question for the kydex users and makers!

[Switchblade_renegade]

So I had a friend ask me the other day about possibly wrapping his AK sheath in electrical tape from bottom to pretty much the top, and then cutting out the grommet holes. Ive never really thought about it before but would it be a good idea? Would it help against weather protection, maybe keep the sheath in better condition, or just anything? And if so would there be a better tape to use?

 

[Garth Reckner]

Never really thought that any of my kydex sheaths needed protected. I suppose it would work I just dont see a need for it. Perhaps one of the local kydex benders will come along and offer more official advice.

Garth

 

[Switchblade_renegade]

I didn't really think it wpuld do anything to it but make it custom to a persons needs. But I think some of that leather rayskin jap wrap stuff could make a sheath a lil more kinda cool. Lol just might be me, but never really seen something like this discussed

 

[PeteyTwoPointOne]

So I had a friend ask me the other day about possibly wrapping his AK sheath in electrical tape from bottom to pretty much the top, and then cutting out the grommet holes. Ive never really thought about it before but would it be a good idea? Would it help against weather protection, maybe keep the sheath in better condition, or just anything? And if so would there be a better tape to use?

"Hello Kitty" duct tape...

won't help the sheath much but it will help you become tougher than H*LL

 

[Switchblade_renegade]

^^^^^ hmmm i was gonna use kermit the frog! I figured it would make me look slightly more badass

 

[David Brown]

It would not add protection infact electric tape will leave a residue if/when it starts to unravel but it will make it unique

You can get pretty creative with para-cord

 

[foxyrick]

Can't see any good reason to do this really, and that's coming from someone who's used electrical and gaffer tape (a.k.a. really good duct tape) on all sorts of modifications to gear for decades. I've even held a rusted-through car door together with gaffer tape.

As David said, it will leave an awful, sticky mess when it starts to come off, and I don't think even gaffer tape is going to stick very well to kydex in the first place. Gaffer/duct tape will eventually delaminate, even if it stays stuck. On my car, the tape stayed on for about two years but the top layer delaminated after a year to leave the underlying fibre layer in place.

How about an alternative if your friend really wants to cover the sheath... find some wide heat-shrink tubing, the type used for electrical insulation, and shrink that into place? Not sure you can get a Kermit the Frog version though, or Hello Kitty come to that... but who knows these days?

 

[u812]

The electrical tape would be a big mess after a while and not do a lot to protect anything. The residue from that stuff is about my least favorite thing to get on my hands.
If I was going to do something like that I think I would use that silicone tape that fusses to itself and then not remove the eyelets.

 

[MikeH]

My Young adult (age 25 to 35 or so) hunting knife sheath was heavily wrapped with duct tape for one very practical reason - to keep it from falling apart. There is only one reason I could think of to a good Kydex knife sheath - to assure a modest supply of duct tape for emergencies.