Making a Kydex Sheath (step-by-step)

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standy99
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Re: Making a Kydex Sheath (step-by-step)

#41

Post by standy99 »

Bolster wrote:
Sun Jan 16, 2022 12:54 am
To get the fit right, I faffed about with washers for awhile, and finally realized I needed a custom washer about half the thickness of a regular washer. So I made a washer out of a bit of copper shim stock; you can just see it in the slotted area. That custom washer fits BETWEEN the front and the back pieces of Kydex, and while the retention is good, the slot solution has its own issues. I'm concerned that it introduces a failure point if you happen to lose the screw in the field, so I'm inclined to just test the placement well, and then go with an eyelet next time, or for any sheath I might take backpacking. I don't need a screw getting loose and ruining retention. It's fine for a sheath that doesn't leave home.

There remains an unsatisfying issue with the draw. If I happen to tilt the handle blade-side on the draw, it will bind. Currently, this sheath requires the draw be straight up or tilted back slightly. But tilt it toward the blade and, as Maximus said: "It sometimes makes the blade stick." Advice here, appreciated.

All in all, a great improvment over my paper-and-tape sheath, and by following Xplorer's instructions in this thread, a satisfying project.
Rubber washers work a treat….having just bought some Kydex stuff lately…The site actually prompted what rubber washers to get with which Chicago screw…. :triangle-ruler
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Re: Making a Kydex Sheath (step-by-step)

#42

Post by Xplorer »

Bolster wrote:
Sun Nov 20, 2022 6:24 pm
Needed to review this thread (thanks again CK).

Let's see if I can describe this without photos: Some Kydex sheaths on production knives narrow down behind (behind = handle side of) the kick, but then open up again to the width of the tang. This does two things: 1) it allows for easier insertion (makes a wider target) and 2) it makes a nice "snap" on insertion or draw, and that "snap" comes from that one relatively small narrow pinch-point behind the kick, which locks the blade into place. It appears to me, you'd not get this effect unless you put a special spacer behind the kick during sheath production, and then removed it after the sheath was made. That spacer would need to be a custom made bit of material of the correct width and shape.

I've been admiring the sheath on my White River Backpacker which is made this way. Maybe I can find a photo.
Hey there Bolster!

You're very observant :nerd and you've already got it figured out as well :cheap-sunglasses .

A scrap piece of wood, micarta, G10 or aluminum (anything hard and heat-resistant) makes a great "insert" to shape into whatever you need. Just make the shape you want added to the sheath on one side of a scrap and cut or grind away the other side until it nests against the tang where you want it. Then you just tape it in place on the knife before you mold the kydex.
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Re: Making a Kydex Sheath (step-by-step)

#43

Post by Brant »

Thanks for this! I was considering an attempt. This is a good guide to follow.
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Re: Making a Kydex Sheath (step-by-step)

#44

Post by Bolster »

What follows are some notes on my (this time, successful!) attempt to make a mule sheath. There is definitely a learning curve here! First below, my blueprint. It is sized for the commonly available 1-1/8" web belts. The standoff of .33" from knife to center of eyelet turns out to be critical (for my setup), due to the anvil of my eyelet setter not allowing anything closer than that. The distance from the guard to the nearest "guard eyelet" (currently set at .40") is also critical...slightly higher and the fit is tighter; slightly lower and the fit looser...this is what works for me, but you can adjust to suit. But remember you'd have to move all four of the eyelets that make up the "belt area" up and down in unison, in order to keep the sheath aligned straight up and down and still fitting a 1-1/8" belt.
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Re: Making a Kydex Sheath (step-by-step)

#45

Post by Bolster »

There's a bit of setup to make a sheath like the one shown here. I wanted: (1) a larger opening, thus a larger "target," for the entry of the blade. I don't like threading the blade into a narrow slot, and for narrow-slot sheaths, it's common to catch the tip upon insertion. That's what the spacer sticks are doing above and below the handle...keeping the insertion opening wide. But I also wanted (2) a "catch" behind the guard/kick to help lock the knife into place, despite the wider opening. That's why you see a notch in the spacer behind the guard/kick. I considered another catch on the spine, but opted to try it without. On my next sheath, I may try adding a catch there, too.

