I’m looking to buy an aftermarket sheath for my Spyderco Forager, the Kydex that it came with fits it great (holds tight) but I’m looking for one that rides lower on the hip. I’m looking for either a nice leather sheath (SharpShooter quality) or a Spec-Ops type that will accept a 7.5” X 2” blade. Any ideas? I would like to be able to just go to a site an order one without having to send in the knife if possible.
Thank you.
P.S
The Forager is yet another great Jerry Hossom designed knife.
Aftermarket Sheath for Forager?
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jaislandboy
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i can second Dozier's kydex sheaths (arguably the best kydex pants i've experienced) ... but you'll have to probably send it in....
I just got a kydex sheath custom fit to my Mule Team by Scott Gere, he does excellent work too....you might want to PM him for details as he is a forums member
I just got a kydex sheath custom fit to my Mule Team by Scott Gere, he does excellent work too....you might want to PM him for details as he is a forums member
brian
"All paths lead back to the Spyderhole..."
"All paths lead back to the Spyderhole..."
PM SENTKLJTech wrote:I’m looking to buy an aftermarket sheath for my Spyderco Forager, the Kydex that it came with fits it great (holds tight) but I’m looking for one that rides lower on the hip. I’m looking for either a nice leather sheath (SharpShooter quality) or a Spec-Ops type that will except a 7.5” X 2” blade. Any ideas? I would like to be able to just go to a site an order one without having to send in the knife if possible.
Thank you.
P.S
The Forager is yet another great Jerry Hossom designed knife.
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Michael Bolton
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I highly recommend Mr Mike Sastre of River City Sheaths. I have a beauty of a concealex sheath for my Street Beat and am thinking of one for a Ronin as well.
:spyder: Fred Perrin Street Beat, Blue Yojimbo, Black Yojimbo, Chinook III, Lava (x2), Delica
For 2008: Rocklobster, Rookie, Phoenix, Barong, Khukuri, Lum Chinese folder, Urban
For 2008: Rocklobster, Rookie, Phoenix, Barong, Khukuri, Lum Chinese folder, Urban
i would seriously consider Mike Billman from Grindstone Cutlery for a custom kydex sheath. he can be contacted via email: mbhanzo@yahoo.com
or phone: 260-482-1105
here's the sheath he made for my Woodlander... i have custom kydex from other top notch guys, and let me tell you this one my favorite. his attention to detail is second to none.
or phone: 260-482-1105
here's the sheath he made for my Woodlander... i have custom kydex from other top notch guys, and let me tell you this one my favorite. his attention to detail is second to none.
I just received my new Forager yesterday and it has been in and out of the sheath (which holds great) I would guess 5-6 times now and it just scratched a couple lines about 5” long down the blade! I washed the sheath out before I used it and it still scratched up the knife. At this point it’s not real bad but I haven’t even used the knife yet. I want to be the one that scratches up my knives, not have the sheath that came with it do it for me. I know that Spyderco makes great (really great) knives, we all know that but I think that it’s just possible that they are not use to making equal quality Kydex sheaths yet. This is an expensive knife (to me) for it to be scratched by the sheath it came with. I really thought that I was good to go since this sheath held great, even if you shake the knife upside down. I should have kept the knife out of the sheath until I bought an aftermarket one to replace it.
How does Kydex leave a scratch on the knife in the first place? Is it because the polished finish is easier to scratch?
How does Kydex leave a scratch on the knife in the first place? Is it because the polished finish is easier to scratch?
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zenheretic
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KLJ, I believe they contract out for the sheaths. I'm confident the quality of the kydex is as good as you would find just about anywhere. Unless there is actually metal or rocks wedged into the kydex, the "scratches" you see are usually kydex scuffs. These scuffs occur in most kydex sheaths and are more kydex streaks on the steel rather than actually scratches of the steel by the kydex. You should be able to buff out the scuffs with elbow grease and/or some polish.
Follow the mushin, but pay it no heed.
I was told by Spyderco customer service that a gentlemen named Scott makes their Kydex sheaths for them at their factory in Golden, Co. I tried polish but it didn’t do anything to take out the scratch and I washed of the sheath before even trying it. I can see a couple tiny rough spots on the inside near the top of the sheath but I can’t be sure that this is the problem.
I was told by Mr. Hossom that scratches on the finish of this knife will be very difficult to get out. I can’t remember the reason but I do know that he said it’s due to the type of finish the knife has. The thing is I could go out in the back yard and chop off a couple lower braches from a tree and make the knife look a little used and then the scratches probably wouldn’t show. I’m going to use this knife on camping trips so it will show wear and tear but it really bothers me that a knife that I paid over a couple hundred dollars for is scratched by its own sheath before I’ve even taken it outside. I’ve read on the Spyderco website forums that many people have bought aftermarket sheaths for these knives since the factory ones really don’t do the knife justice. This one fits perfect, holds the knife very well, it just happens to scratch the knife.
