Kydex sheath making

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Oct 31, 2006
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I have seen some great tutorials online and am very interested in making my own kydex sheaths, What tools and equipment do I need? Also where is the best plase to buy kydex and the hardware? Also any advice would be much appreciated!
 
I have made a lot of Kydex sheaths, utility pouches and magazine pouches.

I agree that KnifeKits.com is one of the best places with the best prices for the hardware.

Tools that I would suggest

Rivet press and dies and rivets
Heat gun - this will make it a lot easier than trying to use a toaster oven and is also good for adjusting the final fit.
I use a band saw to cut out the pieces, but started with a jig saw. Kydex is easy to saw.
Belt sander for final shaping of the edges. I do the final finish by hand sanding.
Wood blocks and cotton gloves for shaping warm Kydex.

Tools that I bought, but don't use too much.


Kydex press - Others use this, but I have found that making a bend at a time and shaping it around the object one part at a time with the heat gun is easier and more precise than heating the whole sheet.

A good place to get Kydex is
http://www.interstateplastics.com/
They have good prices and fast service. They sent my the wrong thickness of Kydex once. I called them about it and the next day they had the right order at my door and although I asked for information on how to send the wrong product back they declined to take it back and let me keep it without charge. They are very helpful on the phone too. The only thing to be careful of is that they have a $50 minimum order or they tack on a below minimum order charge.
 
Is kydex easy to shape/work with? It looks like it would be easy and fun. Also does one have to use rivits? Or can I use strictly Chicago screws?
 
Yeah, you can go with screws only. All my sheaths were made exclusively with screws. That way if they got really grungy inside you could open them up a little to clean them thoroughly.
 
Yes, Kydex is fun and forgiving to work with. It can often be reheated and rebent if it doesn't work out the first time. Always be careful when cutting it as you can always cut off more or shape it with a grinder or belt, but it is hard (impossible) to add more back on once it is cut. I have found that it is better to oversize the cutout than to find out your piece is too small and have to scrap the whole thing. Also if you overheat the Kydex it can be torn while forming it. It is not necessary to use rivets. Screws will work just fine.
You will find that there is no end to the things you can make out of Kydex. I have made sheaths for knives, tomahawks, folding knives, magazines (not the kind you read). I even made a pouch for my son's Gameboy with an attached holder for an extra game cartridge.
 
Hey Guys...

(Poorly worded comment retracted)

Chiros tutorial on the other hand...

Somewhat different than how I make sheaths, if by far one of the best I have seen..

Pictures are worth a 1000 words..

Look at the final outcome Northcoast sheath vs. Chiro sheath..

As far as I'm concerned, they are like night and day.

The northcoast sheath is moulded from a piece of wood, whereas the Chiro sheaths is moulded from the knife itself..

You tell me,which one has a more accurate fit!

Other than the blade,, the northcoast sheath has no forms of retention...

I susport the Chiro tutorial..

ttyle

Eric
O/ST
 
Guys,
I've been doing kydex for a while. It is really easy to learn, and doesn't take alot of expensive equipment to get started. Here is a link to Texas Knifemaker's Supply. Click on the word KYDEX under K. When just starting out, I recommend using the rivets numbers KYDEYE1 and KYDEYE2. These are pre-split rivets. The only thing necessary to set these rivets is a center punch and a small ball peen hammer. Real easy. The best kydex to start with is the black .060 Kydex Sheath Material, number KYDEX1, also on this page.

http://www.texasknife.com/store/s-pages/TKS_MainframeStore.htm

I recommend making a pattern out of paper first. I prefer one piece fold over sheaths to start with. Make the pattern big enough so you leave plenty of room for the kydex to form over your knife. Tape your blade with masking tape, then put your knife inside the pattern and trim until it fits the way you want. Make sure to leave enough room along the edge for your rivets and belt hardware.

Cut the kydex to the shape of your pattern. Tin snips work if you don't have a band saw. Put on a pair of good gloves, and use a heat gun to heat your kydex until its soft and floppy (another method is to stick it in a toaster oven set at 300 deg for a few min. but watch it closely!). Put your knife inside the kydex and fold it over. Use your gloved hands to mold the kydex to the shape you desire. If it gets hard, or you screw up, just simply reheat the kydex until its soft again. Making a fish mouth type opening adds a nice look to your sheath, and makes it easier to resheath your knife when you're wearing it.

Once hard, mark out where you want your holes to go, including the belt mounting hardware, then drill them out using a slightly oversize drill. Put your rivets through the holes with the finished edge facing out, and set them from the rear using a wide angle center punch and ball peen hammer. Use the ball peen to fully seat the back of the rivet. Just a tap will do. These are made out of painted brass, so they form very easily.

