Well i guess the title pretty much sums up what i'm trying to ask. For you guys that make kydex sheaths all day long, what is the best way? I'm guessing a mirror polished blade is out of the question unless you don't care about the finish being scratched up at some point. How many layers of tape do you use and generally what thickness of kydex sheet works best for a smaller knife? .06 or .08? or none of the above? How much pressure to use and putting in a small toaster oven till the edges lift up and then wait how long before sandwiching it around the blade? seems like everytime I try this, I get different results. Any advice would be appreciated. thanks.
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how to make a kydex sheath that won't scratch the hell out of the blade
- Thread starter plcustom
- Start date
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2007
- Messages
- 327
I use .060 Kydex in my sheaths. I cover the blade w/1 layer of tape on each side and I space the blade out w/ a thin piece of leather before molding.
When molding, I heat the kydex to around 325deg.F until it is rubbery and quickly mold it to the knife. I mold my sheaths tightly at first, then loosen the handle area w/ a heat gun until it fits properly. The leather leaves just enough space in the sheath to avoid the worst scratches, but not so much that the blade flops around in the case.
The biggest cause of scratching is debris left in the sheath during the sheathmaking process. A grain of sand, metal dust, or sandpaper grit can become molded into the kydex, causing a lot of headache. The thing that helped me a lot was to clean the sheathmaking area very well before beginning, and to keep the tape on the blade until the sheath is fitted.
After the sheath is finished, I blow it out w/ compressed air, swab it out with a piece of clean rag on the end of a clotheshanger wire, and blow it out again.This usually removes any debris hung up inside.
Also, I drill a drain hole into my Kydex sheaths near the knife tip area- this makes it a lot easier to clean the sheath out for you and the user.
One final note- I have found flat-backed sheaths tend to scratch more if you mold the sheath w/ the knife sitting at an angle( blade and handle both touching the table/surface)- I have had very good results molding this style sheath with the blade laying flat on the table/surface, and molding the handle area equally on both sides of the sheath. Hope this helps- I fought with the same problem at first until I experimented a little.
When molding, I heat the kydex to around 325deg.F until it is rubbery and quickly mold it to the knife. I mold my sheaths tightly at first, then loosen the handle area w/ a heat gun until it fits properly. The leather leaves just enough space in the sheath to avoid the worst scratches, but not so much that the blade flops around in the case.
The biggest cause of scratching is debris left in the sheath during the sheathmaking process. A grain of sand, metal dust, or sandpaper grit can become molded into the kydex, causing a lot of headache. The thing that helped me a lot was to clean the sheathmaking area very well before beginning, and to keep the tape on the blade until the sheath is fitted.
After the sheath is finished, I blow it out w/ compressed air, swab it out with a piece of clean rag on the end of a clotheshanger wire, and blow it out again.This usually removes any debris hung up inside.
Also, I drill a drain hole into my Kydex sheaths near the knife tip area- this makes it a lot easier to clean the sheath out for you and the user.
One final note- I have found flat-backed sheaths tend to scratch more if you mold the sheath w/ the knife sitting at an angle( blade and handle both touching the table/surface)- I have had very good results molding this style sheath with the blade laying flat on the table/surface, and molding the handle area equally on both sides of the sheath. Hope this helps- I fought with the same problem at first until I experimented a little.
- Joined
- Nov 17, 2006
- Messages
- 1,124
No, felt will trap grit and dirt, thats what scratches your blade for the most part.
- Joined
- Dec 24, 2005
- Messages
- 1,254
I was told to line the sheath with velcro to avoid scratches. Although it could in theory hold sand or other debris....as usual your milage may vary!