Lets talk Kydex & Mental Health Days

[Bawanna]

Well I took Thursday and today off as mental health days. Clear my mind from the latest stress's at work and work at gaining on the bench log of grips some.

I did pretty good, got a lot done. When my neck got tired of checkering fortunately only about 3 hours before I finished a set I decided to take a dip into my maiden voyage of kydex.

It's cool stuff (well actually its hotter than hell when your workin it, no gloves is not an option.
For those of you pros and semi pros that make some of these awesome looking holsters and stuff my hat is off to you and I bow to your talent. You need not fear any bawanna kydex holster company in the future. I just wanted to play with it and see what the magic is all about.

All this talk without pictures would be a darn waste so for your viewing peasure my last 2 days accomplishments.

Special thanks to GB Greg for giving me some basic where to start and a few tricks to work with kydex, especially the gloves.

http://i1138.photobucket.com/albums/n538/hopke5/DSCN2581.jpg

This is a temporary belt loop, I have another plan but need some stuff.

http://i1138.photobucket.com/albums/n538/hopke5/DSCN2582.jpg

http://i1138.photobucket.com/albums/n538/hopke5/DSCN2583.jpg

A group shot. Some 1911 for Thetmanski and some SP101 inserts for TV Racin Fan.

http://i1138.photobucket.com/albums/n538/hopke5/DSCN2584.jpg

And the POS toaster oven, only one we had but while a little small it did work better than I thought.

http://i1138.photobucket.com/albums/n538/hopke5/DSCN2585.jpg

Anyhow that's my story, so how was your day.

Incidently I love this knife. Something about damascus and stag that brings out the hidden cowboy in me I guess.

[OldLincoln]

Ahh, the aroma of fresh baked Kydex in the morning! You even have coffee with your Kydex, clever guy you. I'll stick with tweaking other prople's Kydex handiwork very gently and moderately. Can't wait to read about your new Kydex grip invention!

[ltxi]

Nice knife!!

[Bawanna]

There was a guy at a table at the gunshow last weekend, had nothing but Randall knifes, probably 40 or 50 just guessing.
The cheapest one on his table which he tried to sell me was 400 bucks. He several with stag handles that I liked. Most looked like they had never been touched or sharpened, just kept in a sock drawer.

This knife held up with the best of em in my mind.

[Thunder71]

Very nice work! I wish I had the patience to do more crafty work, photography is about my limit.

[tv_racin_fan]

That is a VERY sweet knife! The sheath is awesome for a first try in my opinion.

Can't wait to get the inserts and show em off.

http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn112/tv_racin_fan/DamascusAmberStag.jpg

I too like a beautiful knife... just can not afford one.

[wyntrout]

Daaang... even I think that one's pretty... very unusual. That makes me think of Hawaii... ocean and volcanic lava. I might even double my usual $50 limit on knives for that... but I guess that would just get me a holster.

Wynn:)

[TheTman]

Cool knives, and those grips are awesome. :D

[yqtszhj]

Love those knives.

I sure wish I could get in some mental health days. I've been running at overload for way too long and the last couple of weeks haven't been any fun at all at home or work.

[jeepster09]

WOW....I could see knives could easily become a new obsession, very cool.

[JFootin]

That is a VERY sweet knife! The sheath is awesome for a first try in my opinion.

Can't wait to get the inserts and show em off.

http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn112/tv_racin_fan/DamascusAmberStag.jpg

I too like a beautiful knife... just can not afford one.

If you cannot afford one, whose is this beautiful knife in your picture? And who made the first time effort sheath?

[Bill K]

Cool looking knives. I've only got one rather plain looking Buck fixed blade knife. I find folders more practical for most of my SD and hunting needs.

[tv_racin_fan]

If you cannot afford one, whose is this beautiful knife in your picture? And who made the first time effort sheath?

I wish I knew who owned that particular knife.. I sure would like to see it in person.

Just for the record according to the guy who made that knife it sold for $300 to the first person who laid eyes on it... I believe that... I would have been hard pressed not to purchase it for that.

I dunno what it is about that knife that so many seem to like.

It could be the copper bolster or the turquoise or it might be the amber stag handle... for me I think it is the combination of all of the above. The only thing I would change would be the length of the blade.

[Bawanna]

I think it's close to perfect the way it is. I look at knives all the time and most all fixed blade knives (which I really prefer) are normally huge. Seems to be a fixation with making them all Bowie knives or small swords.

A decent size handle with a nicely shaped blade under 6 or 6 1/2" is perfect.

