A Kydex Thread

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Bolster
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A Kydex Thread

#1

Post by Bolster »

Xplorer and I are discussing the making of Kydex (& Holstex & Boltaron) sheaths in several threads, I thought I'd bring them together here. Xplorer posted a truly righteous post to help any of us get started with Kydex, you really should read it first:

https://forum.spyderco.com/viewtopic.ph ... 8#p1503938
Last edited by Bolster on Mon Mar 22, 2021 1:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Bolster
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Re: A Kydex Thread

#2

Post by Bolster »

I want to make a lightweight sheath to go with my skeletonized (now 2.4 oz) SPY27 Mule. I'm looking at the following Kydex in a .060 weight because it seems to be one of the lightest options I've found. Do you think that weight will be OK? Not planning any fancy hardware attachments, just four to six eyelets and paracord strung between them for simple belt mounting either horizontal or vertical.

https://www.knifekits.com/vcom/kydex-sh ... 2_662.html
yablanowitz
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Re: A Kydex Thread

#3

Post by yablanowitz »

I bought a few sheets of a couple of different thicknesses a short while back. I think I went with 0.080" for the one I did, but it is mounted with a G-clip so I wanted a bit thicker material. For what you want, the 0.060" should be fine and save you a few grams.
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Xplorer
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Re: A Kydex Thread

#4

Post by Xplorer »

I prefer the .080". For what you're looking to do any of them will be fine really. Just make sure your eyelets are the right size for your kydex thickness and you'll be fine.
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JakeXman
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Re: A Kydex Thread

#5

Post by JakeXman »

Bolster, I have no experience working with kydex, but if your goal is a lightweight carry have you considered skeletonizing the sheath? I imagine you could poke a few holes (with a paddle bit) in the kydex without sacrificing too much rigidity.
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Bolster
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Re: A Kydex Thread

#6

Post by Bolster »

JakeXman wrote:
Wed Mar 24, 2021 6:11 pm
Bolster, I have no experience working with kydex, but if your goal is a lightweight carry have you considered skeletonizing the sheath? I imagine you could poke a few holes (with a paddle bit) in the kydex without sacrificing too much rigidity.

I think that's a clever idea and I'll give it a try!
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Re: A Kydex Thread

#7

Post by archangel »

Working with Kydex really is easy. I've purchased one semi-finished sheath off Amazon, and fit it to my mule yesterday, using a heat gun, two foam pads, two flat pieces of wood, and two screw clamps. I could've bought raw kydex sheets and DIY 100%, but in fact the semi-finished sheaths are cheaper. The result is not perfect, but good enough for me - I'm no perfectionist anyway. :)

SmartSelect_20210414-175824_Gallery_copy_1386x372.jpg
This one cost me 10,90€. ;) :p

The mule fits perfectly. No rattling or anything. It rides safely (zero risk of losing it), yet can be pulled out easily. I am very satisfied! :)

I'm having a second semi-finished sheath incoming. It's black, smaller, not folded but a two piece thingie. It's even cheaper than the sandy one. :rolleyes:
Michael
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Bolster
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Re: A Kydex Thread

#8

Post by Bolster »

archangel wrote:
Wed Apr 14, 2021 10:03 am
The mule fits perfectly. No rattling or anything. It rides safely (zero risk of losing it), yet can be pulled out easily. I am very satisfied! :)

Right on, Archangel! Your sheath rocks! Thumb-up! I like that clean slot-cut too.
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Xplorer
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Re: A Kydex Thread

#9

Post by Xplorer »

archangel wrote:
Wed Apr 14, 2021 10:03 am
Working with Kydex really is easy. ...
Nice work! :) It's really good to see you did this yourself and experienced just how possible it is to make your own kydex sheath at home. I hope this inspires more people to give it a try. Well done!
:spyder: Spyderco fan and collector since 1991. :spyder:
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archangel
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Re: A Kydex Thread

#10

Post by archangel »

Xplorer wrote:
Wed Apr 14, 2021 12:46 pm
archangel wrote:
Wed Apr 14, 2021 10:03 am
Working with Kydex really is easy. ...
Nice work! :) It's really good to see you did this yourself and experienced just how possible it is to make your own kydex sheath at home. I hope this inspires more people to give it a try. Well done!

