I bought a knife a while back done by a Canadian knifemaker named Thomas Haslinger. Some of his nicer folders come, or at least came, with pouches made from fishskin leather - salmon, perch, carp, and so on. I think he got the pouches made here -
http://www.snakepit-enterprises.com/ Haslinger's website has a link to this place, which is how I found it.
The site itself is a PIA to navigate, but basically they do a number of things, to include knife pouches, in various configurations (with and without flaps - in pocket, belt mounted, etc, etc) out of various exotic snake skins and fish leathers. As you might guess, some of this stuff is over the top, but some of it isn't, and it is certainly different.
Anyway, you were looking for ideas, and this might not be something you'd stumble across on their own.
I don't really like the CRK pouches for carry either, although I do use them for short-term storage. Except when I'm carrying a large Sebbie, which is another story altogether, I use a mission wallet for small Sebbies and Mnandis.