Jay Fisher: World Class Knifemaker, Photographer, Writer

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"The Best Living Knifemaker" -- in the 2007 "Best of the West Sourcebook" by True West Publications

 

Custom Knife Sheaths

 

Fine custom sheaths: Freedom's Promise: Gold-washed hand-tooled leather shoulder

Please note: I do not make sheaths for factory knives or other makers' knives!

Question about custom knife sheaths? You're in the right place!

Click on the topics below to zip down to the answers.

 

Freedom's Promise: Hand-engraved 440C, Blued Steel, Nickel Silver, Jasper, Quartz, Sodalite, Opals, Ivory, Tiger Iron, Hand-Tooled Leather Gold-Washed sheath     Fine Leatherwork, Hand tooling, hand carving, metallic washed sheath

Fine Exotic Overlayed and Embroidered Sheath in Lizard Skin     The best combat and tactical sheaths in kydex, aluminum, and steel

Cobra skin inlays in hand-tooled leather sheath, matching the geometric lines of the knife      Fine Inlay Patterns complimenting knife sheath in sharkskin

Custom knife sheaths with emu, ostrich inlays in leather shoulder     Sheath for Titan Kerambit: Ostrich Leg Skin inlaid in hand-tooled leather shoulder

Click on thumbnails

What's in a knife sheath?
What's the difference between a sheath and a scabbard?
A knife sheath should protect the wearer.
Welts are important!
The sheath should hold the knife securely.
The sheath should hug the wearer.
A knife sheath should last.
What is the weight and thickness designation for leathers?
The sheath should look good.
Stamped, Tooled, or Carved?
Engraved leather sheaths?

Military combat tactical sheaths are special.

Military locking sheaths are the best, period.
Why can't I store the knife long term in the sheath?
What about dishwashers and washing sheaths?
Jay, do you make sheaths for other makers or factory knives?
I didn't get my sheath answer here, Jay
 

 


 

What's in a sheath?

"Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skin and clothed them."

                                   --Genesis Ch. 3, V. 21

    Years ago, when I first started making knives, I asked a few "masters" at knife shows about their sheaths. After all, when they sold a knife, the client (customer) would ask for something to carry it in, right? You wouldn't believe the responses:

  • "I'm a knifemaker, not a sheath maker. Go see a leatherworker"

  • "I don't have any sheaths right now, but here, I'll wrap it in this brown bag for you to carry home."

  • "Oh, you wouldn't want to put that pretty knife in an ugly old sheath now, would you?"

  • "Here, under the table, I've got these rather plain sheaths." (Pulls out some flat leather stitched together and oiled) "I'm gonna have some nicer sheaths as soon as I get caught up."

  • "Sheaths? Oh, that'll cost you extra, because I have to get another set of tools and learn to use them."

  • "No one's ever wanted a sheath before!"

  • "Waddayamean, my sheaths don't match the knives!?! It fits inside doesn't it?"

  • "You can buy any old sheath kit from one of those leather companies, and stitch it together yourself."

"Astarion" 440C stainless tool steel blade, hand-engraved 304 stainless steel bolsters, jade and agate gemstone handle, ostrich skin inlaid in hand-tooled leather sheath

Fine Exotic Inlay Sheaths, Inlaid with Rayskin in Leather Shoulder

Rear Details of Fine Exotic Skin Inlaid Sheath, Inlays of Green Rayskin in Leather Shoulder

Military Combat Tactical Sheaths- Kydex, Aluminum, Nickel Plated Steel- "Grim Reaper" Push Dagger

Combat Tactical Fighting Knife Sheath: Kydex, Aluminum, Nickel Plated Steel Details

    I realized many years ago, when I first started in this trade, that sheaths, stands, boxes, accouterments were all a part of the trade, and if I wanted to provide a complete package, then it better include a fine sheath: tough, strong, and well made, to match the knife, and commensurate with the quality of the knife.

    I was determined to make some of the best sheaths out there, sheaths that the owner would cherish as much as the blade, ones that would last at least a generation, maybe several, and maybe even as long as the knife. I still hold true to that concept, and my sheaths and accessories are a vital part of my art and trade.

Sheaths do take another complete set of tools, techniques, processes, and skills. So I took that on, as another facet of the trade, to complete the package. I work very hard to build a fine sheath, to fit the particular knife, to compliment it as well as protect the knife and the wearer. The color schemes match the handle materials and blades, the styles and curves match my artistic intention for the knife. The military grade combat and tactical sheaths are probably the best and toughest made out there, I've never seen any better.

 

  Sheath work: hand carving with a scalpel on the granite block.

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What's the difference between a sheath and a scabbard?

