Kydex Questions

T

tonester

Guest
hey guys, im a newbie to kydex! besides owning a couple of kydex sheaths thats as far as my experience goes with it. i have a couple of kydex projects in mind and was wondering if you guys could help me out with some questions.

first off, wheres the best place to buy kydex? my projects are gonna be small, so i really dont need sheets any bigger than 12"x12". found a couple of sources using google but was wondering if anyone has a better source.

next question is whats the thinnest you can find kydex?

last question, what are some recommended tools? i know im gonna need a press, some kind of source of heat to mold the kydex, a machine to cut the kydex, and tools to make holes for the rivets and to insert the rivets.

thank you guys for the help, it is greatly appreciated!
 
I'm about to embark on some similar projects, and I'd recommend Tracy's shop (Midwest Knifemaker's Supply on the menu bar above). I plan to use a toaster oven for heat, drill for holes, dremel to cut/shape, and an eyelet setter ($7.28). If you need more colors, texas knife supply looks to have the rainbow. Thinnest I've seen is .060", or you could look at concealex which may go thinner? I'm not certain on that.
 
I buy Kydex from KnifeKits because their prices are good and they have all the colors, but their shipping is kind of brutal. I buy everything else from Tracy.
.060 is the thinnest I have seen and only in black. Most of the colors are .080 or .093.
I use a toaster oven to heat for molding, and a heat gun for tuning. You will also need a foam molding press, as well as a press and dies, or one of the flaring tool kits, to press the eyelets. Also a drill and the correct size bits. I use metal shears to cut the rough shapes and then use my belt grinder to finish the edges.
 
I think Springfield leather has about the best prices I've seen just for kydex...

http://springfieldleather.com/store/product/22548/Kydex-T,Calcutta,.06,1'x1'/

Of course they also have a few other offerings as well, but I'm not sure how much else of what you need that they'll have.
Knife kits is decent too, but after factoring in shipping, Tracy's prices are usually the best for what I need. He also has better prices on Concealex, which IMO is every bit as good as kydex, if not a little better.

That, and the fact that he has pretty much everything else I need (and ALMOST always for better prices that what I'd spend elsewhere) is why I keep coming back to boss's store. Plus the customer service is hard to beat!
 
thank you guys for all the info! if you guys have any more tips regarding working with kydex or concealex please let me know. thanks!
 
Just pay attention, there are lots of little details to figure out. Don't over-heat the stuff and you can re-mold it as much as you need to.
 
thanks again guys, i'll make sure to check the tutorial section!
 
I use some firm foam rubber from the local hardware store (Orchard) glued on some 3/4" plywood. I sandwich everything in an arbor press to apply pressure.

Like Justin, I use a toaster oven and heat gun. Sometimes for small pieces of Kydex, I just heat it with my heat gun. One of the nice things about Kydex is that when it doesn't mold correctly, I can put it back in the oven and start over again. Last night, I ended up reheating and molding a sheath 5 times before I got it right.

I use Armour All on it after I'm done to even out the color.

Ric
 
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