Jay Fisher - Fine Custom Knives

 What is a Tactical, Combat, and Counterterrorism Knife Sheath?
-and why it is needed

What would a professional tactical knife user want? What might be the most serious needs and concerns with a true tactical combat or counterterrorism knife?

Of course, the knife itself is the main focus. Cutting ability, durability and edge retention (wear resistance), corrosion resistance, and toughness are paramount to dependable, reliable knife function. Consequently, most people begin their focus on the knife: the blade, the fittings, the handle.

Most people are not actual tactical knife users. A real tactical knife user encounters hand-to-hand Close Quarters Combat. You might think that this doesn't happen in modern times, but let me assure you, the real tactical, combat, and counterterrorism knife has many active functions, including CQC. The functions are not limited to combat; the knife may be use in other critical, often lifesaving operations.

When a person depends on a knife in a mobile situation (all mission and real tactical knife use is mobile), the function of the knife depends on the knife being present. How does the knife get to the mission? How does it arrive; how does it make it to the place it's needed? How does the knife remain present, accessible, with speed and efficiency, without being a safety hazard to the knife owner and user? Remember, a knife is simply an object, with a dangerous sharp cutting edge and point, and cannot be made safe on its own, in the hand.

The most important consideration for the knife owner is safety. A fixed blade hand knife is made safe by being secured inside a sheath. I'm not even considering folding knives, since a folding knife is inherently unsafe and should never be used in any tactical combat situation, ever.

To make a fixed blade knife safe, it must be secured in a sheath. The sheath must be durable, and robust beyond what the knife and professional user is exposed to. Running, climbing, crawling, and fighting for life itself is inconceivably active, and beyond most people's understanding. The violent, crashing, thrusting, beating that a knife and sheath may have to endure must not have any effect on the owner, the knife, the sheath, and its position and accessibility on the body of the wearer. By the time any of this violent activity happens, the knife is usually the very last defensive tool and weapon. Merely riding on the hip in a loose, casual way, like a decorative sash or adornment is NOT the epitome of fashion sense; it's inviting disaster or death itself.

Therefore:

A knife is not carried; it is worn. No one carries a knife into battle, it's borne with the gear that the tactical knife user is wearing. He may be carrying his rifle or his pistol in his hands, but even when they are not being carried, they, too, are worn in a holster or on a sling. A knife is ALWAYS worn, unless it's being used. This means that the method and device of wear must be adaptable, customizable, usable, convenient, and above all, safe.

This is why I make the knife sheaths and accessories the way I do. I want the knife to be absolutely secure when in the sheath (as my client wishes) and absolutely accessible. I want my client to be able to decide how he wants to wear his knife sheath, in what position, and with the devices and equipment that secure it as dependably and safely as possible. I don't want his knife ever to fail him; to punch through a thin plastic sheath if he falls, to slice through a thin bit of leather that dangles unsafely from a belt, to cut through, or wear through, or tear through a flimsy and hastily-constructed sheath.

The sheath, then, in many ways, must be stronger than the knife. Since this is not possible (the knife is, after all, high alloy, high strength steel) then the interaction of the knife and sheath when they are together solidifies and strengthens the entire assembly. The sheath must retain its shape, without bending or flexing; it must be very tough and durable; it must be entirely corrosion resistant.

The only exception would be leather sheaths that are worn in more casual, muted, or conventional methods, and even then, the leather sheath must be built to superior toughness and durability. Since this section is about tactical combat sheaths and the associated accessories and hardware, I'll stick to non-leather.

These requirements are why my locking sheaths, my hybrid-tension locking sheaths, and my tab-lock hybrid tension sheaths are the very best in the world, used by some of the top military and counterterrorism teams in the world. There is no one who has put as much thought, planning, testing, and refining into these sheaths, and no one who is even close to copying their design and function. Do you wonder why?

I'm obsessed with sheath performance. Call it personal, call it professional, and having made a career of knifemaking, I'll reveal that the sheath and accessories are the most neglected part of our entire tradecraft. More about that on my "Sheaths" page, but understand that I'm committed to make a sheath at the same level of competence and caliber as my knives, and I'm only interested in making the very, very best.

Why don't other knifemakers or knife manufacturers do this?

It's because this level of sheath and accessory quality is extremely hard to make, and no knifemaker, manufacturer, or company is willing to make a sheath that may well take more effort and cost more than the knife that is in it!

Sadly, the persistent idea—that a sheath is a mere afterthought—is one of the main failures of the knife industry overall, and the idea is stubborn and corrosive, weakening our tradecraft and science.

Why make the strongest, most wear-resistant, corrosion-resistant, and tough steel blade with the most durable fittings and handles and then cripple the knife with a flimsy, delicate, hot-molded kydex sheath held together with a few thin, hollow, weak eyelets more suited to a canvas awning, ladies purse, or child's tennis shoe?

This is why I claim (over and over) that if you want to know if a knife (and knifemaker) is truly combat-focused, take a very good look at their sheaths.

Because this level of sheath is difficult to make, few knifemakers attempt it. They claim that they are knifemakers, not sheathmakers; they try to deflect and distract; they even try to steer their prospective clients to leatherworkers or kydex-molders (or their wives) to make the sheaths for their knives—and this is just wrong.

A sheathmaker doesn't know how the knife works; he's just fitting it in a sleeve. He doesn't know if his client might need a positive lock or a variable hybrid mechanism that may change depending on his mission, he doesn't know in what position on his gear he might need to wear the apparatus. He doesn't know how to lock the knife in the sheath, or have variable tension on that lock. He doesn't know if the sheath will dull the knife, or if the knife may be able to cut through it. He doesn't know the temperature at which the knife and sheath will be used, nor the level of humidity, exposure, or pressure (in the case of dive knives). He doesn't know how and if the knife sheath with chemically interact with the knife, doesn't know how to shield or bed the cutting edge and point to protect it, doesn't know how to create a dedicated mechanism to lock or secure the knife into the sheath. By the way, the average knifemaker and sheathmaker don't even realize that the sheath is an apparatus at all, but consider it a little bag to stick the knife in!

