Kydex????

Dan of Bazz Clazz

Dan of Bazz Clazz

Joined
May 10, 2017
Messages
736
Why are there so many manufacturers selling their knives with Kydex sheaths? Seems to me it used to be just the "tactical" market but it has spread like the flu. Personally, I can't stand the stuff. It can mark up your knife, it is generally more awkward on your belt in so many ways. Most of all, a Kydex sheath just screams cheap cost cutting by the manufacturer IMO.

I just don't get it. Give me a well made leather sheath any day. I'm more than happy to pay the couple of bucks extra if that's what it takes. I'll even take a woven nylon sheath before kydex.

Am I the only one who feels that way?
 
Dan of Bazz Clazz said:
Why are there so many manufacturers selling their knives with Kydex sheaths? Seems to me it used to be just the "tactical" market but it has spread like the flu. Personally, I can't stand the stuff. It can mark up your knife, it is generally more awkward on your belt in so many ways. Most of all, a Kydex sheath just screams cheap cost cutting by the manufacturer IMO.

I just don't get it. Give me a well made leather sheath any day. I'm more than happy to pay the couple of bucks extra if that's what it takes. I'll even take a woven nylon sheath before kydex.

Am I the only one who feels that way?
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A well made kydex sheath is a treat for me. In my opinion a fixed blade is only as good as its sheath.

If we could all wear knives exposed on our hip leather would be fine. Living in a big city means fixed blades go in thin kydex sheaths and are worn in waist band.

That said I have long wanted to try the leather sheath with a stud on it down the waistband method used by Bagwell for concealing large fixed blades.

 
Way more options with kydex. You can put any mounting hardware you want on it. Wanna carry it OWB, but want it to ride higher or lower? Change your belt mount out. Wanna put it on your backpack or a vest? Put a molle strap on it.

Kydex is just better. However, leather looks way nicer. You can get velvet lined kydex with a leather wrap around it. All the advantages of kydex, and keep the classy look, and the velvet will keep your blades fron getting scratched, but if you're carrying a fixed blade, you shouldn't be anal about that anyways :)
 
I like leather (I make saddles, reins, etc. as a hobby), but kydex is just more practical. I live in a very hot and humid area where leather requires constant care or it gets ruined quite easily.

While they don't appeal to me aesthetically, I've learned to appreciate the ease of maintenance of modern materials. Especially when working outdoors fpr extended periods far from a town.
 
I don't like Kydex at all. You think after I pay a good sum for a nice fixed blade that I wanna scratch it all to hell with some crap Kydex? No f*cking way.

A nice custom leather sheath makes Kydex look like cheap Tupperware.

My opinion. To each their own.
 
I'm not a big fixed blade guy, I have a few for camping and hiking and all are sub $120. I don't mind kydex. I understand it's easy to work with, economic, and coupled with a Tek lok (or similar device), offers a ton of mounting options.

I actually prefer nylon + plastic type sheaths. The sheaths from Gerber, Karbar/Becker, and ESEE (the 3 brands of fixed blades I own) are fine for me. I know leather has that old school appeal and many leather work sheaths (Hedgehog leather works for example) are beautiful pieces of art but I would never spend that kind of $ on a leather sheath. If I was dropping several hundred dollars on a fixed blade, I can see where many of you folks would prefer a leather sheath.
 
stonproject said:
Way more options with kydex. You can put any mounting hardware you want on it. Wanna carry it OWB, but want it to ride higher or lower? Change your belt mount out. Wanna put it on your backpack or a vest? Put a molle strap on it.

Kydex is just better. However, leather looks way nicer. You can get velvet lined kydex with a leather wrap around it. All the advantages of kydex, and keep the classy look, and the velvet will keep your blades fron getting scratched, but if you're carrying a fixed blade, you shouldn't be anal about that anyways :)
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I've found that lined Kydex sheaths will pick up grit that will mar your blade.
 
Leather has soul that kydex simply can not match:

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That being said kydex does shine in some extreme conditions.
 
Yes it does, and beautiful pics (and sheaths)!