That's why I posted this. Again, I did not do it all myself! Just needed to heat the thingie, put the mule in (after taping the blade and the finger guard), and sandwich-press it. If people from Europe are interested (not sure this company offers their products in the US): look for products by company 'Bio Mordiscos' on Amazon. :cool:
Michael
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Grail knife, still to be acquired: original Tuff by Ed Schempp Feel free to help me find one at a reasonable price...
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Re: A Kydex Thread

#11

Post by Xplorer »

In addition to what Michael demonstrated here there are only 2 more steps involved in doing everything yourself.

They are also very possible to do at home with very few tools. While it's always better to do these things with the best tools for the job, for the sake of helping people get started I'm going to explain how to do the first 2 steps with as little tool requirement/expense as possible.

Once you have a sheet of kydex molded to your knife you just need to drill holes, press the eyelets, cut out the shape and smooth the edges. It's even easier than it sounds.

Image

You can drill the holes with a common 1/4" drill bit (or size E, or 6.4mm) using a cordless drill if you don't have a drill press. Kydex is very soft and it's very easy to drill.

These eyelets will fit perfectly in a 1/4" hole using .080" kydex..
https://www.knifekits.com/vcom/eyelets- ... -5264.html

This inexpensive eyelet tool will allow you to set your eyelets with just a hammer...
https://www.knifekits.com/vcom/hand-set ... -1564.html

Once your eyelets are in place you can cut out your sheath many different ways. A razor blade, a hack saw, a coping saw, a band saw, a jig saw, a sharp knife...just about anything will cut the kydex and give you a rough outline. Then you can file or sand the final contours very easily. Finish with some fine sandpaper or just rub it really fast on your pant leg and you're done.

I first cut-out and finished this sheath like this..
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Then, I hated it and changed it to this..
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Then I re-made it entirely and went with this.
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I hope to see more people giving it a try like Michael did.
:spyder: Spyderco fan and collector since 1991. :spyder:
Father of 2, nature explorer, custom knife maker.
@ckc_knifemaker on Instagram.
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archangel
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Re: A Kydex Thread

#12

Post by archangel »

Xplorer wrote:
Wed Apr 14, 2021 8:16 pm
This inexpensive eyelet too will allow you to set your eyelets with just a hammer...
https://www.knifekits.com/vcom/hand-set ... -1564.html

Very cool, I need to find this tool here in Europe. Cause this was the only part that I really could not have done, pressing in the eyelets, due to lack of a tool. My third Kydex sheath will be 100% DIY, using a cool carbon-look Kydex just like yours. :)

Edit: found it, e.g. on Joe's Messershop as part of a beginner's kit, and on Amazon for multiple eyelet diameters. ;)
Michael
48 Spydies, 44 different models, 43 different steels
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Grail knife, still to be acquired: original Tuff by Ed Schempp Feel free to help me find one at a reasonable price...
izzoyournizzo
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Re: A Kydex Thread

#13

Post by izzoyournizzo »

This is a great guide. Thank you so much for this and the tools used to create the eyelets Xplorer.

My question to everyone, what would be the process to add a clip to the sheath? Do you make the clip out of the kydex or just use some third-party created part? How would you affix the flip the the sheath?

The use case would be to store it in a pocket.
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Re: A Kydex Thread

#14

Post by Xplorer »

izzoyournizzo wrote:
Thu Apr 15, 2021 9:09 am
... what would be the process to add a clip to the sheath? Do you make the clip out of the kydex or just use some third-party created part? How would you affix the flip the the sheath?

The use case would be to store it in a pocket.
GREAT question!

While there may be a wide range of after-market clips like Tek-Lok that people can buy, I'm just going to show/explain how to DIY with the exception of the G-Clip. There's a number of possibilities with varying degrees of ease or difficulty. Each person may have a different idea about what the ideal carry method is. Some people like to carry the traditional way on the hip. Some prefer to carry in the waistband of their shorts/pants (IWB). Some prefer a drop sheath on a dangler. Some like metal clips and other like molded clips. A few people like neck knife carry, while others just stick the knife in a pack pocket and and don't want any clip. Let's look at some of the possibilities...

