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The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
need help with Kydex equipment
- Thread starter miden
- Start date
- Joined
- Nov 8, 1999
- Messages
- 673
A good Kydex supplier is CKK- Custom Knife Kits, they have a good selection of colors and thicknesses.
As far as equipment goes it depends on wether you will be doing it on the hobby level or production level.
If you have made knives in the past then you will have most everything you need to try it out with the exception of an oven and a press to which the press is very important. I use a toaster oven as do most Kydex benders I'm guessing, you can see a press on the CKK web site, they come in 2 sizes.
I ended up building my own press and I know of a few others who have done the same. When you purchase Kydex don't forget to purchase foam for your press also available from CKK and while you are there also look at their rivet press, another piece of equipment to consider, I use only c screws but may start using rivets on a few applications.
If you haven't already, do a search of these forums, allot of good information out there from some very fine bender's.
Hope this Helps.
K
As far as equipment goes it depends on wether you will be doing it on the hobby level or production level.
If you have made knives in the past then you will have most everything you need to try it out with the exception of an oven and a press to which the press is very important. I use a toaster oven as do most Kydex benders I'm guessing, you can see a press on the CKK web site, they come in 2 sizes.
I ended up building my own press and I know of a few others who have done the same. When you purchase Kydex don't forget to purchase foam for your press also available from CKK and while you are there also look at their rivet press, another piece of equipment to consider, I use only c screws but may start using rivets on a few applications.
If you haven't already, do a search of these forums, allot of good information out there from some very fine bender's.
Hope this Helps.
K
- Joined
- Nov 8, 1999
- Messages
- 673
The quality and quantity mostly, on the hobby level you can get by with cheaper equipment and less of it but if you are doing it a living you can't afford for your equipment to break down (I went through 2 dremels and then purchased a fordom which has held up 3 times that of the dremel)
As far as quantity I own 2 of almost everything to cut down on the tool change out, be it drill bits or belts, I can move through the process without having to put down what I am working on.
Not stupid question.
Hope this helps.
K
As far as quantity I own 2 of almost everything to cut down on the tool change out, be it drill bits or belts, I can move through the process without having to put down what I am working on.
Not stupid question.
Hope this helps.
K
Thank you K, what you say makes sense about the change out.
Do you have a website that I can visit to see your work? I tried looking at your profile but I can't get any hits for "TIE systems".
You clearly work for yourself...is there some money to be made in the Kydex sheath business or is it just one of the many things you deal with? Sorry if I am asking too much. Thanks for your last reply BTW.
Mike
Do you have a website that I can visit to see your work? I tried looking at your profile but I can't get any hits for "TIE systems".
You clearly work for yourself...is there some money to be made in the Kydex sheath business or is it just one of the many things you deal with? Sorry if I am asking too much. Thanks for your last reply BTW.
Mike
- Joined
- Nov 8, 1999
- Messages
- 673
I have just recently gone public and my website is in the works.
Have you not seen any of my work ? I have pictures posted up here, anyway if not let me know and I will send a few pictures your way.
Is there money to be made ? Sure there is but as with any custom crafted item there is a balance to be struck and maintained, the success of ones venture sets at both ends of the scale and you can not forsake one for the other.
Quality and Quantity, you will have to craft your work to the highest standards possible to gain the attention of and orders from fellow enthusiasts, then maintain that standard.
You will have to be able to craft a certain number of that item to be able to provide for yourself and maintain a consistent inventory without sacrificing the above mentioned quality, so the answer is different from person to person.
My advice for what it is worth, craft your sheath's, show everyone that will take the time to look, seek and LISTEN to input with a thick skin because without it you will not succeed.
Find friends/relatives to use and test your work, if something is going to fail you want it to happen close to home not overseas in the thick of it.
Long winded I know, sorry !
There are a few other craftsmen here that I am sure can answer your question better than I, their work speaks volumes and the forums are lucky to have them.
K
Have you not seen any of my work ? I have pictures posted up here, anyway if not let me know and I will send a few pictures your way.
Is there money to be made ? Sure there is but as with any custom crafted item there is a balance to be struck and maintained, the success of ones venture sets at both ends of the scale and you can not forsake one for the other.
Quality and Quantity, you will have to craft your work to the highest standards possible to gain the attention of and orders from fellow enthusiasts, then maintain that standard.