I'd give 300 for that knife in a minute. Course having 300 might be a first prerequisite but a small consideration.

[gb6491]

Nice work across the board Bawanna; that sheath looks right handyhttp://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-signs107.gif (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php)
Regards,
Greg

[Bawanna]

Nice work across the board Bawanna; that sheath looks right handyhttp://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-signs107.gif (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php)
Regards,
Greg

Thanks much Greg, I've been anxiously awaiting your critique. I wore it all day yesterday and at the risk of tooting my own horn I think it's close to perfect for my needs. It snaps in and out and is solid as a rock.
I'd planned to use stretchy parachute cord, can't remember what it's called, instead of a solid loop. Saw a guy use it awhile back and it works really good and the litte bit of flex in the loops make it very comfortble.
I just temporarily but the loop that came with the sheet of kydex on till I got some of the cord and it works so well I might leave as is. I did get very very lucky in that the rivets I put it just happened to line up perfect with the holes in the loop. Pure Missouri luck on that one, don't happen often.
I'm out to the bench to pack up them grips and maybe whittle on some orange wood. Two sets of 1911 coming up......I hope.

[gb6491]

Bawanna,
It's been a couple of weeks, how's that sheath working out for you?
Regards,
Greg

[Bawanna]

Bawanna,
It's been a couple of weeks, how's that sheath working out for you?
Regards,
Greg

It's working perfectly. I'm wearing it now, I wear it everyday at work and other than officers wanting to check it out no one else seems to complain.
It really is close to perfect. With the mouth belled out to accept the handle it makes a funnel, I haven't stabbed myself in the back yet resheathing it.
I think it looks great with my uniform too, sort of grizzly adams meets the modern world.
I'm tempted to try something else, couple of the guys want me to make stuff for them, mag pouches etc but until I do something else and prove to myself it wasn't just beginners luck I'm putting them off.
You were of course absolutely right, it is fun and relatively easy to work kydex. I'm not ready to melt any around any of my guns like some here do though. I'll leave that to the big boys for now.
Thanks for asking.

[tv_racin_fan]

I think it's close to perfect the way it is. I look at knives all the time and most all fixed blade knives (which I really prefer) are normally huge. Seems to be a fixation with making them all Bowie knives or small swords.

I like em to be proportional and to me that one looks about a half to an inch short.

Just got a couple of Cold Steel knives. The Scottish Spike, my wife liked it so much she took it... so I hadda get some more.. the son took one too.

Anyway it too seems to be just a touch lacking in the blade length, my son says he prefers a different style of that either the Tanto or the (Normal) Clip Point.

I also picked up a Kobun which my son wont keep his paws off of... says he'll take one for christmas.

[tv_racin_fan]

Jfootin I am sorry sir I sort of glossed right on past your question on the sheath. The sheath in question is the one that Bawanna made for his knife.

[muggsy]

Bawanna,
In grade school we referred to this as, "show and tell". At your age we refer to it as, "bring and brag". :) Some very nice work you do there. Toot away.

[JFootin]

I recently picked up a Cold Steel Roach Belly knife for $15.xx shipped. Very nice and unbelievably sharp. Ouch! :( The nylon sheath works perfectly. The plastic grip handle is kind of slick. I tried to find some kind of thin, black grip tape to wrap it with, but couldn't find anything suitable. Maybe I need a Bawanna grip. :)

http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee486/John_England/Miscellanious%20Guns%20and%20Holsters/ColdSteelRoachBellyKnife2.jpg

http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee486/John_England/Miscellanious%20Guns%20and%20Holsters/07f7485402b0.jpg

[Bawanna]

An old carpenter trick I frequently used on new hammer handles was to take a handsaw and rack it across the handle backwards. Like your using the backstroke of the saw and at a pretty good angle.
This knocked off some of the varnish or whatever is on them and made a little rougher surface to hang on to.
It's not especially pretty but it works very well.

I had to do it once in awhile as the bosses kid got new hammers all the time. One day I saw him out beating a shiny new framing hammer on a curb. I asked what the heck he was doing. He said he hit his hand and thumb alot and a new waffle face hammer just tore him up something fierce. I asked why he didn't just buy a smooth face as the waffle face was there for a reason, kind of stumped him.
Anyhow after that since I did alot more framing than him, every time he got a new hammer he'd give it to me and take my old one. Worked well, I didn't have to buy hammers and he still got to tear himself up, just not so bad.
I did get myself once or twice too but try not to dwell on that.