Kydex-what's the deal?

000Robert said:
Yeah, I do like that click. But silence is golden.
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I suppose I can understand that. A well fit Kydex has no rattle, but does make scraping noise when rubbed against hard stuff. I think that there may be a bit better safety against puncture if you fall though.

A well made leather sheath is certainly excellent. I like having the option for both.
 
MolokaiRider said:
I suppose I can understand that. A well fit Kydex has no rattle, but does make scraping noise when rubbed against hard stuff. I think that there may be a bit better safety against puncture if you fall though.

A well made leather sheath is certainly excellent. I like having the option for both.
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You can never have too many options. Everything has it's pro's and con's.
 
Still not digging it.
I can see that there are applications where Kydex might work better; inverted carry comes to mind but how often do I do that?
Never go around packing a gat so never really thought about it as holster material. I suppose it works better in tactical situations.
I guess I'm just old fashioned. Knives and leather go together like, like, hotdogs and mustard.
Maybe I just have an aversion to plastic.
Got my first Kydex sheath way back in the 80's and wish I'd never seen the stuff!
I suppose it makes sense on RCK (really cheap knives) where cost is a factor, but why not just use nylon sheaths?
Just got this RCK CKRT with a black finish and already the Kydex sheath is leaving marks on the blade!
WTF?
 
jideta said:
Still not digging it.
I can see that there are applications where Kydex might work better; inverted carry comes to mind but how often do I do that?
Never go around packing a gat so never really thought about it as holster material. I suppose it works better in tactical situations.
I guess I'm just old fashioned. Knives and leather go together like, like, hotdogs and mustard.
Maybe I just have an aversion to plastic.
Got my first Kydex sheath way back in the 80's and wish I'd never seen the stuff!
I suppose it makes sense on RCK (really cheap knives) where cost is a factor, but why not just use nylon sheaths?
Just got this RCK CKRT with a black finish and already the Kydex sheath is leaving marks on the blade!
WTF?
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You never go around "packing a gat"? Seriously? That sounds like stuff kids say. Actually kydex works fantastic for everyday carry of a self defense firearm. Especially for concealed carry, even better for inside the waistband because its thinner than leather, and the other reasons I mentioned above. Most "tactical teams" use molded plastic which is completly different.
Kydex isn't generally much cheaper when you buy a quality holster/sheath

Maybe your cheap knife just has a crappy finish, or it's a plastic sheath and not kydex. Even if you use a nylon or cordura sheath, you still have to have a plastic or kydex liner.

I'm not trying to convince you of anything, just stating the why fors.
 
I like kydex, leather has soul and character that kydex cannot compete with but I find kydex easy to shape and it does not retain moisture.
 
Skidoosh said:
I like kydex, leather has soul and character that kydex cannot compete with but I find kydex easy to shape and it does not retain moisture.
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I have a Damascus fixed blade that has been in it's leather sheath for 10 years and it doesn't have a speck of rust on it. Where is this phantom, "retained moisture"?
 
I'm not always able to oil them regularly. If I'm out backpacking I'd take kydex. Otherwise I like leather.
 
I prefer leather too, but that's because of the way I carry my knives and what I use them for. A clackety plastic knife hanging off a belt in the bush is just a bit intrusive to the experience.
With this said though, I'm pretty taken aback by how few people are pro kydex. For our customers kydex is really popular for a lot of situations and it does have a lot of benefits.
Modularity and Adaptability- bolt a small knife to your big knife. Swap out a drop leg rig for a tek lok for when you want it strapped to your backpack, quad bike or kayak. Bought a new firesteel? Form a scrap piece around it and bolt it on. Some weird situation means you have to strap something weird to it or strap it to something weird? Lace something up with paracord through the eyelets.
Weight- Kydex reduces packed weight and if you're actually custom making a kydex sheath with the intention of being ultralight you can do so much more with it than leather.
Aesthetic- Some knives just feel more cohesive with a kydex sheath. That doesn't have to be visual, the feel during carry, the clack of retention all can combine to just feel right in certain cases.
 