Other items you may notice: (3) the toothpick at the tip, to create a drain hole; and (4) a dowel plug in the spydie-hole! Yes! A previous sheath did not plug the spydie-hole, and while it helped retention due to the concave divot it created, it scraped the steel blade rather badly across the spyder logo. So for this sheath, the hole got plugged.

So, yes, a rather complex setup here. Not as carefree as some other designs.
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Re: Making a Kydex Sheath (step-by-step)

#46

Post by Bolster »

Below, you can see the wider opening I was going for.

You may also notice an extra eyelet you didn't see in the blueprint. On this sheath I'd set the below-the-guard eyelet at .50" and while it was fine, it wasn't quite as tight as I wanted (which is why the blueprint now reads .40"). To compensate, I put an extra, higher outlet to the spine side, which tightened it up to my preference. (I could not put another eyelet on the blade side as the next space higher allowing for an eyelet was too close to the guard and caused too tight of a fit. But fortunately you can adjust snugness of fit by tightening either front or back of the sheath.)

Another big learning moment...bevel the edges of the insertion area BEFORE you eyelet the two pieces together. You can't see it too well in the photo but the edge around the insertion area is beveled from inside to outside at about 45 degrees. It's MUCH easier to do this beveling before eyeletting, and also much easier to clean out the sheath from the resulting dust. (As a footnote, I left the two bottom eyelets off until I was done, so that I could easily run a strong stream of water through the sheath to clean it out. For reasons unknown to me, Kydex dust appears to scratch blades.)
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Re: Making a Kydex Sheath (step-by-step)

#47

Post by Bolster »

The finished sheath with paracord used for belt attachment. It's not a sophisticated attachment method, but it is good for a backpacker because it's (1) lightweight (2) holds snug to the body and (3) allows a bit of emergency cord if needed, for some other use. It's slim enough that the sheath and knife can be slipped into the sidepockets of a backpack, if belt wear is inconvenient. Sheath weight is 1.0 oz, bringing the knife + sheath weight up to 4.0 oz with the swell-center cherrywood scales (which are optional but comfy).
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Re: Making a Kydex Sheath (step-by-step)

#48

Post by Bolster »

A snug carry where the knife "snaps" in and out of its sheath. There are actually two retention points...the aforementioned catch, and also the "hook" that's provided by the forward part of the cherrywood scales. So it's a double-snap system.
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Re: Making a Kydex Sheath (step-by-step)

#49

Post by Xplorer »

Very nice work Bolster!
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Re: Making a Kydex Sheath (step-by-step)

#50

Post by akapennypincher »

Cool instructions, but I see a lots of dollars invested in EQUIPMENT to do DYI PROJECT.

Think I would let pro do it who has equipment & expertise.
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Re: Making a Kydex Sheath (step-by-step)

#51

Post by Xplorer »

I don't disagree that there are a lot of tools shown and generally the fancier and more expensive tools make jobs easier. I understand how it can look expensive. It certainly can be. As I sit here I have a $530 list of bits, belts and other pieces that I'm about to order just to keep the tools I already have in my shop working properly.

Some people get a lot of joy out of making things and others do not. Deep down, I am a maker and for me buying tools is investing in capabilities that make me happy. Truth be told, my favorite toy is my shop itself so buying more tools is never a bad thing to me.

However, for anyone who might want to make their own sheath I would point out that I initially gave myself the ability to make sheaths for about $40. Custom sheaths generally cost at least $35 and many are closer to $100. Anyone can potentially make a sheath for less than the cost of buying one.

I made my Kydex press out of scraps of plywood and some old door hinges. All of which I had laying around in my garage. Total cost for the press was $0. It also could have been done for free with just 2 scrap pieces of wood in a bench vise if one already has the vise. I was about to throw away a 15 year old toaster oven but decided instead to use it for heating kydex. The cost felt to me like $0 since I don't even remember when I bought that toaster oven (ebay currently has toaster ovens available that will work for kydex with prices ranging from $5-$25). If someone just wanted to make 1 or 2 sheaths they can just use their kitchen oven. They'd want to open the windows in the house and it will stink for 30 minutes, but it will be free. I spent $20 on a single piece of molding foam that I cut in half (and still using it 8 years later). Kydex sheets 12x12 are about $7. Trimming the kydex can be done easily with a razor blade, hack saw or nearly any type of small hand saw. Edges can be refined with a sheet of sandpaper ($1) wrapped around a pipe or a dowel or a ruler. Edges can be polished on the leg of a pair of pants $0. Kydex can be fastened together with eyelets, chain-ring bolts, Chicago screws, paracord or even sewing thread. For my first sheath I used eyelets that are $7 per 25.