The first suggestion I would offer is to simply add a Spyderco G-Clip. They work great. They're VERY versatile and they're not expensive.
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In this pic of the G-Clip you can see I also have used Holstex to mold a piggyback mount for a Dragonfly (one of my personal favorites).
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Next.. in a pocket without any clip works great a lot of the time.. See the Mule in my pack pocket? It's tied to a pack strap on a 2 ft. paracord so I can grab it easily but I won't loose it if it falls out while I swim up the trail :p :) .
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Next.. Neck knife carry is an easy option. Important to note that while I use paracord for this usually, I tie my cords in such a way that they can easily slip out to twice the size. Paracord is not safe or recommended for using around your neck in the wilderness because if you can hang yourself with it, it's dangerous. While I choose to use it, I'm not telling you that you should. A better choice would be the typical beaded chain because it's versatile and breaks away easily.
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An alternative to carrying it around the neck that still only requires paracord is over the shoulder. In this case I like to tie it off to my pack, then run the cord through guide loops on my shoulder straps. This works great in the right circumstances.
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Next..attaching a basic pre-made metal clip. You can get creative and come up with all sorts of ways to attach a simple metal clip. A pre-fab metal clip will usually have a hole at the base and you can use that to secure it to the kydex with a bolt, a rivet or an eyelet. You can hold it at a specific angle or let it rotate. You can use Kydex or leather or other materials to adapt a clip to your needs.
Here I used Holstex to make a mount for a metal clip.
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In these 2 examples I used a small piece of leather for the same purpose.
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Next..make a drop-sheath or a dangler. If you like to carry on the belt and want the knife to move freely you can make a drop-sheath or a dangler by molding kydex over some nylon webbing (you can also skip the kydex and here and put eyelets directly into the webbing) and mount the kydex/webbing loop to the eyelets on the sheath.

Here, I heated the kydex, inserted the webbing, drilled a hole through the middle and secured the webbing to the kydex with an eyelet. I then fastened the kydex block to the sheath with sexbolts. The Ti triangle I made was for a dangler not pictured here. I'm sorry I don't have better pics of the back sides..just not usually the side I want pics of..ya know ;)
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And..in this last pic of a sheath with a nylon/kydex drop-sheath..notice that you can also make accessory holders with kydex if you choose. Here I made a mount for a ferro-rod striker tool.
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Next...using leather is a very versatile way to carry your kydex and all you really NEED to work with leather is a razor blade, a hole punch, sand paper and a smooth stick. Of course, you might also WANT a whole lot more than that ;) .

I use leather to create versatility without adding much weight or bulk. Here's some ideas..

This Sprig has leather cemented to the kydex sheath to make it look and feel nice and then I added a leather belt loop and a leather wrap for vertical or horizontal carry options.
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A leather wrap and a small removable leather strap gives me the maximum versatility for carry options here.
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In this case, I used leather for a horizontal carry wrap and a belt loop.
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Next...DIY kydex clips. There are a lot of creative ways to make what you want out of Kydex. Here's a few examples of ways I've made Kydex clips. Some work better than others and some are easier to make than others as well.

An easy(ish) way to do it is to just fold the kydex (while hot) over your belt or whatever you plan to clip it to. Be sure to fold over the end (at least) so that the sheath can grab your belt when you pull on the knife. Getting the "grab" just right is the hardest part. Then, you just drill holes to align with your sheath eyelets and mount it with sexbolts or your choice of hardware.
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For carrying in the front pocket, making a clip that holds tight is tricky. A G-Clip is a great option here. If you want to try one for yourself here's a design that you can mold in your hands (with a little practice) and it will work in your pocket.
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If you want to take on a more advanced option and have the tools to make yourself proper mold tooling you can make your own clips like this one. Fair warning though...this one is not a beginner project.. some things are easier than they appear to be, but this one is more difficult than it appears. If you think you have the tools and you want to do this, contact me privately and I'll be glad to run down the details for you.
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Hardware..There's a lot to choose from. I'll show you a few of things I keep on hand and offer a couple of links but you can find lots more if you want to search for them.
I use a number of different sexbolts mostly. There are different lengths and you'll need to match the length to the thicknesses of the items you are attaching.
Image

