Piggy Back sheath

blgoode

blgoode

Joined
Oct 3, 2003
Messages
7,189
I am digging this! I wish the damn kydex didnt scratch!! I used 2 layers of tape on the primary knife.
What can I do in the future?
piggy.jpg
 
Do you mean the kydex itself scratches or the kydex scratches the knife ?
I think it would look cooler in leather :)
 
I mean Kydex scratched the blade. No matter what I do I cant seem to get the kydex to NOT scratch!!
 
What about using real thin leather inside the kydex to protect the blade ? Or canvas , nylon web strap style material , something along those lines.
 
I have a kydex sheath for my damascus knife that has a thin layer of the "loop" side velcro adhered to the inside of the sheath. Sometimes the tip of the blade catches, but if you're not rushing it, entry is smooth and none of the kydex touches the blade.
 
As has been discussed before, kydex itself is FAR too soft to scratch steel. The scratches some from particles like sandpaper abrasive that get onto the kydex during and after forming. The way to avoid this is to be *very* careful to keep all grit away from the sheath and to be careful to clean the blade before resheathing. BTW, I use four layers of tape on my sheaths and like the air barrier it gives me (I pich the sheath at the tip so the knife is held solidly and does not rattle).

Nice job! Those piggybacks have always looked hard to execute.
 
What Andrew said is right, there's crap in the sheath. This is maddening, because it's virtually impossible (for me anyway) to keep it clean enough during assembly. You can try washing it out to see if you can get it clean, that's what I've done in the past and it's about the best you can do I think, but there may be grit embedded in the Kydex no amount of washing out will dislodge. That's the biggest reason I don't use Kydex...I just can't keep it clean enough. That being said, your piggyback sheath is cool! You really thought that out and it looks great. (Although I think I'd need suspenders to carry that bad boy on my belt. :D)
 
I cleaned it out the best I could last night. The owner knows that this is the case and he doesnt mind. I am thinking next time of putting about 6 to 8 tape layers! We will hope for the best ;)
Thanks guys!
 
Forget about it. Even if it doesn't scratch the blade outright, Concealex and Kydex will scuff the crap out the types of etched finishes we do. That's just the way it goes with the current technology. One tip that I haven't implemented yet is to put two layers of duct tape on the entire blade except for maybe an inch or so around the tip. The theory is that the tip will be held tight, and the guard/handle area will be held tight, but that the sheath material will ride off the the majority of the blade, so it shouldn't scuff/scratch. I like my sheaths to fit like gloves, so I haven't tried this, but in theory it should hold just as well, except not contact the blade as much.
 
it's been said before...

kydex = scratches.


It's probably inevitable - I'm not smart/experienced enough to say.....


The problem with making a liner is that kydex does not glue-up to other materials very well. I have glued stuff to it with very strong contact cement....the bulk of the material holds - but it doesn't last long at the edges.


The problem, imho, is still that if the knife is making contact with the sheath - it will eventually scratch. Unfortunately, if the it's not making contact with the sheath, then your knife falls out...:rolleyes:

Sorry I don't have a solution other than "use leather"....


I do think it's a great looking sheath, though - well built and Tough!
 
Thanks guys, Th e new owner is fine with the marring...he says who cares! So we shall see.
I will miss this combo :D
 
Very cool, very good looking combo. Handles are cocobolo? is it OK to ask where you are getting the cocobolo?
Just chalk the scratches up to "wardrobe malfunction"...
;>)
 
I bought a big chunk of Cocobolo at a knife show last year. I can try to find out who it was if you need me to. Try Gilmer Wood Company ;)
 
Like it has been said. Kydex can not scratch steel it is the junk in the sheath that is doing the scratching.

Here is the fix.

Cover each side of the blade with high heat duct tape before forming. This will give you a good air pocket between the blade and kydex. All your retention should be coming from the handle are not the blade so no contact is needed in the blade area. You want to get the finest weave of tape you can find as the cheaper wide weave stuff will print on the kydex. You can find it at any Home Depot. It should run about $13 per roll.

Here is a shot of a piggy back I did for Blade last year. This photo was taken on Saturday. After having both knives drawn countless times you can see that with good air spacing there are no scratches.
 

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