Problems with Secure-Ex sheath
Since Secure-Ex is the real culprit, I went ahead and got a leather sheath made by Nair sir. I have shared some pictures of this custom leather sheath. My personal advice is to get a Kydex or leather sheath made as soon as you purchase SRK in any steel.
Couple of years back I had done 'First Thoughts' video about Coldsteel SRK San Mai III. I was very impressed with SRK as it has great edge retention and sandwiched steel imparts it good toughness.
In this post I would like to share my experience with Coldsteel SRK San Mai III. It is not exactly a review of the knife, but an observation about Secure-Ex sheath that comes with it.
In this post I would like to share my experience with Coldsteel SRK San Mai III. It is not exactly a review of the knife, but an observation about Secure-Ex sheath that comes with it.
I had this knife for almost an year and had put it through field test some time back. After conducting field tests, SRK still had a good edge on it.
Over a period of time, I didn't get a chance to use it as I used to carry Fällkniven A1 received as Diwali gift. But I would proudly show my SRK to friends and family who would admire it no end and were pretty impressed by sheath as well. It was natural that they would unsheath and sheath SRK marveling at its sturdy lock on the sheath. Eventually I found that edge on my SRK was gone. It was as blunt as a butter knife. Well, not that blunt but blunt all the same. I was surprised how could it lose its edge when I haven't really used it.
Edge does not really come with an expiry date. Moreover San Mai III is a hard steel and my knife is well cared for, so there was no question of losing edge due to rusting.
This was a mystery that required research. After conducting fair amount of research I found out that Secure-Ex sheath is actually made from glass filled plastic. When any blade comes in contact with it, edge on that blade wears off really fast. That means that while my friends were sheathing and unsheathing it, SRK's edge came in contact with sheath leading to vanishing edge. If any of you have been through similar experience, please let me know. If I come across other possible problems with sheath, I will share it with you guys.
To give it benefit of doubt, I put a new edge on my SRK and tried sheathing/unsheathing exercise with Secure-Ex sheath. I got same results, confirming that the problem lies with Secure-Ex sheath.
Since Secure-Ex is the real culprit, I went ahead and got a leather sheath made by Nair sir. I have shared some pictures of this custom leather sheath. My personal advice is to get a Kydex or leather sheath made as soon as you purchase SRK in any steel.
