Carbon fiber - Kevlar sheath

[Mike Read]

I only occasionally visit Blade Forums but whenever I do I always end up reading Natleks threads.

I don't know how you get the time to come up with and try all your ideas. If you are ever in the UK look me up, I am sure we could chat for hours

I have been making my own mycarta knife handles for years now and have always toyed with making a kydex style mycarta sheath to match the handle material (possibly leather lined) - but never have. Next time I will give it a go.

A couple of tips you might find useful - Cling Film/Sarin Wrap is great for separating laminates or aiding mould release. Also proper mould release wax is far far better than vaseline, furniture wax etc

Look forward to seeing your progress Natlek

 

[Natlek]

Natlek
it looks like you want to shape a finished Kevlar handle around a tang ? (correct)
i think only if you make a metal/Aluminum mold for the handle shape, and use a metal tang with release agent on it it should be easy.. solid handle shaped and done.
i would only recommend doing the 2 part aluminum "Female" mold on the sides . that way it should be very easy to open and remove the handle.
also this helps you keep the tang centered by using a block/spacer to hold the "Blade" straight as you are putting the 2 halves of the handle together. that way the "Blade would lay flat on its side"
it is a very interesting idea!!! why not if you have the gear to do it ..

Yes , that was plan .I will make aluminium mold , but I must see first if that would work .Any imperfection after I open mold would mean failure , no way to repair .That's why I make this mold first . I will use vacuum to be sure that there is no air and fibers are firmly compressed. Well , today is Saturday and tomorrow is Sunday, and I forgot to buy fiberglass resin so I can try tomorrow to finish mold and to make one handle I decide to use fiberglass for mold / not for Kevlar / , I will cut or break it somehow and I can repair it if i make some damage during that.......now i need to make some calls to find someone who have fiberglass in home

 

[Natlek]

I only occasionally visit Blade Forums but whenever I do I always end up reading Natleks threads.

I don't know how you get the time to come up with and try all your ideas. If you are ever in the UK look me up, I am sure we could chat for hours

I have been making my own mycarta knife handles for years now and have always toyed with making a kydex style mycarta sheath to match the handle material (possibly leather lined) - but never have. Next time I will give it a go.

A couple of tips you might find useful - Cling Film/Sarin Wrap is great for separating laminates or aiding mould release. Also proper mould release wax is far far better than vaseline, furniture wax etc

Look forward to seeing your progress Natlek

Hi Mike ! That's me , if I didn't do this I would quickly lose interest in knives I Like that idea for micarta sheath, another thing to try .I think that it can be done easy in a same way i do that with Kevlar ? And thanks , now I know what I can work tomorrow if i don t find fiberglass ... I will make that Kevlar sheath , I have everything I need .I still keep some of your pictures as a reminder, one day I will try to make that kind of handle

 

[Natlek]

Natlek
it looks like you want to shape a finished Kevlar handle around a tang ? (correct)
i think only if you make a metal/Aluminum mold for the handle shape, and use a metal tang with release agent on it it should be easy.. solid handle shaped and done.
i would only recommend doing the 2 part aluminum "Female" mold on the sides . that way it should be very easy to open and remove the handle.
also this helps you keep the tang centered by using a block/spacer to hold the "Blade" straight as you are putting the 2 halves of the handle together. that way the "Blade would lay flat on its side"
it is a very interesting idea!!! why not if you have the gear to do it ..

I m not sure that I understand why I should do that ? Metal tang with release agent on it ......why ? Today I shape one blank for this project , tomorrow I planed to grind bevels .I don t want just handle with tang opening from this mold , i want finished knife .Why I should make just handle ?
Say I have ready blank , with bevels on it .Fix that blank in mold , fill cavity with Kevlar inside and after all cure I have finished knife , Kevlar handle fixed forever , not removable ?
Imagine this is finished mold , you can see tang inside .......... fill that with Kevlar , carbon or whatever you mix and pull out finished knife after ?

 

[Pinoy Knife]

i got it .. yea pretty good idea..
i was just thinking if you were to make several you could do a release agent on a blade with a tang on it so you could remove it ..
that way for your "Pukko" design you would have that option ...
also might be easier to do anything you might want to to the handle before you marry the 2 together forever....

