...So I decided to try wood, with blade retention by imbedded magnets. Woodcraft seems more forgiving than leather craft-I use a chisel to gouge out a pocket for the knife in a piece of oak or cedar, epoxy a neodymium magnet in a shallow indentation near the throat of the scabbard, cut a channel from the blade pocket to the toe for drainage, and glue another piece of wood to the first, shaping the exterior on a belt sander and with a draw knife. In extremis, I can shave tinder off my scabbard, not possible with kydex.