Depends on use for me. Personally I just find leather more attractive. We have the new Sig M17’s at work, and they’re issued with a safariland holster. Leather just isn’t an option here between the ease of use, long term durability between dozens-hundreds of users in the holsters life time, scratch and wear resistance and the pure fact that holster has a triple locking system on the firearm without a snap, buckle or flap while maintaining speed and ease of draw. Pair that with the fact that it has like 7 different ways to wear it from on your standard belt, drop leg, attached to a battle belt, body armor, angled, the adaptability and toughness of kydex is required. And the best part? Three weeks in the field in conditions that make leather boots fall apart and look like absolute hell no matter what, you just brush off the holster in warm water and let it dry and other then a few dings or wear marks it looks new. My “War Blade” came with a molded plastic sheath and it just fits the needs use and durability of my field conditions and use. Every other knife sheath I have is leather. The only tactical blades I have are actually used for tactical situations as an Active duty Soldier. Do I like or personally seek out Kydex? No not really, but I know it has a use and understand that just because I prefer one thing does not mean it is suited for everything. A man might like his Harley but if he’s got a family of 6, well mini vans exist for a reason. Leather knife sheaths and holsters are what I use most of the time but I’m not going to ignore the apparent and sometimes better options other materials can give. Ever wonder why Air Force pilot survival knives have that metal backer? Hospital reports of paratroopers on D-Day after implications with their Ka-Bar, leather sheaths and high speed/sudden movements. Never seen a knife tip get stabbed through a kydex sheath. There is a difference between kydex and plastic, I personally find kydex more like a glock frame and plastic more like that of a 2nd gen Dodge Ram dashboard. Issues in the cold are normally cheap plastic And not kydex. I look at MY intended use for the item, decide the better option of sheath/holster and at the end of the day Quality makers with well designed items matter more to me then what it’s made of.
 
Guitarist7.62 said:
Depends on use for me. Personally I just find leather more attractive. We have the new Sig M17’s at work, and they’re issued with a safariland holster. Leather just isn’t an option here between the ease of use, long term durability between dozens-hundreds of users in the holsters life time, scratch and wear resistance and the pure fact that holster has a triple locking system on the firearm without a snap, buckle or flap while maintaining speed and ease of draw. Pair that with the fact that it has like 7 different ways to wear it from on your standard belt, drop leg, attached to a battle belt, body armor, angled, the adaptability and toughness of kydex is required. And the best part? Three weeks in the field in conditions that make leather boots fall apart and look like absolute hell no matter what, you just brush off the holster in warm water and let it dry and other then a few dings or wear marks it looks new. My “War Blade” came with a molded plastic sheath and it just fits the needs use and durability of my field conditions and use. Every other knife sheath I have is leather. The only tactical blades I have are actually used for tactical situations as an Active duty Soldier. Do I like or personally seek out Kydex? No not really, but I know it has a use and understand that just because I prefer one thing does not mean it is suited for everything. A man might like his Harley but if he’s got a family of 6, well mini vans exist for a reason. Leather knife sheaths and holsters are what I use most of the time but I’m not going to ignore the apparent and sometimes better options other materials can give. Ever wonder why Air Force pilot survival knives have that metal backer? Hospital reports of paratroopers on D-Day after implications with their Ka-Bar, leather sheaths and high speed/sudden movements. Never seen a knife tip get stabbed through a kydex sheath. There is a difference between kydex and plastic, I personally find kydex more like a glock frame and plastic more like that of a 2nd gen Dodge Ram dashboard. Issues in the cold are normally cheap plastic And not kydex. I look at MY intended use for the item, decide the better option of sheath/holster and at the end of the day Quality makers with well designed items matter more to me then what it’s made of.
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What this guy said ^^^^

And... I don’t understand the “noise” issue with kydex. It’s telling that Guitar7.62 gave many examples to the pros and cons of kydex in his military use and there was no mention of “noise”.

