First problem I see is kydex does not spring. And that locking part is usually under mild tension I think.
As the resident expert on holster making, I'll take that under advisement.
But it's not really "spring" I'm looking for, it's "flex back into it's formed position".
I don't have my torx drivers handy, or I'd take this knife apart and take pictures of the piece I'm talking about. But, since most of us here have, or have had, a similar lock blade knife, I'll try describing it better.
The locking mechanism is a flat piece of steel sandwiched between one side of the blade and the handle. It has a "tong" which, when the blade is rotated out, springs into position on the back of the blade to prevent it from closing.
I chose kydex as the material to experiment with because it's a stiff plastic which has some flex to it without being brittle. And it's easily formed into shape by heat and pressure, whereafter it retains that shape...with all its other characteristics intact.
Without actually measuring the thickness of this piece, I'd say it's just a bit shy of 1/16 inch thick. Observing the movement of the spring tong as the blade is move into it's "locked" position, the tong moves less than the thickness of the piece.
As for durability and life expectancy, the knife isn't intended to be a "tactical" tool for my purpose. First of all, ceramic would make an exceedingly poor tactical tool due to its brittleness, no matter how sharp they are. Second, there are plenty of fixed blade ceramic knives to choose from which have no metal whatsoever in them.
Given my typical usage within the limitations of a ceramic blade, I would fully expect this kydex piece to last the useful life of a ceramic pocket knife for my purposes. And even if it didn't last long...it would still be a fun project to have tried and I'd look into something else to try.
Aluminum is non-ferrous. Turnnit into a frame lock. Just sayin'. And wherever you're planning to go with that, getting caught with it may be, unfortunate.
I would question overall strength. A dynamic fight will break regular knives. If you're going to have a contraband knife anyway, why not go fixed blade?
Personally, I prefer re-purposing existing tools like screwdrivers. Cheap, effective.
My intent is "pocket knife retention". I have carried a pocket knife with my almost my entire life, since early grade school. They are extremely utilitarian tools useful for a wide variety of purposes. I strongly resent being told that I must surrender my pocket knife at sporting events, concerts, or whatever else I may attend. Additionally, many such organizations don't even follow their own rules on permissible blade lengths, choosing to make my life inconveniently annoying by telling me I must walk my happy *ss all the way back to my car with my pocket knife that meets their blade length restrictions.
And yes, I know there are places where it's not advisable to bring a pocket knife due to the legal consequences. In most of those cases, I simply don't go if I have a choice in the matter...or I leave the knife behind. TSA at the airports, for example.
As for "overall strength"...I addressed that above. I would not choose a ceramic knife, folding or fixed blade, for a "tactical knife" because of its brittleness. They are sharp as all get-out, but way too brittle for such use.
Oh...and aluminum will set off metal detectors, as well. Different metals and alloys offer different electromagnetic signatures, which make some more or less "detectable" than others. However, all metals "perturb" magnetic lines of flux to some extent, whether they are ferrous or not.
