Sheath

well, haven't combat tested it, but then again, it is just meant to house the blade. As far as 'functional' goes, I wouuld say that it performs its function well.

I'm sure that Sarge could let us know how the khuks held up in Afghanistan...

Keith
 
Khukuri scabbards are very durable and versatile. In Afghanistan I used some of Pala's tricks to loosen up one, and tighten up a couple others. How many knife sheaths do you know of that are adjustable?

Wrapping them with olive drab 100 mile an hour tape is a good idea if you're going "out and about", it provides protection for the scabbard and a little better camouflage than that pretty black and gold.

About the only place I'd be worried about a khuk sheath is in very wet environments. There, it's going to suffer the same as any leather sheath, but there's a variety of leather dressings,"waterproofing" treatments, etc., you can use to keep it in good shape. One little project I'm tinkering with is an oilskin cover (think of the covers on golf club heads) that'll cover the khuk handle and throat area of the scabbard. Slip on, slip off, keep out rain/snow, that's the idea.

Sarge
 
Thanks,
Can you post a pix of your sheath? I am just looking for function over preety in the field. I want something that can handle all kinds of deployment.

Thanks again
 
Ive been thinking of the same style thing, sarge. I thot I'd sew a drawstgin pouc thingy wither to the top of the frog, or the top of the sheath. That wouuld also secure the khuk when on the move, and the pouch part could be loosensed and rolled back if use was imminent.

I'll let you knnow how minde goes, when I get to it.

Keith
 
"Can you post a pix of your sheath?"

attachment.php
 
Originally posted by djweaponx
Thanks,
Can you post a pix of your sheath? I am just looking for function over preety in the field. I want something that can handle all kinds of deployment.

Thanks again
Click to expand...

DJ a khuk scabbard is a khuk scabbard is a khuk scabbard, see one and you've seen them all.
These same style and made scabbards held up in WW II okay with a little care.
I don't know if it's in the FAQ's, but somewhere Pala was asked this question from when he was in the Ghorkas. Seems to me he said something like this, "I used lots and lots of KIWI on my scabbard. Sometimes I had to loosen it and sometimes I had to tighten it, Nepal Ho!!!!"

I don't know how the Kabar sheaths made of thin leather held up during WW II, Korea, or Nam, but some of the other guys here may know.
All I know is that I see old Kabars and Catterragus 225Q's with the same leather sheaths they were issued with.
 
Nepal has some pretty extreme environments, and the sheaths hold up reasonably well. With modern amenities, like waterproofing compounds and the like, you could probably get several years of hard use out of a sheath. The predominant problem is that sometimes a too-tight sheath will split along the cutting edge, but that hasn't been a problem with my HI khuks.

You might be able to break the wooden inserts in the sheath if you put lots of force on it - a really heavy guy falling on it just right, or dropping it out of an airplane without a parachute. Other than that, the leather and wood wouldn't be so good for a really wet environment as Sarge said. If the sheath gets wet on a daily basis, it'll probably start to fall apart relatively quickly.

If I was going to be in a situation where sheath failure could be life-or-death, and you I wouldn't have an opportunity to get a new sheath for 6 months or more, I would probably look at a kydex or cordura custom.

Bottom line, the standard sheath works great, but you might want to explore other options to fit your situation.
 
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