Kydex and wooden handle

[RVER]

I want to start my first handle + sheath project.

The base is a Mule S90V.

For the handle I prefer wood ... for the sheath I prefer Kydex ...

Has anyone tried this ? Will the wood get damaged by the kydex ?

The wood will be Palisander ...

 

[antonio_luiz]

That combination isn't something I would choose -prefer wood with leather, kraton with kydex - but to each their own. Are you referring to Kydex scratching the handle or the possible heat damage from hot Kydex on the handle during the shaping process?

You can minimise Kydex scratches by making it a looser fit and Dremel polishing the inner surface of the Kydex after it's been shaped.

If the latter, most Kydex can be shaped at under 180C. For the short time it is in contact with the handle at this temperature you are unlikely to damage the wood (I steam-iron my cotton shirts at 215C) but you may damage the finish you apply to the wood. Suggest you wrap some tape around the handle before you shape the Kydex over it.

 

[lmbhami]

I have made a kydex sheath for a wood handles knife. Like Antonio stated wrap the hadle in tape prior to bending the Kydex and this should add the needed buffer between the Kydex and the wood


Good Lock
Eddie

 

[hoopster]

One of the main things I would consider is where is the point of contact for retention. If you can design the sheath where it will hold at a point on the blade or bolster somewhere then you could add a few layers of tape to the wood during the molding process. Then your finished sheath will only lightly touch the wood or not touch it at all and all the pressure and any possible abrasion will be at the metal.

I'm not saying kydex will damage wood, especially if it's hard wood and perfectly smooth kydex. I just don't really know. Hopefully someone else does.

 

[elkins45]

One of the main things I would consider is where is the point of contact for retention. If you can design the sheath where it will hold at a point on the blade or bolster somewhere then you could add a few layers of tape to the wood during the molding process. Then your finished sheath will only lightly touch the wood or not touch it at all and all the pressure and any possible abrasion will be at the metal.

I'm not saying kydex will damage wood, especially if it's hard wood and perfectly smooth kydex. I just don't really know. Hopefully someone else does.

I would think you could use the decorative Spyder hole in the Mule blade to pinch together a good retention point. Don't now how you would apply extra pressure to just that spot, but if there's a way it would be something to consider.

 

[hoopster]

I would think you could use the decorative Spyder hole in the Mule blade to pinch together a good retention point. Don't now how you would apply extra pressure to just that spot, but if there's a way it would be something to consider.

Now that I've seen some Mule pictures, it looks like you could bring the kydex just past the thumb ramp and finger guard, keeping it away from your handle material and it would retain just fine.

Trying to pinch at the hole might work also. The way I would try that is to pinch it by hand right after wrapping the warm kydex, then throw it in the press as usual.

 

[lambertiana]

If you pinch the kydex at the Spyderhole, it will put serious scratches in the blade. It did this with a ZDP-189 mule that I had a handle and sheath made for my father. Once the Spyderhole was filled in for the second attempt with the Kydex (and after the blade was refinished) the scratching stopped.

And it was not a light scratch, either. There was no discernable grit in the sheath to cause the scratching, and it took me a while to figure out what was causing it.

 

[misque]

I've done up a handful of knives like this and the method Antonio and Imbhami state above is what I did, and it works quite well.
You can even use taped paper towels or cloth to get that buffer between knife handle and kydex. It all depends on how much of a buffer zone you want.
It works and is simple to do.

 

[hoopster]

I have made a kydex sheath for a wood handles knife. Like Antonio stated wrap the hadle in tape prior to bending the Kydex and this should add the needed buffer between the Kydex and the wood


Good Lock
Eddie

I've found the blue painters tape works well.