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The Sheath/Holster Makers Forum This is the place to discuss all forms of sheath and holster making.

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  #1  
Old 08-26-2004, 12:36 AM
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SKIVIE SKIVIE is offline
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Kydex Sheath Question

Im just about ready to place an order with Knifekits.com for a bunch of Kydex and all the goodies to start making sheaths. I would really like to buy one of those Rivet Presses but not sure I want to spend the money right now....trying to save it to get to Bowies.

Do I really need one ? Can I get by without one for now ? What could I use in in place of it to get me by ?

Thanks to those that have helped me with all my questions thus far with the Kydex sheaths.

Shane


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  #2  
Old 08-26-2004, 12:55 AM
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DiamondG Knives DiamondG Knives is offline
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Shane
Ive had good luck with a rig I call a rivit setter, dont know the proper name, but I bet someone here will, I belive I got it at Tandy. Its a set of diffrent size punches that have a cupped face, and a dished "anvil" on for the bottom side to keep things the same on both sides. Id practice setting a few before you do it on a sheath, but its a pretty simple process.

Ive been thinking on one of those presses myself, but they sell a kit for flaring the rivits that Im thinking you could adapt to the $12 arbor press from HF and save a few $$
I plan on making a foam lined press like they have also. I do a lot of Neck Knives and Kydex is the cats whiskers for that, for me.

Somthing else to consider, Chicago screws. They are a little higher, but some folks like the idea of being able to take a sheath apart to clean it. A little grit in a kydex sheat could really scratch up a blade.

Hope I helped, and didnt muddy up the water for ya!

See ya at Bowies!!! Hope my knife gets back from Rome in time!!

God Bless
Mike


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Old 08-28-2004, 07:52 PM
john foxwell john foxwell is offline
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Shane,
I went the direction Mike has suggested in that I bought the rivet dies from Knifekits, bought an arbor press and made the modification to the press to mount the dies.
Easy to do and works real well.
Since then, I have made a foam press, similar to what they are selling, which I also mount in the arbor press and I'm very happy with the results with this as well.

Hope this helps,

John.
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Old 08-28-2004, 08:40 PM
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Buy the dies and use them your drill press. Chuck one end up in the press and put the other in a hole in a block of wood. It really does not require much pressure. Works great on the 1/4" rivets.

Bill


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Old 08-28-2004, 10:29 PM
Darren Ellis Darren Ellis is offline
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I agree with everyone else, get the dies and use them with your drill press or catch the harbor freight arbor press on sale and make a dedicated press for the Kydex Rivets. The dies do a really good job of rolling the rivets, here's a sheath I recently made up:



I don't know if you'll be able to see the rivets or not in the image, but I've been really pleased with the dies, all in all...



-Darren


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Old 09-01-2004, 11:31 PM
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Thanks for the help all !

My Kydex Material showed up today so I figured I would attempt my first one. Going into this blind and really not knowing how to attack this I was a little confused.

First off, Should both sides of the Sheath be molded to the knife or just one side and the back side left flat .......I figured that would make applying the belt loop a little easier. I didnt do that, unfortunatelly. I molded both sides to the knife and it acutally turned out nice but now ill have to toy with the belt loop....this is going to be a vertical sheath. Tomorrow ill cut out the shape and rivet it together. Hopefully it will work, and if not.....ill try again.

This is a bird and trout knife with a fairly rounder handle, anyone have and pics of sheaths of this sort ? Also a backside photo of a vertical sheath would be much appreciated.

Thanks again guys for the help.

Shane


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Old 09-02-2004, 10:55 AM
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Chris Daigle Chris Daigle is offline
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Shane, I have a couple of photos. Maybe something that can help you out. The first is the rear of a sheath I made for a forum member. It's horizontal carry, but I think you get the idea. The other is the front view for a knife with a wraparound sheath. I know there are 2 different styles, but it may help you visualize something.

Chris



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Old 09-02-2004, 12:01 PM
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Thanks Chris ! Thats a lot of help. Nice work.

Just a question for ya, On the bottome one, the belt loop is attatched on the rear of the sheath by two chicago screws....nothing on the front side. If a person has that on their right side and was to catch the sheath on something....would it pull the sheath back and possibly break off the loop ? Im very new to Kydex sheaths so hopefully these arent dumb questions.

Thanks again,

Shane


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Old 09-02-2004, 12:34 PM
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Chris Daigle Chris Daigle is offline
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Shane, not a dumb question at all. In fact, I wondered about it when putting the sheath together. Because the sheath is doubled up, you have the rigidity of two layers. It "does" flex a little, and if something hard enough were to catch it and break it, all you would really be out is two screws. That's another thing I like about Kydex. It's so versatile. One way to overcome it would be to make 2 sides so that rivest go all the way around...just a different technique.

Chris
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Old 09-02-2004, 05:18 PM
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I took a piece of Kydex and molded it around a knife blade, then trimmed it off close and glued it to a piece of leather that I sewed up for a sheath. The leather looks a lot better than Kydex, but the Kydex isn't corrosive to the blade. I accidentally got a side benefit when the top of the Kydex (which I was originally going to trim off) ended up smaller than the bolster. Since it is unconnected at that end, the knife now "snaps" in and out of the sheath.

Like others have pointed out, Kydex is so versatile that it doesn't take long before you start dreaming up other ways to use it.


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Old 09-02-2004, 05:51 PM
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Ahhhh good points indeed guys. Ill be playing tonight on it. Ill post a photo when the results are in. Then you can tell me all the things I did wrong.....hehe.

Thanks again.

Shane


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