leather/kydex hybrid

[franklin]

Love the way kydex works love the look of leather so came up with this. Its a proto so be kind got some work to do on it,but really want to see if it holds up well.
Any one ever see something like this before? Or heard anything about a cross breed before LOL Please all comments welcome.

 

[Frank Hunter]

That looks like a good design. Very attractive package overall, looks like you can go to town with the looks and still have an extremely durable rig. Are you cementing the leather to the kydex or holding it with just the binding posts? I've been using a kydex body with standard "snap fit" over the bolsters with a leather retainer strap paddle under the handle for awhile in some applications for dual retention.

 

[franklin]

i was going to glue but for now i did not, at this point you could still take out bolts and were the holes are in the leather there are metal gromets in the kydex so you could take the leather off and put a chain through the gromet and wear the kydex part as a neck knife. next time i might use your strap ideal if you dont mind

 

[Lagrange]

Looks like it is gonna work for you franklin. I've considered this before but never got around to doing it. I dont see why it wouldnt work.

 

[Frank Hunter]

Franklin, if you go to my Facebook page for the business and dig around you'll find a couple of those knives that I photographed with sheath detail. Feel free to copy away.

 

[franklin]

thanks frank, lagrange its as sturdy as a tank just need to work on the finish!

 

[Don McNeil]

I have often considered doing something similar Franklin. I like the look of leather but the convenience of Kydex. I just may have to try this...the main thing I dislike about using leather is making the holes for sewing but I have recently started drilling the holes and that has made it easier. I think I will try this on a blade I am donating to a raffle for my sons marching band.

 

[franklin]

don go for it would like to see someone elses take on this,only suggetion i have is use the gromets in kydex then the bolt goes through them that way it will never tear out. Unless you fasten in a different way

 

[Frank Hunter]

Here are some thoughts -

The first few leather/kydex combos I did used a stack of a stainless acorn nut, a SS washer, the kydex/leather, then another washer and a stainless machine screw on the back to affix the paddle, in addition to eyelets on the rest of the sheath. That was ridiculous and I had to locktite everything. I recently changed to the "binding post" or sexbolt as the machine catalog calls them for all the connections, I figure it's basically a chicago screw with a drive socket or slot on both ends and the ones I obtained appear identical what I see in your picture. Running those through the open center of the eyelet/grommet sounds like an excellent idea. The binding posts are $0.90 each in galvanized and $2.60 in SS so I try to keep the usage of them to a minimum. Running both would allow a few less binding posts and the essential kydex fixture to be accomplished mostly with the less expensive eyelets.

 

[Sean Jones]

I like the idea. There are several manufacturers that make holsters that are Kydex and leather. My carry rig is a CompTac Minotaur. Might check 'em out for ideas

 

[firecog]

I wanted sharksin for my son's knife, but it's kind of thin, so I made a kydex sheath, then the leather one to go over it and attached very similar to yours.
This guy has got it down, though. I'm not sure if he's doing this anymore. There were some you tube videos by guys who had them, and they functioned as good as they look. I haven't quite firgured out how he forms the kydex.
http://martinsheaths.blogspot.com/2008/06/kydex-leather-for-swamprat-ratweiler.html

 

[franklin]

thanks for all the comments and ideals guys,there running rampent in my head now! firecog those are pretty cool,well all in all gots lots of new things to try.
Now lets see if i can make tghem look good!!