"Classic" Dagger Sheath: 40 Inlays of Exotic Red Rayskin in 9 - 10 oz. Leather Shoulder, Lacquered and sealed, hand-stitched with polyester sinew

Sheath made of Alligator skin inlaid in hand-carved leather

These days, most Americans use the term sheath, and less often scabbard.  The word scabbard is of medieval origin, from the words scauberd or scauberk, which are from Old High German words scar (sword) and bergan (to hide and protect). So a scabbard is the case for a double edged blade, such as a sword, dagger, or bayonet.

The word sheath is of Anglo Saxon origin, from the word scæth, which is the same root of the word shed. Sheath refers to any case for any knife, sword or dagger and is a more universal term. When in doubt, use "sheath."

On the right is a dagger which sits in a scabbard. Also called a sheath! Below it is a sheath, which is NOT called a scabbard, because the knife only has a single edge.

Frog skin inlays in hand-carved leather shoulder

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A knife sheath should, first and foremost, protect the wearer.

9-10 ounce leather cow shoulder, nearly 1/4" Thick!

Open or display type of knife sheath for trailing point knives: "Izumi" with leather and lizard skin inlays

The knife is, after all, honed to a razor's edge, and usually carried against a vulnerable part of the body. So you want the knife to fit snugly in it's protected pocket. That is one of the reasons that I make the sheaths out of 9-10 oz. leather. Other makers might use 4-6 oz., but that is not thick and strong enough. It won't be stiff, either, so if you are hiking, or on horseback, and take a tumble, you don't want the sheath to flex enough to let your knife cut through, and cut you! That leads to another point: stiffness. If I could, I'd make the sheath as hard as lumber. That's because of the "flexing" point I just made. The sheath is your protection from your knife, not just a little thin bag that you deposit your knife in to keep the dust off. So sheaths should never be oiled. That will just soften even the thickest leather, enough to make the frame of the sheath floppy and sloppy, enough for the sheath to bend. It will also attract and hold dust, which will eventually scratch your knife.

Having the protection in the proper place is the foundation of a well-designed and constructed sheath. To the left is a picture of a fine sheath that does just that, yet lets the wearer display the beautiful handle and lines of the blade. This type of sheath works well on trailing point knives which are hard to sheath because of the high point and its propensity to dig into or cut into the welts. In this sheath type, the knife must be rolled away from the point to remove it from the sheath.

Sheath work: Hand tooling/stamping on the block

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Welts are important!

Sheath components: welts, sides, belt loops, all 9-10 oz. leather shoulder

The welts are the strips along the sides of the sheath that the knife's cutting edge and spine slide down against. The cutting edge welt will, over years of use, take plenty of abuse as the knife edge slides down against it every time it's inserted, and the edge may be dragged against it every time it is removed. The welts also impart stiffness to the entire sheath, and thickness to accommodate the handle. So the welts must be thick, the stitches that go through them must be well protected, and they must be sealed from the environment, as well as secured with good adhesive. Good welts are often 2-3 times the thickness of the sheath front and back, and often tapered to be wider at the top for easy insertion of the handle. The ultimate welts are aluminum, used on my military sheaths.

"Astarion" 440C stainless tool steel blade, hand-engraved 304 stainless steel bolsters, jade and agate gemstone handle, ostrich skin inlaid in hand-tooled leather sheath     "Astarion" 440C stainless tool steel blade, hand-engraved 304 stainless steel bolsters, jade and agate gemstone handle, ostrich skin inlaid in hand-tooled leather sheath     "Argyre" in sheath, hand-tooled leather inlaid with burgundy lizard skin     "Phobos" Obverse side view: 440C high chromium stainless steel blade, hand-engraved 304 stainless steel bolsters, Brown Micaceous Hematite Gemstone handle, brown rayskin inlaid in leather sheath

Sheath work:  hand stitching

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The sheath should hold the knife securely.

Group of fine knife sheaths, airbrushed, inlays, exotic overlays, embroidered, hand-tooled, custom

 

Custom Knife Sheaths fine detail work, airbrushed, hand-tooled, exotic inlays, overlays, embroidered

There are several ways to do this. One is a snapping retaining strap that wraps around the handle. Most simple "kit" sheaths are made this way. If this is used, you might consider whether the snap is secure when walking through brush, which would mean the top snap strap needs to fold to the back. This design is usually used on large knives, where it is unlikely the blade will "fall" out of the sheath body even if the snap is not secured.  Please consider this when you examine any sheath the uses a strap or snap retention method: when the sheath is withdrawn, will the cutting edge contact or (worse) drag across the strap, eventually cutting it in half? What about inserting the knife into the sheath? Will the strap be clumsy and interfere with insertion, causing you to use two hands? Often, in many knives and sheaths, these wearer and user issues are not even considered. An improvement on the strap design is the full snap flap, a flap that covers, from front to back, most of the knife handle, while the blade is fully pocketed. A deeper and more protective pocket is a full sheath, where the knife is shoved down deeply into the sheath, and just the handle butt, hawk's bill, or lanyard ring or hole is accessible. These knives are held in place by pressure from the front  and back of the sheath bearing down on the bolster faces. That leads to a little "buffing" on the bolster faces, but it holds the knife with perfect tension. Sheaths that are used in a variety of positions may have additional features to secure the knife inside (see military combat and tactical sheaths below).