The tactical knife sheath is then an apparatus that interacts with the knife, and, if correctly made, does these things:

1. It makes the knife safe for the owner and user, protecting his body from the cutting edge and point.
2. It protects the knife cutting edge and point from damage while within the sheath, while it is being worn on the owner/user.
3. It reliably secures the knife in the sheath, so it doesn't loosen, fall out, or unsheathe unexpectedly, preventing loss or injury.
4. It allows immediate and reliable unsheathing with just the hand and fingers of the owner/user.
5. It accommodates the hardware and accessories that allow it to be worn where the knife owner/user needs it to be worn.
6. It doesn't decay, corrode, or interact with the environment it is in; it is waterproof and doesn't require lubrication, maintenance, or extra care other than keeping it reasonably clean.
7. It should last as long as the knife; never needing replacement.

This sounds like a pretty tall order! To ask this of a knife sheath is unheard of within our trade, a trade that, for the most part, considers most knife sheaths an inconvenient afterthought. Read more about this insidious attitude on my Sheaths page.

This section describes why I make the tactical, combat, and counterterrorism knife sheaths the way I do. In following sections and pages, I detail how this all works, and all of the accessories to make it all work.

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My Positively Locking Knife Sheath History
Born in USAF Pararescue

I've been making knives for a very long time. Decades ago (1995), I was making a lot of knives for United States Air Force Pararescue, our nation's top military rescue service. More about the PJs on a dedicated page on the site at this link. 

Several PJs asked me if I could make a true combat-grade positively locking sheath, one that would hold up to the rigors of real combat, something that they could trust to have their knife ready at the instant, yet a sheath that would secure the knife and protect the wearer during the high energy activity of tactical, and rescue operations, often in combat. They requested that the sheath be "bulletproof," that is, as tough as I could make it without extra weight.

Although the knife sheath has always been the most neglected part of this modern tradecraft and art,  the fully functional combat knife the sheath is the most important part of the assembly. No matter how the knife is designed, crafted, and suited to tactical or combat use, if it can't be reliably carried in a functional, dependable, and durable knife sheath, it is useless. A frustrating or impractical sheath will be left at home, or at base, and never worn on any mission, and the person who decides this is the knife owner and user. It is he that decides the ultimate effectiveness and convenience of the knife/sheath combination.

I've always believed that a tactical knife sheath is not merely something that looks stylishly tactical, covered in camo print nylon, or single layer thin kydex secured with weak eyelets. But this is all that is available from factories, manufacturers, and sadly, most modern knife makers. Simply put, there is a critical, essential need for a combat-functional knife sheath, commensurate with the quality and intended purpose of the knife.

After being charged with this mission of creating this type of sheath, I designed, experimented, and created various options with the input of military professionals. I listened and discussed, invented and tested, until I came up with what is clearly the most durable, reliable, and best tactical combat positively locking knife sheath made at that time.

Updating this page in 2021, I'll flatly claim that it is still the most durable, reliable, and now time-tested locking knife sheath made in the world. In fact, in the 26 years since I invented and created these sheaths, there has not been a single report of a failure of a single one. I have made hundreds of these sheaths, in service in some of the most demanding, dirty, wet, and torturous environments in the world.

 Not one has been returned for adjustment, alignment, or service, not one has ever failed. How many other sources can claim a sheath that will last as long as the knife, a sheath of any kind, much less a waterproof positively locking sheath?

In Version 1.0 of my positively locking sheath, every component except the lift spring was external. An advantage of this design makes it easy to verify the locking components and operation by touch and feel alone, and also makes it somewhat easier to unlock because the thumb contact was outside of the aluminum welt frame. It's also very easy to keep clean and to see the position of the lock. The drawback of the design was the components were out in the open, and could hang up or possibly snag on textiles and materials.

About 2018, I made a substantial improvement in the positively locking sheath, moving the operable components to the inside of the sheath welts. This is version 2.0. In Version 2.0, the mechanism and spring are protected within the aluminum welt frame. There are less pieces, the ramp is smoother, the exterior hinge has been eliminated. The spring is a titanium leaf instead of coiled stainless steel. There are fewer fasteners.

However, there is no perfect design, so the drawback of Version 2.0 is that it's a bit more protected and has a smaller ramp to operate the release. It may be hindered in operation in extremely muddy or soiled environments, even though that hasn't been reported yet.

I still make both types, depending on the knife, the client, and the commission.

You can see more of these sheaths on the various tactical knife pages of my site available through Military and Tactical Knives Portal Page. You'll be able to tell the difference between the two designs by looking at the mechanism where it engages in the knife spine.

How It Works

The positively locking sheath operates just as it is named, positively locking the knife in the sheath until it is released. In the simplest explanation, a boss (a projecting metal piece) of stainless steel engages a notch in the spine or thumb rise of the knife. The knife cannot be removed from the sheath until this stainless steel lock boss is displaced. The boss is displaced by a simple forward motion of the thumb when the hand grips the knife handle. The thumb—at the outside of the thumbnail—lifts the pivoting lock boss and the knife can be withdrawn from the sheath. The motion is natural and smooth for the human hand.

To lock the knife in the sheath, the knife is aligned into the sheath mouth and pushed forward until the lock boss clicks into engagement in the knife spine or thumb rise notch (or socket). A tug on the knife handle makes sure the lock has engaged.

Limitations

There are limitations to this design.

 It cannot be used on a double-edged knife. The lock ramp and boss would be dragged along the top cutting edge, dulling the knife as the blade contacts stainless steel. Worse, in unsheathing, a knife that has top edge serrations would engage the lock boss, preventing removal and tearing up both the stainless steel lock boss and the cutting edge.

Because of these limitations, both Version 1.0 and Version 2.0 can only be used on a single-edged, smooth-spined knife.

Consequently, this led to the design of my Hybrid Tension-Locking Knife Sheath (next).

