Kydex sheath question for Dan

H

hollowdweller

Joined
Sep 22, 2003
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I was thinking about doing a 2 piece kydex sheath for a khuk and was just looking over info about it, incl. your tutorial.

The one kydex bowie sheath I have it looks like they made the back part of it extra long at the top and then folded it over and into the inside of the sheath and riveted it down to make the belt loop. Can you see any reason I couldn't do this with a kydex khuk sheath? Also would I just put my belt in there to do that part of it?

You used the oven. A lot of things reccomend a heat gun. You think one is any better?? Also how quickly does the kydex harden? if I heated the thing in the oven and pulled it out and folded the belt loop part over would I have time to do this before smashing the whole thing together?
 
First off - I purposely avoid rivets. I'm not pushing this on anybody else, just my personal take on it.

Here's what I'd do:

Cut out a paper model first. You'd be surprised how many little "mistakes" you can iron out in a paper model that would take forever in kydex.

That said, the design you have in mind is very feasible. Just cut the appropriate shape (based on your paper model). Heat it in the oven. Form fit it to the blade - leaving the belt loop flat. Clamp that baby down good and put some major pressure on it.

After it has cooled, use a hair dryer or heat gun to heat only the part of the kydex you want to bend to make the belt loop.

If (like me) you want to avoid rivets, you can always drill holes and stitch it by hand. Or you could leave it open. It's tough enough to hold its shape. Lots of quick-release belt sheaths have just a flap that tucks in your belt (between the belt and your pants).
 
Re: timing in the oven

It goes pretty quick. But generally, the thicker the kydex, the longer you have to heat it as well as form it.

Remember - once heated, kydex "loses its memory" - which it otherwise holds real well. The good news = you can screw up over and over again.... The bad news = gotta be careful when reheating.
 
Ferrous Wheel said:
...which do you recommend for this application, Dan?
Click to expand...
Not sure what you mean, Keith.

Also, not sure what knife we're talking about either.

And if it's plain kydex, etc.


HD...?
 
17" BGRS.


I want the rivets cause it would be easier to lash it to a pack or something from multiple points.

I was thinking leaving part of one side open similar to a quickdraw. As long as I get it pretty form fitted to the khuk/handle it should stay in there right?
My Mineral Mountain bowie has a kydex that is partially opened on the side and you could turn it upside down and it would stay in there.

Oh yea, the paper model. I was planning on that. After watching you walk Nasty and Roadrunner through the sheath making I could definately see the value in doing that.
 
that's right....I forgot about that late night adventure....:D

Rivets around the outside? that's fine. But I still wouldn't use rivets for attaching the belt loop to the back piece of kydex.


Leaving it open (a la Sisco QD) is fine, but make sure to sand and smooth the edges before you rivet it together. When it's nicely finished, kydex looks great. But when it's poorly finished, it looks like crap.
 
pendentive said:
that's right....I forgot about that late night adventure....:D

Rivets around the outside? that's fine. But I still wouldn't use rivets for attaching the belt loop to the back piece of kydex.
Click to expand...


The way this one is done, I'll have to take a pic, is they made the back half of the sheath longer. From where the blade goes in the peice goes up and in and then out. Kind of like an hourglass if you follow me. Then it is folded over not on the outside of the 2 peices, but on the inside. The wider part matches up with the outside margin of the sheath, so the rivets that hold the loop down to the sheath are the same rivets that hold the 2 halves of the sheath together. That's about the best I can explain it. :)
 
who's the manufacturer? might be able to find a pic online.
 
My dream is to copy the sheath I am attaching a picture of for a few of my khukuris.
This sheath was made to go with a GH WWIII project khuk they made years ago. The blade was made in Nepal and sent to America where a knifemaker put a custom taper tang to it and then fitted artificial Ivory slabs to it. Then a kydex sheathmaker made the custom fitted sheath. The sheath is awesome! :cool:
 
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