 

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The sheath should hug the wearer.

Fine custom knife and sheath detail, 2" belt loop, inlays of exotic lizard, hand tooled

Detail of fine custom knife sheath, crossdraw style, wraparound hand-tooled leather

Fine custom knife sheath rear detail, inlays, full high belt loop, hand tooled, exotics, polyester sinew stitching

Fine military combat tactical knife sheath, waterproof, kydex, aluminum, steel, nickel plated steel belt clip

There are several proven and accepted ways for the sheath to attach to the wearer. The most common is the belt loop, usually about 1.75" wide, a strap of leather securely attached to the back of the knife sheath top and bottom, with just enough clearance to slide the belt through. This is used on nearly all leather sheaths. I want this part to be very secure, so I stitch the belt loops with polyester sinew, the toughest stuff on the market. The stitches are recessed inside the sheath back, so the blade doesn't accidentally contact the stitching and cut it during insertion and removal. The bottom of the belt loop is also securely recessed, stitched, and knotted. The belt loop is also glued with waterproof cement, and the stitching and loop are sealed with waterproof leather sealer, either water-based or lacquer. Most wearers prefer the "right side-blade back" position of carry, but some are lefties or have special requests.

I also make cross draw belt loops, which are usually worn with the blade down on the opposite side of the hand that pulls the knife. Sometimes the wearer requests "blade up" such as ranchers or horsemen who don't want the chance of scarring a saddle or their thigh. The cross draw allows the knife to pivot somewhat, and assume a nearly horizontal profile, which is more comfortable when seated or riding in a vehicle, so the knife handle doesn't poke the wearer under the ribs. An interesting side note: a crossdraw sheath can also be worn in the lower back, and a jacket can conceal this nearly horizontal profile. If you're a law enforcement officer, or federal agent or officer, a high angle crossdraw sheath can completely conceal the knife  against the small of the back, and this is often requested by professionals. For civilian wearers, this type of concealment can get you in a lot of trouble, so be sure to check your local laws.

It's important to go into more detail about horizontal sheaths. Though it's easy to visualize the hand reaching behind the back, under a coat, and pulling out a long blade, the reality is more complicated. The issues with completely horizontal sheaths are that they must be fairly tight so that the knife does not fall out. Retaining straps have their own set of problems, being mainly their potential of being sliced by the cutting edge, particularly if you can't see what is going on. Tougher still is the issue of reinserting the knife into a horizontal sheath on the back. It's a blind move, with a razor keen edge and sharp pointed blade right next to the kidneys... and often takes both hands to manipulate the knife and sheath together. Not many guys are comfortable with pulling off this maneuver. The crossdraw is much easier, the sheath can be seen, and it only takes one hand. Again, please also consider concealment issues and laws.

On long knives a double loop (one loop high on the sheath and one low) can offer a variety of carries. On very long sheaths, a thigh lanyard, tie, or snap strap is offered. On military knives, the most secure method is an aluminum belt loop bolted to the welts and frame of the sheath (see "Military Sheaths" below). Belt clips are also used and can be very sturdy; they allow quick removal of the sheath without pulling the belt or webbing off the body. Police, military, and tactical users like this type, as it can be removed or attached quickly, depending on their situation, and can even be clipped on riot gear or a car door or console case. I usually use nickel plated steel clips for strength and corrosion protection. Sometimes, nickel silver clips are used on fancy small knives. I even use titanium belt clips.

I do not make sheaths to accommodate wear on the arms or legs. The reason for this is that the knife must fit snugly in the sheath, even with alternate means of retention, like straps or snap flaps. When the knife is pulled out of the sheath, it is in the direction of the limbs smallest diameter, which will pull the entire fixture down the arm, or down the leg. In the arm it is particularly troublesome, because the wrist is smaller than the girth of the arm at the elbow, so the straps are trying to pull down the arm. It's the same reason that socks won't stay up! You're trying to pull downhill yet have the sheath stay in place. So the only way to counter this is with a long strap that goes up the arm that the sheath is mounted on, over the shoulder, and is retained around the neck. What a mess! It works good in Hollywood, but in reality is an entirely different affair. Also, there is a problem with knife sheaths mounted on the leg. In order to pull against the taper of the leg, just like on the forearm, the knife must be pulled up. That means that the area to pull the knife must be as long as the sheath throat and full knife length added together. No man can lift up his pants that high, he'd have to be wearing shorts... so this is impractical. If the pull is downward on the leg, he's pulling against geometry (again) or the knife may have to have some type of complicated retention method to prevent falling out... What a mess. Then, there is the whole concealment issue. As a professional, I can't be known for helping bend concealment laws. So, generally, I stay away from this type of mounting, unless it's for law enforcement or federal agents. Please read the related topic on my Business of Knifemaking page at this bookmark.