 

[Taz]

Sorry I didn't get to reply earlier, had to work a few 3rd shifts this weekend! I searched on kevlar knife handles like you have found, most have said it sucks to sand and leaves fuzzies. The Thunderstorm Kevlar material seems to work better, but I am not sure how or why it gets a smooth finish where yours isn't getting that after you sand it?

I have done a few 3 piece saya for a kitchen knives in Micarta before; made up thin panels and used basswood/balsa wood in the middle so the blade edge would be on soft wood instead of the micarta. Thin pieces may flex enough for tension, but I haven't tried making thinner sheets? Mine were 1/8" thick panels that I sanded down and used a spacer in the middle.

 

[Natlek]

20+7 = 27 ml epoxy .That amount of epoxy i use for 2x4 layer sheath and most leak out . Long time to work is good thing so it can be wet properly /210 min./ but I think that I get what I wanted .Look at that beauty , four layer from side .Pictures doesn't really show what I see with my eyes

From leftover of epoxy i make one piece of carbon and here is bad news.I mix with carbon about twenty strands of Kevlar , just to try how it would look . That thing don t want to bend ??? As much as I mixed, Kevlar strand straightened up so i took them out , Now i have no idea what to think about handle i plan to make ???

look how much epoxy squeezed out under press

But i get solid piece without voids or air gap

I found that diamond disk for Dremel easy cut Kevlar and with very little mess so i will use that to shape this sheath .And i need to steal one new carbide drill bits from my friend shop

 

[A.McPherson]

Maybe a silicon mold?

 

[Natlek]

Maybe a silicon mold?

I was thinking about that , but i wonder how it will hold under pressure .I'm afraid it could deform under pressure and under vacuum ?

 

[Natlek]

Now i have problem with this Kevlar strands , they don t want to stay bend when mixed with epoxy ? I have felling that this piece of **** will win again !!

 

[chumaman]

It can't be easy you just have an overly serious source of Kevlar canvas a ballistically rigid intention to prevent penetration
Maybe cut it short like carbon and try the same techniquethe marble carbon turned out to be a successful
Be healthy and happy with your family

 

[Pinoy Knife]

maybe try a thick piece of neoprene foam like for Kydex over the top with a plastic bag protecting the part ..
clamp the bag and Neoprene rubber over it causing downward pressure .. let it hold there until cured..
with the plastic bag you should have no problem with it sticking to the rubber ...
just a thought..

 

[Natlek]

It can't be easy you just have an overly serious source of Kevlar canvas a ballistically rigid intention to prevent penetration
Maybe cut it short like carbon and try the same techniquethe marble carbon turned out to be a successful
Be healthy and happy with your family

Thanks my friend , all the best in this new year
Ballistic Kevlar ***** I take close look , that strand are woven/which make perfect sense now/ that s why they don t want to bend .
This is ordinary Kevlar ,and bend similarly like carbon.............

Never mind , I finished that mold .I used casting epoxy for that and it come nice .I will not bother you with many pictures because this is just test .Tonight I filled Kevlar in mold in house . In shop is minus seven Celsius now , so no press no vacuum, nothing . I grind blade for this and that is that .Probably there will be many voids because i improvised like never before and this Kevlar is really act like spring. I realized that this will work for sure and I didn't need this test at all . So mine mind is occupied how to make mold in aluminium ...

Kevlar mixed with epoxy .....................***** !!

I used bare hand to fill Kevlar in mold and some dental sticks , real mess !Lucky this epoxy is easy to clean from hands , just little coffee and soap.

Done ! Most likely it will come come out as Swiss cheese ,we shall see tomorrow night

This was fun , but it will be not fun at all when i told to my friend what i want from him to do , he will kill me !
A rough idea for a metal mold , any suggestion ? I will make several bottom part for different steel thickness .

 

[Lorien]

Now i have problem with this Kevlar strands , they don t want to stay bend when mixed with epoxy ? I have felling that this piece of **** will win again !!

have you considered orienting them longitudinally and making a solid block that way which you can treat as any other block of handle material?

 

[FredyCro]

have you considered orienting them longitudinally and making a solid block that way which you can treat as any other block of handle material?

Natlek showed the scales he already did somewhere and that it's basically impossible to grind. I think he is trying to mould to shape so there is no finishing necessary.

 

[FredyCro]

Thanks my friend , all the best in this new year
Ballistic Kevlar ***** I take close look , that strand are woven/which make perfect sense now/ that s why they don t want to bend .
This is ordinary Kevlar ,and bend similarly like carbon.............

