Sheath questions on building my first kailash

Dergyll

Dergyll

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Feb 24, 2021
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Hello guys,

Looking to build my Sirupate and have a few questions for my fellow BFers & Kailash

What sheath? For using and carrying, I'm looking at Kydex because its light and thin. Is it hard to "deploy"?

How does the leather and dap look/function?

Feel free to share your experiences and feedback on sheaths :) I'd appreciate it.

Shipping is expensive so maybe I'll throw in a mini too haha.
 
I've got a Pensioner and ordered a traditional dap sheath to go with it. The leather is good quality and the knife draws easily. The knife rattles around a little in the sheath and it kinda sticks when re-sheathing, unless I am very deliberate. Reviews I've seen re their sheaths did not have these little nits so maybe I'm grasping at straws.

Overall I think it is good quality and am not dissatisfied; it retains the knife well and permits easy drawing. That said, I think I will get a kydex sheath whenever I order another Kailash Khukuri.

*Edit to add that it is very comfortable and easy to wear around on my belt when out in the brush.
 
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Just to add a little...
The traditional dap is probably lighter and narrower than you expect. (At least without the K&C addition.)
The fitment is not exact for the ones I have, like oldmanwilly oldmanwilly said. But I believe the Kailash ops people can give some tips on adjusting it slightly to fit better.

Also, if the kydex is not snapping/releasing how you like, then you can likely attempt to heat up that area to try to tweak it.

Why not order both and compare! (And post a comparison with your thoughts!)
 
oldmanwilly said:
I've got a Pensioner and ordered a traditional dap sheath to go with it. The leather is good quality and the knife draws easily. The knife rattles around a little in the sheath and it kinda sticks when re-sheathing, unless I am very deliberate. Reviews I've seen re their sheaths did not have these little nits so maybe I'm grasping at straws.
Click to expand...
To a degree these issues are common to all traditional daps just due to the nature of the design. Potentially this is why you haven't heard much critique of it from other khukuri folk. For it to clear the belly there needs to be space for the blade to move around inside. Unless the tip is purposely pointed down and away from the spine it will jab into the spine and stick. Rattling can be minimised with the a highly toleranced fit (particularly in the width of the throat) but if the sheath shrinks due to getting wet and drying/ slightly green materials then your sheath can become very difficult to use. With this said, M meboz is right- the traditional daps arent't too bulky and are our second lightest option. K and C does add a bit of width. They carry nicely, particularly for blades in the 9"-15" range and are quite smart looking. Smaller blades can need a bit more retention from the sheath and match a lower profile well. Bigger blades tend to benefit from easier drawing and carry options.

We tend to suggest either stacked leather or kydex for those looking for hard working blades due to ease of use, durability and carry options. The kydex is easy to sheath or unsheath and we can add secondary retention through a spine lock or strap if required. For me I prefer western leather in most situations. It is quieter and softer in the hand which can give a more tranquil time in the woods. It also has most of the same carry options as kydex without the complexity of form that comes with modularity. I like that simplicity, but also don't ever need to lash a sheath to a pack or clip to molle webbing so am not losing out on much.

Take care,
Andrew and the team at Kailash
 
Kailash Blades said:
To a degree these issues are common to all traditional daps just due to the nature of the design. Potentially this is why you haven't heard much critique of it from other khukuri folk. For it to clear the belly there needs to be space for the blade to move around inside. Unless the tip is purposely pointed down and away from the spine it will jab into the spine and stick. Rattling can be minimised with the a highly toleranced fit (particularly in the width of the throat) but if the sheath shrinks due to getting wet and drying/ slightly green materials then your sheath can become very difficult to use. With this said, M meboz is right- the traditional daps arent't too bulky and are our second lightest option. K and C does add a bit of width. They carry nicely, particularly for blades in the 9"-15" range and are quite smart looking. Smaller blades can need a bit more retention from the sheath and match a lower profile well. Bigger blades tend to benefit from easier drawing and carry options.

We tend to suggest either stacked leather or kydex for those looking for hard working blades due to ease of use, durability and carry options. The kydex is easy to sheath or unsheath and we can add secondary retention through a spine lock or strap if required. For me I prefer western leather in most situations. It is quieter and softer in the hand which can give a more tranquil time in the woods. It also has most of the same carry options as kydex without the complexity of form that comes with modularity. I like that simplicity, but also don't ever need to lash a sheath to a pack or clip to molle webbing so am not losing out on much.

Take care,
Andrew and the team at Kailash
Click to expand...
Hello Andrew ,
Just as a point in question regarding poorly or loose fitting kukuris into traditional style Daps / scabbards . In the past I have also had this problem with a couple of my kukuris ( not Kailaish ) and I came up with a very simple and cheap solution so I hope I am not going over old ground . As stated two of my kukuris were rattling around a bit too much and obviously were not secure when turned upside down , not a good problem to have . I found that using 1 / 16" plywood sheet ( which is almost always thick enough to do the job ) measure the width of the throat of the scabbard ( exactly ) then add on maybe another 1mm to 1.5mm and this is the width you will need to finely slice or cut out from the ply . Then for the length , measure from the top of the throat down the back spine of the scabbard as far as where it begins to curve in , and that will be your length . Cut these measurements out as a rectangle shape and using fine sandpaper gently smooth all the edges off and a light sanding over the surface that will be facing the actual blade . Score the back of the plywood for a better grip and cover all over in a relevent strong glue ( a decent wood glue should do it ) . Then carefully push or feed the plywood down into the scabbard until the top of the ply sits just under the top of the throat . Give it a little while for the glue to start taking a hold , then gently and carefully start housing your kukuri back into the scabbard without pushing the ply too far down , making sure the spine of the kukuri is kept against the spine of the scabbard as you do so and this helps to slightly bend the extra 1.5mm of ply against the scabbard spine making a tighter fit . leave the kukuri in situ for overnight untill the glue sets properly and you should have no further problems .
 
I've heard of similar changes being made in the past by some khukuri owners. Some have used felt or thin, soft leather to pad out the side of the throat a little. One person used horn and suggested that the smoothness of it made for a slick draw. I think it's a great technique and something that should be more widely known- maybe even used by some houses.
 
Kailash probably has the best leather out of all the makers, nice fitment, no scuffs, its supple and not overstretched and dried like other makers.
Now iv never owned one of there kydex sheaths, but for yard work or in the woods kydex is a good choice. I like how kailash doesn't make there leather sheaths overly round or oval so they sit right when you wear them instead of knocking around.
 
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