Why plastic?

I was going to replace the sheath when I got my Izula but didn't. The factory sheath is pretty good and the retention on mine has been perfect. Saw no need to "upgrade."
 
I rather like my Izula sheath. Retention is great, and it secures the knife. Like it almost as much as I do the sheath the comes with the Junglas.
 
If the original sheath was made kydex, it would have no more a good retention when the coating of the blade is removed. The molded sheath work perfectly with the coating and without the coating.
 
I guess I should have worded the post differently. Saying I hate something without ever using it or handling does seem silly. Thanks for all the testimonials. I just want to know if it is heavier than kydex? And still, why are all the sheaths not kydex or plastic? How did it end up being that some were plastic and some kydex?
 
Mold costs is the main reason that some sheaths are Kydex
 
So I'm curious...

Why not plastic? What's so much better about Kydex? I mean, plastic seems perfectly fine to me, and I can't really tell what the advantages of Kydex would be since it looks like plastic too, but I haven't had a Kydex sheath so I don't know.
 
Kydex is a plastic, Dude. :D

That's why it's rather funny on one level, it's like someone saying they don't like beef roast because it's beef but hamburgers are great. :D

The special property about Kydex is that in sheet form, you can heat it up and it will retain shape once you mold it to something. Other types of plastic have to be injection molded. I'm not an engineer or chemist in the plastic industry but it's quite possible that the plastic in the Izula sheath is tougher than Kydex.
 
Don Rearic said:
Kydex is a plastic, Dude. :D

That's why it's rather funny on one level, it's like someone saying they don't like beef roast because it's beef but hamburgers are great. :D

The special property about Kydex is that in sheet form, you can heat it up and it will retain shape once you mold it to something. Other types of plastic have to be injection molded. I'm not an engineer or chemist in the plastic industry but it's quite possible that the plastic in the Izula sheath is tougher than Kydex.
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That's actually what I was thinking, but I don't really know anything about Kydex so I wasn't sure if it was a plastic or if it was its own stuff.

But, yeah, as far as toughness, weight, etc. I haven't had any complaints about the Izula's sheath. It seems a little soft and easy to scratch though, but I don't really see why that matters as it seems too thick for something to scratch through.
 
From an earlier post:

"A short primer here on Kydex vs injection molded polyethylene. The injection molded sheaths will out perform the Kydex every time . Why? The injection molded sheath can be molded to fit with much closer tolerances than kydex, perform well at extreme temperatures and has 'memory' to always go back to the molded form even when stressed out of shape or heated to extreme temperatures.

Kydex will fail at extreme temperatures ( we are talking -20F and lower or above 110F) , has no memory so once it is stressed particularly with heat it will not return to it's molded shape and it cannot be fit to really close tolerances to knives.

So why use Kydex if Poly is so great? Cost has a lot to do with it on the front end. Like Jeff said every injection molded sheath is gonna run about $6K or so in mold cost up front and then the mold has to be maintained along the way. The machinery to injection mold is quite expensive also so the number of injection molders are less so price in each piece can be an issue. These cost issues also affect how many and how fast you can make changes to injection molded sheaths.

Kydex conversely is a much lower tech product requiring not a lot of expensive machinery or expensive up front mold cost. In fact you can find videos on making Kydex sheaths with sheet goods and a toaster oven We can make changes really quick with Kydex sheaths and changes are easier made for the end user (you) if you want to modify your sheath since there is a lot of extra material around the perimeter of the knife. And although Kydex may loose it's tension with too much heat you can also reheat it and reform that original tension with a little patience.

I could go on with pros and cons for each material but basically after considering initial costs we look at what the end users want and a large number of you like and want Kydex. So we use both, trying to apply each to it's best use and what the demand is. The 3 and 6 have had some military applications and the military generally likes injection molded since it doesn't fail at temp extremes so that dictated why we used poly on those particular sheaths." Mike
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hi, im new here and have a pretty simple question, the sheath that comes with the izula, is it made in the u.s. or overseas somewhere?

thank mike
 
Meh...."plastic" or "kydex". Stuff works just fine. I can break both of them equally when I am rough on my junk.

Kydex will fail at extreme temperatures ( we are talking -20F and lower or above 110F)
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I have used kydex sheaths at -45F a couple years ago and also had that same sheath at 120F a year later. Sheath still works no issue.
 
i like the kydex better for look & feel (yeah, i like to fondle my knives in bed sometimes when i can't sleep). also, i like that it comes with a screw so i can adjust the release tension.
 
Kydex is actually only a brand name
KYDEX sheet was originally produced in 1965 by Rohm and Haas, having been designed for use in aircraft interiors. In 1987, the product line was purchased by KYDEX, LLC, formerly Kleerdex Company, LLC
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KYDEX sheet is an acrylic-polyvinyl chloride alloy produced by KYDEX, LLC. Engineered for thermoforming fabrication, KYDEX sheet, combines the advantageous properties of both the acrylic and the polyvinyl chloride components. From acrylic, it obtains superior rigidity and formability; from PVC, outstanding toughness, chemical resistance and good interior finish ratings.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kydex

:p
 
I just felt like playing a smart ass :)


adaman04 said:
So are Kleenex and Vise-Grips but you won’t hear me asking you to pass me a “white facial tissue” or a pair of “locking pliers”. :D
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That made for a good laugh at the early morning :D
 
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