              Sheath work: hand stitching with an awl and polyester sinew

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The sheath should last.

Custom Sailor's knives, fine waterproof knife sheath, with marlinspike pocket, kydex, aluminum, steel

Piggyback Sheath Detail, Salado, Caper, Hand-Tooled Leather Shoulder

Most factory or common knife sheaths might last 1-3 years, even if coddled. The reason is that the knife is not often actually used. Most of the time, it sits in the sheath, waiting, while the owner bangs the sheath on everything he runs into, leans against, or sits upon. The knife is often stored in the sheath and thrown in with tools and utensils, maybe a toolbox, or a drawer with other sharp or hard tools. Every ding, impact, and scuff that the knife sheath takes shortens its usable life. I've seen leather and stitches literally worn away by wearers, until the knife pops out! This is another reason only heavy weight (9-10 oz) shoulder should be used for sheaths. I've even used sole leather on particularly demanding applications! With leather sheaths, I hand stitch with polyester sinew, the toughest binder on the market. You absolutely cannot break this stuff with your bare hands. Military sheaths are screwed together with steel Chicago screws, not rivets. I design sheaths to last at least one generation, and with care perhaps many (see military combat and tactical sheaths below).

Below: sheaths for professional chef's knives: a slip sheath for storage and transport, protecting the blade and cutting edge.

"Saussure" Master chef's knife: milled 440C high chromium stainless tool steel blade, sculpted 304 stainless steel bolsters, Australian Tiger Iron, granite gemstone handle, kydex, nickel plated steel sheath     "Saussure" slip fit sheath detail. Sheath offers full blade protection, for transport and storage, waterproof double thickness kydex, nickel plated steel Chicago screws          "Sasserides" Professional bread knife: scalloped deep serrations, hollow ground, mirror finished 440C high chromium stainless tool steel blade, 304 high nickel stainless tool steel bolsters, Australian Tiger Iron gemstone, granite gemstone handle, kydex, nickel plate steel sheath     "Sasserides" Master Bread knife: sheathed view. Sheath is a slip fit kydex protective sheah for storage and transport

Brown Stingray skin inlaid in hand-carved, hand-stamped 9 - 10 oz. leather shoulder, hand-stitched

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  What is the weight  and thickness designation of leather?

Regular geometric sheath tooling pattern in double stitched sheath for large kukri

Leather is the hide of cattle, stripped of all hair and properly vegetable tanned. The most important size measurement in knife sheaths is the thickness, designated in the leather trade by weight. So, all cattle leathers are measured in ounces. An ounce roughly translates to 1/64th of an inch (.4mm). So one ounce thick leather is about 1/64th of an inch thick (about .015" for you machinists). The leather I use for sheaths is 9-10 oz. thick, or .150" or about 5/32 of an inch (4mm). When used in welts, which are stacked in multiples, along with the front and back of the sheath, it's not unusual for the sheath thickness to be 3/4" thick! Incidentally, thick leathers (over 4-5 oz.) only come from mature cattle. Interestingly, this is why factories or mass-produced sheaths are made of thinner leather, sometimes without welts, and always weaker. Machines can not stitch through three quarters of an inch of tough leather. So in order to keep labor costs low and use machinery as much as possible, factories stay away from thicker leather. Good for them, bad for you if you want a tough, stout, useable, and protective sheath that will last a generation.

Complex "weave and tucked" basketweave hand stamped leather sheath on "Flamesteed" knife

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The sheath should look good.

