Work in progress...groomsmen knives

Sweet, you even showed us how to make sheaths. thank you!

I shall start soon. where do you get kydex fittings from?
 
Knife Kits and Texas Knife Supply have them; they seem to be on backorder a good bit. These require a 1/4" hole and are sized to allow Chicago screws to fit through them.

--nathan
 
Why do you leave the tape on the blades when you form the kydex?

Looks great by the way. Next time you get Married I get to be a groomsmen :)
 
The tape keeps the blade from getting scratched and also gives just a tiny bit of blade clearance while you're forming the sheath. I form sheaths when my knives have already been hand rubbed except for the final few passes before delivery. When you cut or grind kydex, it makes a whole bunch of tiny, rough little grit that will scratch your hand rubbed finish as you're trying to fit the knife to the sheath, etc. I always make sure I have all my grinding to the sheath done and clean the kydex really well prior to riveting it together. I remove the tape only after the sheath is done and clean. My sheaths use the front of the handle scale to acheive retention, so tape just on the blade will not change the retention. Plus, using a heat gun I can always perform any final fitting that's needed.

--nathan
 
Awesome thread. Thanks for all the photos and hard work. You should bundle this up and send into one of the knife magazines for a mutipart article. I have two books on knifemaking and your thread beat them both!
Rob
 
I appreciate the compliment. It's been fun to do. I owe you guys an apology for not getting the finished pics in yet. A lot going on getting ready for the wedding. I'll have them up in a day or two.

--nathan
 
Ok, now for the mostly finished pics....

Handles are black linen micarta, tan canvas micarta, and desert ironwood. Black linen handles were finished to 800 grit hand sanded finish, canvas micarta to 400 grit, and ironwood to 2000 grit with a light buff. All handles also finished with Danish oil.

Sheaths are custom kydex with 2" hole pattern. Clip can be attached differently for multiple carry positions such as vertical, horizontal, small of back, etc.

Knives are 5/32" O-1, 3 & 1/4" blade and 4" handle.

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Hope you've enjoyed!!

--nathan
 
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One more pic of the knife on my waistband. Very comfortable riding position. Out of the way, and not digging into your hip.

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--nathan
 
Great job(s). :thumbup::thumbup: They look great. - Can you give a detailed explanation of the belt clip installation. Do you make the clips yourself or did you purchase the hardware? Many great details in here for us newbs. Thx
 
The belt clips I purchased at the local Tandy's Leather store. You can buy them individually packaged, although they are a little pricier than I think they should be. Here's a side view of the clip which may clear up its design a bit. This was on a leather sheath I made a while back:

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The clip has one end with a ramp to allow easy-on. The other end has a squared ridge to secure things.

Basically, with a two inch hole spacing on the sheath, I used a design template to draw a 2" wide oval on kydex. Cut it out and shape it as desired. Next, I marked the holes to match the 2" spacing and drilled them. After that, I positioned the clip, laying it on top of the kydex oval and marked the width, centering it between the two holes. Next, using a drill bit, I drilled a series of holes between the two marks which represent the width of the clip. These holes were on a line and close to one another or overlaping, so I could connect all the holes with a file to make a slot the width of the spring clip.

This slot should be sized just smaller than the square ridge. Place the kydex between the clip, lining up the square ridge with the slot, heat the clip, and press it through the slot.

Secure the oval to the sheath, and the clip is secure.

Be glad to answer any more questions you may have.

--nathan
 
Great job on the knives. I really like the way it looks on your belt.

I wish more people made a sheath like yours for their knives.

Congratulations too, btw. My six month was two days ago and we'e never been happier.
 
Thanks for the details. Very articulate and easy to follow. I really like the looks of those sheaths as well and the picture makes the assembly much clearer. BTW congrats on the wedding.
 
I have been looking for a nice EDC fixed that could also double as a cooking knife in a pinch and when I first saw these they pretty much fit exactly with what I was thinking. Three questions.
How thick is the blade?
How resistant is this metal to rust ?
Where can I buy one?
 
Awesome posts. Thanks for sharing and best of luck.
 
Thanks everyone!

eyeeatingfish,

I appreciate your interest in these knives. The blades are 5/32 with a full flat grind, making a good slicer, especially if you're talking about food prep. Maybe even a little bit thinner of a blade with a full flat grind would be ideal. The steel is O-1, so it's not going to be the best as far as corrosion resistance or stain resistance. O1 will rust, and it will patina over time, though rust can be avoided with simple care and oiling. However, the patina will definitely be an issue with food prep, though it shouldn't be considered a negative against the steel.

I would recommend something more along the lines of a CPM154 stainless, even a 154CM for general use utility and food prep.

As far as where you can get one, shoot me an email and we can talk if you like. I don't know if I'll be able to get it done before Christmas, but we can talk and see what you have in mind.

Thanks again everyone....the stress is building up! Lot's of little things to do before Saturday!

--nathan
 
Looking good knives, Nathan! Would like to see your shop when i get out that way. Must check out your heat treat oven. i have one but would like to make a deeper one. Say Hi! to my little girl for me.
Mark H.
 
Nathan and his bride are in Hawaii on their honeymoon. Best wishes for them on their special time.
 
I have a quick question silver. I have made a few flat back sheaths in the past like the ones you made here. I have noticed over time my knives that were pressed on both sides tend to hold a razor edge longer than knives with flat back sheaths. I think in general carry the knife edge rubs the sheath and dulls it, have you ever noticed this?
 
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