Fixed blade carry: Leather or Kydex?

I like both, and use them both quite a bit! I like the look of leather, but kydex is very useful, especially with a sheath form fitted that will hold the knife snug. Kydex is great for my custom slimline machetes. Gotta love leather though, just a great classic!
 
I generally like kydex (or even better, some other plastic) for the retention, since most of the fixed blades I carry are neck knives, and the larger ones sometimes get mounted upside-down on my pack. Kydex's heat sensitivity isn't really an issue if I'm wearing it against my chest, but my preference is actually for the injection-molded plastic that ESEE uses.

This said, I also think the sheath should match the knife, so no synthetic handles poking out of leather sheaths (I'm looking at you, Fallkniven) or other such silliness.
 
I like and use both. I've got some nice leather sheaths and some good kydex sheaths. I'll usually carry in whatever the knife comes with.

Now if I'm going custom sheath, leather wrapped kydex is the way to go. The 710 to be exact. If I had the funds every fixed blade I own would be in one of these.
 
I will not buy a fixed blade without a kydex sheath. I on occasion will purchase a leather sheath for them in addition, most recently my Attleboro. The Attleboro factory accessory leather sheath is the best leather sheath I have hands down. Spartan and ESEE seem to have the best Kydex. I almost bought an ESEE camplore RB3 but coming with a leather sheath killed it for me. The one type of sheath I will absolutely never buy is a nylon sheath, thats why I havent bought any beckers in years and wont buy several other brands. I also despise retention snaps.
 
My top choice is leather but I understand that Kydex has it's place.

It also depends upon the knife. For example, a Bradford Guardian 3-leather, always. My Benchmade 162- Kydex or leather depending upon what I am doing. Snow camping, Kydex. A family get together, leather.

Here is my basic rule of thumb, if I'm out in public or hunting, leather wins out. It looks good and it's quiet. If I am not worried about weather, noise or looks, Kydex is the winner. Long term storage, Kydex wins again.

Some knives just don't work with Kydex though. My father's old hunting knife, for one.

The one thing that I don't care for, ever, are those hard plastic scabbards that make tons of noise and don't really fit the knife well. You guys know what I am talking about.
 
If rather drill and rivet than punch and sew.
 
I think Leather is better looking than Kydex, though Kydex does have its pros. If carrying outside one's body, I feel leather looks great and won't skuff the blade.

If concealed or used in a marine environment, Kydex is better.
 
Lined Kydex, is my favorite.
C4 Industry Sheaths makes one of the finest Kydex sheaths on the market today.
rolf
 
I prefer leather to Kydex MOST of the time. Kydex for wet/muddy/oily/chemical environments.

Beyond that, it depends on the knife and how it looks/carries. Well constructed leather sheaths tend to be thicker than Kydex sheaths, but Kydex sheaths tend to be wider. So it's a trade off in how they fit with the overall picture.
 
I enjoy leather more in terms of overall comfort and aesthetics, but I wouldn't replace the Kydex sheath that came with my ZT 0121, simply because of the weight distribution of the knife (heavy handle). I feel that a leather sheath would be a poor choice for the odd, shifting weight, unless it was a deep carry sheath as seen with some puukko knives, which I feel would make ease of access less so. I guess for me it's a case by case basis.
 
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I prefer leather overall. I prefer kydex in an urban environment.

Laid my new Blackjack 155 neck knife in its leather sheath (magnet retention) on my laptop keyboard. Keyboard stopped functioning until i re-started computer. All I can say is, I'll never do that again and thank the man up stairs that the computer keyboard still works.
 
This horizontal sheath from Bob Dozier is the best I've had so far:

sheatha2.jpg
 
Dozier's horizontal kydex sheath works very well and are very concealable if you choose too. Also the best I have seen.
 
Since I live in a high humidity part of the country, leather for stainless blades, kydex for non stainless blades.
Non stainless blades left in a leather sheath too long down here reeks havoc on the blade.
 
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