Kydex vs. Leather

[SHOKR]

Hey guys, i made a number of knives and now turn my attention towards their sheaths
I cant always decide which way to go, some knives scream leather, others, kydex, and some can fit both

So, why/when kydex and why/when leather? Pretty much pros vs cons

Btw, i will be commissioning someone to make my leather sheaths, i'll be making the kydex ones tho (when i get the requirements)

Thanks

 

[murphda2]

The primary factors I take into consideration are design and purpose of the knife. Personally I prefer Kydex for practical/utility designs where as I like leather for traditional bowies and hunters. A key factor for me is the design of the handle though. Regardless of the design of knife, I find it dificult to make a kydex sheath for a knife with a flat handle design. I prefer that the knife have a shape that lends itself to being able to form the sheath so that it has some bite to it in order to secure the knife into the sheath.

I also find that for pure aesthetic purposes, I prefer leather for any knife with a nice wooden handle and Kydex for knives with phenolic handles.

 

[SHOKR]

Awesome advice, Murphy

Thanks!
Kydex tends to scratch knives right? Or is that based on the make of the sheath?

 

[PKS1]

It's not the kydex that scratches the blade, its the debris that gets trapped in the sheath. I usually put a layer of painters tape on the blade before forming the sheath to give just enough space so the the debris that will inevitably gather in the sheath over time wont scratch the blade.

I used to think kydex scratched the blades until I learned this little trick, once I began using the tape, no more scratches. :biggrin:

 

[SHOKR]

It's not the kydex that scratches the blade, its the debris that gets trapped in the sheath. I usually put a layer of painters tape on the blade before forming the sheath to give just enough space so the the debris that will inevitably gather in the sheath over time wont scratch the blade.

I used to think kydex scratched the blades until I learned this little trick, once I began using the tape, no more scratches. :biggrin:

Thanks a lot, good to know