Thickness?

[zignal_zero]

does anybody use .08 for knife sheathes? i had been using .06 and wanted to switch, but an instructional DVD that i watched led me to believe .06 is for sheathes and .08 is for holsters. they didn't say that, but (if i remember correctly) that's what they used for each and the switch made me wonder if there was a reason.

 

[BokerMartin]

does anybody use .08 for knife sheathes? i had been using .06 and wanted to switch, but an instructional DVD that i watched led me to believe .06 is for sheathes and .08 is for holsters. they didn't say that, but (if i remember correctly) that's what they used for each and the switch made me wonder if there was a reason.

I used to have a .08... Switched to a .06 - I found it easier to remove/insert.

 

[TekSec]

Yea, I like the .060 better also. I have some .080 for larger blades or the back on 2 piece pancake style holster / sheath and the .060 for the front.

 

[Greg45]

Try not to get too hung up on which purpose each is for - there's a lot of overlap on kydex thicknesses. I think the manufacturers just make the kydex sheeting in different thicknesses and people use whichever they think is best.

The .06 is generally best for smaller and/or lighter things, whether we're talking about a knife, a gun, a cell phone, etc. The .08 is more sturdy, and therefore lends itself better to larger/heavier items.

I've made sheaths for large knives with the .06 before and not had any problems. The .08 "feels" better , but the design is the key. Many sheaths for small knives are made from thicker material, and as long as the design takes this into account, it works well. Some people like to use Kydex thicker than .08 for about anything. A blend, like TekSec mentioned, can really taylor the sheath or holster to the item, also.

Try some different thicknesses for different things and see what you like best. But if all you have on hand at the moment is one thickness, don't let that stop you from making a good sheath (within reason, of course!). :thumbup:

 

[Mike Sastre]

Thickness used is a matter of preference, what your vision of what makes a good sheath is, and the level of performance you are trying to attain. As already noted, it's easier to use .06 or .08, with .06 being the easier of the two. I'll use .06 in a lot of my folder sheaths, where I need a certain amount of flex because of the shapes involved. This same flex in a fixed blade sheath however, will cause a lot of the complaints you hear like "the kydex scracthed my blade", because even if you build in some "freeplay", the flexing and bending will rub on the blade. I hardly ever use .08, 'cause it also flexes too much for the level of execution I'm going for. I much prefer to use the stiffer .093, but you have to have a better understanding of the material and the whole process to work with it. Again, it's all a matter of preference and what you are trying to do. If you just want a knife holder, it doesn't matter what you use.

 

[Kiah]

I much prefer to use the stiffer .093, but you have to have a better understanding of the material and the whole process to work with it. Again, it's all a matter of preference and what you are trying to do. If you just want a knife holder, it doesn't matter what you use.

I'm with Mike. It's a matter of preference, purpose, and cost on most things. I've switched to .093 for most stuff and couldn't be happier with it. It suits my style and method better if that makes sense. My suggestion is that if you think you might like .080 better, order a sheet and see. It's the only way you'll know. Gonna pick up some .125 on my next order to play around with.