Kydex

[Dunc]

How do you guys feel about Kydex sheaths ? Either for multitools or Saks and knives .

Dunc

[Sea Monster]

Never had or used, though they don't seem too great, I'm attached to old leather 'n' snap sheathes.



Also sounds dirty.

Oh honey, are you wearing kydex?

[Roadie]

I have kydex sheaths for both my fixed bladesssss (F1 and Becker Necker) and i love it on both of them. The Becker's is very thin so the knife takes up very little room, which is what it was designed for, great for slipping in a small pocket of a rucksack. The F1's is good too, apart from it being non lefty friendly, being very stiff makes it very easy to remove and insert the knife into it, you're not worried about stabbing through it either. Not tried it on a multitool yet but i'd like to!

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

I love kydex, while it's nowhere near as good looking as leather, it is way tougher and more practical

[Dunc]

Ive never really thought about Kydex before and just thought of it as a bit of heated up and bent plastic   This all changed on Monday when I met a guy from British Blades ( theres more to this then meets the eye but all that will come out later   ) and he presented me with a Spyderco UKPK and a Kydex neck sheath he had made   Not only was it my first piece of Kydex but also my first neck sheath . It hasnt been off my neck since I got it on monday ( although I didnt sleep in it   ) .Very usefull and comfortable to wear . Not sure what you guys know about the Spyderco UKPK ( UK Pen Knife ) . It was part designed with members of British Blades for a sub 3 inch non locking blade to make it legal carry in the UK .Scales are G10 with an CPMS30V blade .

   The guy that makes the Kydex goes under the name of Mojofilter and I'm sure the Brit guys have all heard of him . Cracking bloke who is even better to meet in the flesh . Heres his website     http://www.kydex-maker.co.uk/index.html



Dunc

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Cracking rig you've got there mate, and a free UKPK can't be bad either, ya jammie sod

[Dunc]

Cracking rig you've got there mate, and a free UKPK can't be bad either, ya jammie sod

Have you got a UKPK Mike ?

Dunc

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Cracking rig you've got there mate, and a free UKPK can't be bad either, ya jammie sod

Have you got a UKPK Mike ?

Dunc

Nope, I've had a play with one, and there a bloody nice knife, but I didn't get one because of the potential problems with ignorant Pc's

[Dunc]

I've had one in the past and they are a very good alround usefull knife . Makes a great edc but its only downside is it looks a bit scary and like you said ignorant Pc's may take a dim view  Must say I'm not bothered about that , cross that bridge if I ever get to it 

The big thing is he makes them for Swisstools too    Horizontal carry 


Dunc

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

I've had one in the past and they are a very good alround usefull knife . Makes a great edc but its only downside is it looks a bit scary and like you said ignorant Pc's may take a dim view  Must say I'm not bothered about that , cross that bridge if I ever get to it 

The big thing is he makes them for Swisstools too    Horizontal carry 


Dunc

Horizontal carry eh , add it to the list

[WhichDawg]

I like kydex, it has it's place IMO. For a good pocket carry or a neck knife, for a nice secure,
safe fit in your bag and for a leg/arm/back set-up it really does the job.
and you can get it in so many colors:

these were done by a good friend, who is my main sheath maker. Rainwalker Creations

[Benner]

I'd love to gey my hands on a UKPK.    Can't find them for a decent price though.

I like the look of kydex, and although I've had no experience of it, I would like to at some point in the near future.

[Splat]

Kydex is pretty cool stuff. I can see its usefulness to secure items in many weird positions. It's also used in the medical field for body casts and other uses. That's a nice little sheath you got there for the Spyderco, Dunc!

I dabbled a little with Kydex before for drumstick holders to attach around my drumset. When I need a drumstick, especially mid-song on stage,  it's easier to grab where I have them mounted to my stands than to look/reach down to my stickbag. My first knife/tool Kydex endeavor will be a belt sheath for my new Benchmade Activator. It came with a Kydex neck sheath but I'd like to have a belt sheath for work. I'll get around to that Saturday and I can't wait!

[Spoonrobot]

I like Kydex for knives, be it folder or fixed blade.

Multis just seem wrong for Kydex, the plastic-ness doesn't seem to match up with the overall steel construction of any given tool. They need to be pampered with leather or nylon.

[Grant Lamontagne]

If you have a Crunch, send me a PM and I may be able to change your mind!

Def

[ringzero]

I love kydex, while it's nowhere near as good looking as leather, it is way tougher and more practical

Actually I think Kydex is better looking than leather, but I don't think a Kydex sheath is as tough as a good quality leather sheath.  (Low quality leather makes for about the worst possible sheath.)

Good quality leather - if oiled occasionally to prevent it drying out and cracking - is amazingly tough and will last for many years of use.  Kydex will wear much faster than good leather.

Even brand new Kydex, if exposed to very cold temps, may crack completely through.  Leather will be unaffected by the same temps.

.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Thats very true mate, my main problem with leather on these shore's (uk) is it's very easy for the leather to become saturated, and takes an absolute age to dry out again

[Dunc]

Kydex has got to be a god send for people who like to fish and hunt .Kydex just washes clean but imagine the state of a leather sheath after a good days fishing .