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The History of my Hybrid Tension Locking Knife Sheath
Born in Counterterrorism Knives

About 2011, I started experimenting with designs for a new sheath. The first issue with the positively locking knife sheaths (previous topic above) was that the design could not be used on a double-edged knife, because the lock boss would engage the knife's upper cutting edge. On some of the counterterrorism knives I was making at that time, the upper cutting edge was also serrated, which was even more destructive to any locking mechanism that contacted the spine of the knife blade.

Another issue was that—in an emergency—some knife users may not be able to locate and unlock the knife from the sheath quickly. I wondered if I could make a "limited effort" design. The idea was that a knife could be secured in the sheath, and it would take a certain force to unsheathe it.

This intrigued me. Could I make a knife that would stay in the sheath in nearly every circumstance, yet when 10 pounds of pull was exerted on the knife handle, the knife would be unsheathed? How about 20 pounds of force? 30 pounds?

This new design would be ideal for bolstered and unbolstered skeletonized knives as well. If it was simple enough, I could also lighten the sheath mechanism overall.

Just as with the positively locking sheaths (previous topic), there was a lack of extreme use and reliable knife sheaths in the real combat realm to make any comparison. Since I was in direct communication with counterterrorism professionals, I had their help, input, and testing. They helped me to create and perfect this critically essential sheath type.

The name is technically descriptive. It is a hybrid of a locking sheath and a tension sheath.

Nothing in history even resembles this design.

Tension holds the knife in the sheath, and the simple device locks it there. It is not positively locking; nor is it designed to be.

 Nearly all other available knife sheaths offered for so-called "tactical" use are made by simply heating and bending the thermoforming kydex around the knife. They use the tension of the hot-formed single layer of kydex as the device to hold the knife in place. The problem is that kydex is not a spring, it will wear out quickly, since it's just a piece of soft, thin plastic.

To use soft, thin plastic as a knife retention method is a weak, ineffective, and flimsy way to make a sheath, but it is just about all you will see from factories and other knifemakers. They make them this way because the knives are not meant to last, they are cheap and inexpensive, and they are quick and easy to make. This is a decision based on the manufacturer or knifemaker's convenience, not the reality of the actual tactical knife user's needs.

The hybrid tension-locking sheath is a real-world accessory, made for continual, heavy use.

• It is much more secure than conventional hot-formed kydex sheaths. it has a solid, metal-to-metal contact retention method, with pressure applied by a metal spring.
• The spring assembly does not change with temperature like kydex hot-formed sheaths do.
• It is wear-resistant and durable over the life of the knife and user.

When materials rely upon tension, there must be movement and contact (rubbing) of one material against another. In the typical hot-formed kydex sheath, the steel blade, metal fittings, or hard handle material rubs against the soft, thin plastic kydex, pushing it out of the way, allowing the knife to slide by, and out of the sheath. The same action happens when sheathing the knife. Rub, rub, rub, abrade, scrap, tear, bend, until the knife sheath loosens and fails.

 Nevertheless, those knives aren't made to last, so I suppose that doesn't matter. This type of sheath will also rattle and clatter as the sheath loosens around the knife. It's doomed to fail.

This is not the way I want to make a sheath.

How the Hybrid Tension Sheath Works

In my hybrid tension-locking sheaths, the knife is retained in the sheath with a tension spring of 6AL4V titanium. This is a true spring material, which will outlast the knife; it's incredibly tough and extremely durable and completely corrosion-resistant. It's so corrosion-resistant it's used to make biomedical implants. For example, the five screws reinforcing the tendons in my right shoulder are made of 6AL4V titanium. Titanium may also be anodized for color matching, improved surface hardness, and subdued operations. And that's just the spring.

The spring is often shaped like a dog's crooked back leg, so I call it a "dog-leg" spring. I've design the sheath to have different thickness and shapes of titanium spring, so my knife owners can select the spring pressure they choose to retain the knife in the sheath. I usually include at least three different dog-leg pressure springs in my kits.

This feature alone is unavailable in any other knife sheath in the world.

The spring is attached to the sheath welts, which are 5052 H32 corrosion-resistant high-strength aluminum alloy. This is some very tough stuff, extremely durable, very strong. I know of no other knifemaker currently using aluminum welts in their sheath frames, apart from the knifemakers who have copied mine in the last 10 years or so. Add to that, my aluminum alloy welts are anodized to a tenacious, durable, near-ceramic hard coating that accepts permanent dyes with UV-resistant sealer. This means no corrosion whatever in the aluminum components, and even further strengthening. The dog-leg spring is attached to the welt frame with multiple stainless steel machine screws.

This feature also is unavailable in any other knife sheath in the world.

The spring is mounted to a stainless steel ball-lock device. Each "ball" is a different design, size and shape, accommodating the bolster, thumb rise, or contact area of the knife blade and/or handle. Since the ball is rounded and domed, this allows displacement by a hard tug on the knife handle, unsheathing the knife in an emergency. The pressure required to unsheathe the knife depends on the strength of the spring chosen by the knife owner. I typically include three strengths of spring in the kits. The spring and ball are pushed aside; the knife can be withdrawn.

This feature also is unavailable in any other knife sheath in the world.

 What about quietly unsheathing the knife? What if you don't want the ball-lock to drag on the bolster or blade spine (it will, and will leave a wear mark, eventually). How is this done?

I've created the dog-leg spring with a large thumb-tab. The thumb pushes sideways, away from the axis of the knife blade, moving the ball away from the lock area, freeing the knife to be unsheathed.

This feature also is unavailable in any other knife sheath in the world.

To sum, the knife can be released quietly with a thumb, finger, or knuckle to release the tension of the spring, or, the knife can be unsheathed instantly with a good, hard, firm pull on the handle. The pull varies with each knife, and I typically include several springs of varying tension so that the knife user can select his own preference, of light, medium, or heavy pull and retention.

The pull varies between 15-30 pounds of force, so this is still a well-retained knife. This is also a retention method that can be used on critically double-edged knives, with upper edges that would interfere with the locking mechanism of my positively locking sheath.

This feature also is unavailable in any other knife sheath in the world.