If your the real Jason Bourne and the sound of drawing, and obviously less likely, the sound of reinserting and blade into a kydex sheath might prove to be a fatal flaw.....then I guess you need leather my man. I don’t know how many mil folks are stalking and eliminating sentries with the blade. So for someone to say they would never recommend kydex to a service member seems like hyperbole to me. My son is a Marine. I made him a kydex sheath for his Leatherman Rebar. His MOS is ammo tech. I think he’ll survive the audible “snap” of his kydex rig.

Where I think kydex falls short, and leather comes out on top is the attachments. While sown together, leather is basically one uniformed piece, where as kydex rigs have multiple pieces utilizing screws that can and will back out, prob at the worst time. That allows for modularity but welcomes Murphy’s Law. Double edged sword right there.

My remedy for that for my son was to incorporate some 550 cord to act as “dummy cord”. If the screws back out on a long march without him realizing, the dummy cord will do what dummy cord does.

I have leather sheaths i like, ala Randal’s. I’ve never had to oil or treat a kydex sheath though. But I admit I’m lazy (task overburdened) and am a big fan of limited maintenance anywhere in life I can obtain it.

With alllllll that said, nothing is more classy than a good piece of leather.
 
It is a good idea to have many kinds of holsters and sheathes. I'm a better to have it and not need it type of guy. I have a couple of holsters that I never use. But if I ever need them, I have them.
 
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jideta said:
Who invented this stuff and who decided it was good for knife sheaths?
Almost all my kydex sheaths end up scratching my blades!
I notice some oil them up.
Is that a given?
What's the deal with this plastic crap?
I suppose I never noticed before for I got kydex with all my RCK (really cheap knives) and I never really cared if they showed wear or not.
Now I get them with some handmade blades and WTF? they come to me all scratched up.
I toss these sheaths and put em in a shoe box.
Rant over.
I don't really want to know who invented it.
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Let me let you in on a little secret. Al Welke - Azwelke.com. Sheaths don’t even touch the blade. All the retention is on the handle. Fit right, no rattle, no scratches.
 
Little Tid bit to add, Proper retention defers any rattle from happening. And for most Military guys if your drawing your side arm or knife for defensive use then you know what had hit the fan and a little click is not your concern anymore.
 
All valid points, and I agree with most. And I admit to being a dinosaur. Most kydex I have been around has been mediocre, at best. Noisy is just too common. And I have seen some GOOD kydex that I actually like. But most guys will simply carry whatever comes with the knife, good or mediocre. I don't like noisy mediocre kydex in the woods, and I don't care for it when I'm around other people. I also don't particularly care for velcro, for the same reason. But, I've never seen GOOD velcro that I actually like. Sorry, I am just a fan of good noise discipline.
 
I wish all kydex sheaths were made like the ones that are included with Treeman Combat knives. The sheaths are lined with some sort of felt material that keeps the blade snug and scratch free. I wish other kydex makers offered this option but since they dont I’ll opt for leather most of the time.
 
It holds it's shape.
If you spill oil on it, it doesn't get soft and floppy and weak. You just wash it clean.
If it gets wet you just wipe it dry.
It doesn't rot.
It doesn't stay wet for hours causing rust.
It's more pierce resistant.
If it gets dusty just blow, wipe, or rinse it clean.
It's not a dead animal's skin.
More securing options, and those are usually more secure.
More ways to carry, more options than the simple belt loops.
Those really cheap knives... those garbage knives, don't come with Kydex (R). They come with cheap ass plastic or low quality nylon.
Get sand in a leather sheath and tell me it doesn't scratch. Even a couple months later after you've tried to get it all out multiple times.
Leather wears the entire blade evenly, so it's not as noticeable, but that entire finish is thinning. Or the acid etched design (damascus), or the etched or engraved design.

You can prevent screws from backing out or getting loose with thread locker. That argument would also apply to every vehicle and weapon.
 
That's why you seal and then wax your leather so that it repels liquids. Plus, leather feels better against my skin for IWB. For OWB, Kydex is fine as long as it fits well and doesn't rattle.
 
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