in a struggle for your sidearm, you could control it with strong hand and reach for your knife with weak hand to defeat the attacker. He also stated that having your cell phone on weakside allowed you to draw sidearm and make a call to 911 easily.

I now carry my cell phone, clip knife, magazine and flashlight on weakside because of this.

How many of you do this?

I do that as well.

Yep, I figured out a while back that if you're holding someone off or covering
someone at gunpoint, you'll need your free hand to call 911.

My cell phone is my pocket weight on strong side that aids in the brushing away of vest cover for draw. Light & knife on weak side. I have been thinking of changing position of light & phone. Need to try it & practice for a while.
Thanks for the nudge.
LT

I'm one of the last holdouts who doesn't often carry a cell phone. I have one. It's usually at home or in my truck. Rarely in my pocket and I don't own a holster for it. It startles me when it rings, because that happens so rarely, because most people I know have learned that it's usually a waste of time to call that number.

Knife, keys, whatever, usually go in a weak side front pocket, but that can change depending on what and how I'm carrying. (I may have a BUG in the weak side front pocket.)

mgood wrote:I'm one of the last holdouts who doesn't often carry a cell phone.

My thought is that if you carry a gun you also need to carry a cellphone.
They are both lifesaving tools that work hand in hand with each other when the unthinkable happens.

USA1 wrote:

mgood wrote:I'm one of the last holdouts who doesn't often carry a cell phone.

My thought is that if you carry a gun you also need to carry a cellphone.
They are both lifesaving tools that work hand in hand with each other when the unthinkable happens.

USA1 I agree totally. The cell phone may be the best defensive weapon you have.

I agree, to a point. But if people know I carry it around all the time, they get upset when I don't answer. I'm not a phone person. I check my messages daily, or at least every other day. I suppose I could have a concealed carry phone and not tell anyone, lol.

i think you have that about right, i out everything else weak side, so one hand can go to my gun the other to whatever else i need

Kiowa Scout wrote:I would like to hear your thoughts on this. I learned from a LEO friend many years ago that it is best to carry your cell phone and clip knife on your weak side instead of strong side. His argument was that if you were in a struggle for your sidearm, you could control it with strong hand and reach for your knife with weak hand to defeat the attacker. He also stated that having your cell phone on weakside allowed you to draw sidearm and make a call to 911 easily.

I now carry my cell phone, clip knife, magazine and flashlight on weakside because of this.

How many of you do this?

I carry cell phone on the support side and knife on the strong side, but both are positioned in a way that makes them accessible with either hand.

The cell phone is in a horizontal nylon pouch at 10:00 with the opening facing toward 12:00. I can and do readily use it with either hand (I'm semi ambidextrous.) I agree with several of the last few posts that the cell phone is virtually mandatory equipment for anyone who carries a concealed handgun. Why? The guy who calls 911 first is the complainant. The second guy is the suspect. 'Nuff said.

The knife is clipped to my pocket at 2:00. I keep it on the strong side because most of the time I'm not holding anyone at gunpoint, and I want easy one handed access to the knife, which I use a lot for miscellaneous tasks. Drawing and using it with the support hand would require a cross body reach, but no stretch. It is equipped with a thumb stud and CRKT's Carson Flipper for easy one hand opening with either hand. A pair of high performance soft ear plugs and a miniature multitool with a microlight are kept in the same pocket.

I keep the wallet in the rear pocket on the support hand side so I could withdraw it if necessary without compromising my use of the strong hand and its access to a strong side holster. I can also surrender it, if I decide that doing so is the best available option in a given situation, without revealing the gun.

Tactical light and ID are kept in a separate thin wallet in the support hand front pocket so they can be accessed and displayed without interfering with manipulation of a gun in the strong hand. The ID is kept in a separate wallet so I retain those critical documents even if I decide to surrender the wallet). And yes, I always carry a tactical light, even in broad daylight, and use it more often than most might think.

Spare magazines are kept either in the left front pocket or in a mag pouch on the belt at 8:00.