 Incredibly, just as with my positively locking sheaths, all of the components are completely reversible for a huge variety of wear options and positions on military or tactical gear. Also, just as with my positively locking tactical sheaths, all have the same bolt-hole pattern for the wide range of components I offer for critical applications, such as flashlights, sharpeners, web mounts, and positional mounting arrays.

This feature also is unavailable in any other knife sheath in the world.

The reason I've repeated this "feature" phrase over and over in this topic section is because I want you, who are reading this, to understand, completely and clearly, the unique nature of this design and sheath. You might wonder why I've posted this description and photos, for all to see and try to copy, which they undoubtedly will.

Just as with my locking sheath, every knife is different, and every individual knife must be matched to the sheath, and the sheath matched to the knife, necessitating building them together. Clearly, the knife is part of the sheath and the sheath is part of the knife in every way.

This is one of the main reasons this design is not easily be copied; each one has to be constructed individually, and the sheaths are not interchangeable, even with the same knife model, design, and profile!

Funny thing about that. I used to think that my sheaths would be quickly copied, and a few knifemakers have tried it over the years. Lacking their own creativity, they try to steal other's.

But here's the thing: it takes a large amount of effort, dedication, machinery, skill, and practice to make a sheath this advanced, and very, very few knifemakers are willing to try it. They just keep hot-forming their kydex, sticking it together with hollow rivets or eyelets, and taking the easy way. Frankly, they aren't interested in improving their knife sheaths, so they don't.

What about manufacturers? Because of the great variety of designs, and because of the close tolerances required for this type of sheath, it's expensive and time-consuming to make and fit, and the materials to build a sheath this way are beyond what most manufactured knives alone cost. It's not in their interest, either. They won't bother with all that trouble; after all, they make a cheap knife. Why put a cheap knife in a costly, elaborate sheath?

For me, these sheaths have been a great success, met with excellent feedback, particularly in the counterterrorism knife field. That should say enough. They work and work well.

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The Hybrid Tension Tab Lock Knife Sheath
Controlled Release, Locking Open or Closed

When I started making tactical combat dive knives—yes, there is such a thing—one of the necessary technical requirements was having a double-edged blade. If you've read the two sections above, you now know that the only way to have a device to secure a double-edged blade I've relied upon was the hybrid-tension design, since the positive lock would tear up the serrations or vice versa.

In certain environments, it's paramount to secure the knife. Under and above water, or in elevated positions (think mountain rescue or hostage rescue in multi-storied buildings), the security of the knife in the sheath is vital. I have clients who actually do what I've described, so I was determined to make their knives as secure as possible in those extreme environments.

For them, I needed a create a way to secure the ball-lock if my knife user required it. Additionally, it would be neat and advantageous if the ball-lock could be cleared away from the knife completely, allowing easy insertion without displacing or dragging the ball on the knife spine or bolster. This would add the advantage of keeping unsheathing quiet, another request by counterterrorism and other professionals.

I developed a simple post-mounted device with a dual-tab and ramp system. I made it completely optional for the hybrid tension-locking sheath; a client may wish to use the standard hybrid tension-lock or he may wish to add the optional tab-lock device. Again, a component-modular approach allows the greatest variety of options.

How the Hybrid Tension Tab Lock Works

The tab is a small, rotating element made of stainless steel that has four actual small, robust ramps. When the knife is secured in the sheath, one ramp can be rotated over the titanium dog-leg spring and it's held in place with friction. This prevents the dog-leg spring from rising or lifting the ball away from the knife bolster or spine. Effectively, this prevents the knife from being removed from the sheath. It would take an incredible amount of pressure to bend and displace the titanium; thus, the knife is effectively locked when the tab is in this position. The angle of the ramp offers enough friction to hold the tab in place.

To remove the knife, the tab can be rotated with the fingertips or thumb. When this happens, a different ramp wedges underneath the dog-leg spring, lifting the ball-lock away from the knife spine or bolster, releasing the knife from the pressure of the ball lock. Because it, too, is held in place by friction, it can be left in this position, and the ball completely clears the knife and opens the sheath mouth wide.

In dive knives, this mechanism can lock the knife into the sheath in one position, requiring the thumb or fingertips to rotate the tab, followed by pushing or displacing the ball and spring out of the way of the knife, unlocking it. The knife can be used, the sheath left "open" and the sheath "closed and locked" after re-sheathing by rotating the tab over the spring.

It's an incredibly simple design, but it's complicated to make. Every single knife, even with the same profile and design, requires close tolerances and extensive hand-tuning to get the fit just right. No mass-produced device will work. The tab-lock is all stainless steel, including the pivot, which is secured to the knife sheath at the top screw position, and (of course), I make these completely reversible, so the sheath can be worn in any position desired.

I started making this design in 2020, after working through several iterations on earlier dive knives. It's worked so well that I've started including it in my counterterrorism and tactical combat knives. Since it's optional, my clients can assemble the hybrid tension lock to include the tab-lock or not, depending on the intended use.

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Tactical Locking, Hybrid Tension, and Tab Locking Knife Sheath Materials
High Strength, Corrosion Proof

My positively locking V1.0 sheath is made of more than 40 components. The hybrid tension locking sheath and tab-lock sheaths are made of 24 to 40 components. All parts and fasteners are hand-fitted to the individual custom combat, tactical, or rescue knife. The sheath is matched to the knife and no other knives can be used in the sheath.

The front and back of the sheaths are made of a single layer of .125" thick Kydex® thermoforming plastic (methyl acrylate and polyvinylchloride), which may be hot-formed and molded to clear the knife bolsters and handle. This is double the thickness of every typical kydex sheath or pistol holster. Unlike others' sheaths, the kydex is not used for retention or in any mechanical fashion, so no wear, bending, abrasion, or flexing of the kydex ever occurs. It simply serves as a front and back of the sheath.