You will have to be able to craft a certain number of that item to be able to provide for yourself and maintain a consistent inventory without sacrificing the above mentioned quality, so the answer is different from person to person.
My advice for what it is worth, craft your sheath's, show everyone that will take the time to look, seek and LISTEN to input with a thick skin because without it you will not succeed.
Find friends/relatives to use and test your work, if something is going to fail you want it to happen close to home not overseas in the thick of it.
Long winded I know, sorry !
There are a few other craftsmen here that I am sure can answer your question better than I, their work speaks volumes and the forums are lucky to have them.
K
K. Thanks for the advice, it is not long winded at all. There is a lot of wisdom in what you say and it is noted, thank you for taking the time.
I did look around here and found some examples of your work in previous posts and what I saw is very good, I hope to be able to make sheaths like yours some day.
I have just recently become interested in learning this craft, mainly due to the fact that I made a combat knife for a friend a while ago and we had a heck of a time finding someone to make a sheath for said knife, I guess we should have looked here first. Anyhow, I figured that if I make knives it may be a good thing to learn to make the sheaths too.
I especially like what you say about having friends test your work, LISTENING to what they say and having a thick skin! These are things we sometimes have a problem with but then if we want to be arrogant then we will not learn easily.
so what you say is so very true.
Thank you again for the posts and thanks for being so free to share your advice and experience.
Take care and see you and your work on the forum. Good luck with your business venture.
Mike
I did look around here and found some examples of your work in previous posts and what I saw is very good, I hope to be able to make sheaths like yours some day.
I have just recently become interested in learning this craft, mainly due to the fact that I made a combat knife for a friend a while ago and we had a heck of a time finding someone to make a sheath for said knife, I guess we should have looked here first. Anyhow, I figured that if I make knives it may be a good thing to learn to make the sheaths too.
I especially like what you say about having friends test your work, LISTENING to what they say and having a thick skin! These are things we sometimes have a problem with but then if we want to be arrogant then we will not learn easily.
so what you say is so very true.Thank you again for the posts and thanks for being so free to share your advice and experience.
Take care and see you and your work on the forum. Good luck with your business venture.
Mike
- Joined
- Nov 8, 1999
- Messages
- 673
I am glad to answer your questions, in the late 90's and the early 2000's when I was doing custom production and later knife making I had 2 mentors in the knife making world that took their time and patience to help me learn the craft, they gave of themselves freely and I owe both of them more than I can ever repay.
I ask one of them once what I could do to help them out (my thought was to help them out around their shop every other weekend so that they could concentrate on their backlog of work) he told me to pay him back by paying it outward, meaning to help others as he had helped me, I have never forgot that, so I pay outward whenever possible.
God Bless.
K
I ask one of them once what I could do to help them out (my thought was to help them out around their shop every other weekend so that they could concentrate on their backlog of work) he told me to pay him back by paying it outward, meaning to help others as he had helped me, I have never forgot that, so I pay outward whenever possible.
God Bless.
K
K, you were indeed fortunate to have those mentors. I hope they are still around and that they can see you honoring the pay it outward philosophy.
I have seen a lot of that on these forums, selfless people who do not have a problem with sharing their ample knowledge.
I have said it before on this forum in the knife making section and I will say it again....I am stunned at how willing people are to share their knowledge.
One would think, especially in this selfish day and age, that people would be the opposite and keep it to themselves. One could not really blame them because for some it is their daily bread so they could be forgiven for not wanting to share their know how and risk some other fellow grabbing some of their lunch but I really stand amazed and humbled at how many guys are willing to give info and advice to total strangers that they know nothing about and will in all probability, never meet.
Anyhow, I will get off my soap box now.Pardon the gush
.
Thanks again...and God Bless you and your endevours too.
Mike
I have seen a lot of that on these forums, selfless people who do not have a problem with sharing their ample knowledge.
I have said it before on this forum in the knife making section and I will say it again....I am stunned at how willing people are to share their knowledge.
One would think, especially in this selfish day and age, that people would be the opposite and keep it to themselves. One could not really blame them because for some it is their daily bread so they could be forgiven for not wanting to share their know how and risk some other fellow grabbing some of their lunch but I really stand amazed and humbled at how many guys are willing to give info and advice to total strangers that they know nothing about and will in all probability, never meet.
Anyhow, I will get off my soap box now.Pardon the gush
.Thanks again...and God Bless you and your endevours too.
Mike