Nyala Sheath

28gauge

28gauge

Joined
Dec 5, 2005
Messages
195
Just received my Nyala from Chris Reeves. A really nice knife. While I have many of his folders this is my first fixed blade. I have an issue with the sheath. While the quality is great, it's tight in the width, from spine to cutting edge. If you look into the sheath with a light, the cutting edge leaves a cut mark in the leather spacer all the way down. My reservation is that this will dull the blade.

Do all the sheaths seem tight as I describe or do I have one that's narrower than most?
 
Mine seems to be quite tight too. A trick that I use is, that I will basically squeeze the top part of the sheath together once the knife`s handle is out. That way you`ll get a bit more space for the blade to come out without cutting into the spacer.

I guess that will be hard to practice when the knife is actually attached to a belt or something though. ;)
 
The sheath is specfically designed so that the cutting edge initially cuts into the welt. The welt is leather - considerably softer than the steel so it will not compromise the cutting edge.

The fit is intentionally tight so the knife is kept snug during hiking/hunting/whatever the activities. Over time, the leather will give a bit - it is better that the sheath is tight to begin with, otherwise it would be too loose in time to come.

A fixed blade with a single cross guard and a blade that is broader than the handle makes for a difficult sheath design. We have found with the snap-and-strap style, the strap frequently gets cut, rendering the sheath unsafe. This is why our sheathmaker developed this style with combination of full stitching around the blade but with the wrap around the handle. It creates a secure, low profile sheath.

Hope this helps you understand the "why" behind the sheath!

Anne
 
Thanks, Anne - that's very interesting! I'd noticed the same thing as the OP, but wasn't worried about either the edge or the welt. I hadn't thought about the retention function. :thumbup:
 
Chris Reeve Knives said:
The sheath is specfically designed so that the cutting edge initially cuts into the welt. The welt is leather - considerably softer than the steel so it will not compromise the cutting edge.

The fit is intentionally tight so the knife is kept snug during hiking/hunting/whatever the activities. Over time, the leather will give a bit - it is better that the sheath is tight to begin with, otherwise it would be too loose in time to come.

A fixed blade with a single cross guard and a blade that is broader than the handle makes for a difficult sheath design. We have found with the snap-and-strap style, the strap frequently gets cut, rendering the sheath unsafe. This is why our sheathmaker developed this style with combination of full stitching around the blade but with the wrap around the handle. It creates a secure, low profile sheath.

Hope this helps you understand the "why" behind the sheath!

Anne
Click to expand...

Thanks for the great info! I love my Nyala. :thumbup:
 
Anne's explanation makes complete sense - better to tight initially because when it loosens up the knife won't fall out (I have had this happen with other knives). The one-piece line up was pretty tight too, but the guard was bigger so it seemed to cut the leather less.

I just bought a Nayala and am looking forward to getting it.
 
I love the knife but have reservations about the design of the sheath. It's hard to put the knife in it without cutting it up and damaging it. I still think cutting leather can dull a knife blade, just like the many other materials we cut that dull a blade even though they are softer than the steel. At some point I may have another made by Sullivan or Byrd.

I'm sure I will enjoy the knife like my many other CRK's
 
28gauge said:
I love the knife but have reservations about the design of the sheath. It's hard to put the knife in it without cutting it up and damaging it. I still think cutting leather can dull a knife blade, just like the many other materials we cut that dull a blade even though they are softer than the steel. At some point I may have another made by Sullivan or Byrd.

I'm sure I will enjoy the knife like my many other CRK's
Click to expand...
You cannot find a better leather sheath than the one that comes with the Nyala.
 
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