Kevlar

[Gordon]

Does anybody know where to buy stitched kevlar? Like sheets of the kind they use in hatch heavyweight hoods/sleeves?

[shomie911]

Planning to rob a bank?

Seriously though what are you planning to do with kevlar, stick with 1000 Denier Cordura it'll be sufficient enough for anything airsoft.

[FOX_111]

Beside, you need special porcelen scisors to cut it.

[Goldman]

Originally Posted by shomie911

Planning to rob a bank?

Seriously though what are you planning to do with kevlar, stick with 1000 Denier Cordura it'll be sufficient enough for anything airsoft.

Or he could be looking to repair a HATCH re-enforcement on something he owns because the warrenty is up?

[Red Ghost]

Originally Posted by FOX_111

Beside, you need special porcelen scisors to cut it.

You don't absolutely need ceramic scissors to cut it, although it is preferable. You can use regular scissors as long as they are very sharp. Hwever, it will slightly distort the weave of the fabric.

[Gordon]

I don't plan on robbing any banks, that's for sure. Who cares what I'm doing with though? I could be making my own hood as a cheap milsim alternative to buying a hatch hood.

[Red Ghost]

Originally Posted by shomie911

Planning to rob a bank?

Seriously though what are you planning to do with kevlar, stick with 1000 Denier Cordura it'll be sufficient enough for anything airsoft.

Most kevlar vests and such that I've ever heard of are composed of numerous layers.

Originally Posted by Gordon

I could be making my own hood as a cheap milsim alternative to buying a hatch hood.

Could Be. Although Denier Cordua would be a much cheaper way yet. And for milsim purposes, it's not like it actually needs to have any counter-ballistic properties to it. Although it would have a definite "cool factor" to say: "I made this myself from kevlar"

Besides, it's not as if kevlar is only used for body armor. There are lots of aircraft out there that now use composite fairings because of the strength to weight ratio advantage over fiberglass or aluminum. The weight of an engine cowl made of kevlar is signifigantly lighter than the same part made of fiberglass. It's at the point now where aircraft maufacturers are using aramid [kevlar] in secondary structural parts. Even canoes, kayaks and paddles are made from kevlar nowadays. The uses for it seem to grow every day.

[Oz]

I had a bunch of the older ballistic nylon (the stuff they used before kevlar... cant remember the name now) I use it to skin traditional wood frame kayaks. The last time I baught the stuff (six or so years ago) it was $10 a square foot and shrank significantly once wet. Unless you REALLY need kevlar, I suggest you go another rute.

[Gordon]

I'm also looking into spectra, but I'm not sure if it can be dyed. I could always try to place a bulk order for some hatch sleeves/hoods and cut them up.

[Luckyorwhat]

They sell big big roles of kevlar on Ebay, if you want some. I'd second the cordura though, except places that sell it charged around $15/yard.

What I read to get cheap re-inforcing material is to go to ebay,order an old US army surplus duffel bag, and cut it up (make sure it's the nylon one)

[Gordon]

I'm looking for cut and heat resistance over abrasion resistance, so I'm not really looking for cordura. Ebay is a good bet though, I found an auction for a good sized sheet of spectra.

[DropZone]

Gordon,

Spectra does not dye or cut well. Use a high speed rotary knife cutter.

Good Luck!

Kind Regards
Brian Kroon

the kevlar on Ebay is crap. its old, expired, fake , and/or dammaged lots. Kevlar comes in many different grades, and the ebay stuff is extremely low grade. Since not all kevlar is made to stop munitions, lots of the ebay kevlar is the stuff they use for oven mittens and other crap.

Real ballistic kevlar, if Im not mistaken, can run $80 per square meter, directly from the factory.

using just a few layers of kevlar is pointless. the stuff is so hard to work with, its only pratical use is in large ammounts. A standard frag vest has 44 layers of kevlar.