Leather/kydex, wood/G10

T

tuhkis

Joined
Jul 20, 2000
Messages
324
I don't know what's the reason, but I prefer
- leather sheats than kydex ones
- wood handles than G10 and alikes

Maybe it's the smell and feel (in hand) of them.
Maybe it's the point that though the question is (in my case) about production knives, they all are individual.
Maybe it's my personality; I still like writing with fountain pen.

I got (lockback) folder with leather sheath, thuja handles and damascus blade recently, it inspired me to write this
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I'd have to agree!
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Leather sheaths are waaay nicer than kydex. Why would you put a pretty knife in a plastic sheath? Yeah, the knife can't punch through the kydex, but if the leather is thick and hard enough, that knife's not going anywhere. Plus, leather just looks and feels better.

I like G10 and think it's the best of the non-natural handle materials, but I prefer wood. Sure, G10 will last for hundreds of years, while wood will eventually rot; but, if you take care of it, wood should last for at least a lifetime. As far as the grip is concerned, properly treated wood isn't slippery and won't chafe. An added advantage, as you point out, is that no two wood handles look exactlty the same, unlike G10 handles.
 
Hehe. Depends on the knife. If I want something to beat on, I go with synthetic materials. If I want something real nice, I go with natural materials. Or, sometimes, I go with a combination of the two. I guess I just can't make up my mind!
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--JB

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e_utopia@hotmail.com
 
Nothing wrong with wood & leather, it just makes you a bit of a traditionalist. I feel much the same way about my knives as well as my guns. For example, I recently picked up a new deer rifle. Since I don't have to traipse through too much heavy brush, I picked up a Remington with a nice walnut stock. On the other hand, the last shotgun I bought was a Remington 870 with a synthetic stock because I have to use it in some pretty thick cover (in fact, that shotgun's first outing resulted in a big scratch in the stock -- I'd have been rather upset if that had been a wood stock). Same with my knives. Knives for my collection that aren't going to see a lot of hard use tend to have wood handles and leather sheaths and those I put to some pretty hard use tend to have synthetic materials.
 
Hi..

Welcome...

All depends on what kind of knife it is...

If it's going to be tactical concealed everyday for long periods of time,,synthetics is the Only was to go....

I agree though,,some knives shouldn't be sheathed in synthetics...

Under the right conditions,,you can't Beat it with a Stick..
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ttyle Eric...

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On/Scene Tactical
Leading The Way In Quality Synthetic Sheathing
 
You must admit though-- most of us are as bad as women, we change our minds on knives like they do with shoes.

" Hey Bubba, does this knife make me look fat? "

I prefer natural materials 99% of the time, but once in a while I see that shapely tactical knife with the G-10 handle in a tight fitting Kydex skirt or sheath, and I say WOW now thats nice.

I guess it all depends on how you like them dressed and where you like to take them.

John

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http://www.toptexknives.com/yeackley.htm My contribution to the world of knife fanatics.

"Evolution of a Maker"
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumList?u=216199
 
Each his/her own - I agree.

Depends on knife/use - I agree.

For example today when I went at work I didn't take the damascus lockblade with me.

I took my CRTK Kasper.

I was (and am) so happy of the little beauty I got - it inspired me to write this message first time.
 
To keep sweaty moisture away from my carbon steel blades and for general rough use, Kydex and its cousins are hard to beat.

However, my stag handle Marbles Campcraft looks so good in a leather sheath. To put it in a "tactical contraption" would be like framing fine art in a chrome and laquer frame.
 
Originally posted by cerulean:
Sure, G10 will last for hundreds of years, while wood will eventually rot; but, if you take care of it, wood should last for at least a lifetime.
Click to expand...

Wood-frame string instruments require exponentially greater sensitivity and precision in construction than the best-made knife handles. Several examples (e.g., harpischords) hundreds of years old are still going strong. So long as it is well-maintained, a 300-year old Stradivarius violin today will retain its precise form and continue to produce beautiful sound long after our grandchildren meet us in the Sweet Hereafter.

Wood scales on knives should last at least that long!
 
Same way here. I love the look of a nicehardwood handle. And once its stabilized theres no reason to worry about it, unless you really want to beat on it, and in that case, the synthetic handle materials will get scratched up too.
And leather sheaths are good. After that I like nylon, just not a fan of the plastic stuff.
It really drives me crazy the trend towards knives not having any natural materials in them. I looked and looked for a nice knife to carry for everyday stuff that had some of the newer and high performance steels,a one hand opening locking blade along with stainless or brass bolsters and liners(titanium would be cool), wooden scales, and a pocket clip.And there is not a single one, that meets that. Unless you count the wood inlay sebenza, but thats to expensive for a work knife (at least on my budget)
frown.gif

So I settled for a benchmade750
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Can't have looks might as well go for sheer performance. And I'm customizing a delica, and making a few other folders with the materials I like. I guess if I can't buy them I'll just have to make them
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It'll feel better when it stops hurting.
 
Hello folks,

Leather is good stuff. I mostly use 3mm thick real naturally done cowskin. And to keep it away from moist inside, I impregnate every sheath totally with ballistol. Jim Hrisoulas (I can never figure out how to write his name - sorry) has a crush on that stuff. If your blade goes in dry, it will come out slightly oiled.
Kydex sheaths are tougher and more zearresistant, but leather can go for a lifetime, kydex will be there for a few hundereds of lifetimes.
The only differences to me are the price (kydex is 2x as expensive), the looks (on some blade like SOG, Coldsteel, kydex just looks better on others it doesn't) and the toughness.
But I don't know what to do if you get sand in a kydex sheath? Let is scratch you entire knife? Leather can be cleaned. I can't seem to clean out the kydex sheath properly.

greetz, Bart.

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"If the world wouldn't SUCK, we'd all fall off !"

member of the BKS
http://www.expage.com/belgianknives
 
Yeah, it all depends. The Marbles Fieldcraft (stacked leather grip) lives in the excellent leather sheath it came in. The F1, though, stays handy and discreet in Normark's Concealex sheath. The plastic handled Mora beater stays in the cheap ugly black plastic tube sheath thing it came with. For now, until I get a few bucks together to have Normark make one for it, the Master Hunter remains in the sturdy leather sheath I made for it after throwing away the Cordura/leather strap thing it came with.
 
handled Mora beater stays in the cheap ugly black plastic tube sheath thing it came with.
Click to expand...

In Finland Mora (made by our neighbour, Sweden)is considered as a very cheap all-purpose working knife with carpenters, households etc. Very, very common knife - or better said: puukko.
No matter how badly it is treated or hard used - it is not against the "rules". "Hey - it's only Mora!"
Just to mention.

 
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