Never mind , I finished that mold .I used casting epoxy for that and it come nice .I will not bother you with many pictures because this is just test .Tonight I filled Kevlar in mold in house . In shop is minus seven Celsius now , so no press no vacuum, nothing . I grind blade for this and that is that .Probably there will be many voids because i improvised like never before and this Kevlar is really act like spring. I realized that this will work for sure and I didn't need this test at all . So mine mind is occupied how to make mold in aluminium ...

Kevlar mixed with epoxy .....................***** !!

I used bare hand to fill Kevlar in mold and some dental sticks , real mess !Lucky this epoxy is easy to clean from hands , just little coffee and soap.

Done ! Most likely it will come come out as Swiss cheese ,we shall see tomorrow night

This was fun , but it will be not fun at all when i told to my friend what i want from him to do , he will kill me !
A rough idea for a metal mold , any suggestion ? I will make several bottom part for different steel thickness .

Come on, show us the results

 

[Natlek]

Come on, show us the results

Well better then i expected .I make mistake , i forget that i have release layer /based on wax / and to speed up process i used oven ................Never mind , with little effort I open mold . Whole blade pivoted slightly according to the handle and now is little like Tanto knife .Obviously that two screw did not hold strong and from pressure of Kevlar tang moved slightly ...........
Well i like it , did you know that Kevlar is slightly lighter then carbon ? I need to clean that epoxy on handle where heat removed wax ! When full cure i will try to clean .Good thing is that there is no visible line where two part of mold are joined
It will work with real mold , now I m 100 % sure with Carbon , Kevlar , Canvas whatever i mix .....................
Quasimodo..............

 

[FredyCro]

Well better then i expected .I make mistake , i forget that i have release layer /based on wax / and to speed up process i used oven ................Never mind , with little effort I open mold . Whole blade pivoted slightly according to the handle and now is little like Tanto knife .Obviously that two screw did not hold strong and from pressure of Kevlar tang moved slightly ...........
Well i like it , did you know that Kevlar is slightly lighter then carbon ? I need to clean that epoxy on handle where heat removed wax ! When full cure i will try to clean .Good thing is that there is no visible line where two part of mold are joined
It will work with real mold , now I m 100 % sure with Carbon , Kevlar , Canvas whatever i mix .....................
Quasimodo..............

Now you need to shoot it, to see if it stops bullets.
It looks like you will need more pliable kevlar or a way to stuff it more in before you put epoxy?
Looking forward to seeing it post clean up.

 

[Natlek]

Now you need to shoot it, to see if it stops bullets.
It looks like you will need more pliable kevlar or a way to stuff it more in before you put epoxy?
Looking forward to seeing it post clean up.

I have two ballistic vest , with Kevlar and SIC plate .My son practice on one when we are on fishing .
More pliable Kevlar ? No , I need more patience ! I was in home watching TV , then my mother call me and ask to buy something for her . I was in their home last twenty days from December , Covid delta**** my mother catch it , then me .And my father need some help so I stay there in isolation .Funny thing is he did not catch that **** and I can t understand how that is possible ??
And since i was there and I didn't have a smarter job to do I quickly prepared everything and here are the results .
Now I regret not being more patient .But since I have already convinced myself that this will work, I did what I did .... Blade is from T3 HSS steel , very rare to find steel today , they probably don't produce it anymore.Just look in composition ,3% vanadium .

Carbon, C	1.05 %
Chromium, Cr	4.0 %
Iron, Fe	73.9 %
Tungsten, W	18 %
Vanadium, V	3.0 %

 

[Pinoy Knife]

Natlek
yea i know the metal .. got lots of it laying around...pretty good stuff.
my idea for your mold for the handles ,would be to use some thick aluminum say12mm .
make a blade and handle "Normal way" lay it on the flat 12mm bar and trace it out.
now the handle gets cut out until the original one fits perfectly..(Both halves together) like a wooden scabbard.
this way you can keep the blade from being out of line..
2 pieces of aluminum for handle ,2 pieces for blade... put plastic bag or wax on the inside of the handle mold so it comes apart..
once you mix everything up and form the handle you only have a very thin "SEEM" to sand down flush with the handle..
again just a thought before my coffee that might work out pretty good for you..