Custom Knife Sheath Detail: Precise inlays of Red Rayskin, Hand-Tooled heavy Leather

Sailors Knives, Sheaths, Sharkskin Marlinspike Snap Pouches, Leather, Stainless Steel

Durango and Sheath, Cornsnake Overlay, Hand-Lacing, Fine Custom Sheaths

Not only is the sheath part of your knife investment, it is often the only thing that is seen riding on your hip, at your side, or hanging upside down on your BDUs (See military combat sheaths below). So it should be attractive, as well as utilitarian. In fact, it should be commensurate with your knife investment, should match the knife in every artistic and working fashion. The knife and sheath should work together, look good together, ride well together, be comfortable with each other and with you. I've seen beautiful knives pulled out of ugly, plain sheaths, and with them comes an apology and a promise of "getting a nice sheath for my knife someday." The truth is, the only one who can design and make a sheath that truly matches the intent, style, flavor and mastery of the knifemaker is... the knifemaker! So wouldn't it make sense for him to complete the package and make a fine sheath too? That's why I use exotic inlays of rayskin, sharkskin, hippo, rattlesnake, python, emu, safari antelope, gazelle, and even cow stomach (don't laugh, it's beautiful!). I also engrave, hand-tool, hand carve and stamp, metallize, and even airbrush some of my sheaths. I've adorned sheaths with carving, inlay, overlays, and mounts of gemstone, scrimshaw ivory, and precious metals.

ArielAthane10.jpg (115819 bytes)     Fine Custom Knife Sheath with Scrimshawed Ivory, Hand-Tooling, Decorative Screws, Bowie Style       Sheath Detail: Triple Belt Loop, Hand-Tooled, Decorative Fittings, Heavy Leather Shoulder, Antiqued Finish     Fine hand carved leather knife sheath for Golden Eagle investment grade collectors fine knife     "Santa Fe" with crossdraw leather sheath inlaid with Ringmark Lizard skin

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"Eridanus" mirror finished ATS-34 high chrome-moly stainless tool steel blade, hand-engraved 304 stainless steel bolsters, Sunset Jasper gemstone handle, hand-tooled leather sheath inlaid with chocolate brown ringmark lizard skin

Testimonial: Eridanus

Jay, the one thing you still can't get off of the internet is the way a knife feels.  I wish anyone thinking of buying a Jay Fisher knife could hold Eridanus in their hands for just a few moments.  Then there would be no doubt that buying a knife from Jay is the right thing to do.  I've bought some other blades of the internet that photographed well, but when you got hold of them, they didn't feel or handle like much.  Eridanus just feels like it belongs in your hand.  You can get a knife anywhere, but this is a work of art. 

Thanks Jay.

 
Oh and by the way the sheath alone is worth the price. 
 

-Rick Stuart 

 


Stamped, Tooled, or Carved?

Example of hand-stamped surface, basket weave on sheath face

Example of hand-stamped surface, geometric design with border on leather knife sheath

Example of hand-tooled knife sheath, carved and stamped, then washed with bronze

There are several ways to finish the surface of a leather sheath. Though some guys go for a minimalist look, that is, plain leather just stitched around the edge. I rarely do this, and then only by special request. Leather is an amazing material, and lends itself to high resolution stamping, carving, and tooling, so an infinite amount of patterns, styles, and embellishment look good on the finished face. What are the differences between them?

Hand-stamping leather is done by leather stamps. These are specially purchased tools that are mounted to a rod, and the leather is cased (specially damped) and then the shape (and image) of the stamp is transferred to the leather by tapping with a mallet made of rawhide. Careful attention to detail, good choice of tools, and pattern and arrangement are required here to get a balanced, aligned, and nice looking image on the sheath. Probably the most common leather stamping representation seen on knife sheaths, holsters, and belts is the basket weave. It looks good, is standard in some professions (like police), and gives an organic, balanced appearance. There are literally hundreds of stamps used in leather tooling and it is up to the craftsman and artist to apply them in an appealing manner.

Hand-carving is done by using knives. I use a variety of small knives, from leather swivel knives, to Exacto® knives, to scalpels, and even handmade micro-knives. Hand-carving is a difficult skill, learned by years of practice. Leather displays the smallest cut so intricate designs and lines with character, angle, and heavy or light form all come to the surface of a design. Hand-carving is usually more difficult than stamping, as there is no stamp to help with alignment, arrangement, and association of the pattern, all is done offhand. Hand-carving also takes the most time, a good hand-carving may take eight hours on a 12" knife sheath.

Hand-tooling usually means a variety of carving, stamping, and forming or pressing the leather into a design. It's a general term, separating a leather surface that is embossed by a pattern roller or automated pattern transfer device from hand work.

 Please see the examples at the sides of this topic.

 

Example of hand-tooled knife sheath, carved and stamped with texture

Example of hand-tooling in knife sheath, carved and tooled with presser and spoon for dimensional texture

Example of hand-carving on knife sheath. Detailed carving took eight hours on this particular sheath using scalpels and microknives

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Engraved Leather Sheaths?

Engraved Heavy Leather Sheath, Buckhorn, Antiqued

Engraved Leather, Silver Sheath: Conquistador

Who in the world ever heard of this? Using the same technique as engraving military and combat sheath flash plates, I also engrave high resolution detail into leather knife sheaths. This results in a crisp, highly detailed image and unique personalization unheard of in the field of fine custom sheaths. Check out the thumbnails to see.

