KA-BARKydex Sheath For Short, Black

Purchased two and works fine

I never give full stars, but this has them. I have gone through two leather sheaths over the years as my blade has worn through them but finally decided to go for this plastic sheath. It has triple restraints for the blade as opposed to the leather sheaths 1 (top snap like the leather one, cross guard snap and a pressure fit built in to the sheath) and is holding up wonderfully. looks cool too. I will say the paint wore off the snaps much faster than the leather snap however, if that matters to anyone.

I use this sheath for a model 1256 short Kabar fighting knife. The fit is perfect. It has a redundant strap with a snap over the guard that my sheath for the larger Kabar doesn't have. It is not necessary for retention in the sheath. It also has the strap around the handle which is useful to keep the knife more stable while walking. The sheath has many holes and slots for a variety of carry options. I like the looks of the leather sheath that came with my knife, but this sheath is probably more durable and useful.

This is about as simple and durable as it gets. There is no unnecessary bells and whistles but there is a still a little left to be desired.Granted I've only had this for a day I don't see this breaking or getting worn out any time soon. The Kydex itself is solid and is held together using eight metal grommets. The fabric/nylon or whatever they used for the belt loop is attached to the Kydex sheath by five metal rivets. On the backside there is a slot near the tip of the knife that serves as a drainage hole. There is a plastic belt ring that goes around the fabric belt loop that allows the knife to be carried sideways in conjunction with the strap/grommet holes.The are three different ways this sheath retains the knife. The first is the Kydex sheath itself. There are nubs on the Kydex that overlap the hand guard. To unlock the knife from the sheath you just use your thumb to press down on the sheath to flex the nubs out of the way while pulling the knife out. The nub system works fairly well and is good by itself if you are constantly pulling your KB in and out of the sheath. I would not however solely rely on this if I was walking long distances or wearing the sheath in a sideways manner. The second retainer is a strap that is attached to the back by a metal rivet and then comes back around to the front and over one side of the hand guard. It is secured by a metal button on the front. This is the only real area of durability I might be concerned about. This snap button is metal, but constant buttoning and unbuttoning might eventually render the strap useless. Though for now it is holding the knife in place pretty well. The third retainer is located on the belt strap and wraps around the handle of the KB. It is attached by a metal rivet and is secured by a metal button. I find this retainer to be optional and wish it was removable. You can button this strap behind the handle or between the belt loop so it is not sticking out all over the place.It is ambidextrous. I can put the knife in the sheath both ways. I can also position the strap that goes over the hand guard to either side.There is a definite rattle when not using the straps and only relying on the Kydex nubs. But every strap you do use to retain the knife significantly lessens the rattle. With both straps there is not much rattle except for the tip of the knife hitting the inside of the sheath. If the sheath is hanging down on the side of your leg it is fairly difficult to get this thing rattling if either strap is used.One issue I have is with the plastic belt loop. I have two belts that I use to carry stuff like this. One is a 5.11 double duty belt (model 59568) that fits perfectly through the ring. My other belt is of the same style but is of the Propper brand and is slightly wider than my 5.11. If I force the Propper belt through the ring it has to flex itself to be able to fit. I guess its not such a big deal but I definitely see the ring fraying the edges of my belt eventually. I would like this plastic ring to be removable but there really isn't a problem with letting it hang there while wearing the sheath vertically.Not really that good for carrying incognito unless you rig it underneath a jacket or something. If you wear it horizontally across your front your stomach may get agitated. If pushed to either side a little bit or directly on your side you can see the handle or tip sticking out from your under your shirt. I don't recommend wearing it on your backside. Imagine falling on it with the small of your back... yeah, probably not a good idea. The best way to carry your knife incognito on ones belt is to have it hang vertically with the tip of the sheath stuffed down your pocket. It works for a little while but that big pommel on the knife usually pushes my shirt outta the way and reveals itself. There is not as much bulge when carrying it vertically but you still get a decent amount. I like carrying a knife but I don't necessarily like letting other people know I have one or have people think I'm trying to flaunt it. Turns out I will not be using my KB as an EDC.Overall the sheath works well with possibly none to very little durability issues. Although I feel like I've nitpicked a little I don't think it deserves five stars as that would imply that this thing is pretty much close to perfect. I do recommend this sheath especially over the standard leather one.The KB i use is the 5 1/4" regular non-serrated blade.

Excellent sheath for my super sharp hunting knife. Very tough and durable, and it should last the rest of my life. I could only use one of the fastening straps because I custom made my knife handle to fit my large hands, but one strap holds the knife secure. I'm sure both straps would fasten with a regular sized K-Bar knife handle. I've carried it on my belt quite a few times out in the field hunting, and it keeps me safe and my knife sharp.

My boyfriend bought this sheath to replace the leather one that came with his 5.25 in. Short Ka-Bar knife. The sheath is very durable and there's slits on the sides of the sheath for para cord or to strap it on your boot, and there's also a belt loop so you can carry your knife however you would like. There's three safety features on the sheath, this could be good or bad depending on the person. If your very active these numerous safety features would be very desirable, or if you have children and accidently leave your knife out. These safety features could be less desirable if you're less active and just need a simple sheath. Also it could be a problem if you need to get to your knife quickly for some reason. All together for my boyfriend it was a perfect sheath, but depending on your needs your satisfaction may vary.

Took awhile for shipping but finally got here and it is perfect. Holes for paracord are very useful I mounted it to my plate carrier and to clarify it is kydex sheath but it is not specifically molded for a particular knife it must be a 5 1/4inch blade but the sheath holds from the hilt of the knife. I really like it and it holds the knife in it very well and it is easily accessible.

Fits the short Ka-Bar 1257 knife perfectly. Light in weight, tough in construction - double straps are wonderful in keeping the Ka-Bar secure. Well worth the cost, don't settle for anything cheaper.