Contributing Member TwinOaks Posted February 7, 2012 Contributing Member Report Posted February 7, 2012 I have been looking for .125" kydex for my holster/sheath clips and Springfield Leather CAN get it.....but they need to order a minimum quantity. I'm discussing this with Rusty at SLC, and decided to ask our members if they're interested. Pricing info will be posted as it becomes available. If there is enough of a market to justify it, SLC could carry it. So....are you interested, and how much might you realistically purchase at a time? Quote Mike DeLoach Esse Quam Videri (Be rather than Seem) "Don't learn the tricks of the trade.....Learn the trade." "Teach what you know......Learn what you don't." LEATHER ARTISAN'S DIGITAL GUILD on Facebook.
Members Sixer Posted February 7, 2012 Members Report Posted February 7, 2012 What size / thickness do they offer now? Just curious... but I would be interested! Quote http://www.hoppcustomleather.com https://www.facebook.com/HoppCustomLeather
Members Kingswarrior Posted February 7, 2012 Members Report Posted February 7, 2012 I would be willing to purchase some as well. I like the idea of thicker kydex for belt clips. Thanks for checking into this. Eager to hear the results. Quote "The fear of the LORD leads to life, and he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil." - Proverbs 19:23
Contributing Member TwinOaks Posted February 7, 2012 Author Contributing Member Report Posted February 7, 2012 Still getting info from SLC, and will post the prices when I get them. Right now, they've got a quote for the Kydex 100 which is higher impact rated, and we're waiting on the quote for the Kydex T (which is the more common type). The Kydex currently available through SLC is either .06" or .093". I've used the .093 and seen some breakage on 'C' clips and 'J' clips from hinging at the top of the clip...hence my interest in thicker material. Here's the link to SLC showing what they currently stock: http://springfieldleather.com/22548/Kydex-T%2CCalcutta%2C.06%2C1%27x1%27/ Quote Mike DeLoach Esse Quam Videri (Be rather than Seem) "Don't learn the tricks of the trade.....Learn the trade." "Teach what you know......Learn what you don't." LEATHER ARTISAN'S DIGITAL GUILD on Facebook.
Contributing Member TwinOaks Posted February 9, 2012 Author Contributing Member Report Posted February 9, 2012 UPDATE: The price per piece for 1/8th inch Kydex T will be $6.75 / ft......if there's enough of a demand for it. By comparison, that's $2.50 cheaper per sheet than knifekits (dot) com. If you're a member of any other forums please let them know about it. Quote Mike DeLoach Esse Quam Videri (Be rather than Seem) "Don't learn the tricks of the trade.....Learn the trade." "Teach what you know......Learn what you don't." LEATHER ARTISAN'S DIGITAL GUILD on Facebook.
Members Colt Hammerless Posted February 9, 2012 Members Report Posted February 9, 2012 This is interesting and timely. I was thinking of writing Kevin at SLC to suggest they start carrying .125 thick Kydex. I've been wanting to make my own clips for holsters, mag pouches, and such, as well as holster bodies. The pricing seems very nice. Count me in as very interested. As for quantity, I'd probably make a small order first to see how well I work with this stuff. Thanks for doing this TwinOaks! Colt Hammerless Quote
Contributing Member TwinOaks Posted February 9, 2012 Author Contributing Member Report Posted February 9, 2012 You are most welcome! I get most of my materials from SLC, and I like having a "one-stop-shop". My problem was that I really don't like the idea of paying close to $10 per sq. ft. for it. So, a toll free call to SLC later...here we are! Quote Mike DeLoach Esse Quam Videri (Be rather than Seem) "Don't learn the tricks of the trade.....Learn the trade." "Teach what you know......Learn what you don't." LEATHER ARTISAN'S DIGITAL GUILD on Facebook.
Members Colt Hammerless Posted February 9, 2012 Members Report Posted February 9, 2012 Exactly why I wanted them to carry it. If I'm ordering a couple of horse butts, or a grab bag of ostritch hide, it would be nice to simply have them throw some Kydex in with the order. I also didn't like the idea of 10 bucks per square. Quote
Members Sovran81 Posted February 9, 2012 Members Report Posted February 9, 2012 A few questions to anyone that has used it. I know nothing about it. How stiff is it? Will it break if bent without being heated? is it sold in precut 1' x 1'. or can it be purchased by the linear foot? Quote
Contributing Member TwinOaks Posted February 9, 2012 Author Contributing Member Report Posted February 9, 2012 ANY of the kydex can be bent until broken, but the 1/8th inch should be quite a bit more resilient than the .093. My personal experience is that the .093 belt clips can be flexed enough to make a "hinge" point....kind of like flexing mild steel back and forth to make it weaker and eventually break. When I make belt clips with the .093, I make the "top" of the clip by forming over a ~1/4" thick jig, That gives a pretty substantial gap at the back, and they can be opened to 3/8ths" repeatedly with no issues. Out of 40-ish clips I've made this way, I've had one break. Then another piece (internal trigger guard catch) built differently also broke, but it's because the user was using a different gun in the holster than what it was designed for. The 1/8th inch thickness is more or less the industry standard for most tactical gear made of Kydex......Fobus holsters are 1/8th inch material. On the size you want.....It is sold by the square foot (pricing expected to be as above), BUT you can order it how you want it. Rusty at SLC actually cuts the 1x1 pieces from a 4x8 sheet, so you could order up to an 8' piece, as wide as you want, up to 4'.....or even a whole sheet (32 sq. feet). Quote Mike DeLoach Esse Quam Videri (Be rather than Seem) "Don't learn the tricks of the trade.....Learn the trade." "Teach what you know......Learn what you don't." LEATHER ARTISAN'S DIGITAL GUILD on Facebook.