I have pistol and knife sheaths and both leather and kydex/other synthetic materials, and like both for different reasons. For a simple open-carried fixed blade while backpacking, I prefer a leather belt sheath. But I nearly always have a large knife in a kydex sheath mounted to my pack with the molle attachments, and that option is handy too. Kydex is also nice in being highly water resistant in the Pacific NW region where I live.

Interesting related thing: I have one pistol sheath by Crossbreed Holsters that combines leather and Kydex in the same sheath, and I've found those to be highly effective.

Both are good!

Horsewright said:
Leather has soul that kydex simply can not match:

l8OFXXH.jpg


8v8rPd0.jpg


Pv2UEvd.jpg


gTIYPuO.jpg


That being said kydex does shine in some extreme conditions.
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Everybody and there moms make kydex cause it's easy.

I prefer boltaron. Won't buy kydex anymore. It's similar process to kydex but not as easy, but still fairly easy.
 
Mo2 said:
Everybody and there moms make kydex cause it's easy.

I prefer boltaron. Won't buy kydex anymore. It's similar process to kydex but not as easy, but still fairly easy.
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That is true--and a good distinction. My favorite go-to synthetic sheath maker is Survival Sheath Systems, and they use only Boltaron. I assumed in this thread the OP is using 'kydex' as a synonym for 'all synthetic sheaths.'
 
Leather is so much nicer looking but for me kydex type sheaths have a lot more fuctional features. A good kydex sheath can offer multiple carry postions. They are usually thinner than leather. Push fit/lock kydex seem more secure than leather. No concerns about getting kydex wet or dirty. On the other hand, Ive scratched a new knife out of the box with a kydex sheath by simply drawing it a few times. I guess after some use the knife would get scratches anyway.
 
I like both. For example, enjoy the leather sheath for my G3, but I don't always want to carry it cross-draw (or I want to be able to remove, re-position, etc. without removing my belt). In that situation, the kydex is perfect as I get a ton of different carry positions and orientations depending on the teklok and gclip. Just like knives... can never have too many sheaths :)
 
For me, i tend to prefer leather, but I'm also a low speed high drag kinda guy. The leather, as horsewright pointed out, has soul. The advantages of leather have been laid out pretty well here.

One other thing about kydex is that I don't like how much wider the sheath has to be. If it's a two piece, which most are (because it offers better options for attaching stuff) then it's got eyelets connecting the two sides of the sheath both at the spine side and the edge side of the blade, which probably add 3/4" or so to each side of the blade. That makes for a sheath that by necessity has a larger footprint, even if it can be slimmer side-to-side than leather.

From a practical societal standpoint, i live in suburban northeast. You walk around with something sheathed in black plastic and it's more likely to be taken as a "tactical" sort of thing than old fashioned tanned leather. Leather has the "old timey" softness that is less threatening to the masses and kydex can't match, if thats your sort of thing.

I have no experience with the leather over index setups, so can't weigh in on that at all but it does sound interesting.
 
19-3ben said:
One other thing about kydex is that I don't like how much wider the sheath has to be. If it's a two piece, which most are (because it offers better options for attaching stuff) then it's got eyelets connecting the two sides of the sheath both at the spine side and the edge side of the blade, which probably add 3/4" or so to each side of the blade. That makes for a sheath that by necessity has a larger footprint, even if it can be slimmer side-to-side than leather.
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I don't like this about plastic sheaths either. Wonder if it's done specifically like that because of the ease and speed of manufacturing them like that or if there's a major reason for it. But it makes a fairly small knife larger to carry. Then again leather can be a bit thicker rather than wider.
 
I like leather as well for all the reasons above. It's beautiful and natural. A fixed blade leather sheath on a dangler is a dream for the right knife. Love the smell of Obenaufs.

Kydex is great for attachment options. Some of my smaller task oriented fixed blades ride scout or inverted on a pack shoulder strap. Can snap the knife back into place without thinking about retention or cutting the sheath in the process. Kydex scratches on a new blade are the worse.
 
I think the appreciation of leather has increased over the last few years. I remember lot of the forumers used to dislike it because it magically was supposed to rot under no time. Kind of same with carbon steel blades.

But it is easy for me to say. If I lived in very hot and humid places I would definitely favor cydex and ss.
 
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