So who makes the best hand held eyelet setter for kydex etc?

Tod Lowe

Well-Known Member
I have purchased a couple different hand held eyelet setters and have not been impressed with either one. The eyelets hold great when set but cosmetically it just looks botched.
I just dont make enough knives to justify buying the dies and press but still would like to get good looking results on my eyelets. Is it possible without the dies?

If you have a hand held setter your happy with please let me know where you got it. :cool:

Thanks Dogs!
 
I've tried the hand setters numerous times and have never had much luck with them either.
I finally just sucked it up and bought the press and some dies, and the investement has been worth every penny.

One way I look at it is that an arbor press can be used for all sorts of other things if needed, and I actually found a 1/2 ton arbor press on ebay (Enco brand I think) for less than 30 bucks shipped, brand new. Drilled my own hole for dies, and I was good to go.

A set of dies will run you about another 30 to 45 bucks or so, depending on where you get them. I got Boss Dog's brand and they work great.

Another option is to just buy the dies and use them like a hand setter. Chuck one in a vise (or drill a "retaining" hole in your work bench or something) for your "anvil" and tap the other with a hammer. Might wear the ends out a little more than an arbor press, but it works.

Either way, your eyelets (and consequently your sheaths) will look 1000x better, and they'll hold together better too.
 
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