The strength of the sheath relies upon the welts, not the front and back. The welts (or frame members) of the sheath are made of two layers of 0.125" thick (total thickness: 0.250") milled and dressed 5052 corrosion-resistant high strength aluminum alloy at H32 hardness. This is a high chromium-magnesium aluminum alloy, used for aircraft fuel tanks, storm shutters, refrigerator liners and panels. I offer professional 1-mil thick anodization (twice the thickness of flashlights and aluminum tools) which imparts a near-ceramic hard surface to the aluminum. Then I usually dye it to match the knife, sheath body, and other components. This is prevalent on my "Shadow Line" for non-reflective camouflage in subdued operations. The anodization also increases the corrosion resistance tremendously, so that dive applications in marine environments are corrosion-free. The anodization also stiffens the aluminum by completely coating the outside with two layers of rigid aluminum oxide.

The aluminum welts and double-thickness kydex, front and back, are adhesively secured with waterproof cement, and bolted together with blued steel, nickel plated steel, or stainless steel Chicago screws with a 0.250" shank. These days, most of my sheaths are fixed with all stainless steel hardware and fasteners. The stainless steel Chicago screws can be blackened, oxide-toned for color, or passivated for complete corrosion resistance in salt water.

The locking mechanisms; boss, plates, ramps, pivots, ball, tabs, and all machine screws. are made of 304 high nickel, high chromium stainless steel (18-8 SS). These parts may be blasted and darkened through surface treatment or oxide colored to match the coyote parts. They are zero-care stainless steel, resisting even salt water exposure.

The springs in all later models are 6AL4V titanium. This is a spring titanium, and can be anodized with heat or chemistry to a dark blue or golden brown surface. This is completely corrosion-free and will last through many thousands of operations and flexing.

To condense this simply, my tactical sheaths are made of double-thickness kydex, anodized aluminum alloy, 304 stainless steel, and titanium. That's it.

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Post-lock Leather Sheath
A Positively Locking Leather Sheath Tough Enough for Tactical Use

When clients make requests, I do my best to listen to their needs. There are knife uses and sheath-wearing situations where a solid, aluminum-framed locking sheath may be too heavy, too cumbersome, or too visually obvious to use. There may be more casual situations and exposures; the client may wish to meld with a Principle Security Detail-type of wear option. He may wish to wear it on wild-land gear, outdoors, or in guiding and hunting applications where the metal-reinforced tactical sheath is simply overkill. This type of request is the reason I designed the post-lock leather sheath.

What was needed was a sheath that exposed plenty of knife handle, without the high back you see on most of my knife sheaths. Some of the advantages of the open-handle are that the handle is "reach and grab" fast, similar to my positively locking knife sheaths. This means my knife owner doesn't have to deal with the sheath back making the handle harder to wrap the fingers around. This type of arrangement also makes a smaller sheath overall, since the sheath covers just the blade and a small portion of the handle, not the entire length of the blade and handle. The size reduction also makes for a lighter weight sheath, improved even more by the fact that the majority of the post-lock sheath is leather.

The other issue is the nature of retention. A knife is normally retained in a leather sheath with tension: the squeezing of the leather around the front bolster and handle. Some of my sheaths have tabs that engage with the shape of the knife to retain the knife in a more definite locking fashion. In the post-lock sheath, I wanted to incorporate the finger ring itself as the locking mechanism. The finger ring may be round or elliptical in many of my tactical knives, and it offers a very secure fit to the hand. Why not use the same ring to retain the knife in the sheath?

I worked through some ideas and prototypes and got it all figured out. The most secure method is to create a "post" that actually passes through the finger ring when the knife is locked in the sheath. The post can't be sheared away, and the size of it means that as long as the post is secured in the sheath, pulling on the knife handle cannot remove the knife from the sheath. The post is made of leather, bonded in a stack that is secured and cemented, reinforced with heavy nylon thread that mounts it permanently to a large flap on the sheath front. The post has a stainless steel snap at the base, inside the sheath, that engages when the post is pressed through the finger ring. It's impossible to shear the post away, I'm certain that it would take the weight of several men to distort the sheath and post enough to break the knife free of this retention method.

I wanted some extra security, so I also installed a second stainless steel snap in the large retention flap. This design, with two separate stainless snaps that have to be released in order for the post to move, insures a double-safe locking feature. The flap is secured to the sheath frame (welts) with stainless steel screws and fasteners, and will not come off. The flap forms a large hinge that can easily be operated to release the post and the knife.

When the knife is needed, the hand wraps around the handle, and a finger or two pushes the flap away from the sheath front, unsnapping both internal and external snaps. This allows the post to pivot away and move out of the finger ring. The knife easily is unsheathed. Sheathing is also easy: the knife is pushed into the sheath, the flap and post are folded flat, both snaps audibly click. There is a "stitch ring" in the flap face to indicate where the finger presses to engage the internal snap.

Of course, the snaps, screws, and hardware are all stainless steel, and can be blackened to match the sheath color and tooling. The belt loop is very high, so the knife handle rides high and accessible, making it easy to get to. The knife shown below is made for a right handed person, left side crossdraw, but any arrangement can be made if the knife has a forward finger ring. I look forward to adding these to the kits, and making more of them in the future!

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Appearance
Made for Use

Currently, I'm making knife sheaths and accessories in two color schemes: black or coyote brown. The surfaces are media-blasted and flat, non-reflective. The kydex, the anodized aluminum, the webbing, the hardware and fasteners all match. I can leave the aluminum and stainless steel a natural metallic color, but rarely do clients request this now that I'm regularly anodizing.

Wear Patterns

Tactical, combat, counterterrorism, and rescue knives are made to be used. In use, any knife is going to show normal scuffing, surface wear, and typical changes from use.

This is reasonable, but the purpose I'm writing this is because some people might think and this kind of knife should be kept in pristine condition. If a person is serious about that, perhaps they should be looking at fine, mirror polished art pieces that are never touched, never used, and maintained in a safe. I can make and supply those as well, but they are not tactical knives. I just wanted to get that obvious fact out of the way.

With my designs and the interaction of the knife and sheath, there will be expected some wear on the contact areas of the knife and sheath.

