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Reshaping kydex
- Thread starter crbauhs
- Start date
- Joined
- Nov 16, 2002
- Messages
- 9,948
Get some foam (preferably fire-resistant), a lot of masking tape, and a heat gun. Wrap your blade and whichever parts of the handle touch the sheath in masking tape (not enough to interfere with its shape in the sheath), remove any removeable hardware from the sheath, and get something set up so you can press the foam around the sheathed knife when that's ready to done.
With all of that set up, fire up the heat gun. You want to heat the kydex to the point where it can more easily move, but not to the point that it's like melted cheese (if it's hot, but you can't smell the toxic PVC fumes, that's the way to be). Place the knife in the sheath and use your fingers to mold the sheath the way you want it to be. When done molding, place the knife between the two pieces of foam, place the two pieces of foam between two hard, flat objects that withstand a lot of pressure, and apply a lot of pressure (setting up a bunch of clamps on a few boards is always good). When it's done slowly cooling down in the foam under pressure, you should be all set. That's how I got the kydex insert in a sheath to fit a barely oversized blade (thanks, SARHound!) and it happened with minimum swearing.
With all of that set up, fire up the heat gun. You want to heat the kydex to the point where it can more easily move, but not to the point that it's like melted cheese (if it's hot, but you can't smell the toxic PVC fumes, that's the way to be). Place the knife in the sheath and use your fingers to mold the sheath the way you want it to be. When done molding, place the knife between the two pieces of foam, place the two pieces of foam between two hard, flat objects that withstand a lot of pressure, and apply a lot of pressure (setting up a bunch of clamps on a few boards is always good). When it's done slowly cooling down in the foam under pressure, you should be all set. That's how I got the kydex insert in a sheath to fit a barely oversized blade (thanks, SARHound!) and it happened with minimum swearing.
- Joined
- Nov 16, 2002
- Messages
- 9,948
Good luck. Nothing this simple is ever easy.
- Joined
- Nov 17, 1999
- Messages
- 3,061
The only thing I will add is to wear gloves. 
- Joined
- Mar 26, 2000
- Messages
- 109
The above sounds way too complicated to me. I don't mess around with all that masking tape and I doubt you'll want or need to heat up the whole sheath so you will not need a foam lined press. You didn't specify exactly what it was about the fit that was not right. I'll assume that the draw weight (the force it takes to draw the knife) is either too loose or too tight. Wear a pair of those cheap jersey cotton gloves (available everywhere)... they are good against the heat and fit closely so you have max control. With the knife IN the sheath in the ordinary way (do NOT remove the hardware!)... heat ONLY the precise area where you need to make the adjustment with the heat gun on the LOWEST setting until the kydex visibly just relaxes... then push and HOLD the kydex with your gloved fingers where you want it to go while blowing on it til it stiffens. Allow several minute to completely cool before trying to draw the knife. Adjust as many times as necessary til you get it how you want it.
This is how I still do the adjustments on sheaths for how hard you have to pull to draw the knife, AND for flaring the opening just a bit so that reinsertion is smooth. I made my first Kydex sheath in the fall of 1981.
Tom Maringer
This is how I still do the adjustments on sheaths for how hard you have to pull to draw the knife, AND for flaring the opening just a bit so that reinsertion is smooth. I made my first Kydex sheath in the fall of 1981.
Tom Maringer