What to use for a machete sheath

T

thedirector93

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Dec 10, 2013
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so im gonna start working on a machete soon, but im not sure what material to use for a sheath, i looked on google and couldn't find a good place to get leather, i dont have that press thing for kydex sheaths, im thinking about using pcv pipe, but its really cheap and im not sure customers would want that. also in case this might be important, its a small machete, 18 in long, 2 in wide and 1/4 in thick.
 
Unless you are bound and determined to make your own machete sheath Smokey Mountain Knifeworks sells machete sheaths with a belt loop for under 20 bucks, kinda hard to make one for less than that.
 
I've been a hiker/backpacker for years. Imhop the beauty of a machete is that it's light, thin/flexible, and it flicks through the brush and trails. At a 1/4" it would be hard to do any of those things. As for a sheath the best ones I've had for my machetes through the years has been either leather or cordura/canvas. Easy,light and simple
 
Director- consider the use. I used a hard-sheath on a machete one summer doing brush and scrub work in NC pine forests- the sheath was in the garbage the first day. Machetes are utility blades- and often in the course of a days use the user/owner/operator is doing something where they do not have time to stop and wipe the blade before sheathing it. Hard sheaths cannot be "cleaned" out very well. A simple fold-over sheath made from heavy pack-cloth or denim may be a good option. As for blade protection- a thin folded piece of PVC can cover the edge.
 
You can't talk about having customers without paying for that privilege. ;)

PVC pipe sheaths look like dog crap IMHO. Go with heavy canvas or nylon. It is the standard for machetes. And 1/4" thick steel is fine for a wood or head chopper, but not a machete... I have a flea market machete I re-HT as well as a couple of higher dollar ones. (After a re-HT and regrind the flea market job does remarkably well...) They are all 1/8" or under. A machete is designed to swing fast and smooth and flick through thin scrub.

Cheers.
-Eric
 
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