Does a synthetic sheath cheapen a knife?

Dragon_Man said:
I am not a fan of synthetic, kydex, etc., sheaths or holsters. I don't like the stiffness, the wear and scratches, etc. Knives and firearms get wear and scratches from use. I would rather that they don't get damaged from being put away. It isn't like there is a shortage of cows, sheep, and pigs. I see some great looking knives in the makers section. And then see a kydex sheath and think nope cheapness. And no I am not going to have someone make a leather sheath for me. I do not buy something new only to fix it. I am not talking about customizing a knife. Just anti cheapness. Am I the only one that feels this way?
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Although I like a good quality leather pouch/holster, I generally prefer plastic... I think many popular holsters are plastic (not Kydex) that people generically call Kydex... I'll even grab nylon sheaths for my folding knives/MT's or incidentals belt pouch. Generally speaking, for my activities, I often have to work in sludgy, humid, sweaty, rainy, and snowy conditions. If the leather is next to my skin, it will soak up the sweat. If I am getting soaked in the rain, snow, or getting sludged on (like mud, gutter residue, salty snow from a snow blower) and the leather is exposed, it will soak up the water and sludge. This can also affect the shape, tensile strength, etc. of the leather, as well as expose the metals of whatever you are carrying underneath.

A properly (and continually) maintained leather anything should resist much of this, but that is a time cost that is absent on plastic/kydex. For example, I will not wear leather protective gear if I know I'm riding through multiple rain storms, for example... also note, that some lower cost leather jackets/pants have a weakness at the seams from the thread and stitching used.

Additionally, some leather wear on whatever you put in it is inevitable, especially if the metal is coated with a color, i.e. black.

Generally speaking, I will wear plastic/Kydex or nylon if the sheath/pouch/holster will be exposed to the elements. Additionally, if I am going to be sweating a lot, if it's next to my skin I will go for plastic, even if it is less comfortable than a quality leather piece.

The biggest issue I have with many plastic sheaths for fixed blades, is that some of them will slightly dull the blade.
 
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I agree with you completely.
I know kydex is tough withstands the elements etc...

Kydex looks and feels of a hard plastic,
Uncomfortable and looks boring to me.
Leather usually has some give and is more comfortable to wear. Also leather can be water proofed.

However I don't really use or carry a fixed blade.
So I really don't care to much about it.
 
afishhunter said:
From what I've seen, Kydex only comes with a clip, not a loop. Therefore, I will probably never use it.
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Here are different Kydex leather loop solutions:

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It depends on the company and quality of their synthetic sheaths . I've go a Fallkniven A1X that I had custom flat ground and G10 scales made for it . Fallklniven's latest Thermorun sheath is a great design, however I did purchase a leather sheath as well.
 

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Check out tie tactical - that's who made it. They do great work. And yes, there is a method to their madness (I think?) o_O
 
I generally Hate everything plastic....
Preferring natural


Except with sheaths.
I carry IWB appendix.
Leather is too thick, and bulky..... Less secure. Unfortunately
 
I prefer kydex by a large margin. I’ve cut too many leather sheaths on accident to count. Cut a couple when I was deliberately trying not to. Just poked right out the back or sliced through the stitching.

Kydex is pretty much no guesswork - find the hole and snap it in. Plus it won’t rust your knife in storage.

Leather looks great but it sucks for me functionally. Well made kydex is worth paying for and in no way cheapens the look of a knife.
 
No. I’d rather have decent kydex than not very good leather any day. I also have plenty of kydex sheaths that don’t scratch the blade. I don’t think that’s a forgone conclusion.
 
My response is a bit nuanced so I will answer with thought points:
1. A leather sheath may cause a knife to discolor or rust. This is why I don't store my swords in leather.
2. Every material has cons as well as pros. Where you carry and how you carry a sheath on your person should affect your choice of materials.
3. I will grant you a position that most sheaths sold with non custom knives may unsatisfactory in design, material, snaps, retention.
4. If i just take my better folders, they are put in one of two manufacturers' bidirectional material sheaths. An example is one of the two sizes of Benchmade sheaths.
5. I believe in putting every folder into a sheath. Protects them from dust, sometimes water, accumulating waste materials within the knife. I don't put a $15 Benchmade sheath on a folder that I will probably never carry. A cheap PRC or Pakistani sheath is just fine.
6. I don't care what someone else thinks about my sheath for a knife. Look up HedgeHog Leather if you want a top of the line leather horizontal sheath. If you own an Ontario Blackbird knife (I own one of the first produced) you can currently buy a factory material sheath for say $40 or pay another $100 for one of the best examples of quality leather workmanship. It is up to you.
 
I dislike plastics (many reasons) both personally and aesthetically. I make simple leather sheaths, wallets and similar smaller stuff to cover my needs and when I can, I will even replace plastic scales with wooden ones.

Ultimately it's not a big deal, because I mostly carry folders in my pocket and a fixed blade in my backpack.
 
This is a Bob Dozier made Personal and kydex sheath. It would be/is very hard indeed to have this clip come off your belt unintentionally. That little u shaped lip on the clip functions very well. Sheaths and holsters that fall off a belt are poorly designed.


personal.jpgpersonal 2.jpgdozier kydex.jpg

So I don't have problems with kydex, not at all. That said, my normal preference, based on me being a traditionalist when it comes to aesthetics, is a good quality leather sheath. Pretty happy with what I've gotten lately with one exception. BRK Canadian (full sized) came with a reasonably well made but generic sheath that was not designed for the particular knife and it's too big. Works but isn't a perfect fit. Which for the price of this knife - it should be.
 
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As an esthetic matter, I prefer leather. However, the only way I will wear a knife on my belt is crossdraw at 11:00, under an untucked shirt. That means kydex. I have a crossdraw leather sheath that came with a smallish Anza, but the loop is stitched down at both ends. That means I have to pull my belt all the way out to thread the sheath on, then run the belt back through the loops. Not gonna happen. That Anza goes in my pocket in a CK slip.

My David Mary EDC cimeter and my BK14 have kydex with Pull-the-dots, so those are the only two knives I wear on my belt.
 
This is an older thread but good discussion deserves new life...

I recently purchased a used fixed blade with kydex. The small scratches were freely described by the seller and I purchased with full knowledge. It didn't matter to me on a user with G10. If I was looking at something high-dollar with natural wood scales I'd probably opt for leather, but I considered the Armatus an upgrade in this case and was happy to get it in place of the OEM leather.

All my firearms are considered tools and receive kydex, it just works (for me) without fuss.
 
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