Engraving can lend itself to fine personalization, with monograms, text lettering, names, dates, events, etc. It also is great for artistic styles and motifs, adding to, enhancing, and blending the relationship between the artwork on the knife and sheath. And since the design or text is literally carved into the leather, it will never fade or deteriorate like embossing, stamping, or mask and stencil painting.

 

Fine Engraved Knife Sheath to match engraving on gemstone handle

Engraved Sheath Back and belt loop for completed look

 

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Military, combat, tactical sheaths are special.

United States Air Force Pararescue Expedition Racing Team and their Jay Fisher Custom Knives

True Custom Combat, Tactical, Fighting, Expedition Racing, Rescue, Military Grade Knives

Tactical, combat knife in kydex, aluminum, stainless steel locking sheath

Tactical sheaths I've made are used by rescuemen, firefighters, police, SWAT teams, Sheriff's officers, hazardous materials teams, bomb squads (EOD), emergency responders, US Army Special Forces, Airborne, Military Survival Specialists, Special Operations Squads and our nation's top military rescue service, USAF Pararescue. These fine sheaths are made of two layers of .062" kydex on each side, form-fitted to the knife over an aluminum welt frame screwed together with plated or blued solid steel Chicago screws, and feature either nickel-plated steel belt clips, or solid 2" aluminum belt loops. Kydex is a mixture of acrylic and PVC (methylacrylate and polyvinylchloride) and is impervious to just about everything but extremely high heat (above 250° F) and a few concentrated chemicals (like methylethylkeytone (MEK) and toluene). The aluminum is hammer-hardened 5052H32 high corrosion-resistant, high strength aluminum, suited to salt water and chemically corrosive environments. The cements used in assembly are waterproof and continue to harden with age. The steel screws have a 1/4" fine thread post. These are very, very tough sheaths.

USAF Pararescue Combat, Tactical, Rescue Knife, waterproof, commemorative, custom     Combat Tactical Rescue Knives, Bolo, Waterproof, Locking, Military Service     New Mexico State Police Tactical, Rescue, Defense Knives     Military, combat, commemorative tactical knife sheaths, locking and waterproof     Gravity hook blade combat tactical knife with waterproof positively locking sheath   

Most of my kydex military combat sheaths are black, with satin aluminum welts at the edges. Occasionally, I'll get requests for a different look. By custom order, I also use gray kydex, forest camo (traditional), desert camo (traditional) and even modern standard marpat camo and desert marpat camo kydex. An additional charge is required for these more expensive patterned camo colors. Just ask! 

"Argiope" with forest camoflauge kydex sheath     "Bulldog" with gray kydex sheath     Combat, tactical, fighting knife, with locking sheath in kydex, stainless steel, and aluminum

         

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Military locking sheaths are the best, period.

Special Forces Army Tactical Military Combat Knife, Commemorative, Rip Teeth, Waterproof Locking Sheath

Micarta handled combat knife: Creature, with locking Horizontal/vertical tactical sheath

"Creature" Sheath reverse detail, showing standard vertical belt mounting, locking sheath

"Creature" Combat Tactical knife showing horizontal mounting belt loop carry.

"Creature" illustration showing knife locked in sheath, waterproof, combat carry

A long time ago, a few military clients asked if I could make the "ultimate" knife sheath. One that was essentially waterproof, unbreakable, resistant to anything you could throw at it, a sheath that could be confidently carried into the field of battle and trusted to do its job. And a few of them asked if I could design a locking mechanism, so the knife would positively lock into the sheath, and even be carried upside down across their chest while parachuting on HALO jumps. These are "High Altitude, Low Opening" combat jumps designed to drop combat or rescue troops behind enemy lines without the aircraft being seen by radar as it flies at high altitudes. They also wanted sheaths capable of withstanding marine, oceanic, and even mountain rescue and combat environments. This was no small order, but I got to work. I designed a sheath that has aluminum welts (to support with strength without adding weight), and double-layered kydex front and back (impervious to nearly all chemicals, water, salt and abrasives), and stainless steel locking mechanism (made of 304, 302, and 416 austentitic and martensitic stainless machine screws, springs, and lock bars with stop pins). Including the nickel plated or hot blued steel Chicago screws, these sheaths consist of at least 38 individual components, all hand fitted to the knife. These are very fine sheaths. Of the dozens and dozens that are out there, in service, in combat, I've only had one problem since the prototype, and that is of one serviceman loosing his knife because he didn't shove the knife all the way in and make sure it was locked! Well, I can't think of everything... The locking sheath is not cheap, remember that it is the finest one made for the service. It can add $180-$200 to the price of the knife/sheath combo. Often, I'll attach a removable engraved flash plate on the sheath front signifying tactical group or affiliation. These are brass or aluminum, lacquered or anodized for beauty and longevity. Some are etched with photographic detail. When you want the best sheath made on the market, period, this is it. I challenge anyone to find a better sheath made in the world today!

