reshaping kydex?

trout #2

trout #2

Joined
Jul 22, 2004
Messages
527
I just got a TOPS Rinaldi Armegeddon and the kydex sheath it came with has very loose retention. I assume that I can heat it up a bit and reform it so it's tighter. What's the best way (oven, microwave, ??? ) and temp to shoot for? I don't want to end up with a puddle of black goo instead of a sheath. :foot: thanks
 
Aye, and I have an Emerson La Griffe that you need four hands to get out of its sheath...
 
I've already rigged up a security strap with some paracord and cord-lock. It keeps the knife from completely falling out of the sheath but I'm still a little afraid of it. That's a pretty big knife to have pop out at you uninvited :eek:
 
If you have a heat gun, you can very carefully heat only the part that should hold the knife, and press it in a little. Be very careful-if you heat Kydex, it returns to it's unmolded shape. You actually can heat it with a lit cigarette to mold only a very small area.
Bill
 
I second the heat gun approach. I just snugged up the sheath on my Becker Necker with one. Warmed it up (just the area I needed, not the whole thing), inserted and positioned the knife, wrapped it all in a towel and compressed it lightly in a vise. Worked like a charm. Be aware, you don't have to get it very hot, less than you might think. A hair dryer probably would work too.
 
I ended up just carefully using a lighter and some leather gloves. I only need to crimp down one little spot at the neck of the sheath and now it works great. Score +1 for the low-tech options.... ;)
 
On Friday I got a Kershaw Outcast that I had to re-shape the tpop of the sheath. I wrapped the sheath (knife inserted) in a t-shirt so that only the area that I needed was open. Then I heated it with a hair dryer, using the rest of the shirt as a cave to trap the heat in. After a couple of minutes I was able to form the kydex with just my fingertips. The main point is that the "cave" holds heat in but the blow drier is cool enough that you can check it frequently and the kydex does not get too soft too fast, or burn as can happen with a heat gun.
 
a hair dryer, or oven works just fine. Just be sure not to over heat it in the oven, if you go that route, it does not take much to soften it to shape.
 
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