Members Sovran81 Posted February 9, 2012 Members Report Posted February 9, 2012 Thanks Mike. I think I will have to get some and play with it. Quote
Members K-Man Posted February 9, 2012 Members Report Posted February 9, 2012 My experience, and research, showed that the 1/8" thick is the most resilent thickness, and is the industry standard. With respect to the making of clips, I've also found that the radius of the bends directly affect their durability. At one time I bought clips, made from 1/8" thick kydex, from a fairly well-known kydex holster maker. We had a 40%+ failure rate, i.e., 40 of every 100 clips was cracking within 6 months. The manufacturer claimed that the fault was with us because we had a "custom" design. We started manufacturing our own, utilizing the same design, and our failure rate dropped to less than 1%. Quote
Members casemaker Posted February 9, 2012 Members Report Posted February 9, 2012 I have offcuts of 1/8 T grade black available. Assorted sizes but they average about 3" X 8" for $ .50 per piece plus shipping. ANY of the kydex can be bent until broken, but the 1/8th inch should be quite a bit more resilient than the .093. My personal experience is that the .093 belt clips can be flexed enough to make a "hinge" point....kind of like flexing mild steel back and forth to make it weaker and eventually break. When I make belt clips with the .093, I make the "top" of the clip by forming over a ~1/4" thick jig, That gives a pretty substantial gap at the back, and they can be opened to 3/8ths" repeatedly with no issues. Out of 40-ish clips I've made this way, I've had one break. Then another piece (internal trigger guard catch) built differently also broke, but it's because the user was using a different gun in the holster than what it was designed for. The 1/8th inch thickness is more or less the industry standard for most tactical gear made of Kydex......Fobus holsters are 1/8th inch material. On the size you want.....It is sold by the square foot (pricing expected to be as above), BUT you can order it how you want it. Rusty at SLC actually cuts the 1x1 pieces from a 4x8 sheet, so you could order up to an 8' piece, as wide as you want, up to 4'.....or even a whole sheet (32 sq. feet). Quote
Contributing Member TwinOaks Posted February 9, 2012 Author Contributing Member Report Posted February 9, 2012 Appreciate that casemaker, but the intent of this thread is to see if there's enough of a market for SLC to carry the 1/8th inch. Quote Mike DeLoach Esse Quam Videri (Be rather than Seem) "Don't learn the tricks of the trade.....Learn the trade." "Teach what you know......Learn what you don't." LEATHER ARTISAN'S DIGITAL GUILD on Facebook.
Members BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted February 12, 2012 Members Report Posted February 12, 2012 What you might want to do is post how much the minimum quantity is to get this going. Are you talking about 100', 1,000', or 100,000'? When I have been involved with group buys the minimum was posted, so we knew what it would take to get the deal done. Quote You laugh at me because I am different. I laugh at you because you are all the same.
Contributing Member TwinOaks Posted February 12, 2012 Author Contributing Member Report Posted February 12, 2012 Good point Doc. Case quantity is 8 sheets. Sheets are 4x8 feet (32 sq. ft.). SLC can get less than a full case, but the shipping is the same, so they prefer getting the full case...otherwise the price has to go up to reflect the non-bulk shipping rates. Retail value for their minimum order is a little over $1700....(subtract a little for wholesale pricing, add a little for shipping) so they've got a bit of an expense if they make the purchase. Rusty said he doesn't mind making that purchase, so long as he knows he can sell it. I opened this topic to see if there was enough interest here, so we could get a target sample. Quote Mike DeLoach Esse Quam Videri (Be rather than Seem) "Don't learn the tricks of the trade.....Learn the trade." "Teach what you know......Learn what you don't." LEATHER ARTISAN'S DIGITAL GUILD on Facebook.
Members Kingswarrior Posted February 12, 2012 Members Report Posted February 12, 2012 Thanks to twin Oaks and SLC for making this available. How soon will orders be accepted? Quote "The fear of the LORD leads to life, and he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil." - Proverbs 19:23
Contributing Member TwinOaks Posted February 12, 2012 Author Contributing Member Report Posted February 12, 2012 I don't have that info. You might want to call SLC and ask if they've decided to sell it. Quote Mike DeLoach Esse Quam Videri (Be rather than Seem) "Don't learn the tricks of the trade.....Learn the trade." "Teach what you know......Learn what you don't." LEATHER ARTISAN'S DIGITAL GUILD on Facebook.
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