Kydex and Concealex are a class of polyvinylchloride compounds that are used for industrial purposes. These PVC compounds are basic polymers, or, repeating chains of the same compound. Kydex is a product of the Kleerdex Corporation and Concealex is a similar virgin polymer that was developed by Blade-Tech Industries for specialized applications. Kydex comes in over a dozen different forms with different physical properties, as well as different colors, thicknesses, and textures. It is used in tons of different ways, and is well-suited for sheaths and holsters. Concealex was developed specifically for sheaths and holsters, so it is more limited in use to these industries, unlike Kydex. Both are good products and both work very well! In addition to Kydex, though, you'll need some other materials, too...
Here's a list of the matrials you need and brief descriptions of how you will be using each item. Also, if substitutions will work, they have been included. The point isn't to have an absolute state-of-the-art workshop, but the ability to make high quality sheaths with the least amount of equipment that is reasonable.
*Kydex or Concealex- the thickness will depend on your project. I use 0.093" thick for almost everything. The other most commonly used thickness is 0.060", which is pretty thin and works great for small projects, neck knives, etc. The best place to get Kydex is through a local plastics distributor (see "platics" in the yellow pages), but you usually have to order a 4' x 8' sheet! A sheet of 0.093" thick black Kydex 100 will run you around $100. You can get Concealex through Blade-Tech at prices that are a little more competitive than Kydex (although the shipping may be murder...a sheet of this stuff is HEAVY!).
*Oven- the kitchen oven works just fine, although the smell is somewhat obnoxious. The ideal setup would be an oven that is in your basement or garage or wherever your workshop may be. Another alternative is to use a toaster oven, which could be put right on your benchtop. You can get toaster ovens for a sonf and dance at just about any thrift store.
*Molding foam- there are several things you can use for this. Cheapest way oout is a few folded 100% cotton t-shirts, but that is the least desirable! I bought a $6 camping mattress and cut the foam into manageable pieces. It isn't the best and requires working temps of under 250 degrees F. Supposedly the camping pads the military uses (cheap at surplus stores) also works well and is more heat-resistant. Once again, Blade-Tech will also carry some for around $15, I believe. You need this to press the material around the knife.
*Protective equipment- I recommend leather work gloves, a dust mask or ventilator, and goggles. A shop apron is also nice for keeping that dust off the clothes when finishing. If you go to the trouble of buying this stuff (I recommend you DO), then I strongly recommend you USE IT!!!
*Drill- you can use anything from a manual hand drill to a drill press. I've used both. You'll need bits to fit whatever hardware you will be using. Practice drilling straight through stuff that is contoured, as you will need this skill with sheaths.
*Hacksaw- get a good hacksaw. It is a cheap way of cutting pieces out of the larger sheets, and it is good for rough shaping of the sheath after forming has taken place. A good one will be less headache than a POS.
*Clamps- the black ones with yellow rubber pads that are spring-loaded are all you need. They go for a couple bucks at a hardware store. You really only need them for two piece pancake style sheaths.
*Dremel Tool- my Dremel (or Wizard or whatever you want to use) is indispensible to me during the finishing phase. The sanding drums and cutoff wheels are great for removing excess material, smoothing the edges, adding finger cutouts, etc. A wise investment. You can substitute sandapaper of various grits and elbow grease for this, too.
*Hardware- this is the subject of much debate. I use one kind of hardware- Chicago Screws- exclusively for reasons I'll go into later. You can use whatever trips your trigger. Rivets, eyelets, other types of screws, glue (Oatey in the orange can, which can be found in the plumbing area at good hardware stores), or combinations thereof. Blade-Tech, once again, sell great stainless steel screws, and I also have a source for aluminum Chicago screws (in a variety of anodized colors) if you email me.
*Small heat source- the best is a heat gun although I've been told steam also works well. This is for heating up small area of Kydex to do touch up work on fit and retention.
*Wood- you need some stiff, fairly thick wood pieces to make your mold from. A couple 12" x 12" pieces that are at least an inch thick work great.
*Aluminum foil- for wrapping rubber and synthetic handles which could otherwise melt during heat forming.
*Compass- the type with two points (not the pencil kind you use in geometry). This is used to keep holes evenly spaced.
Some other stuff that is nice, but not really required would be a table saw for large projects and cutting parallel edges, an arbor press for molding, and a countersink to chamfer the drill holes and make everything look nice.