See testimonials, pictures, and comments from military users of my knives and sheaths on my tactical knives portal here.

Check out the descriptive page on this very type of sheath and read about care, use, service, and operation here.

Lightweight, Skeletonized Combat, Tactical, Rescue Knives, Subdued, Black, Kydex Sheath     Waterproof Locking Acrylic Engraved Sheath, Combat Tactical Rescue Knife     US Army Special Forces "Treatymaker" Tactical, Combat, Commemorative Knife          101st Airborne Army Air Assault Knives- Operation Iraqi Freedom     Military Combat Rescue Knife with locking Comat sheath, waterproof     "PJLT" Military Combat Knife shown locked into stainless, kydex, and aluminum locking combat waterproof sheath

 

Testimonial:

Hey Jay!  Just got the knife today.  WOW!!!  The pics you sent me did NO justice to the knife at all.  This is BY FAR the nicest knife I have ever owned!  I was also pleasantly surprised by how nice the sheath came out.  For the last few months I have been second guessing my decision for the locking sheath.  Now I am glad I went in that direction.  The pics I have seen of that sheath do not show how sturdy and well built that thing really is.  I think you may need to show a side profile of that in one of the pics.  That large slab of aluminum will show people its more than just kydex bolted together.  I think your description says how it is built – but I didn’t understand till I actually saw it in person!  Anyways, thank you for a GREAT knife!  I will look forward to enjoying it for many years!  Also, I'm already planning my next one.  You can be sure that I will be showing it off to all my friends and letting them know about you and the quality of your work!  (most already know as I've been talking about these knives for quite a while – but I think they will be astonished when they see they experience your work first hand)

 Thanks again, Adam Vuksich

"Minuteman" O-1 High carbon tungsten-vanadium alloy tool steel blade, nickel silver bolsters, African Budstone gemstone handle, locking kydex, aluminum, stainless steel waterproof sheath

 

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Why can't I store the knife long term in the sheath?

My number one complaint is that the client has stored his knife in the sheath, or forgotten that he's left it in the sheath (sometimes for months or years) and that there are little spots of rust starting to form. I can't say this enough: don't store knives in sheaths! Incidentally, what do you think would happen if you stored a blued firearm in its leather holster for years, and never looked at it? Sure, you want to keep it with the sheath, and carry it in the sheath, but long term storage in the knife sheath is probably the most destructive thing you can do to your fine custom knife.

There are a couple things that can cause this problem. First, you must remember that stainless tool steels can corrode. These are not low carbon junk steels that factories often sell, these are fine, high carbon martensitic stainless tool steels, and as such, are more resistant to corrosion than non-stainless, but can still corrode! I have posted this on my care sheet that I hand out with every knife (and has been available on this website since the beginning in standard and military form), so there's really no excuse for not reading it. It makes no difference whether the sheath is leather or kydex and aluminum, whether the air is as humid as Florida or as dry as Nevada. The knife blade needs to breathe and stay dry. When humidity and temperature changes in the normal course of the day or seasons, condensation can form on any steel. If the steel is allowed access to free air, it can stay relatively dry, and corrosion can not gain a foothold. But if the knife is stored in the sheath, and an ever-so-slight bit of moisture is allowed to stay against the blade, the blade will start to rust. On a mirror polished blade, this can be ruinous, and if the knife has been custom etched, the only recourse is to grind off all the etching and corrosion, regrind and refinish the blade (including polish) and re-etch, which is very expensive and time consuming and may not even be possible. Even if the knife is coated heavily with wax, long-term storage in the sheath will encourage corrosion.

Don't store the knife in the sheath!

I believe a knife should be handled. Held once in a while, waxed and buffed, fondled, looked over, admired and cherished, and yes, even used. To put it away in a drawer or closet is almost an insult! Look, if you want to store the knife long term without ever looking at it, there are a couple options:

  • you can clean it thoroughly with denatured alcohol, dry it completely with warm forced air, then coat it well with high quality wax and then put the knife (without the sheath) in a well-sealed plastic bag with a new dry packet of commercial grade dessicant, or

  • you can coat the entire knife with cosmolene, a plastic and oil based melted-on military-grade storage medium (which I can't guarantee will not affect woods, epoxies or gemstone long term), or

  • package the knife up neatly and send it to someone who will care for it

Look, it's simple: store your knife where it can breathe, not in the sheath, not where there are fluctuations of temperature or humidity, out of bright sunlight and high heat sources, and pick it up and fondle it, buff it off with a soft cloth, wax it now and then.

