Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Custom Kydex Sheath for the Pathfinder Knife

Blind Horse Knives "Pathfinder Bushcraft Knife", Custom Kydex Sheath on ESEE Molle backing

Working with Kydex:
I got my Pathfinder Knife from Blind Horse Knives way back. So way back in fact, they hadn't even started shipping them with the trademark kydex sheath that they come standard with now. That was fine, I enjoy leather a great deal and I like the traditional look they have hanging off the belt, but looking at my RC-4 I liked the idea of securing the Pathfinder in a kydex sheath to the mollebacking, and adding a firesteel loop. It's very satisfying to put your knife away and have it snap right into the sheath and know it's not going anywhere, so I decided why not have a go at making one of my own?

There's nothing quite like making your own gear. You know what's capable of, you know it's limits but but most importantly, you put the time into creating something that ultimately is tailored to what you need and ask of your gear. I've made a few leather sheaths now, and am fairly comfortable working with the material, and can produce some functional pieces (if not all that aesthetically pleasing). After reading numerous tutorials on kydex available online, I decided the process seemed cimple enough. Heat the Kydex, form it around the knife, clamp it in the heat proof foam to mold it, and then trim/sand/drill the final product.

Like everything else in life though, you need to read through the lines. Don't get me wrong, the process of making a sheath in kydex really is as simple as described above...but simple doesn't always equate to easy.

Working with kydex is a pain. The material doesn't always do what you want it to do when it's malleable, and it cools so fast that you need work very quickly to get it around the knife and into the mold while it's still workable. I didn't even bother trying to document how I made the sheath. If a sheet of kydex is $5 and the molding foam $8, why do sheath makers charge upwards of $50 for a custom sheath?? Now I know they earn every penny that they charge. The amount of skill, and investment in proper tools that is required is unreal.




To be honest, I'm ok with the final result. The sheath I made works, it's 100% functional...however there are things about it that could be improved on. In the future I might get a sheath done professionally, but for now I'm glad I at least tried out the process. Heck, if I get ballsy enough, I may even try to make another sheath myself until I get it right.


The Sheath System:

The setup
  • I mounted the Kydex sheath onto the molle backing for my RC-4 (ESEE4) and added a strip of folded leather in between to act as a firesteel loop. Because the belt loop on molle backing forces the knife to ride higher on my waist than I wanted, I made a leather quick release that secures it to my belt with 4 metal snaps. This also allows me to put on or remove the sheath without having to take my belt off (which started to annoy me with my old leather sheath).

  • The sheath itself is formed with a drain hole at the bottom, so the knife won't be held against moisture in the event the sheath is submerged in water.
  • The firesteel is an LMF army model with a custom wood turned handle, and some shock cord in the lanyard hole with an ITW Nexus Aerowave whistle as a cord lock.

  • The sheath wrapped with about 10ft of 550 cord, just in case I need some extra.

  • I have a few holes drilled that I can add some split ring onto, if I feel the need to carry some extra items like an LED light or aluminum capsules (tinder, water purification, etc).

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

So what did you learn this time?


"...because you always learn something new"

Those words were inquired to me at the end of the trip last weekend. It's true, I mean I do like evaluate how certain sets up worked, or what pieces of gear I needed or didn't use. Of course there are always lessons to be learned too, based on what I did or didn't do right or could be improved on for next time...I mean, it's a constant evolution and the learning process never ends...I just never realized how predictable it was for me to express the lessons I took away each time.

The question was genuine though, so I can take solace in the fact that my passion is being supported by those around me.

So what did I learn?
  1. A kit with tools you need is no good if it's hanging on a tree in base camp instead of in your canoe when you realize you need something from it (I admit I should have known better)

  2. A 3mil garbage bag is fine for an emergency shelter, but it's time to invest in a light weight tarp.

  3. Get a proper poncho. This will be the last time I tear up a cheap poncho and have to repair it with duct tape!

  4. A properly built back wall on your fire pit makes all the difference when you want to save on wood and stay warm efficiently.
There are more, but listing them all really doesn't prove anything. The point I'm trying to convey is that it's important that you evaluate where you are. It might seem silly, but are you better now than you were 6 months ago? Have you improve or are you stagnating? Think about it, and be honest with yourself.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Growth

I don't consider myself all that skilled or knowledgeable when it comes to bushcraft skills...regardless I have come far in the past few years. I most certainly do not see myself as a teacher of any kind, but this past weekend in the bush I was pleasantly surprised by the subtle influence my passion has had on someone very close to me.

My girlfriend shocked me completely when she asked me to teach her how to featherstick some kindling. I had previously gotten her a Mora knife, and after watching me she decided to try her hand at learning some basic knife skills.

Getting the technique down


The results

She later proceeded to have me guide her through the process of making her first fire using a firesteel and birch bark.


Her first fire ended up "drinking draino" because she turned her back on it in her excitement, but she just got right back to it and started another one with more feathersticks and birch tinder (and this one ended up lasting the whole night). This was the first time I ever completely let someone else take the reigns of starting and managing the fire, something I consider a fairly sacred task.


Passing on this knowledge is a pretty special thing...I guess we both grew a little bit this weekend.