Pack the opening of your sheath with toilet paper or a paper towel (to keep the junk out), trim to size, then sand the edge of your sheath to the finish you desire. Last thing, mount your belt hardware. Before you put your untaped knife inside the sheath, I recommend blowing it out with compressed air and/or washing it out with hot water. Its not the kydex that mars up your finish, its all the dirt and gunk that gets trapped between your sheath and the blade.

I'll post a pic of a simple fold over type sheath. For more expamples click on the link to my website below, and follow the links to Available Knives. Lots of sheaths to look at there.

Hope this helps. Any questions feel free to pm me.
Scott

p.s. Sometimes, after installing the rivets and belt hardware, you'll find that the sheath fits too tightly, or maybe the knife won't go in at all. Simply heat your sheath up until it just gets pliable, open the mouth slightly with your gloved fingers, then gently push the knife into the sheath. Rock it around slightly. Again, use your fingers to shape and mold your sheath to the desired shape and fit. I prefer my sheaths to grab a knife's bolster, guard, or grip rather than the blade. This makes it less likely to mar the finish on the blade after repeated (dirty blade) re-sheathings.
 
No Problem!
Again, I'm no kydex "Expert" by any means, but if anyone just starting out has any questions, drop me an email or pm.
Scott
 
I like 0.08 or 0.09 for most knives. For me, 0.06 is just too thin except for pretty tiny knives. All my Tactical Orange Peelers and small knives were made with 0.09 thickness. You can see them all on my site.

Thanks for the kind words, Normark! :D
 
Hey Guys...

Chiro..

Not a problem...

I'm still using 0.60 on some blades,, but mostly use 0.80 now..
I find that the 0.90 can be a little too stiff for some knives..
The 0.80 give me the flex I look for. However 0.90 is for sure a usable thickness..
I know Sastre uses alot of it as well...

As far as Scotts tutorial goes...

Yaa thats pretty much it..

The only things I would really change would be the toilet paper ( It's not needed) and to finish the sheath Fully (sanding,shaping) then wash, then set the eyelets...

When I first started making sheaths I set the eyelets right away after layout, and always ended up with marred eyelets from the grinding table and a Ton of Shit now trapped in the sheath, and no real way to move that amount of crap...

So shape you sheath, sand it down to a finished product,Wash, then set your eyelets and fit.

The only other thing I would add is a proper press.

One of the things I see is people not using enough pressure to mould their sheaths.. When you have nice even, constant pressure you get results like this

bussenoe.jpg


bussesh&lms.jpg


hatchet1.jpg


Nice crisp, clean lines with detail...

This can only come with a Very good press...

Nice job guys..

ttyle

Eric
O/ST
 
When you have nice even, constant pressure you get results like this

bussenoe.jpg






Nice crisp, clean lines with detail...

This can only come with a Very good press...

Nice job guys..

ttyle

Eric
O/ST
What type of press do you use? Is it homemade? Some pics of your press would be great! I have a home made press made out of 1/4" mild steel but I am having trouble finding the correct material to use for the pads. Any suggestions?
 
Hey Adam...

Yes it's a custom made press.. Nothing special about it,, I just don't show pictures of it...

As for the foam,, I use simply plain old blue sleeping pad foam...
It's cheap, enough in a roll to literally do hundreds of sheaths...

ttyle

Eric
O/ST
 
Since this is a forum for sharing knowledge, here's a picture of the simple press I made. I got the foam from Texas Knifemakers supply. On my earlier "tutorial" post I posted a link with reference to the kydex page. This foam is also on that page. This picture should show all the details, but if anyone has any questions please feel free to email me.

By the way, my first post was directed towards the guy just starting out wanting to make his first sheaths. For that, you do not need a press. Do not put off trying it just because you don't have one. Down the road, as your skills improve and you get serious about sheathmaking and kydex bending, you realy should use a press as Normark pointed out. I do a combination of pressing and hand forming.

Last point... this has been bothering me for a few days....any maker who takes the time to write up and post a tutorial about anything on this forum or on their web page (ie, Northcoast knives) for FREE deserves a little more respect. They do not deserve to be LOL at (regardless of their or your skill level) or any of that business. They (we) do this to promote our craft and love of knifemaking on our own time and at our own expense. If you've got a better way, by all means post it- without being condesending. If the fellow from Northcoast knives reads this thread, how eager to post and write tutorials do you think he'll be in the future?

Enough said.

Thank you to all who take the time to post here and share your knowledge freely.
Scott
 
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