Re: Kydex Knife Sheath
I know I started this thread awhile ago, but I just finally got around to actually making the sheath, and just wanted to show off my handywork.
I ended up going with Concealex instead of Kydex, as I heard the former molds up sharper than the latter, and the price was about the same. I ordered from here:
http://www.usaknifemaker.com/store/ because they also sold a hand eyelet setter for $8, and the 1" molding foam at a reasonable price. The website also gave pretty good (basic)instructions on how to mold your own sheath.
Here's the finished product:
I ended up cutting a 12"x12" piece of 1" dense "molding foam rubber" in half and hot-glueing each piece to a piece of 3/4" plywood. I heated the Concealex in the oven at 300F till I could smell it "cooking". Once soft, I laid it on one foam covered board, laid the knife on it, and folded it over (shiny side in). Then I put the other half of the "mold" on top and clamped the two pieces together with bar clamps. I don't know exactly how long the stuff takes to cool, but I let it sit clamped for 10 min. When I opened it up, the material had molded to the knife nicely. Then I drilled holes for the 1/4" eyelets and for the screws to attatch the belt loop/clip.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Very Important: </span> Make sure you put the female side of the atatchment screws into the holes from the inside of the sheath <span style="text-decoration: underline">before</span> you set the eyelets around the edges of the sheath!
Once the screws were in place, I set the eyelets around the edges of the sheath, trimmed away most of the excess with a coping saw (not the easiest but it was handy) and then finished contouring the edges with a belt sander.
Once the sheath was the shape I wanted, I smoothed the edges on a buffing wheel to polish and round them over.
Once the sheath was finished, I tried the knife in it for fit. It was a little tighter than I would have liked, so I boiled some water in a small pot and held the "mouth" of the sheath in the boiling water for about 30 seconds to soften it.
Then I took it out and inserted the knife and "tweaked" the mouth of the sheath for the perfect tension.
I'm pretty happy with the finished product. Tis is exactly what I was looking for.
If anyone else wants to give it a try and has any questions, feel free to shoot me a PM.
