Sheaths

H

Howard Faltz

Joined
Sep 16, 1999
Messages
71
Does the sheath, make or break your decision to buy a knife? Makers, do you make or have your sheaths made? What sheath makers do you like best. Leather, Kydex, etc?

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Howard A. Faltz, Owner
Arizona Knife Source
"Keep it Sharp"
Luke 22:26
www.azknife.com
 
The sheath will not make the decision for me as to whether to buy a knife. However, it is nice to get quality sheath work along with a quality knife. I think that adds a good deal to the overall impression of a maker and his goods. A good example would be the sheaths that came with my GenO Denning hunters. The were of very good quality, had a good fit, and were serial numbered to match the serial number of the knife. I thought that was a nice touch.

If an aftermarket sheath is needed, there are some good options. There are plenty of good kydex sheath manufacturers out there. For leather, forumite Gary Graley's leather work is simply outstanding. If I need a quality leather sheath, he would be my first stop.

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Kelly

SenatorsPlace.com
AKTI Member #A000289

Deo Vindice


 
The sheath doesnt make or break it, possibly makes it a sweeter deal.

Gary Gralley and Kenny Rowe are the 2 best leather sheathmakers on the planet.

 
If I like the knife, but don't care for the sheath, I'll purchase the knife and make my own sheath. I dabbled in leather sheaths before I found out about kydex. Now, I make my own kydex sheaths. Nothing professional, but I like what I make. My last project was for my new Battle Mistress. I kept making new kydex sheaths for it until I was satisfied with what I finally came up with. I counted a total of 7 sheaths!

-Greg

[This message has been edited by grnamin (edited 13 October 1999).]
 
I make my own sheaths. I did not want to get into leatherwork, but was forced to out of necessity. Locally, there is no one competent to make leather sheaths, and sending knives to the specialists in the US just does not look attractive to me (customs is a pain).

Now I'm glad I started. The design are simple, but attractive. The results I get are better than many, and I have full confidence in the sheaths doing their job.

Just recently started with Kydex and it is some fun.

I like the idea of sole authorship other than engraving and scrim. (OK, OK, I don't make mosaic pins either. I would hate to take the business away from Barry Posner anyway
smile.gif
)

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www.planet.eon.net/~matth
matth@planet.eon.net
 
A sheath is certainly not a deal breaker, but I do want the best I can get. Often this will mean having one built, and for that Gary Graley is the man. I do appreciate it when the maker thinks enough of their knives to ship them out with a quality sheath. The sheathes that Chris Reeve knives supplies with their fixed blades are top notch, and the company that makes them, Gfeller Casemakers, will do custom work as well. Todd Brandel, their production manager, put together a small Sebenza sheath for me to match my large.

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James Segura
San Francisco, CA


 
I am really into the sheaths. Nothing ticks me off more than getting a crappy one. Most of the time, if I don't like the sheath, I just send the knife to Gary Graley and let him do his magic.

He has made me at least 6 sheaths and 2 knife pouches. I love the quality, the fit, the art work. I especially like the welt work, feels like smooth marble....no kidding. If you're looking for a reliable, extremely well done sheath give Gary a holler.

Gary just made my sheath for my Matt Lamey Camp knife....very sweet. Soft leather with a horizontal retaining strap that can be pulled apart for a quick drawer....and the belt loop swivels so the knife stays along the contour of my leg when sitting in the car. Very nice.

Regards,

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~Greg~


 
My opinion of sheaths is that the sheath should compliment the knife. You should consider the total package. I make a lot of combat and self-defense knives. If the sheath
is not of sound construction and a good design, then you are wasting your money. If you supply a well designed, well made knife you should supply an equally made and designed sheath. Most of my customers are more apt to make a purchase if the sheath is up to par.

My brother and i make our own leather sheaths. for our tactical models we have kydex sheaths made by FRANK SIGMAN of Granite Falls, NC. If you have not heard of him then you should contact him. My opinion of his work is simple. THE BEST.

Frank Sigman
S & S Enterprises
p.o. box 589
Granite Falls, NC 28630
(828) 396-1266

 
I have made my own sheaths since I first offered them. I did not offer sheaths the first year I made knives. My firs sheaths were not the best. I got better over time with leather. 2 years ago, I took a leather working class at a local college and learned more. Also learned how to do leather tooling. Funny thing is though, is about that time I discovered Kydex. Offered customers a choice for a while. So many people prefered the Kydex over the leather, that now all I do is Kydex. I have not made a leather sheath for about a year now. I don't know if I will make any more with leather again. I like a well made leather sheath. I love the Kydex though. Very strong. Won't cause a knife to rust. Won't grow mold, or absorb blood. Nothing wrong with leather, but atleast for now, I prefer Kydex.

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Lynn GriffithMy website
GriffithKN@aol.com


 
I prefer a good leather sheath for a utility or working knife, preferably with a back carry and pack attachment capability. Wood middles are super. For a tactical knife it's hard to beat Kydex, especially the kind that are incredibly versatile like Nealy's. I'm not really a kydex fan: for beauty it can't match hand-tooled leather etc., and old kydex doesn't acquire quite the same character as old natural materials. I've also found that kydex has a tendency to scratch some blades, one Polkowski and one Lightfoot so far, even though I've been pretty careful with those. Will the sheath make or break a purchase decision? I like to think it won't and that I'll just have a better sheath made, which I have done, but I'm sure a great sheath does make the difference some of the time.
 
my attention is always gained by the knife. First the blade catches me, the feel hooks me and finally a sheath that fits the blade style and quality is the icing on the cake. A poor sheath is just another expense as one that fits the kife will have to be aquired.
As far as synthetic or leather it all depends on the knife style and function. Some knives just don't belong in kydex.

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>)-RadarMan-(<
age:38
A good word now is worth ten on a headstone -- Vermont Proverb
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