Home Forums Gear Knives and Blades does anybody else dislike Kydex sheaths?

Alot of the knives I really like come with Kydex sheaths and I just don't care for them. They seem cheap and every one I have had is noisy. I don't particularly care for a knife that is rattling around.

I'm with you. I much prefer a leather sheath.

Don't like em. Can't see paying big bucks for a knife without leather to put it in. Just my taste. Can't see paying extra to get a leather sheath made either.

I'm with you guys, I love the smell of leather.

I prefer the leather sheath too. Bout the only time I dont care to much is with a truck knife. The one that came with my gerber freeman(truck knife) had a hard plastic insert an kinda lets the knife kinda snap in-place

In a well made Kydex sheath the knife will NOT be "rattling around." In fact, the knife will be a very tight "snap fit" that literally locks the knife into the sheath. A plus of Kydex is the clean up. When you stick that freshly bloodied knife back into any sheath you are making quite a mess in there. Once home or at camp, some warm, soapy water, sprayed through a Kydex sheath cleans that gunk out nicely. Quality Kydex is a users sheath. It doesn't rot, stretch, is super easy to clean. No, it doesn't look like a well crafted leather sheath, however, it will outperform leather in the field in actual usage. Leather is nice for light duty and safe queens - Kydex for "go hard" knives.

MOGC, good post. I hate like hell to put a bloody knife back into a leather sheath. It is a real pain to lay it down while I am pulling down on hide, instead of putting it back into it's sheath on my belt. I can see where Kydex will certainly have it's merits.

The only place I prefer kydex is in neck sheaths for fishing or rafting knives because of the secure hold when worn inverted.

I've personally shattered two kydex knife sheaths and a kydex flashlight pouch in normal useage in cold weather and seen several others broken as well.

Just as different knives have different applications, so too carry systems.

I recently got a Dozier slim outdoors man knife with a horizontal Kydex sheath.... Zero rattle and right there when I need it.... I'm very pleased with mine... its becoming an everyday carry knife.

The only Kydex sheath I've handled/used is on my Dozier. It's awesome. I like the feel, look, smell, etc of leather....but for using it, the Dozier Kydex sheath is AWESOME.

For me it's leather as well. I just wipe the blade down fairly well before resheathing. I haven't used a kydex yet, but can see it's practical application. I guess I'm more of a traditionalist when it comes to some things. That and the fact that leather reminds me of a gal I used to date that had a fondness for leather. She was...well...very interesting.

Dozier is a master of kydex. In around two dozen Dozier kydex sheaths I have yet to find a flaw in the fit of the blade or handle to the kydex. Dozier's leather sheaths have a kydex insert for security and easy clean-up. The best of both worlds! They are very, very, well made.

This seems like a good thread to ask the following question:

I have a couple of knives that (for different reasons) lack sheaths.

Is there any business (hopefully on the net) that will make Kydex or leather sheaths to fit a knife if you sent it to them? Nothing fancy, just a good safe sheath.

Alternatively, can one buy Kydex? I understand you use heat to fit it to a given knife -- maybe I could make a simple safe sheath myself?

I took a fall a few years ago -- just after finding out how sharp one could get a knife with those expensive Japanese water stones! My freshly-sharpened belt knife cut through its sheath to poke me in the thigh. It was a minor cut, but it might not be the next time! It made me think about the need to have a really properly constructed leather or Kydex sheath.

John

maybe?:
http://www.buybrownholsters.com/knife_sheaths_specialty_products.htm

most likely:
http://redhillsheaths.com/
http://forums.bowcountry.com/bcforums/showthread.php?t=5598
never used or affiliated with any, just found them when I was searching with the same question

kup

From personal experience:

KYDEX

Tom Krein does about the best kydex I�ve seen. He worked for Dozier for several years and has modified their design into a more versatile sheath. Tom's rebuilding his site but his contact page is up: Krein Knives Contact Page

Mike Sastre at River City Sheaths in Ohio is top notch and makes many styles � some very traditional looking to be so high-tech�

Eric Noeldechen of On-Scene Tactical is also excellent. With our crazy post-9/11 laws here in the U.S., Canada might be an easier shipping proposition from Sweden�

LEATHER

Literally hundreds of options. I still like Kenny Rowe the best, and it's amazing how reasonable his pricing with him considered by many to be the "Master"...

I understand there are guys that do great work with Kydex, but it still doesn't change the fact that its butt ugly and looks like a simplified cheap option. I also understand it certainly has its purpose--I just do not like it for a work-of-art type knife--even a nice custom working knife.

Will

hate em, leather all the way, all the time

I don't have any "art knives." All mine get used and are workers. I probably run about 50/50 kydex and leather. For a hard working knife, pure and simple to me, kydex wins over leather. I like leather and all, however to me it just cannot compete with kydex overall in hard use.

I don't know what art knives are, but I won't buy a knife that doesn't come in a leather sheath!

Must be a location thing...cuz to me it's exactly the opposite. Kydex is a useful tool in warm and wet such as rafting or stream fishing. It's not worth a crap in the environmental conditions where I do most of my hunting...

To me a typical hunt is backcountry/backpack. Let's use deer just to keep perspectives since they're hunted all over. To me, once I've killed a deer, then field dressed, boned and caped it, and am now gonna put all that meat, selected innards such as the liver, a wet cape and a rack and skull in/on my $500 back pack I'm not overly fretted with wiping off my knife and sticking it back in its sheath...