- Joined
- Oct 18, 2001
- Messages
- 20,978
Ok - I've had my fun this week and here's what I've got to show for it.
This idea has been brewing in the back of my mind ever since making a kydex sheath for my WSK. I've wanted to make a "wooden dummy" to use for making kydex sheaths....AND....while I'm at it, I decided to figure out how to make a SCRATCH PROOF Kydex Sheath.
Yes, that is right - this thing is nearly scratch proof. Meaning, the blade never touches anything inside the sheath at any time. Unless you pack it full of dirt....it's not going to get scratched.
And what better knife to practice on than the M.U.C.K.?!?
It's got a bit of a recurve-feel to the blade profile and the blade even gets wider as it goes to the tip. A DOUBLE WHAMMY when it comes to making kydex sheaths. If you just mold to the knife, you'll end up passing the blade through several spots that will rub it with whatever grit or dust ends up inside. Over and over again. Also, you end up having to make it wider than normal to allow for proper draw (since the blade is wider nearer the tip....the entire width has to pass through the sheath).
I used to make kydex sheaths for kukris and I've learned a thing or two about fitting up recurve blades. I may draw up a full tutorial someday....till then you'll just have to trust me that it is a PAIN to do them properly!
So, let's get to the pics.
First off, you need to understand that I am very careful about making sure that my knives are as similar (one to the next) as possible. I have templates for ensuring that handle fronts are ground to the same shape/size/etc. I'm not perfect, but I do the best I can and I get it pretty close across the board.
First up is a pic of the MUCK and the new Kydex sheath - Front side shown here:
Reverse side:
The extra hole you see near the bottom rivets is for drainage - being able to clean out your sheath is important!
Now for pics of the Wooden Dummy:
On top of the sheath:
Inserted in the Kydex Sheath:
Now with notes:
Rotated view to show the hump:
Next to the MUCK
repeated notes:
The area marked "Filled In" is to allow the kydex to "snap" closed around the back of the guard (as all good kydex sheaths should function) and yet remain wide enough so that when you pull the blade out, it doesn't rub along the surface of the blade.
You can see in the last pic....if I had just molded to the MUCK....the area behind the guard would be "closed" meaning front/back of the sheath are touching. Great for retention, bad for scratch marks.
The "hump" on the back of the handle allows the thicker part of the spine to be drawn straight back and not in a curve following the profile of the blade. Again, if I had molded it to the knife, it would *bind* inside the sheath when I try to pull it out. I'd have to draw the knife in a curbe. And to allow for that, the sheath would have to be much wider.
The 2nd benefit of the hump is the straight-in-straight-out drawing action of the sheath.
This will be true whether in standard package design, or my new drop loop sheath design.
Last but not least - the scandi grind on the "dummy". This retains the overall profile of the blade so that it seats nicely, but the grinds never touch the kydex...since the blade is a much thinner flat grind.
I made this sheath and tested it with a couple MUCKs already finished up and they fit great. And best of all, no scratching!
Thanks for looking and let me know if you have any questions!!
Dan
This idea has been brewing in the back of my mind ever since making a kydex sheath for my WSK. I've wanted to make a "wooden dummy" to use for making kydex sheaths....AND....while I'm at it, I decided to figure out how to make a SCRATCH PROOF Kydex Sheath.
Yes, that is right - this thing is nearly scratch proof. Meaning, the blade never touches anything inside the sheath at any time. Unless you pack it full of dirt....it's not going to get scratched.
And what better knife to practice on than the M.U.C.K.?!?
It's got a bit of a recurve-feel to the blade profile and the blade even gets wider as it goes to the tip. A DOUBLE WHAMMY when it comes to making kydex sheaths. If you just mold to the knife, you'll end up passing the blade through several spots that will rub it with whatever grit or dust ends up inside. Over and over again. Also, you end up having to make it wider than normal to allow for proper draw (since the blade is wider nearer the tip....the entire width has to pass through the sheath).
I used to make kydex sheaths for kukris and I've learned a thing or two about fitting up recurve blades. I may draw up a full tutorial someday....till then you'll just have to trust me that it is a PAIN to do them properly!
So, let's get to the pics.
First off, you need to understand that I am very careful about making sure that my knives are as similar (one to the next) as possible. I have templates for ensuring that handle fronts are ground to the same shape/size/etc. I'm not perfect, but I do the best I can and I get it pretty close across the board.
First up is a pic of the MUCK and the new Kydex sheath - Front side shown here:
Reverse side:
The extra hole you see near the bottom rivets is for drainage - being able to clean out your sheath is important!
Now for pics of the Wooden Dummy:
On top of the sheath:
Inserted in the Kydex Sheath:
Now with notes:
Rotated view to show the hump:
Next to the MUCK
repeated notes:
The area marked "Filled In" is to allow the kydex to "snap" closed around the back of the guard (as all good kydex sheaths should function) and yet remain wide enough so that when you pull the blade out, it doesn't rub along the surface of the blade.
You can see in the last pic....if I had just molded to the MUCK....the area behind the guard would be "closed" meaning front/back of the sheath are touching. Great for retention, bad for scratch marks.
The "hump" on the back of the handle allows the thicker part of the spine to be drawn straight back and not in a curve following the profile of the blade. Again, if I had molded it to the knife, it would *bind* inside the sheath when I try to pull it out. I'd have to draw the knife in a curbe. And to allow for that, the sheath would have to be much wider.
The 2nd benefit of the hump is the straight-in-straight-out drawing action of the sheath.
This will be true whether in standard package design, or my new drop loop sheath design.
Last but not least - the scandi grind on the "dummy". This retains the overall profile of the blade so that it seats nicely, but the grinds never touch the kydex...since the blade is a much thinner flat grind.
I made this sheath and tested it with a couple MUCKs already finished up and they fit great. And best of all, no scratching!
Thanks for looking and let me know if you have any questions!!
Dan
