and yet another kydex question!!!

M

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Jan 26, 2002
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someone mentioned .08" kydex...i've only been able to find .06" and .093" locally...

first off, do you think .093" is too thick? i'm not worried about price - i'm more concerned about the visual effects...

i'm wondering if thicker kydex will work with smaller knives? what i mean is, will the thicker stuff conform to the details of smaller knives well? when you heat the thick stuff up, is it pliable enough to still make a nice looking sheath or is it going to end up looking fat and clunky without conforming nicely to the shape of the blade?

since i'll be probably be buying a 4x8' sheet, i can't get two sizes...i want one size that's going to do it all for me and would rather use the thicker stuff for the sake of durability, if i can...

thanks in advance!
 
If you get only one, thicker would probably be the way to go. I wouldn't expect great detail on smaller stuff though.

.093 is pretty thick, I used to make rifle magazine holders out of it and loaded M1A/FAL mags are pretty heavy especially in a run and they held fine. It's stout stuff.

Tom
 
Generally, the thicker stuff is more difficult to work unless you get even heating throughout the piece, or work out your own way to do that in a practical way. You can still get deep moulding if the heating temp is right, but you'll find that it may not be a good thing as it is that much stiffer due to thickness, that you may not be able to remove your knife !! I have had to resort to doing a very tight mould then blast the retention areas awith the heat gun to partially loosen it so that it worked properly. Jason.
 
Mark
You might want to check what length of eyelets you can get before commiting to the thicker kydex. I personally use the .06 thick kydex. It molds easily and allows good retention/protection of the knife.

Tom
 
Originally posted by Tom Krein
You might want to check what length of eyelets you can get before commiting to the thicker kydex. Tom
Click to expand...

Good point, when I used .093 I used Chicago Screws exclusively.

Tom
 
Hey Guys...

Hope I can help here a little, without making it more confusing...

First off when you mold with 0.90, you are going to have extremely even heat over the entire piece,, or you will run into several different problems...

You will also have to use quite a bit more pressure in your mold to get any definition of the sheath what so ever...

I very rarely use.90 Concealex for sheath bodies,, and only on certian knives, such as Kuk's or Bolos, when I make a front break sheath.

For smaller knives you will find it very stiff and difficult to adjust.

As the knife enters the sheath for re-sheathing, you want it to flex a little as it goes in, then spring back in and around the knife. Using .90 you'll find that it locks in very tight, and the heat you use to adjust the contact points with will not be there, making it somewhat difficult to tune.

This all depends on what handle material is used as well...

.80 synthetics are quite a bit more forgiving and can be used on smaller knives as well..

If I were you,, I'd hold out and wait for the .80.. You can always buy smaller pieces of .93 for G-clips or what have you...
.80 can be used for certain belt loops as well...

Hope that helps a little..

ttyle

Eric...
 
thanks fellers...y'all saved me from acquiring another 48 square feet of something i can't use...

holding out for the .08"...
 
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