• Version 1.0 and 2.0 positively locking sheath will show a wear pattern where the lock boss slides along the spine of the knife, just before and at the engagement in the spine or bolster area. The spot where the boss engages, typically a notch, will also show contact wear. This is appearance only, it will have no bearing on the operation of the lock; it would take generations to actually wear the device out.
• Hybrid tension lock and hybrid tension tab-locking sheath:
  • Ball lock: the ball lock surface will show a wear pattern where the bolster or contact area drags across it. This is appearance only and will not affect operation.
  • Bolster or knife spine: will show wear as a line wear the ball drags in and out of position, since this is a solid contact area. Both the bolster and ball lock are 304 stainless steel, they may show surface wear but this will not affect operation.
  • Locking tab and spring: the stainless steel tab rides against the dog-leg spring, and uses friction to stay in place. There will be a rub area where the two contact each other; it is small and does not affect operation of the device.
• The knife against the sheath: at the front bolsters (typically) there will be rubbing wear and light fogging where the bolster faces contact the sides of the kydex sheath. This is normal, and does not affect operation of the knife in any way.
• Knife blade: all it takes is one or two microscopic bits of abrasive dust or dirt (which is literally everywhere) to get in the sheath, and the knife blade will show wear on the sides as it slides in and out of the sheath. This does not effect the operation of the knife whatsoever.

From this, you can guess that it is impossible to keep a knife in pristine condition if it interacts with a sheath. This is ANY sheath. Even the softest, newest leather rubs against a mirror polished bolster and produces a light scuffing wear pattern. The only way to prevent this is to never, ever put a knife in a sheath.

I know; this sounds ridiculous, but I need to be completely clear and describe the common and expected wear patterns. After all, these are robust working tools, not dainty wallflowers.

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The Low Information Critics
Ignorance on Parade

All successful businesses have critics, and it's important to educate so that low information does not rest without challenge. I owe it to my clients and patrons and future clients and patrons to be very blunt, clear, and concise about these criticisms, so that they can make an educated decision in their own knife and sheath selections. It's important to not let misinformation stand, lest it root there and become belief.

There isn't too much criticism about my locking sheaths, or any of my sheaths, for that matter, but once in a while a person who does not have access to one of my sheaths will make some careless and irresponsible claim about them. This is humorous, because they don't even have a sheath to examine, inspect, or use, yet feel compelled to offer their evaluation! 

Conversely, the people who do have them are happy with them; in the hundreds of this type of sheath I've made since the 1990s, I've never had one returned for even an adjustment, much less a repair of any kind! I also receive continual requests for a locking or hybrid tension-locking sheath for every single tactical, combat, or counterterrorism knife I create; my clients demand them.

One anonymous poster on a forum claimed that "there is a reason no one else uses aluminum in their kydex sheaths," insinuating that I was somehow wrong for building a clearly superior sheath. This is quite funny, because this person saw fault in building what is the best, most sturdy, and most durable knife sheath in the world today. He thought that all sheaths were supposed to be weak, made of single thickness (.060") kydex, and with soft kydex welts, not the .250" thick high strength aluminum welts I use. Why wouldn't I build them weak, like everyone else does?

Then, a claim was made about the accessories; that they "looked weak and might break if the wearer took a tumble." This shows the absolute ignorance and contempt these uneducated types spew in hopes of casting some doubt on the most successful of us. The accessories, like the sheath, are the strongest made in the world today. In just one example (the tactical flashlight holder, the HULA), I'll make a simple comparison: Mine are built of all welded zero-care austenitic stainless steel and high strength aluminum alloy. Theirs are built of flammable, weak, flexible, thin plastic, or nylon cloth!

My accessorized units are used by some of the top military, law enforcement, and counterterrorism teams in the world, and there is a reason for that. By the way, I've never had one returned for even an adjustment, much less a repair, not one of any type in over 25 years making them and hundreds of knives. NOT ONE.

Rather than simply explain who is using these sheaths and accessories, and for how long they have been using them, I'll commit to describe the exact components used so it's absolutely clear how durable these sheaths are. This is done lower on this very page, at the topic: Compare. You can read it yourself, and make an informed decision.

As for me, I'll keep making the strongest, most durable, most reliable locking waterproof knife sheaths made in the world today. They will continue to be the very best.

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Compare This!
Quality Without Compromise

My tactical knife sheaths are absolutely the best made in the world today. How can I say this? In my 40+ years of knifemaking, I've seen many a sheath. I think it's important to detail the exact and specific features, factors, and components that prove my claim, so here it is.

Many of the points listed below apply to all types of my knife sheaths: locking, hybrid tension locking,  tab-locking, and post-locking leather. Here are a list of critical and specific points and counterpoints comparing other maker's and factory knife sheaths to my locking and tactical knife sheaths to consider.

Other sheath makers, knife makers, and manufacturers will not illustrate these points for you, and as you read, you can understand why you deserve to know what you are depending on (or not!).