If one were to use their kitchen oven and already has a bench vise it's very possible to make a first custom kydex sheath for as little as $40 like I did. That also leaves enough materials to either mess up and start over for free, or make a second sheath and bring the effective cost per sheath down to $20 ea.

If making your own kydex sheath sounds enjoyable this is a project that can be done cheap if you want to.
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Re: Making a Kydex Sheath (step-by-step)

#52

Post by Bolster »

akapennypincher wrote:
Tue Feb 14, 2023 2:02 pm
Cool instructions, but I see a lots of dollars invested in EQUIPMENT to do DYI PROJECT.

Think I would let pro do it who has equipment & expertise.

Yeah, but I've saved hundreds of dollars on projects by investing thousands of dollars in tools.
Steel novice who self-identifies as a steel expert. Proud M.N.O.S.D. member 0003. Spydie Steels: 4V, 15V, 20CV, AEB-L, AUS6, Cru-Wear, HAP40, K294, K390, M4, Magnacut, S110V, S30V, S35VN, S45VN, SPY27, SRS13, T15, VG10, XHP, ZWear, ZDP189
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Re: Making a Kydex Sheath (step-by-step)

#53

Post by RustyIron »

Bolster wrote:
Tue Feb 14, 2023 9:00 pm
Yeah, but I've saved hundreds of dollars on projects by investing thousands of dollars in tools.

Ain't that the truth?

It used to grate on me a little when I'd fix something for someone, and they'd comment, "You're so lucky to have all these tools." It's as if they're implying that I could do the work simply because I had the tools. That is not the case. I can do nice work because I've invested untold hours... years... advancing my skills. And I've invested untold dollars in fancy tools because I like that kind of stuff. It amuses me more than leasing a new sportscar every three years. Blech.

Despite my aversion to "Tik-Tok," I reluctantly admit to watching some YouTube videos. There's a guy named Grandpa Amu who has a channel. He looks like an elderly Chinese peasant working in the dirt with shoddy materials and worn out tools. But he does REALLY cool work. Maybe he's really a concert pianist or billionaire industrialist, I don't know. But the takeaway from watching his videos is that it's not the tools that do nice work, it's the craftsman who can look at a problem and "see" a solution.
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Re: Making a Kydex Sheath (step-by-step)

#54

Post by standy99 »

Xplorer wrote:
Tue Feb 14, 2023 3:23 pm
I don't disagree that there are a lot of tools shown and generally the fancier and more expensive tools make jobs easier. I understand how it can look expensive. It certainly can be. As I sit here I have a $530 list of bits, belts and other pieces that I'm about to order just to keep the tools I already have in my shop working properly.

Some people get a lot of joy out of making things and others do not. Deep down, I am a maker and for me buying tools is investing in capabilities that make me happy. Truth be told, my favorite toy is my shop itself so buying more tools is never a bad thing to me.

However, for anyone who might want to make their own sheath I would point out that I initially gave myself the ability to make sheaths for about $40. Custom sheaths generally cost at least $35 and many are closer to $100. Anyone can potentially make a sheath for less than the cost of buying one.

I made my Kydex press out of scraps of plywood and some old door hinges. All of which I had laying around in my garage. Total cost for the press was $0. It also could have been done for free with just 2 scrap pieces of wood in a bench vise if one already has the vise. I was about to throw away a 15 year old toaster oven but decided instead to use it for heating kydex. The cost felt to me like $0 since I don't even remember when I bought that toaster oven (ebay currently has toaster ovens available that will work for kydex with prices ranging from $5-$25). If someone just wanted to make 1 or 2 sheaths they can just use their kitchen oven. They'd want to open the windows in the house and it will stink for 30 minutes, but it will be free. I spent $20 on a single piece of molding foam that I cut in half (and still using it 8 years later). Kydex sheets 12x12 are about $7. Trimming the kydex can be done easily with a razor blade, hack saw or nearly any type of small hand saw. Edges can be refined with a sheet of sandpaper ($1) wrapped around a pipe or a dowel or a ruler. Edges can be polished on the leg of a pair of pants $0. Kydex can be fastened together with eyelets, chain-ring bolts, Chicago screws, paracord or even sewing thread. For my first sheath I used eyelets that are $7 per 25.

