Polycarbonate Parang Sheath

[C_Claycomb]

Finished this to house a Condor Eco Parang for an upcoming trip to Brunei (little sultanate on the island of Borneo) where I will be doing three or four days of jungle hammock camping with a friend who lives and guides out there.

Having used a Penan parang and made my own copy along with wooden sheath, I like the dangle carry and inverted draw. I could have done something in Kydex, but I had 3mm and 2mm clear polycarbonate leftover from another project, and nothing better to do with it...

. by Last Scratch, on Flickr

Non-slip cord attachment, and provision for a webbing dangler loop.
. by Last Scratch, on Flickr

Drain features. I do think this thing might be a rust trap, but I don't have time to do much about it before I go, so will just see how it works. Kydex can be bad for rust too if it is close to the blade.
. by Last Scratch, on Flickr

Retention is provided by having heat distorted one side of the sheath, down near the tip. Polycarbonate is not nice to heat form. It needs to get quite hot to start moving, then very quickly gets really soft, and then it bubbles!
. by Last Scratch, on Flickr
Not elegant, but it seems to work since the blade won't shake out of the sheath, but can be withdrawn smoothly if I hold the the sheath with my spare hand.

Cord carries below pack belt (HPG Recon, for ref.)

IMG_1356 by Last Scratch, on Flickr

IMG_1360 by Last Scratch, on Flickr

Something different, at any rate.

 

[snappingturtle]

Y'know that's a pretty cool idea! and at least you will see any moisture.

 

[sunndog]

I like that, you'll have to post again when you get back and its worn in a bit....all the carp you don't usually see stuffed in there lol

Inverted carry is interesting. Might have to give that a go

*edit
Is polycarbonate brittle at all compared to kydex?

 

[Sparky415]

Nice and unusual job CC
I have used PVC pipe before but you can't see whats going on inside

 

[C_Claycomb]

I too have used PVC, and ABS pipe. Wasn't a huge fan when comparing to Kydex, but in both cases I was going from pipe to flat, whereas in this case it was already flat.

Polycarbonate is not brittle! I haven't looked at the figures, but just based on my handling of it, I think polycarbonate is significantly less brittle than Kydex. You can scarcely get the stuff to break even when you bend it double. It is a LOT less brittle than acrylic.

The biggest problem with it being clear is that if I put it down, without the parang in it, it is going to be really hard to find again!!!