• Sheath Body (Manmade Materials, Kydex)
  • Theirs: Most factory knife sheaths and many other maker's tactical knife sheaths are constructed of nylon or polyester, sometimes over a liner of thin (0.030" — 0.060" thick) kydex. Though you will see terms like "ballistic nylon." please do not be fooled. Nylon is a weak, soft, flexible, and short-lived cloth, suitable for bags, but not for knife sheaths. 0.060" thick kydex will flex, bend, and deform, making it easier to construct the sheath but significantly weaker, less safe, less durable, and more short lived in the field than my sheaths.
  • Mine: My kydex sheaths are all made of double-thickness kydex. This kydex is 0.125" thick, and very durable and long-lived. All of the components of my locking combat tactical knife sheaths are waterproof and the knife sheath is assembled with waterproof cement and solid mechanical fasteners that do not allow the infiltration of moisture. There are no soft materials like cloth, nylon, coverings, or cord on my sheaths; nothing to hold debris, dirt, moisture, fluids, or any contaminants. This is a rigid, extremely durable knife sheath.
• Sheath Body (Leather and Fasteners)
  • Theirs: Most knifemakers and all factories that make leather sheaths will use thin 4-6 oz. leather. They do this because they use simple sewing machines or "punch and thread" methods to assemble the leather sheath parts. This is cheap leather, leather that you can get at Tandy or Leather Factory, in knife sheath kits for hobbyists. The welts (when even used) are thin and light, adding no rigidity or abrasion resistance to the sheath design. The sheaths are soft and floppy, falling while wearing one of them could cause serious injury. Then, they stitch it together with cotton cord or quickly punch together a couple of nickel plated brass rivets. The cotton cord is weak, friable, and short-lived, the nickel plated rivets will rust, corrode, stain, and melt away over the years. They often oil the sheaths like an old couch, which further softens the leather. They make a quick fold-over type belt loop, which is weak and floppy, and the sheaths are simply an afterthought, frequently farmed out to other companies or individuals.
  • Mine: I always use at least 9-10 oz. leather shoulder, with heavy tapered welts. My knife sheaths are thick and strong, and as stiff as I can make them. I do this because if my client falls, the sheath shouldn't fail by bending and the knife cutting through. They are stitched together with heavy multi-strand nylon or polyester cord, the same size used in sewing conveyor belts, heavy duty tarpaulins and covers, holsters, saddles, and shoes. The leather is sealed with water-resistant lacquers, never oils, which can weaken and soften the leather and attract dust and abrasive dirt. Many tactical models have double-row stitching for strength and longevity, and all fasteners used are stainless steel, which will never rust, corrode, or decay. The belt loops are tight and strong, keeping the knife sheath from flopping around on the body. I fit each knife to its individual sheath; they are made together in a flawless fit as they are one component.
• Fasteners (Kydex, Aluminum, Manmade Sheaths)
  • Theirs: Most other maker's sheaths are mechanically constructed with hammered rivets or punch-and-die set eyelets, rings, or small grommets. These are constructed of thin steel or worse, brass, made thin so they can be easily formed when punched and bent into position. Though the steel or brass versions may be coated or painted, that coating is easily cracked, scarred, and opened when the rivets or eyelets are set with a hammer and punch. You won't see the split in the coating on the surface; it happens underneath at the worst place, where moisture can be trapped, and corrosion can go on unhindered and hiding from view, until the rivet or eyelet fails.
  • Mine: My tactical combat sheaths are secured with the ultimate in corrosion resistance, 304 high chromium, high nickel stainless steel. From the Chicago screws to all of the machine screw fasteners, no corrosion will ever occur, even in salt water. Machine screws are also many times stronger than rivets or eyelets.
• Fasteners (Leather Sheaths)
  • Theirs: Factories and other knifemakers typically use nickel plated brass as fasteners; they are easy, cheap, and fast, purchased at hobby leather shops or departments. All it takes to put them together is a punch and a hammer. They are short-lived and weak, corroding almost immediately, staining the leather, and tearing apart.
  • Mine: I always use stainless steel fasteners, in 316 or 304 austenitic stainless steel. Most of these are screwed fasteners, with male and female threads, and they can be tightened if ever loose, and reasonably replaced. But you would never need to replace them, since they are stainless steel and will outlast the leather in every case. They also strengthen and make the sheath rigid for durability and safety. In color and non-reflective applications, I media-blast them for flatness, and treat them with black oxide or coyote oxide finish. Dot-snaps are 100 percent stainless steel, marine (salt water) grade corrosion resistant, and high strength.
• Tuning, Adjustment of the Sheath
  • Theirs: Once their sheath is assembled, it is fixed, and not adjustable, serviceable, or tunable. A rivet or an eyelet is a one time fastener, speedy to apply, yet weak and short lived. No options exist, apart from tying a cord through a weak eyelet.
  • Mine: My locking combat tactical knife sheaths are assembled with high strength stainless steel machine screws, which can allow adjustment, tightening, tuning, and even replacement if necessary (though in the hundreds of these I've made, I've never had a failure of a single one). The screws are removable so that various wear options can be used.
• Sheath Face and Back Thickness
  • Theirs: They use single strength kydex for the body, which is 0.060" (1/16") thick or less, and will flex and bend and can allow the breakage of the kydex at the weakest point, around the rivets, eyelets or fasteners. In extremely cold weather kydex becomes brittle and in thinner sections can easily crack. It can not be repaired. In hot exposures, this thin kydex can flex and loosen around the fasteners often cracking on the outboard side of the fastener.
  • Mine: I use double-thick kydex of 0.125" (1/8")  thick kydex sheath faces and backs. This results in a thick, strong, durable and long-lived sheath. In colder climates, it will not snap and in warmer climates it does not flex.
• Knife Sheath Welts
  • Theirs: They use kydex welts or no welts at all. This allows flexing of the sheath, high wear, rubbing, and a short life. There is no reinforcement around the fasteners, no stiffness to prevent movement and prevent adhesives from breaking bond (if they even use adhesives!).
  • Mine: I use 5053H32 corrosion resistant high strength aluminum alloy for the welts, which are typically 1/4" thick to create the non-bendable and super-tough sheath frame. Because the welt-frame does not flex, the waterproof adhesive bonds are permanent. This makes the entire sheath rigid and solid, protecting the wearer as well as the knife while giving extremely long and dependable wear.
• Protecting the Cutting Edge
  • Theirs: They do nothing to protect the cutting edges from contacting and dulling against steel rivets as the knife's cutting edge slides in and out of the sheath, which can dull the blade.
  • Mine:  I line the aluminum welts with a durable epoxy-based bedding that seats and protects the cutting edge, preventing cutting edge wear from the sheath.
• Belt Loops
  • Theirs: They have kydex loops, bent or formed, secured with rivets or eyelets to mount the knife sheath to the belt. When bent at a severe angle (such as folded), kydex becomes very weak and brittle. Another common belt loop is folded nylon webbing riveted to the kydex sheath back. This is not only weak and short lived, it allows the knife sheath to flop around, move, get in the way, and pull away from the body, possibly trapping the knife and sheath in obstructions.
  • Mine: I have 5052H32 corrosion-resistant die-formed solid aluminum belt loops screwed to the welt frame of the sheath with stainless steel Chicago screws. They can not tear, corrode, rip, be cut, move, or loosen, ever. They hold the sheath tightly to the body, keeping the knife in position. In my latest sheaths, I include three different sizes for various belt widths and thicknesses. Read about these sheath mounting and wear essentials here.
• Realistic Wear Options
  • Theirs: They typically have one wear position, and no options.
  • Mine: My locking combat tactical knife sheaths have reversible die-formed aluminum belt loops that can be placed on either side of the sheath by the knife owner, at any time. The knife wearer can also use the screwed welt frame for a variety of wear accessories, like horizontal-vertical belt loop plates, clamping straps of aluminum for tight bonding to sheath accessories like belt loop extenders and sternum harnesses I offer for the sheaths. These loops, clamps, plates and straps can be positioned all along the sheath welt frame, in multiple positions on the sheath. See the page on the sheath mount and wear essentials.
• Knife Retention in the Sheath
  • Theirs: For most leather sheaths and textile sheaths, you'll read terms like "jump ready" to describe a lousy and cheap snap and flap or loop knife handle retention. These small pieces of material are soft, weak, easily broken, and frequently cut by a knife blade. This is an extremely poor way to secure the knife in the sheath, it is not jump ready (unless you're jumping off the couch for a beer). They can not last, and the knife will be lost or the wearer will be injured with this poor sheath retention method; more details on my Knife Sheaths page.
  • Mine: My tactical knife sheaths provide security of the knife in the sheath, and the positively locking models can easily support the entire body weight of the wearer. The mechanism can not be torqued, defeated, or cut, as it is all stainless steel.
    My hybrid tension locking and tab-locking sheaths allow reliable, controlled tension force to retain the knife in the sheath, and I include at least three different force springs to do the job. The tab-lock adds an additional security measure by locking the spring in position.
• Locking Components
  • Theirs: You might see some other makers or companies offering some other kind of knife-in-sheath retention method. These are usually made of plastic, with detents and catches in the kydex itself. Kydex is a great sheath body (if it's thick enough), but has no place in the high-wear contact area of a lock, detent, or retention mechanism. Kydex is plastic, and not abrasion resistant. It will rub and wear and degrade, and will soon fail.
  • Mine: My locking sheath contact components are all austenitic stainless steel. All parts, including the machine screws are high nickel, high chromium stainless steel which is extremely tough and extremely wear resistant. They can not corrode, they can not wear, the can not crack, snap, move, or flex.
• Accessories
  • Theirs: there simply are none offered or made. Tough luck finding any.
  • Mine: I offer an incredible range of useful, durable, corrosion resistant, and worthwhile accessories for my locking knife sheaths. They allow you  to tailor your sheath and accessory needs with the custom mounting and wear options you prefer. They also allow you to remove, replace, and swap out accessories depending on your mission or venture. Read about them on the following pages on this section of the website:

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Positively Locking, Hybrid Tension Locking, Tab-locking Tactical Knife Sheath Care
Simple and Easy

Some minor care can allow my tactical combat knife sheaths to last as long as the knife.

• If used in dirty or salt water environments, clean by rinsing in mild soapy water, followed by a rinse in clear water. My professional clients will often drop the knife and sheath in the rinse tank for a few minutes, then blow them dry with compressed air.
• Work the locking mechanisms by hand to make sure there is no debris that would interfere with a smooth hinge and spring operation.
• After cleaning and when dry, spray the mechanism with silicone spray lubricant, but only if it is stiff. Do not use oils, they will attract dirt and soften the waterproof cement.
• If you've relocated the belt loops or remounted any accessories, check the Chicago screws and machine for tightness.
• Do not clean kydex with any solvents, spirits, oils, or heavy degreasing agents. Soap and water is good.
• To get a really nice, dark appearance of the knife and sheath, including welts, handle, etc., a light wipe of a cloth wetted with Rustlick 631® corrosion inhibitor will make the surface pop; and adds a nice layer of protection. This inhibitor is great to have around; one can will last for many years. Don't apply it by spraying it right on the sheath and/or knife, just dampen a small cloth with it and rub it around. Use another dry cloth to wipe off all excess. You'll love it.

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New to my Tactical Knife Sheaths?
What to Know

When you first acquire my tactical sheath with matching knife, you may notice a few white or black flakes on the blade and in the mouth of the sheath. This is normal; it is the epoxy-based bedding along the edge run on the inside of the edge welt that is being cut away while the knife edge is seating in the new sheath. After a few dozen insertions and removals, it will seat and you won't see any more flakes. The coating beds the cutting edge, and protects the edge from the aluminum welt. You can see it when you look down the throat of the sheath. Some cutting and light chipping of this material is normal, particularly if you have serrations on the blade.

When first acquired, the new knife owner is often too gentle with the insertion of the knife in the sheath. Once the blade is lined up, it's fine to shove the knife in solidly in order to bed the mechanism and positively lock the knife. You're not going to hurt the knife by shoving it hard in these sheaths; they are very stout. Just be sure that you have the correct orientation, as shoving it in upside down will cause the stainless locking mechanism to ride on the cutting edge, and that won't help the edge... and it also won't work!

Learn to use the sheath, get comfortable with it, and know that you are using what is probably the best locking combat and tactical knife sheath made.

Most of my locking combat tactical sheaths are reversible. This means that the belt loops can be mounted on either side of the knife. When changing the setup of the sheath, the most important thing is to not cross-thread the stainless steel machine screws. Make sure they are clean, start them gently by hand, do not force them. To see how all this works, click on the detailed pages linked below.

If you have a problem with the positively locking mechanism of the sheath, please do not attempt a field repair. The mechanism is assembled under tension and once removed, the machine screws can not be reinserted in correct alignment. Just send the sheath (with knife) back to me, and I’ll tune it up for you for free! Incidentally, since I've started making these sheaths (1995) I have had not a single one returned with a single problem. Wow!

The Hybrid tension locking and tab-locks are even simpler. You can easily remove the components and reverse them on the sheath. The only reason you might have difficulty is because a sheath is full of mud or debris. Spray it out with a water hose, let it dry.

If you have any problem, contact me. I'm committed to my client's satisfaction and service.

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