DIY Knife With a DIY PVC Sheath

I had always wanted to make a survival knife to carry on my fishing, biking, hiking trips. I have made a rough one before, but it didn't have a sheath to carry it in. Browsing the web I have a found a similar PVC sheath that inspired my project. Now, knowing how to make a DIY sheath, there was a point in making a new, better knife.

Tools you will need:

1. hacksaw /metal band saw/ angle grinder
2. drill /drill press
3. heat gun / gas torch
4. clamps
5. palm sander / polisher and sandpaper
6. scroll saw/ fretsaw

Materials you will need:

1. flat metal sheet preferably no thinner than 3-4mil.
2. large PVC pipe
3. paracord
4. spray paint

Search the web for a template of your preferred knife,then print it out. Avoid knife designs with the blade tip wider than the blade in the beginning, as when you mold the sheath, the entire blade will be molded almost in the exact shape in the PVC.This will cause the blade to get stuck upon screwing the two sides of the sheath together. Using scissors, cut out the printed design, then glue it to the sheet metal.

Using hacksaw/ grinder / metal band saw, cut out the preferred blade.

With a angle grinder, very carefully, do a small bevel on the both sides of the blade. Then, using a sander, clean up the scratches, gradually going from the roughest to the finest grit sandpaper.

First begin by putting on your safety glasses. Then, using a drill/ drill press (I prefer the drill press, as is gives very accurate holes) drill out a hole around 0.5-1 cm big. Now, using a file, start making a rough bevel on the knife's blade, by filing on the same angle on both sides. After that, either using a knife sharpener or a knife stone, sharpen the knife until preferred sharpness. If you want the knife razor sharp, use a piece of leather to hone your knife. Then, depending on the hardness of the metal you are using, you may wish to harden the metal by heating it up till red hot with a torch, then cooling it rapidly in a bath of water or oil.

Begin by holding the paracord in a loop parallel to the sides of the knife, holding it down with your thumb at the back of the knife. Then, in a clockwise direction, wrap the paracord around the handle of the knife. Stop when you wrap the entire handle up.

Pull the end of the paracord through the loop you left earlier, and pull tight, until the loop goes INTO the wrapped handle by 2,3 or 4 paracord wraps. Cut off the excess, and then, using a lighter, melt the ends of the paracord in to the handle. Be careful to not melt the wrapped handle! Now having done the blade, let's make the sheath!

Start by gently heating up the PVC pipe to a point were it is hot, but not burned, then flattening it between two flat pieces of wood. Gradually, you will get a straight piece of PVC plastic. Make a total of two pieces, making sure that they will fit the knife's blade entirely. Then, place the knife flat on a piece of wood, making sure its paracord handle is not touching the wood (this will make some unneeded extra space in the sheath, due to the knife being lifted off the wood). Using a heat gun or a torch on its lowest setting, gently heat up the area of the perimeter of the knife on the PVC board. As the plastic is heated up, use a clamp to shape it to the shape of the knife.

When you have done the molding, clamp the two pieces of plastic (one molded, the other flat) together. The knife should pop in and out easy, but it shouldn't fall out by itself. Then, separate and sand them in prep for painting. Please do NOT use rough sand paper, as it will leave deep scratches in the PVC! After that, drill holes for the rivets/ or nuts and bolts in both pieces of plastic at the same time. Put the hardware in to join the two pieces of PVC, with the belt straps trapped in the hardware. Finally, cut out the sheath shape on the scroll saw/ fret saw/ band saw.

Now, paint with your prefered colour. And you are done! Feel free to comment! If you liked the instructable, please vote for me in the metal contest!