The little rubber grommets you see in the top on the hardware picture can be very important sometimes, so don't forget those. :)

All of the sexbolts, eyelets, tools and other hardware can be found on these 2 links among others.
https://www.knifekits.com/vcom/holster- ... 4_411.html
https://usaknifemaker.com/shop-categori ... lated.html

I love to make everything myself and I like helping others who want to do the same. BUT, having done a boatload of these things myself, I'm dead-serious when I share this hard-earned wisdom with you...after you spend more time making your clip than you spent making the sheath :o you're probably going to wish you had just bought a G-Clip in the first place. Not kidding. :)
https://www.spyderco.com/catalog/details/GCLIP/835

I hope this helps. :D

CK
:spyder: Spyderco fan and collector since 1991. :spyder:
Father of 2, nature explorer, custom knife maker.
@ckc_knifemaker on Instagram.
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archangel
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Re: A Kydex Thread

#15

Post by archangel »

Boy, CK... :eek: Post Of The Year Award nomination. Thank You!
Michael
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Grail knife, still to be acquired: original Tuff by Ed Schempp Feel free to help me find one at a reasonable price...
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Xplorer
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Re: A Kydex Thread

#16

Post by Xplorer »

Just tryin' to be helpful. ;)
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izzoyournizzo
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Re: A Kydex Thread

#17

Post by izzoyournizzo »

Xplorer wrote:
Thu Apr 15, 2021 1:01 pm
Just tryin' to be helpful. ;)
That is so helpful detailed and way more than I expected. Thank you so much for taking the time to write up such an amazing post based off a simple question. This has me pretty excited to try some Kydex and I just ordered a sheet. I'm going to attempt "G-clip" method first to see if that would meet my needs. I may also experiment with 3d printing clips and affixing them to the Kydex as well.

You sir are extremely talented and do some beautiful work. Thank you again for sharing some of your secret sauce.
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Re: A Kydex Thread

#18

Post by yablanowitz »

Mine isn't pretty, but it works. Done in about half an hour with a heat gun, cordless drill and a bench vise. The top screw by the handle adjusts the tension. No rattle and no chance of it falling out. If I can do this on my first try, anyone can.

Image

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Image
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Xplorer
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Re: A Kydex Thread

#19

Post by Xplorer »

yablanowitz wrote:
Fri Apr 16, 2021 1:09 pm
...Done in about half an hour with a heat gun, cordless drill and a bench vise. The top screw by the handle adjusts the tension. No rattle and no chance of it falling out. If I can do this on my first try, anyone can.
YES!!! :D :D Way to go yablanowitz!!! I bet it feels pretty gratifying to be able to carry your Mule in your own sheath now. I hope what you did here inspires more people to go for it. :) :)
:spyder: Spyderco fan and collector since 1991. :spyder:
Father of 2, nature explorer, custom knife maker.
@ckc_knifemaker on Instagram.
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Xplorer
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Re: A Kydex Thread

#20

Post by Xplorer »

izzoyournizzo wrote:
Fri Apr 16, 2021 11:52 am
That is so helpful detailed and way more than I expected. Thank you so much for taking the time to write up such an amazing post based off a simple question. This has me pretty excited to try some Kydex and I just ordered a sheet. I'm going to attempt "G-clip" method first to see if that would meet my needs. I may also experiment with 3d printing clips and affixing them to the Kydex as well.

You sir are extremely talented and do some beautiful work. Thank you again for sharing some of your secret sauce.
I'm glad you find the post helpful. I bet you weren't thinking you were asking a "loaded" question but the fact is attachment method is really important and can be difficult. I had already intended to offer a variety of suggestions and possibilities whenever it came up and I appreciate that you brought it up.

I'm very glad to hear you've ordered some Kydex! :D

Thank you for the kind words as well :) .
:spyder: Spyderco fan and collector since 1991. :spyder:
Father of 2, nature explorer, custom knife maker.
@ckc_knifemaker on Instagram.
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