[kev]

Anyone have tips for making a kydex knife sheath?

I ordered a Morakniv 746 from Maverick Trading Post on Ebay - https://www.ebay.com/usr/mavericktradingpost

For some reason the 746 comes with a narrow belt loop that would not even fit my leather belt. So I need to make something that will fit MOLLE webbing. Even if the sheath just has a clip it is better than what came from the factory.

I know I can got YouTube and find numerous videos, but I would like to hear from people who have actually made knife sheaths from kydex.

Where do I start?

What do I need to avoid?

How do I make a quality product?

I need something that can attach to MOLLE webbing.

 

[Exarmyguy]

Ive shaped kydex with a heatgun and form blocks. It wasnt for knife sheaths but for aircraft parts. Make sure you have more kydex than for the actual parts because you will probably wreck some learning the right length of time and heat to form it. Having forms that contain the shape is a big help also.

 

[Lost Woods Survival]

You can order kits online for kydex to make stuff. I have a small video on youtube about making a holster which is the same steps. A toaster oven and some dense padding will work for the press. Sandpaper and snaps are great to have or a saw of some kind. The fumes are horrible btw. I don't talk in the video to reduce effort in info and I do have lots of pictures, I did it for my SDI class in school.

 

[charliemeyer007]

Some people use a hydraulic press with a box and have foam above and below the warm kydex wraped around the knife. Have a board on top to distribute the pressure over the foam. Most use 2 different foam densities. 1.5" of low density on both sided of the knife and another 1.5" of higher density to sandwich the other foam. The pressure plate can be like 1/4" steel or 2 or 3 thickness of 1/2 OSB.

Heat the kydex in hot water, fold around the knife tightly. I'd have the cutting edge facing the open side. Screw, rivet, hot rod and sew the seam, then trim. It would pay to have your attachment method already in place.

I like leather. This was wet formed. Fits my pistol belt just fine. Plus the rivet seam is treated with jewels rouge so I can strop the blade. I made a separate pouch for a steel and stone and small pry bar - no pic's it was a gift for a friend. The pouch fits on the outside alice clip. You can carry the knife on either side.

Copper rivets. Double needle locking stitched with artificial sinew back stitched on both ends

I have attached alice clips to other items by sewing a leather disk with the clip captured just like the sheath. On holsters it is trapped between the 2 layers of leather, smooth inside and out. No metal in contact with the pistol

https://www.survivalistboards.com/picture.php?albumid=6258&pictureid=96321

 

[kmussack]

Kev,
I’ve made several sheaths over the years using Kydex.

You’ll need a few essential tools like a small arbor press with a grommet forming fixture.

Obviously, you’ll need some Kydex, grommets and Chicago screws too.

If you don’t want to invest the capital to get “tooled up” I’m sure you can find someone to make the sheath for you.

Kevin

 

[JLeeS1983]

My first kydex sheath was made using thin foam sheets stacked that I bought at Walmart and sandwiched between a cutting board and a table with me sitting on it as the clamp. I eventually bought some foam fatigue mats from harbor freight and clamped between two pieces of wood. You don't need to invest alot in it to make a few sheaths. My toaster oven works to heat up the kydex. For setting the eyelets I used a cheap hand held eyelet setter from ebay that I just hammer. An arbor press would probably make them look nicer cause the hammering tends to scuff the backs of the eyelets, but they are good enough for me. If you plan on making alot of sheaths might be worth it to invest in better gear.

 

[AK103K]

If you want a decent job, youre going to need to get and/or make some things. YouTube is a great place to figure things out too. I highly suggest you take advantage of it.

Ive been making mostly sheaths, and some holsters, for a number of years now. After watching a number of videos on YouTube, I built a press very similar to Lost Woods' set up, and picked up kydex and the other needed parts/pieces from here.

https://www.knifekits.com/vcom/holster-making-materials-kydex-c-1071_54.html

Things youll want, kydex sheets, rivets of a couple sizes, a rivet tool that fit them, the kydex drill makes things a bit easier (its more precise and cuts a cleaner hole), but not really needed. For attachments, I usually keep it simple and use the rubber "pull the dot" belt loops you often see on IWB holsters, but they also have other attachment methods there as well and I believe they have some Molle stuff.

You can "score cut" the kydex with a straightedge and a sharp tipped knife (my preferred method), if you dont have a jig/scroll saw. Three or four passes with some heavy pressure, and you will get a clean "snap" when held over a sharp countertop edge and you press down.

The saws can be a big help if you have a lot of trimming after your done, but they can also screw things up pretty quick if youre not careful. I try to avoid any excess cutting after riveting.

A belt sander chucked into a bench vise at a comfortable angle works great, and actually better than the saw to finish (lets you shape and clean the edges up nice), as long as you dont have a whole lot to trim.

For a heat source, I just use the oven in the kitchen, with the kydex on a cookie sheet with a piece of tin foil on it. 350* for about 5-6 minutes seems to work best. You will want gloves, and everything set up and ready to go, before you put it in the oven. You dont have much time, once its out, and you have to work fast. If it sets up to fast, or you dont like it, you can put it back in the oven, and try again once it goes back flat.

I do have a small, torch burner that Ive used a couple of times to make "adjustments" to a few things, but thats not the norm. You have to be careful too, its easy to get carried away with a flame, and screw it up quick.

Ive heard people say they use a torch to warm the kydex sheets, but from what Ive seen, trying to do it with larger pieces, it doesnt work very well at all, and the kydex tends to get singed if youre not careful. The oven is the way to go.


As far as the molle mounts, I have a couple of knives on chest bags with Molle attachments. I use the pull the dot belt loops, as I find they are more versatile if you decide you want to take it off and use it elsewhere.

I slip the sheath behind something else mounted on the Molle, or even behind the chest bag itself, and slip the loop through the nearest attachment point on the rack. I find the knife is more secure this way, moves around less, and it also takes up less space.


These are a couple Ive done...