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Anyone made a Kydex sheath
- Thread starter alf
- Start date
- Joined
- May 18, 1999
- Messages
- 15,395
Alf that's another one of the things I don't know about, some of the gang here thinks I know everything,
but I don't, however Dan Koster our resident knifemaker and jack of all trades has made some bitchin kydex scabbards.
However I do know that there are several here that do know about these things and that they'll be along to chime in. There's a couple of guys here in the forums besides Dan that does kydex up in a good way.
but I don't, however Dan Koster our resident knifemaker and jack of all trades has made some bitchin kydex scabbards. However I do know that there are several here that do know about these things and that they'll be along to chime in. There's a couple of guys here in the forums besides Dan that does kydex up in a good way.
Dan Koster posted this great kydex tutorial a while back. He has immense talent as well as being very generous.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=287528
Ice
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=287528
Ice
- Joined
- Oct 18, 2001
- Messages
- 20,978
Take a look at my website, Alf - I put up a new page on kydex sheaths. If you see something you like and want to make it yourself, just let me know and I'll give you some instructions. If you have the right tools, some ingenuity, and some free time.......it's not that difficult nor expensive.
Thanks for the kind words, guys. There are definitely others here on the forum who can do Kydex. If I had the capability, I'd teach everybody here how to make a kydex sheath for a khukuri. It makes for an light-n-easy "packable" sheath and doesn't have to look like it belongs on the side of an M-1 Abrams....
(unless that's what you want.... )
....it's not that difficult nor expensive.Thanks for the kind words, guys. There are definitely others here on the forum who can do Kydex. If I had the capability, I'd teach everybody here how to make a kydex sheath for a khukuri. It makes for an light-n-easy "packable" sheath and doesn't have to look like it belongs on the side of an M-1 Abrams....
(unless that's what you want....
)I have made a few kydex sheaths and own a couple of Khukris, so I have thought about this a lot.
The problem with a typical kydex sheath is that it grips the blade all around, so it would be difficult to draw out the recurved blade from the moulded sheath.
One (flawed) solution is to open the edge side so that the blade is gripped by the spine yet slips out edge first. This could result if serious injury if the user holds the sheath while drawing.
Another is to leave an open spine and have the knife sccured by clipping the handle in.
Probably the best solution is to replicate the rigid wooden sheath in kydex. See my illustration below.
You must make the sheath allow the blade to slide out. It's easier to do this by carving wood than working with kydex. One shortcut would be to make a plaster or plastic moulding of the inside of the original wooden sheath and mould the kydex around that.
The problem with a typical kydex sheath is that it grips the blade all around, so it would be difficult to draw out the recurved blade from the moulded sheath.
One (flawed) solution is to open the edge side so that the blade is gripped by the spine yet slips out edge first. This could result if serious injury if the user holds the sheath while drawing.
Another is to leave an open spine and have the knife sccured by clipping the handle in.
Probably the best solution is to replicate the rigid wooden sheath in kydex. See my illustration below.
You must make the sheath allow the blade to slide out. It's easier to do this by carving wood than working with kydex. One shortcut would be to make a plaster or plastic moulding of the inside of the original wooden sheath and mould the kydex around that.
- Joined
- Oct 18, 2001
- Messages
- 20,978
Email sent, alf.
ZDP - you've got the right idea. One way I did it was to tape a piece of cardboard (to the edge) in the "void" - shown in your first illustration - between the khukuri and your outline. Then form the sheath around the two of them.
That said, you can also make a quickdraw style by cutting away the spine area down to the "bend" in the khukuri. Works nicely.
Or, just form it like you would a regular sheath, but put the rivets outside of your outlined area. Then the khukuri never contacts the rivets and can be drawn with no problem. Use the rivets and a heat gun (or hair dryer) to adjust the draw.
ZDP - you've got the right idea. One way I did it was to tape a piece of cardboard (to the edge) in the "void" - shown in your first illustration - between the khukuri and your outline. Then form the sheath around the two of them.
That said, you can also make a quickdraw style by cutting away the spine area down to the "bend" in the khukuri. Works nicely.
Or, just form it like you would a regular sheath, but put the rivets outside of your outlined area. Then the khukuri never contacts the rivets and can be drawn with no problem. Use the rivets and a heat gun (or hair dryer) to adjust the draw.