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What about dishwashers and washing sheaths?

Never, ever soak or thoroughly wet a leather sheath! Use only a damp cloth on the outside to clean stubborn dirt. See my "Care of your custom knife" page here.

The following is from a letter and refers to an inquiry about cleaning my kydex and aluminum sheaths, particularly in the food service industry.

There is a difference between cleaning in hot soapy water by hand and power dishwashing. Kydex is a thermoforming plastic, that is as it warms up, it gets soft and starts to get flexible. That is how the kydex is formed around the knife, creating a custom fit, which is adjustable somewhat by spot heating and reforming if the knife happens to loosen in the sheath. Usually, in a sheath that does not have a locking mechanism, the area that is held or clamped by the kydex is the bolster area, which is very similar to the way leather holds a knife in most sheaths, by squeezing around the bolster. Now, what effect heating to above 200° F might have is to soften the kydex, and then it will either try to return to its manufactured form (flat) or swell and cause wrinkles where the screws are holding it against the aluminum welts. So this would be a problem, and I wouldn't recommend power dishwashing at all. If you're washing by hand, and the water temp is below 150° F, and you didn't let the sheath soak for more than a minute or two, I can't see why that wouldn't be all right. Most military users rinse the sheath by dipping in a rinse tank along with other gear to wash, and let drain.
 
But beyond that, and much more important, is the adhesive bond. The whole sheath affair is secured together by two means, mechanical and adhesive. The mechanical strength is derived from either Chicago screws or rivets through two layers of kydex and through the aluminum welts. The adhesive strength is derived from waterproof industrial grade contact cement, which cements together both layers on both sides of the sheath (that's four layers) and bonds the kydex to the aluminum welts, and sometimes secures 2-3 aluminum welt layers to each other. This will NOT take repeated high temperature cleaners and washings. Sorry, it will eventually degrade.
 
Along those lines, I hope you weren't considering dishwashing the knife, also, because this will eventually degrade and ruin the epoxy and bonding of the gemstone, wood, or even plastic to the handle! To sum, I recommend only hand washing, without prolonged soaking, in mild soapy water (no bleaches or harsh chemicals), and hand drying. See the knife care page here.  See military knife care here.

 

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Do you make sheaths for other makers or factory knives?

No. See my "Services Offered" page here. You might ask those makers why they don't make a fine sheath; after all, it's part of the tradecraft. And factories? Their knives won't last as long as a good sheath, so they don't bother. Get more detailed reasons and their dirty little secrets at the FAQ page here, and on the Blades page here.

Here is an excerpt from an email I received from a man who took issue with my refusal to make sheaths for other's knives:

Subject: saw your site and...

 I was just wondering why you don't do sheaths for blades you don't  make. Here's my situation...and no i don't expect you to change your  mind but hear me out. I just purchased two daggers and need someone to create a sheath that  will hold both of them at opposite ends. It needs to be able to be  fastened to a belt and carried horizontally. I'm a graphic artist and  want to design my own sheath but lack the leatherworking skills to  accomplish this on my own. It would probably entail engraving and  whatnot......obviously way too advanced for a novice. So i came across  your site while searching for (to be honest) tutorials and was blown  away by the stuff you've done......and then disappointed when reading  you don't do custom sheaths only. So my question is: why don't you do them for other blades....it could  be quite profitable I'm sure....and I'm sure you have a good reason  not to....I'm just curious.  -C.

Dear C.-

I’m sorry, I don’t make sheaths for knives other than my own. When I custom make a knife from scratch, adjustments and tuning of the knife and sheath go together. There is also an issue of putting my name on work that goes with other makers. I have to be careful, most of my clients expect exclusivity, and this increases the value of their investments. If I just cranked out any work for any project, my name would be cheapened and that wouldn't be fair to my longstanding clients. Your question about profitability is valid, but I'm not in this business to purely make profit. As an artist, my goal is to increase my skill level and make the best knife/sheath/stand combination I can. And frankly, I do not need extra work, as I'm swamped with orders. As a graphic artist, I'm sure you are aware of commensurate matching components in a knife-sheath pair. When a different mind creates these components, a different artistic idea is employed, and the assembly becomes segmented and sometimes confusing. C., there are many leatherworkers who can make you a serviceable sheath arrangement for your pieces. You can find most of them on the knife forums here on the internet, and some of them are quite good.  You might also go to the supplier of your daggers and ask why they don't make the sheath(s) you need for your purchase...

Good luck, Jay

 

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I didn't get my answer here.

Then please email me here, and I'll answer it directly. Thank you for helping me make this a better web site!

Jay

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