I would not be surprised if a year or so down the line they change the type of sheath that comes with these. In the mean time a customer such as myself has to wonder if it is too much to ask for a knife that retails for $360 not to be scratched by the very sheath that it comes with.
I was told by Mr. Hossom that scratches on the finish of this knife will be very difficult to get out. I can’t remember the reason but I do know that he said it’s due to the type of finish the knife has. The thing is I could go out in the back yard and chop off a couple lower braches from a tree and make the knife look a little used and then the scratches probably wouldn’t show. I’m going to use this knife on camping trips so it will show wear and tear but it really bothers me that a knife that I paid over a couple hundred dollars for is scratched by its own sheath before I’ve even taken it outside. I’ve read on the Spyderco website forums that many people have bought aftermarket sheaths for these knives since the factory ones really don’t do the knife justice. This one fits perfect, holds the knife very well, it just happens to scratch the knife.
I would not be surprised if a year or so down the line they change the type of sheath that comes with these. In the mean time a customer such as myself has to wonder if it is too much to ask for a knife that retails for $360 not to be scratched by the very sheath that it comes with.
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zenheretic
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Just because someone is going to use their knife doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t expect the sheath that comes with said knife not to scratch it.
This isn’t a cheap knife and I know for a fact that others on this forum have had problems with the sheath that comes with these knives. I bought a Woodlander for my son and it’s sheath holds great (I never said anything was wrong with the Kydex itself) but the sheath that first came with my Forager was way too loose and the knife would slide right out. Spyderco took care of the problem and now after receiving a replacement this one holds great and I thought all was all good but then saw that it had scratched the knife. I’m sorry that it bothers you that I posted the problem, but just because I intend on using something doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t be right new out of the box.
As far as everyone “knows that Kydex scratches” then why would they package it with a knife that has a finish that is very hard to get surface scratches out of it? And I bothered to bring it up so that I can find a good aftermarket sheath. If it bothers you don’t reply to the post, I didn’t email you at home and ask the question.
This isn’t a cheap knife and I know for a fact that others on this forum have had problems with the sheath that comes with these knives. I bought a Woodlander for my son and it’s sheath holds great (I never said anything was wrong with the Kydex itself) but the sheath that first came with my Forager was way too loose and the knife would slide right out. Spyderco took care of the problem and now after receiving a replacement this one holds great and I thought all was all good but then saw that it had scratched the knife. I’m sorry that it bothers you that I posted the problem, but just because I intend on using something doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t be right new out of the box.
As far as everyone “knows that Kydex scratches” then why would they package it with a knife that has a finish that is very hard to get surface scratches out of it? And I bothered to bring it up so that I can find a good aftermarket sheath. If it bothers you don’t reply to the post, I didn’t email you at home and ask the question.
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jaislandboy
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yes it has happened to me on another US production knife co. fixed blade which i paid around $150-185 for (i'll leave said company nameless to not incite a flame war).... the kydex sheath scratched the blade repeatedly and I had to use Flitz polish and elbow grease repeatedly; and these were indeed (obvious) superficial scratches being made on the blade surface (about 1cm long, on the left side of the blade near the tip; no black kydex marks) after 15-20 "insertions" it was still happening and i wasn't very happy with the situation :mad: ... esp. in light of the fact that I own several Dozier fixed blades with perfect kydex sheaths that never caused scratches and have a very "positive" fit....in fact my fave kydex sheaths (thus far) that I have personally sampled....then I had a crazy idea and applied some Flitz(gunwax) on the blade where the scratches occurred and inserted the blade with the "wet wax" and after a few "applications" the scratches magically stopped I surmise that whatever bit of trapped dirt/kydex/metal (who knows?) is now coated in wax :p
My muleteam kydex sheath was from Scott... and it functions perfectly :)
I surmise that whatever bit of trapped dirt/kydex/metal (who knows?) is now coated in wax :pMy muleteam kydex sheath was from Scott... and it functions perfectly :)
brian
"All paths lead back to the Spyderhole..."
"All paths lead back to the Spyderhole..."
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zenheretic
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...and yet I own the whole set and the kydex does NOT scratch the blades.KLJTech wrote: In the mean time a customer such as myself has to wonder if it is too much to ask for a knife that retails for $360 not to be scratched by the very sheath that it comes with.
Follow the mushin, but pay it no heed.
I’ve heard from more than a few sources that Bob Dozier makes great Kydex sheaths. I may go that way depending on what the person I've emailed about another sheath says.
Unfortunately I can’t elbow grease my way out of these 4” long scratches because I’ve been told by the designer of the knife that polishing too hard could easily mess up the finish on this knife.
Caly E and some others were kind enough to point me In the right direction for an aftermarket sheath and I’ve already sent out an email to the maker.