If one were to use their kitchen oven and already has a bench vise it's very possible to make a first custom kydex sheath for as little as $40 like I did. That also leaves enough materials to either mess up and start over for free, or make a second sheath and bring the effective cost per sheath down to $20 ea.

If making your own kydex sheath sounds enjoyable this is a project that can be done cheap if you want to.
Yep. Making a Chad Kelly kydex press as we speak.
Timber $25
Foam $20
Hinges $8

Eyelets less than 50 cents each
Kydex $30 enough for probably 4 sheaths
Clip $12
Heat gun until I buy a mini toaster (YouTube had the heat gun trick with rigger gloves)


Hey my first 4 or 5 mule handles were done with a drill a dremel tool and 2 clamps, epoxy and sandpaper.

As Xplorer has mentioned it’s just as fun buying tools that make things a little easier bit by bit.
I have been slowly chipping away at little tools and even found a decent drill press that is $3-400 new for $80 on Facebook buy swap sell.
Research for each tool you need is fun.

Now I have a sandpaper man that I order sandpaper cheaper than I can get from the local hardware store.
Found epoxy is cheaper from a model shop than a knifemaking supplier, (by $10-15) the exact same product.
Picked up some cool measuring tools from a fabric shop I happened to visit with the better half.
Im a vegetarian as technically cows are made of grass and water.
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Re: Making a Kydex Sheath (step-by-step)

#55

Post by Xplorer »

^ I sure hope we see pics of the new Standy99 kydex press here once you've finished it. :crossed-fingers
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Re: Making a Kydex Sheath (step-by-step)

#56

Post by Bolster »

^^ Oh, you snooty, uppity guys with your hinged foam presses! Rubbin' our noses in your superior technology! Sitting around sipping tea with your pinkies held out, while you look down on the world, I imagine!

My foam press is so down-market it doesn't even have hinges.

I may be po', but I is proud!

akapennypincher wrote:
Tue Feb 14, 2023 2:02 pm
Think I would let pro do it who has equipment & expertise.

Find the right "pro." Before CK motivated me to do my own Kydex, I found one of the highly recommended Kydexers off of BF, and sent him my knife. Took a month. He sent me back the sloppiest piece of crap that ever crapped, sloppy oversized holes, poor fit, everything about it said "I don't care." So find the right "pro" and good luck with all that.
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Re: Making a Kydex Sheath (step-by-step)

#57

Post by akapennypincher »

I am all thumbs so I tend to let pros do what they do best.

People who hired me before retirement pay well for my service, because I was very good at my craft.
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Re: Making a Kydex Sheath (step-by-step)

#58

Post by Worm »

Well, here is my very minimalistic kydex sheath set-up:
heating gun, leather gloves, two foam blocks, one wood panel (yes, I am actually standing on it for 5 to 10 minutes :zany )
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Re: Making a Kydex Sheath (step-by-step)

#59

Post by Bolster »

Worm wrote:
Thu Feb 16, 2023 6:53 am
Well, here is my very minimalistic kydex sheath set-up:
heating gun, leather gloves, two foam blocks, one wood panel (yes, I am actually standing on it for 5 to 10 minutes :zany )

Well done, sir! Looking good!

(Does you wife know you've borrowed her hair dryer? ;) )
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Re: Making a Kydex Sheath (step-by-step)

#60

Post by Xplorer »

Worm wrote:
Thu Feb 16, 2023 6:53 am
Well, here is my very minimalistic kydex sheath set-up:
heating gun, leather gloves, two foam blocks, one wood panel (yes, I am actually standing on it for 5 to 10 minutes :zany )
I love this! ^^ Motivation and determination are more important than any tools. Well done sir! :trophy
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