Silencing kydex?

C

Cole#357.30

Joined
Jun 5, 2017
Messages
28
I’m looking to get into my own kydex sheath and holster business but I’d like to try to set myself apart from most others work. I already have a few new ways I want to do this but I would appreciate some advice on one thing especially. I would like to more effectively silence kydex. Anyone who hunts knows what I’m talking about when I say kydex is loud and unnatural sounding walking through the bush. That’s why most of us simply don’t carry it, except maybe for the majority of rifle hunters😂 Anyways I’ve overcome this problem before by simply applying leather, felt, or a rubberized coating from a can to the outside. The one problem that still remains when doing this is the cacophony that’s made when drawing the knife or pistol, I encountered this when handgun hunting. I know leather is the next best thing and can be made to have spring retention just like kydex but that seems like a much more complicated process. This excludes wet molding which does work great but it doesn’t have that positive retention and tactile lockup that I prefer. You also have to submerge much more of the gun or knife into the holster when wet molding to get good retention sacrificing the ease of drawing in some cases. I just like using kydex mainly because it feels like it’s a lot easier to work with in some cases. Does anyone have a method for silencing the draw of a holster or sheath?
 
Cole#357.30 said:
I’m looking to get into my own kydex sheath and holster business but I’d like to try to set myself apart from most others work. I already have a few new ways I want to do this but I would appreciate some advice on one thing especially. I would like to more effectively silence kydex. Anyone who hunts knows what I’m talking about when I say kydex is loud and unnatural sounding walking through the bush. That’s why most of us simply don’t carry it, except maybe for the majority of rifle hunters😂 Anyways I’ve overcome this problem before by simply applying leather, felt, or a rubberized coating from a can to the outside. The one problem that still remains when doing this is the cacophony that’s made when drawing the knife or pistol, I encountered this when handgun hunting. I know leather is the next best thing and can be made to have spring retention just like kydex but that seems like a much more complicated process. This excludes wet molding which does work great but it doesn’t have that positive retention and tactile lockup that I prefer. You also have to submerge much more of the gun or knife into the holster when wet molding to get good retention sacrificing the ease of drawing in some cases. I just like using kydex mainly because it feels like it’s a lot easier to work with in some cases. Does anyone have a method for silencing the draw of a holster or sheath?
Click to expand...
I yell very loud as I draw. That completely hides the sound of the action.

Pro Tip. This also works for opening Velcro mag pouches for silent reloads.
 
I haven’t done this or seen it first hand, but some folks have lined the INSIDE of their kydex sheathes with thin leather (deer skin, etc.) for sound suppression.

The obvious big downside to this is that now the sheath will retain moisture even more than a standard leather sheath.

Let us know if you come up with something different.
 
scdub said:
I haven’t done this or seen it first hand, but some folks have lined the INSIDE of their kydex sheathes with thin leather (deer skin, etc.) for sound suppression.

The obvious big downside to this is that now the sheath will retain moisture even more than a standard leather sheath.

Let us know if you come up with something different.
Click to expand...
What you want to do is put the whole knife and sheath in a large canister and fill the other space with "baffles" to suppress the sound of the blade on the kydex. When the sound is suppressed the problem will be solved.

I call the idea a "Baffle Can".
 
Neoprene material similar to a mouse pad would work - I imagine you would need to build the sheath from scratch. Winkler and HFB have made kydex about as quiet as it can get with a felt like material lining the kydex ( especially Winkler considering the sheath is felt / kydex and covered in leather - bumping the sheath with something is nearly silent too ).
 
scdub said:
I haven’t done this or seen it first hand, but some folks have lined the INSIDE of their kydex sheathes with thin leather (deer skin, etc.) for sound suppression.

The obvious big downside to this is that now the sheath will retain moisture even more than a standard leather sheath.

Let us know if you come up with something different.
Click to expand...
Certainly thanks for your input.
 
luethge said:
Neoprene material similar to a mouse pad would work - I imagine you would need to build the sheath from scratch. Winkler and HFB have made kydex about as quiet as it can get with a felt like material lining the kydex ( especially Winkler considering the sheath is felt / kydex and covered in leather - bumping the sheath with something is nearly silent too ).
Click to expand...
Thank you for the insight into those I’ve only ever seen a coupler winkler sheaths never knew what they were like.
 
Danke42 said:
I yell very loud as I draw. That completely hides the sound of the action.

Pro Tip. This also works for opening Velcro mag pouches for silent reloads.
Click to expand...
Solid fix. I usually either make an anime sword unsheathing sound with my mouth or just blow big raspberries. Yelling "Thundercats! Hooo" is also acceptable.

In seriousness, I think a bit of soft waterproof material where the guard snaps in would quiet most of the blade being drawn. Since I find the sheaths the most noisy when I break them free.
 
C4 sheath makers used the soft side of hook/loop material inside their kydex. It's worked quite well for quieting and holding. They also made them so they could be taken apart for cleaning. They made sheaths for Jim Behring Treeman knives for a while.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top