Kydex Tips

razor-edge-knives said:
That's cool, I got some of their extreme foam (high definition) but after like 20 sheaths in the same spot it left permanent deformation of the foam which makes my new sheaths wavy if I use that spot anymore. Kinda disappointed in that
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Have you taken a heat gun to the foam to get out those creases?
 
C_Claycomb said:
The sheath Harley shows has the taco fold unbroken right up the handle, making the sides that grip the scales stiffer. You could have reduced the stiffness by cutting lengthways into the taco fold. AVigil's sheath achieves this by being a pancake design.
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Could you please elaborate on this a little bit? What do you mean by “unbroken”, as in the fold on the top isn’t folded tight enough? I noticed the fold on AVigil’s is a lot more crisp. And as for cutting into the taco fold, wouldn’t that end up pinching your thumb when you use the thumb ramp?

My taco sheaths generally look a lot like Harley’s in terms of impression. Usually takes me a good amount of time with the heat gun and multiple attempts to get it how I want, so obviously I’d like to eliminate that.

Thanks :thumbsup:
 
ren01228 said:
Could you please elaborate on this a little bit? What do you mean by “unbroken”, as in the fold on the top isn’t folded tight enough? I noticed the fold on AVigil’s is a lot more crisp. And as for cutting into the taco fold, wouldn’t that end up pinching your thumb when you use the thumb ramp?

My taco sheaths generally look a lot like Harley’s in terms of impression. Usually takes me a good amount of time with the heat gun and multiple attempts to get it how I want, so obviously I’d like to eliminate that.

Thanks :thumbsup:
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Ren01228,
I don't have a great example, and it isn't something I could easily find reference for from others. This is what I mean, let me know if the (old Photobucket) images don't show. The sheath doesn't just fold straight around the spine of the handle, it has been cut into a swooping V so that the material on either side of the handle is a little more of an unsupported tongue. If I took this same sheath, and made a saw cut in the sheath from the point of the V towards the tip of the blade, stopping opposite the first screw fixing, it would approximate what happens with a pancake sheath (not exactly, its a simplified for the example). I have found that I can tune how tight my sheaths are by cutting back the fold, moving the fastener location and trimming around the bottom edge of the finger guard area.

My knives tend to flare a little in handle width at the front of the handle, so I am not reliant only on friction or the grip on the finger guard area. This is a fairly middling example. I have done some where the point of the V is within 1/4" of the front edge of the handle while the tongues reach back another inch.


 
I do two layers of green painters tape but cut it so there’s only one layer at about half inch of the tip of the knife. This helps grip the tip a little more for no chatter but give space on the blade to help with rubbing. I also preheat my foam and knife with a heatgun so the kydex isn’t shocked by anything cold. If you don’t have a decent heat gun for fine tuning your ‘snap’ or finger ramp etc after the initial forming I highly suggest investing in one. I use it on every sheath with a bucket of ice water to finish shaping the top of my sheaths.
 
I have the same foam and alittle heat will bring it back to good. I only use one layer of tape. A strip on each side and I trim it flush with the spine and edge. I find eyelet location is much more important then how tight it is. I then smooth and slightly flare the opening. It’s a tight snap but works in over time. I would rather have it tight then to loose. A hair dryer can loose it up just a titch h if a customer wants it looser. These are how mine come out and thy are tight but large knives.
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Thanks for the explanation C_Claycomb. I understand what you meant now, seems like a solid method to use.

It truly feels like there’s a million ways to make a kydex sheath. I’ve personally never seen anyone utilize a cutout like yours, but that’s a great idea. Sheaths (like most other things) seem to come down to a good amount of trial and error, and figuring out what works best for you/your setup. I know I’ve thrown away more sheaths than I’d like to admit... but slowly getting better and that’s what counts :D

Thanks again to you and everyone else who post the countless tips on here, they’re a HUGE help.
 
AVigil said:
I found a picture of a Taco sheath I did.

This may give you an idea for your rivet placement.

SHqdZ3l.jpg
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You said it looks like the kydex isn't hot enough when I pressed it- how hot should it be? I heat it in a toaster oven until it reads ~350 with an infrared thermometer, then I set it in my press, place the knife in position, fold the kydex over and then clamp. Am I not moving quick enough?

Also in regards to your sheath here, it appears to me that the blade's spine isn't touching the fold. When I've done taco sheaths I've tried to get the blade as close to the fold as possible. Should I not do that?
 
Harley Boatman said:
You said it looks like the kydex isn't hot enough when I pressed it- how hot should it be? I heat it in a toaster oven until it reads ~350 with an infrared thermometer, then I set it in my press, place the knife in position, fold the kydex over and then clamp. Am I not moving quick enough?

Also in regards to your sheath here, it appears to me that the blade's spine isn't touching the fold. When I've done taco sheaths I've tried to get the blade as close to the fold as possible. Should I not do that?
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The kydex should flop over under its own weight, move to slow, environment to cold, fan blowing all can chill the kydex and prevent a good impression.

As for Taco style, their are no rules. Do what you like.
 
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