Dunc

[Grant Lamontagne]

Plus leather retains moisture on the tool or knife, increasing the likelihood of rust or corrosion.  I got a vintage Cold Steel tanto a year or so ago that had never been used, but the blade was a mess because it had been stored in leather.

Besides, if it's cold enough to crack kydex outside, I doubt I'd be out there myself!  

Def

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

I do think it is just about the most practical sheath material out there at the moment, that said I quite like the sheath/scabbard design on the Buck M9, loose the wire cutters and you've got a very good little sheath

[ringzero]

Thats very true mate, my main problem with leather on these shore's (uk) is it's very easy for the leather to become saturated, and takes an absolute age to dry out again

If treated with SnoSeal (or a similar quality leather preservative) a leather sheath shouldn't become saturated from rain or brief immersions in water.  If it becomes saturated with water, it means it hasn't been treated properly.

I have leather sheaths over twenty years old.  They've seen lots of outdoors use in every kind of weather and are still going strong.  They all get SnoSealed at least once a year, and more often if needed.  Good leather, if kept properly treated, will last a long time.

If you're going to be in the water a lot - fishing, caving, duck hunting, etc. - where the sheath will be frequently immersed, then leather obviously isn't the best way to go.

.

[ringzero]

Plus leather retains moisture on the tool or knife, increasing the likelihood of rust or corrosion.  I got a vintage Cold Steel tanto a year or so ago that had never been used, but the blade was a mess because it had been stored in leather.

Besides, if it's cold enough to crack kydex outside, I doubt I'd be out there myself!  

Def

A cautionary tale about Kydex:

A buddy of mine lost a fairly expensive custom knife due to Kydex sheath failure during a winter backpacking trip.  He was seriously bummed out when he went to use his knife and discovered it missing!

Temps had been ranging from -10F lows to +15F highs for several days.  The Kydex had cracked all the way through and released the knife at some point during the afternoon walk, because he remembered having used it at lunch.

He almost decided to backtrack along the trail to try to find the knife, but didn't because it was basically hopeless due to the depth of snow.

.

[Grant Lamontagne]

We have that kind of weather here too- I call those "Inside Days."  If God (or Darwin) had wanted me to go out in that weather, I'd have fur as thick as my husky's!

I've been out in it, I've worked out in it, and I've even come home and had my uniform frozen to my skin, and I figure I've done my time in it!  And, I've been out in even worse than that, and so my rule is now that I just don't go out in that weather!

Besides, anything other than a fixed blade knife is virtually useless at those temperatures.  You may get away with operating a set of pliers like on the PowerLock, but one handed opening blades and other implements are pretty well negated by thick gloves or mitts. 

Def

[Roadie]

A cautionary tale about Kydex:

A buddy of mine lost a fairly expensive custom knife due to Kydex sheath failure during a winter backpacking trip.  He was seriously bummed out when he went to use his knife and discovered it missing!

Temps had been ranging from -10F lows to +15F highs for several days.  The Kydex had cracked all the way through and released the knife at some point during the afternoon walk, because he remembered having used it at lunch.

He almost decided to backtrack along the trail to try to find the knife, but didn't because it was basically hopeless due to the depth of snow.

The F1 sheath i have from Fallkniven (as mike will know) shouldn't be a problem in cold conditions even if the kydex did break as the knife is held in by a nylon (i'm guessing) bit at the top too.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

I'm pretty sure it's abs plastic on that sheath mate, I don't think the swedes would make a sheath outa some brittle plastic given how cold it gets out there

[Roadie]

Is it not kydex? my bad! but the point still stands....i think!

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Is it not kydex? my bad! but the point still stands....i think!

Just checked its Zytel, so we're both wrong , but year the nylon would hold it if something were to happen to the sheath ( at least until you could bodge it)

[Roadie]

Hmm well the website does say zytel, but just come across this link which says that they stopped using kydex and switched to zytel sometime in 2006. So when did you buy your F1?!

[ringzero]

We have that kind of weather here too- I call those "Inside Days."  If God (or Darwin) had wanted me to go out in that weather, I'd have fur as thick as my husky's!

I've been out in it, I've worked out in it, and I've even come home and had my uniform frozen to my skin, and I figure I've done my time in it!  And, I've been out in even worse than that, and so my rule is now that I just don't go out in that weather!

Besides, anything other than a fixed blade knife is virtually useless at those temperatures.  You may get away with operating a set of pliers like on the PowerLock, but one handed opening blades and other implements are pretty well negated by thick gloves or mitts. 

Def

It's all in the gear, Def!  Given the right gear, winter backpacking, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, etc. can make for very enjoyable recreation.  In some ways it's more comfortable than summer.  I almost always sleep better and more comfortably on winter trips.

The best part for me is that there are zero bugs!  You can usually put on enough clothes to stay comfortable.  In summer, often you can't take off enough clothes to stay comfortable.

Plus, in wintertime, you generally have the trails all to yourself.

.
 

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Hmm well the website does say zytel, but just come across this link which says that they stopped using kydex and switched to zytel sometime in 2006. So when did you buy your F1?!

, hmm it think I bought it late spring early summer time in 2007 so it's almost certainly zytel then