Kydex melts?

[drjones]

Hi. I keep a Cold Steel Recon Tanto in my car, and I've noticed that the kydex sheath gets slightly softer after sitting in the heat for a while. It goes right back to normal when it cools down.

My question is:
At what temperature is the kydex permanently warped from its original shape?
and: is it bad for it to be constantly heated, cooled, and reheated, as it is in my car?

Thanks!
Strati

 

[Rifter]

YOu need to get kydex up to 300-400 to mold it. I dont think heating it will do anyhting to it, and even if you do warp it all you have to do is re-heat it and mold it back to shape.

 

[Normark]

Hey DR....

Well if your kydex sheath is getting hot enough to get soft,, you are about to find out what a crappy fitting sheath is going to be like..

It may seem to you that it is going back to its normal shape,,and it just may be,, but if you get it much hotter, your going to have a mess on your hands...

now if its a kydex lined cordura sheath, than I wouldn't worry about it too much..
However if it is form fitting like one of mine, you are headed for trouble...

Either remove it from the car you have it in,, or protect it from the heat somehow...

I don't want to step on Rifter's toes here,, but molding it back into shape isn't as easy as it sounds...

Is the sheath one of mine or an OEM sheath ??

On second thought...

What the hell,, let it melt..

Then give me a call,, I'll Hook you up!!



ttyle

Eric...

 

[Cliff Stamp]

Unless it gets that hot that it has deformed, then there is probably very little effect on the repeated heating and cooling, you are in fact probably just doing a stress relief on it. However, it doesn't take much to overheat it.

On a hot day, if left exposed to direct sunlight with stale air conditions (such as in a car), the sheath will easily heat up past the point that it will start to deform. Kydex is far inferior to Cordura and Leather in regards to its functional temperature range. It is one of its major drawbacks.

-Cliff