Non-Stainless knives and Kydex sheaths

[darrylburke]

Has anyone had any problems with water getting in a kydex sheath. (with a non stainless knife..)

I figure that the water would seep into the cracks and just stay there, (unlike leather which would soak it up , and dry off)

 

[Normark]

Hey Darryl...

Just because the leather soaks it up, doesn't mean its gone...It's still there, you just don't see it.

Water will stay in a kydex sheath as well.. You have to give it a shake and give it some time to dry out...

Where is this water coming from you are talking about ??

ttyle

Eric....

 

[darrylburke]

Well I'm going on the assumption that any knife that I would make would be a knife that would be used (under hunting conditions)..
I had this problem with my last trip in the fall.. got a sheath full of snow a few times (I just dried it out ASAP)

Originally posted by Normark
Hey Darryl...

Just because the leather soaks it up, doesn't mean its gone...It's still there, you just don't see it.

Water will stay in a kydex sheath as well.. You have to give it a shake and give it some time to dry out...

Where is this water coming from you are talking about ??

ttyle

Eric....

 

[Andrew Lynch]

Most kydex sheaths have a drainhole in the bottom, so water will just drain out. If you need to dry it out quick, you might try shoving a hand towel or something into the sheath. Also, many kydex sheaths are designed NOT to touch the blade except in a few small places.

On leather, I would think it would be the worst for water retention. Drying out thick leather is difficult, and leather sheaths hug the knife a good deal.

 

[Matt Shade]

I was trying to solve the same problem awhile back. I figured not only did the sheath need to dry out/drain easily, but it would be good if you could clean the inside easily too since theres a fair chance that the knife could go back into the sheath with blood/residue on it.
What I ended up doing was drilling a string of 1/4 inch holes down the back of the sheath, about 1/2" apart from the gaurd to the tip. It doesn't show up when its on your belt and doesn't effect the strength of the sheath. Makes thing dry out quick, and you can easily rinse the sheath out under running water.
It did increase the amount of crud that can work its way into the sheath, but since its that much easier to clean out I figured it was worth it.

 

[Normark]

Hey Guys...

Just an observation...

I've been hunting for 20 some odd years.. Over the years I've had a variety of knife steel, both carbon and stainless.. I've had knives wet, dirty, bloody and everything in between...

Not once was I worried about how that knife was going back into the sheath, nor did I care...I never had rust issues, other than some minor surface rust that came off with steel wool...

Only in the last few years have I started using Concealex on most of my knives.. They've been through the same routine as my old hunting knives,, and again I haven't noticed a problem...

I think we get a little to focused on our knives, not getting scratched, stained or marked up.. Remember they are working tools...

I'm not saying take your Dan Winkler out, use it and put it away wet,, what I'm saying is take care of your gear, wipe it down before you put it away in the sheath, no matter what sheath that may be...

As a side note.. At Christmas this last year, I had a Brand spanking new Trail Craft, that I decided was going to help me cook dinner... Nice shiny blade, no stains,, no scratching.. Well by the time I was done cutting up a bag of onions,, the shine on that knife was gone, the blade, heavily stained...

Now when I take that knife out,, flashbacks of that Christmas as my wife and I cooked dinner laughing at our children running around playing in the kitchen, and the lovely time our family and friends had at Christmas is right there on that blade...

Unfortunatly all of the memories from my hunting knife had been buffed away, except for the beer bottle cap scars on the handle, and those are memories in themselves..LOL

ttyle

Eric....

 

[DC KNIVES]

Eric,no truer words my friend.As a maker of typically "user" knives I expect my knives to see action.Staining and scrathes give knives a soul with memories.I use mostly carbon steel and tell my customers they will rust if not taken care of, but by all means don't hide it in a drawer somewhere.Use it.

I think we get a little to focused on our knives, not getting scratched, stained or marked up.. Remember they are working tools...

Words of wisdom.Here is a pic of a knife made for my nephew who knows how to use a blade.

So guys, have some fun with your knives.Like Eric said, they are tools.Dave

 

[the possum]

Dave-
I was just wondering- did he actually hunt down and kill that pig with the knife, or was he just using the knife for skinning? I REALLY want to stick a pig, but Larry Harley is the only guy I know of who does this, and I may not have $1300 saved up before the practice is banned.

 

[DC KNIVES]

Possum, yes he killed the hog with the knife.He usually runs two bay dogs which are Catahuolas and a big Pitbull as a catch dog.Most small hogs are tackled,hobbled then brought home live to feed some feed to.This helps get rid of some of the gamey taste.This one ran about 250 lbs. so had to be killed there.
This type of hunting is pretty popular down here in Florida.There are a couple of sites I have seen on the net about guides services down here but I don't have a link handy.A quick search should help you.Good luck on your hunt.Dave