More sheath questions & talk.

T

TwinStick

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Jan 21, 2011
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What do you guys prefer, leather, nylon such as Spec-Ops, or Kydex ? Why ?
If Kydex, do you prefer the folded ones or the ones with holes, slots & screws on each side ? I have many knives that need good sheaths. Some are VERY expensive & i am just trying to pick your brains so i dont end up with a $50-$100+ sheath that i simply do not like. I am a HUGE fan of dangler belt loop sheaths & have modified almost all of my stock ones like that, as it makes them so much more comfortable to wear while i am working & getting into/out of vehicles or ATV's or while working, squating & standing often. Thanks for all your input & opinions. :D
 
John Connor, a writer for American Handgunner, once wrote an article about handgun holsters, it was an entertaining article, but one thing stuck out in my head. He said that, when it comes to gun holsters, the best advice he could give is to get a 12"x12"x12" cardboard box, and try not to fill it up with holsters you bought but don't want.

I apply the same to knife sheaths. I look at what I want it to do, and start the process there. I like all the options you listed and they all will serve the purpose of a knife sheath. To keep it with you and protect you from the knife. After that, its all in what your percieved needs are.

Kydex is a good starting point, mostly because they can be made modular, and can be built onto with accessories. Easy to clean, waterproof, and almost indestructable, but it has no soul. Leather is pretty finite in its options, unless you get Goose 52 to make it for you, and it has character, and has a legacy.

Cordura or nylon is very universal, and can be found to suit a variety of needs. Pouches pockets, loops, inserts, and it has character, kind of a blend between the kydex/leather.

The choice is your, mon frere. Just try not to fill the box, unless that is your goal.;)

Moose
 
I agree with Moose. Leather has soul. I like leather, but only pouch sheaths. I like to be able to easily remove and replace my knife. Keeper straps are a pain. I also like Cordura, but only if I want to carry extra stuff in the pouch and don't plan on taking the knife out a lot on my journey. Kydex will scratch, but if it is ia user, so what.
 
I go against the grain with this; with the exception being Goose's new sheath system, I hate leather. Hate it. Give me man made plastics. I like options.

In my mind, the stock BK2 2nd Gen sheath is about as good as it gets. Sure, I could dish out some cash to have someone make one for it, or do it myself, but the default sheath has options on top of options, and with a little thought one can take that and make it whatever you want. What I love about my setup is that despite having umpteen billion different things on it now (an exaggeration) I can remove all of them in a matter of minutes and be right back to a stock sheath and knife.

Course, that is just me. My ideal setup? That guy who does the leather lined kydex sheaths, that I can get behind. Leather inside to protect my knife, kydex outside to give me my options, yeah, that is the cat's meow. I have no idea who that guy is, but from what I have seen, they look awesome.

Good question though, and definitely something to think about. I look forward to seeing what everyone else says.
 
I have said before that I am not a big fan of leather. I like the way it looks, but I wouldn't want it for a real user. I equate it to gun holsters, I love the look of exotic skins like shark and alligator, but they look goofy with a glock sticking out of them.A nickel 1911 would be a different story altogether.

I agree with Derek on liking the bk2 sheath(2nd gen), it has lots of possibilities. It is all that I could ask for in terms of plastic. The belt loop is horrible, and I am not fond of the way the retention strap is mounted(I guess that is necessary for ambidexterity). All things considered, it is the best sheath I have received with a knife.

On cordura, I guess it depends on the knife. I dont like cleaning mud from fabrics like cordura. Although, I really like the sheath that came with my bk9. It's light, and removing the knife is surprisingly fast. Ok, it rattles a bit, but so does my knee.

I like kydex, mostly, because I can do it myself. I am not good at it and have only made 2 things, but it is low profile and sweatproof.

I don't understand the leather vs. kydex wear issue. It seems that in guns kydex wears less, but in knives leather does.
 
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I suppose each has its advantages and disadvantages. I have some kydex, some nylon, and some leather. I'm not really into knife kits, so I don't require the modular set ups that I've seen (although they are pretty damn cool!). I just want a place to keep a firesteel and my blade. So, for me, I like the look, the feel, and even the smell of leather rigs. Simple, straightforward, and durable!

Since it's really all subjective anyway, just decide what's right for you. One isn't necessarily better than the other.
 
I like the stock sheath that came with the BK2, but the retention (to tight) on it and the belt loop (to flimsy) I just didn't like too much. I know knives are tools first, but I don't want to screw around trying to get my knife out when I need it.

I really like how leather can be made into almost everything kydex can. I guess the only limit on leather is you don't get the snap retention that kydex gives, but since I'm new to leather I could be wrong about that.

I've only had a couple kydex sheaths, and I wasn't very impressed by them.

I've had the cordura sheaths before and just didn't like 'em. I thought I was going to break or cut them all the time and I usually do accidently.

I know that most things wear out, and some faster than others. I guess the only question to ask yourself is, 'what is it that I'm looking for?' We've seen that any medium can be used to make what ever you want on your sheath. It's all personal preference.
 
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MyWifeThinksImCrazy said:
I really like how leather can be made into almost everything kydex can. I guess the only limit on leather is you don't get the snap retention that kydex gives, but since I'm new to leather I could be wrong about that.
Click to expand...

You can get that snap retention, it just requires a rawhide insert. I have a leather sheath I made for living history with no strap, but the rawhide insert keeps it secured even when upside down. Therefore, my personal vote would go for leather, except in the case of the BK2 sheath.
 
MyWifeThinksImCrazy said:
I really like how leather can be made into almost everything kydex can. I guess the only limit on leather is you don't get the snap retention that kydex gives, but since I'm new to leather I could be wrong about that.
Click to expand...

You can get that snap retention, it just requires a rawhide insert. I have a leather sheath I made for living history with no strap, but the rawhide insert keeps it secured even when upside down. Therefore, my personal vote would go for leather, except in the case of the BK2 sheath.

knife2.jpg


The cord is to tie it to the belt, not secure the knife.
 
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I like kydex for it's utilitarian aspect.
I like leather for it's look and feel.
I do not like nylon or canvas.
 
The only leather sheaths I've found that I like are from HedgeHog and those are just unrealistic to me; I feel the sheath should not cost 5 times the blade it holds.
 
I like kydex, plastic, glass filled nylon, etc. the best; easier to clean, doesn't hold water, many carry options.
 
I like leather a lot, kydex just a little less. While other posters are right you don't have the range of options like you do with kydex, I really dislike the sound of metal on plastic....its like nails to a chalkboard to me :confused:. I'm also not a fan of super tight fitting sheaths, but a little work and you can loosen up kydex easy enough.

I'm not a big fan of nylon but for a low cost/high value blade I can deal with it.
 
Take the stock sheath, remove the flimsy belt loop and get a Tek-Lok from bladetech, it will right on the mount where you removed the belt loop. Then remove the rear top rivet and they knife will not need a strap, I can hold mine up side down and it doesn't slip out of the sheath. I then installed a Esee 5 pouch and I have a top notch sheath!! Check out youtube for BK2 sheath mods, thats where I saw how to do it.
 
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