MercHarness
Review by Phil Elmore
Some time ago, George Matheis, who goes by the Internet handle "Mercop," sent me a sample of his MercHarnes some time ago. I've used it extensively since and really like it. I was delighted, therefore, when I learned that Columbia River Knife and Tool is now making the MercHarness available as an accessory among its fine line of tactical knives and other sporting products.
The harness could not be simpler. It is a length of gutted mil-spec paracord to which rubber spacers have been fitted. Using these rubber spacers, the cord can be run through the grommets of any knife sheath (obviously, any sheath with holes or other mounting points) in order to make a light, improvised shoulder harness. This makes everything from a small knife to even very large fixed blades concealable and comfortable to carry provided they are toted under appropriate concealing garments.
I wore the MercHarness for several days with a Smith and Wesson tactical fixed-blade knife, simply because that knife had a sheath with appropriate grommets. Not only did the knife disappear under a jacket or outer shirt, but I could easily forget it was there because the whole package is so lightweight. I even wore the knife completely openly, sort of, while in a movie theater. When I took off my jacket, the black cord was invisible against my shirt in the low light, and the knife disappeared under my arm.
The harness can be adjusted for ease of draw and to position the knife where you prefer it. While I did have one or two occasions where the rubber keepers slipped off, I found that all I had to do was make sure I had enough slack and the MercHarness would ride completely securely. The CRKT packaging for the MercHarness includes a full-color set of instructions with examples of how to wear knives of various sizes.
This is one of those ideas that is so simple you sometimes wonder why it was not thought of before. Well, George Matheis has done the concept justice and deserves credit for bringing the harness to market. I applaud him and can readily recommend his work.
Thank you, George, for doing so much for so relatively little. >>