With the exception of gun placement in some infrequent specialized circumstances that require an extremely low profile, I don't move these things around. The same things are always in the same places to minimize the risk of reaching for a fresh magazine and coming up with a cell phone, or similar gaffes that might be amusing to bystanders in competition but aren't funny at all on the street.

That may be a bit more information than you asked for, but I thought it related enough to include.

The other reason to keep your phone on the weak sign is to minimize the possibility of exposing your weapon when answering the phone.

I carry my knife clipped to the strong side pocket since my alternate gun is in my weak side pocket. I generally carry the cell phone in my shirt pocket.

Kiowa Scout wrote:

I learned from a LEO friend many years ago that it is best to carry your cell phone and clip knife on your weak side instead of strong side.

Whoa........folks! Before you start changing things up (based on the recommendations of LEO), please consider what YOUR needs are and how they compare to situations that Law Enforcement or Military may find themselves in.

What makes good tactical sense for them....may not be best for you.

His argument was that if you were in a struggle for your sidearm, you could control it with strong hand and reach for your knife with weak hand to defeat the attacker.

Maybe. Since LEO will have some form of a retention holster....it is possible they might be in a protracted fight involving a "gun snatch" attempt. In SOME circumstances it might make sense to try and "cut the attacker off of you", but without training....you'd do better to just use all of your faculties (both hands, feet, knees, etc) to repel the attack.

Too... unless you carry a fixed blade knife, accessing, opening and using a knife (weak hand) will be cumbersome without practice.

He also stated that having your cell phone on weak-side allowed you to draw sidearm and make a call to 911 easily.

Again....maybe.
First, (circumstance permitting)....citizens should have their cell phone out with 911 dialed at the first sign of trouble. You can hit "send" at anytime.

Secondly, unless you regularly use your cell phone (weak hand), you'll find it very difficult to open it (if the model requires), hit the small buttons and hold onto it...under extreme stress/attack.

Third, IF there are other persons around.... YOU don't need to be calling 911 anyway, have someone else do it while you give your full attention to the threat.

If you are alone....you can switch your weapon (temporarily) to your weak hand and use your strong hand (the most intuitive) to use the phone. Remember, fine motor skills will be compromised.....and you'll be doing well to operate your phone using your "smart hand".

I now carry my cell phone, clip knife, magazine and flashlight on weak-side because of this.

Take another look at it and decide for yourself if these techniques are best for your personal defense plan. If so...practice and make the change....but DON'T do so simply on one person's recommendation.

One last thing: If you are ever unfortunate enough to have to use/threaten deadly force....don't try to do too many things at once. The average citizen will be served well by following the basics.

Be aware of your surroundings (this buys you time) and might possibly let you avoid the confrontation all together.

Maintain distance (if possible).

Seek cover.

Use verbal commands.

Enlist help (bystanders...if any) may be able to summons help for you.

If you do the above, the chances of needing your knife are all but nonexistent and your cell phone can be used as needed (early preferred, after... if necessary), but in both cases...using the hand you normally use.

Just like, "concealed is concealed"; "stong side is strong side". I don't want nothin' between my old arthritic limbs and my "heater".
Heaven forbid I ever have to draw it and blow anybody to smithereens. (what/where is smithereeens )

Oldgringo wrote:s. (what/where is smithereeens )

Here is the best answer I could find:

from the Online Etymology Dictionary

smithereens
"fragments," 1829, from Ir. smidirin, dim. of smiodar "fragment," perhaps with dim. ending as in Colleen.).

What flint said.

As to the other stuff, my clip knife is in the weak side front pocket, and my cellphone is in my shirt pocket, accessible from either hand. But it's all irrelevant to me, because I'm just not going to let anybody get that close to me. As far as I am concerned, if someone is trying to close to grapple with me, then he's trying to kill me; and I have already pre-decided to respond with whatever force is necessary, up to and including lethal force, to prevent him from doing so.