I wish that Sharpshooter sheaths were taking custom orders as I would love to have one of their leather sheaths for my Forager. I recently bought a BRKT Teddy with a leather handle that came with a Sharpshooter sheath and it was as much a work of art as the knife.
http://sharpshootersheaths.com/front.html
I’ll have to try that gun wax trick and see if it helps.
Thank you.
Unfortunately I can’t elbow grease my way out of these 4” long scratches because I’ve been told by the designer of the knife that polishing too hard could easily mess up the finish on this knife.
Caly E and some others were kind enough to point me In the right direction for an aftermarket sheath and I’ve already sent out an email to the maker.
I wish that Sharpshooter sheaths were taking custom orders as I would love to have one of their leather sheaths for my Forager. I recently bought a BRKT Teddy with a leather handle that came with a Sharpshooter sheath and it was as much a work of art as the knife.
http://sharpshootersheaths.com/front.html
I’ll have to try that gun wax trick and see if it helps.
Thank you.
zenheretic wrote:...and yet I own the whole set and the kydex does NOT scratch the blades.
I'm glad that you've had no problems. The Woodlander that I bought for my son had a sheath that worked great and didn't scratch the knife either. That doesn't mean that someone else can't have a problematic sheath just because yours are all fine. Have you ever had a knife that locked up like a vault with no play whatsoever yet someone else is on the forums and they are having problems with theirs? It happens.
KLJTEch, if you think the factory sheath holds 'great', then you've seriously got to get your hands on an aftermarket one... the factory sheath is mass produced, and therefore attention to detail will be left out (w/ all do respect to my beloved knifemaker; but the sheaths for these 4 knives suck!).
i think it's funny how you think it holds the knife in tightly. have you tried grabbing the sheath and flinging the knife out? it WILL fly out w/ enough force to kill somebody. a good aftermarket sheath should hold the knife tightly enough that that shouldn't occur.
i think it's funny how you think it holds the knife in tightly. have you tried grabbing the sheath and flinging the knife out? it WILL fly out w/ enough force to kill somebody. a good aftermarket sheath should hold the knife tightly enough that that shouldn't occur.
Well, this one and the one that my son has at least clicks into place and will hold the knife if held and shaken upside down. The one that I had before with my Forager would allow the knife to slide right out if held upside down.
So when I say it holds great I'm just trying to be nice and show some respect to Spyderco since the sheath does in fact hold the knife well. I have no doubt that if I flung it around that the knife would come out but I'm not going to be doing that.
Some of the guys on this forum were kind enough to give me the name of a couple very good aftermarket sheath makers and I have every intention of buying one.
I do not mean to offend anyone (including Spyderco) but it is my opinion that these knives deserve better sheaths than the ones that came with them.
The Kydex seems to be thick enough and I like the Tek-Lok but in my opinion the Kydex should come up higher on the knife to hold more than an inch or so of it. I would also prefer that they carried lower on the hip, now that is nothing but personal opinion.
With the bigger knives in these sheaths the handles are up under your arms a bit too high to comfortably grab and remove and then put back easily. As I said it's just my opinion, yours may work great for you.
So when I say it holds great I'm just trying to be nice and show some respect to Spyderco since the sheath does in fact hold the knife well. I have no doubt that if I flung it around that the knife would come out but I'm not going to be doing that.
Some of the guys on this forum were kind enough to give me the name of a couple very good aftermarket sheath makers and I have every intention of buying one.
I do not mean to offend anyone (including Spyderco) but it is my opinion that these knives deserve better sheaths than the ones that came with them.
The Kydex seems to be thick enough and I like the Tek-Lok but in my opinion the Kydex should come up higher on the knife to hold more than an inch or so of it. I would also prefer that they carried lower on the hip, now that is nothing but personal opinion.
With the bigger knives in these sheaths the handles are up under your arms a bit too high to comfortably grab and remove and then put back easily. As I said it's just my opinion, yours may work great for you.
pazzo
Well, earlier it was said why am I bothering to complain about a sheath that scratches a brand new Forager when I plan on using the knife. I feel like for this kind of money there should be no problems with the knife or sheath. I don't think that just because I'm going to actually use something means that it doesn't have to look nice before I put marks on it.
I went back and read some other posts and it would seem that I'm trying to contact via email the same guy that made your aftermarket sheath. I didn't email him until earlier today but I hope to hear something soon. That's a very nice sheath you have for the Woodlander.
Well, earlier it was said why am I bothering to complain about a sheath that scratches a brand new Forager when I plan on using the knife. I feel like for this kind of money there should be no problems with the knife or sheath. I don't think that just because I'm going to actually use something means that it doesn't have to look nice before I put marks on it.
I went back and read some other posts and it would seem that I'm trying to contact via email the same guy that made your aftermarket sheath. I didn't email him until earlier today but I hope to hear something soon. That's a very nice sheath you have for the Woodlander.