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Author Topic: Avoiding Kydex.....  (Read 2047 times)

Offline robtattoo

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Avoiding Kydex.....
« on: November 04, 2008, 04:33:00 AM »
I just got this finished up last night.

As I keep selling every neck knife I make for myself, I thought I'd have one last go at making a keeper.

I can't tell you much about the blade as I didn't make it. All I know is that it's Damasteel with 'vine & thorn' filework & I love it!  :D  OAL is just 5" with a 1-3/4" cutting edge. The handle is Amboyna burl, epoxied in place with epoxy 'pins'

The sheath is the cool part, as far as I'm concerned. The trouble with leather neck sheaths is that you invariably have to have a tip-down carry configuration, making accessing the knife a little awkward & virtually impossble to do one-handed unless you make the sheath overly large & loose fitting. The downside with this is that the sheath becomes bulky & not very secure. The usual alternative is Kydex, which can be made much smaller & is far more secure.
My problem is that I detest kydex sheaths with wooden handled knives. They just look wrong, fine with a modern handle material, but out of place with a traditional knife.
I've buggered about with this idea in my head for ages & I think I finally came up with a solution.

The band around the middle of the sheath conceals 6 tiny (4mm x 1mm) neodimium magnets. I punched out the leather to inlet the magnets & then epoxied them in place, covering them with a very thin layer of soft leather.
The magnets are rated to hold 4oz each & between them they hold the knife snug & secure in the sheath allowing me to carry it as I could a Kydex-sheathed necker!

 

 

 

 

 
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Offline OconeeDan

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Re: Avoiding Kydex.....
« Reply #1 on: November 04, 2008, 05:15:00 AM »
Awesome!

Offline Lin Rhea

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Re: Avoiding Kydex.....
« Reply #2 on: November 04, 2008, 06:31:00 AM »
Very nice! I agree with you and dont like the look of Kydex even though it is very secure. Great solution. Lin
"We dont rent pigs." Augustus McCrae
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Offline tippit

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Re: Avoiding Kydex.....
« Reply #3 on: November 04, 2008, 06:33:00 AM »
Great idea!
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Offline d. ward

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Re: Avoiding Kydex.....
« Reply #4 on: November 04, 2008, 06:43:00 AM »
Thats a beautiful piece of work there.Really great idea...bd

Offline skullworks

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Re: Avoiding Kydex.....
« Reply #5 on: November 04, 2008, 06:56:00 AM »
Awesome job Rob!!! I have seen some kydex that is covered with thin leather after it is formed. Just another idea to throw out!
'cuz deer huntin' ain't catch & release!

Offline vermonster13

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Re: Avoiding Kydex.....
« Reply #6 on: November 04, 2008, 06:57:00 AM »
Very ingenious Rob and beautiful work.
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For hunting to have a future, we must invest ourselves in future hunters.

Offline Ray Hammond

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Re: Avoiding Kydex.....
« Reply #7 on: November 04, 2008, 07:19:00 AM »
I like that approach, Rob!!!! Wonderful craftsmanship.
“Courageous, untroubled, mocking and violent-that is what Wisdom wants us to be. Wisdom is a woman, and loves only a warrior.” - Friedrich Nietzsche

Offline Jon Christensen

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Re: Avoiding Kydex.....
« Reply #8 on: November 04, 2008, 09:34:00 AM »
Nice work Rob. Very clean. I like your blade steel. Cool looking pattern!!!
Jon Christensen
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Offline madness522

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Re: Avoiding Kydex.....
« Reply #9 on: November 04, 2008, 09:56:00 AM »
Thats nice Rob!!
Barry Clodfelter
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Offline oldpaths

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Re: Avoiding Kydex.....
« Reply #10 on: November 04, 2008, 10:01:00 AM »
awesome!!!!  :thumbsup:
Colossians 3:23

Offline Nosight

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Re: Avoiding Kydex.....
« Reply #11 on: November 04, 2008, 10:37:00 AM »
Great looking set. I realy like the file work.

 If you need a tester for this new idea send it my way. (lol)

 Again great looking set.

 Later.....Buzz
Remember...aim small miss small...

Offline tomh

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Re: Avoiding Kydex.....
« Reply #12 on: November 04, 2008, 11:09:00 AM »
Rob you do some nice work with leather and steel. Good idea on the magnets.

Offline Lewis Brookshire III

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Re: Avoiding Kydex.....
« Reply #13 on: November 04, 2008, 12:16:00 PM »
Wow Rob, thats a great looking necker!!!
"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."
- Jim Elliot: Missionary/Martyr.

Offline MYSTIKBOW

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Re: Avoiding Kydex.....
« Reply #14 on: November 04, 2008, 12:34:00 PM »
DANG!!  :notworthy:    :notworthy:    :notworthy:
I reckon so

Offline tradtusker

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Re: Avoiding Kydex.....
« Reply #15 on: November 04, 2008, 03:10:00 PM »
saw this one today up close its a beauty   :D
There is more to the Hunt.. then the Horns

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Andy Ivy

Offline imskippy

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Re: Avoiding Kydex.....
« Reply #16 on: November 04, 2008, 10:14:00 PM »
Rob, beautiful work. just a little food for thought. Here is how I make my neckers. Tip up one handed operation. I'm thinking of adding some magnets in the next one for more security. Skippy

   
   
   
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Offline TxMoon

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Re: Avoiding Kydex.....
« Reply #17 on: November 05, 2008, 10:00:00 AM »
awesome Rob that is just awesome! Good Idea
Technique and Knowledge is the largest factor in being able to build a good knife. Lin Rhea

Offline T.Minish

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Re: Avoiding Kydex.....
« Reply #18 on: November 13, 2008, 09:37:00 PM »
Have you tried rawhide instead of kydex? It works really well and is certainly trad!

Offline JC

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Re: Avoiding Kydex.....
« Reply #19 on: November 18, 2008, 06:56:00 AM »
Beautiful work Rob, your skills are improving at a marvelous rate. You're bringing a bag of steel goodies when you come with you to TX, right?  :saywhat:
"Being there was good enough..." Charlie Lamb reflecting on a hunt
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