Hey, fellers...does this sheath....

Bruce McLeish said:
Comments and criticisms are welcome.
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Bruce - I will take you at your word and give to you some feedback. Good and bad. I am not trying to be mean or judgmental. Heck, we all started someplace. With time and practice, hopefully we all get better. Keep at it, it will get easier.

If you ever need help with a sheath, just send me a pm. I would be happy to help you, if I am able to help you.

Good:
1) Your words. It holds the knife. You did well on your measurements to get a good fit. That is a good thing.
2) It does not make you look fat. Another good thing.
3) You completed it. And, to be honest, for a first sheath it is not all that bad. I have seen much worse. Heck, it is better than my first sheath.
4) I like your cuts for the belt. They look uniform. My guess is you punched the holes and connected them with a sharp cutting knife? Just a guess.

Bad:
1) You need to refine your stitching technique. You had inconsistent pulling in areas. On the top side you pulled harder and the stitches have almost disappeared. Bottom side is much better. More consistent pulling. I will say, your stitch spacing looks pretty good. I'm not sure, I cannot tell from the picture. But you may wish to get a groover and cut a line for your stitches to sit down into. Tip: Get a fine tipped sharpie and color your stitch line before stitching. The purists will claim it is cheating but it sure is easier than a dauber full of dye.
2) You used pre-colored leather. I can tell as you failed to finish your cut edges. Dye and finish those edges. Untreated/unsealed edges are a moisture magnet...
3) As a suggestion, cut your leather large and trim down to size. On the top side by the ricasso area of the knife, I can see an uneven cut. Get and use an edge beveler for a more even appearance. You can use your grinder at a slow speed to even out the edges. Sandpaper will work also. It will look neater and have a much better finished appearance. Then dye those uncolored edges, seal them, and use a edge slicker.
4) Another guess. The slot cut for the knife handle was not planned?? In your design stage, you failed to consider the thickness of the knife handle in the leather making process. Been there, done that. Many times.
 
Dennis Morland said:
Bruce - I will take you at your word and give to you some feedback. Good and bad. I am not trying to be mean or judgmental. Heck, we all started someplace. With time and practice, hopefully we all get better. Keep at it, it will get easier.

If you ever need help with a sheath, just send me a pm. I would be happy to help you, if I am able to help you.

Good:
1) Your words. It holds the knife. You did well on your measurements to get a good fit. That is a good thing.
2) It does not make you look fat. Another good thing.
3) You completed it. And, to be honest, for a first sheath it is not all that bad. I have seen much worse. Heck, it is better than my first sheath.
4) I like your cuts for the belt. They look uniform. My guess is you punched the holes and connected them with a sharp cutting knife? Just a guess.

Bad:
1) You need to refine your stitching technique. You had inconsistent pulling in areas. On the top side you pulled harder and the stitches have almost disappeared. Bottom side is much better. More consistent pulling. I will say, your stitch spacing looks pretty good. I'm not sure, I cannot tell from the picture. But you may wish to get a groover and cut a line for your stitches to sit down into. Tip: Get a fine tipped sharpie and color your stitch line before stitching. The purists will claim it is cheating but it sure is easier than a dauber full of dye.
2) You used pre-colored leather. I can tell as you failed to finish your cut edges. Dye and finish those edges. Untreated/unsealed edges are a moisture magnet...
3) As a suggestion, cut your leather large and trim down to size. On the top side by the ricasso area of the knife, I can see an uneven cut. Get and use an edge beveler for a more even appearance. You can use your grinder at a slow speed to even out the edges. Sandpaper will work also. It will look neater and have a much better finished appearance. Then dye those uncolored edges, seal them, and use a edge slicker.
4) Another guess. The slot cut for the knife handle was not planned?? In your design stage, you failed to consider the thickness of the knife handle in the leather making process. Been there, done that. Many times.
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Thanks for the feedback, Dennis. After looking closely at the stiching I see what you are seeing in the uneven pulling tension. I'll pay closer attention next time. Color the stitch line? No comprende. I didn'tknow that was pre colored, I thought that was the natural color. I got the leather (a full side) at an auction for like $8.00. Again, now I see the uneven cut and wii remedy that on the next one. As to the slot, how do I remedy that?
I'm really grateful that you took the time to answer and point these things out. I will, thanks to your observations and input, be on the pre-emptive lookout and will make new problems on the next one.!
 
Bruce - There are hundreds of build alongs for knife sheaths on the internet. Google away. Here is one that I found when I started. I like it because if the pictures and explanations. I am a visual learner. Take a look it is pretty easy to follow along.

beebeknives.com - beebeknives Resources and Information.

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It looks good for your first one Bruce, Dennis offered up some good tips. like anything it takes practice and making quite a few till you get a grasp on the finer points. ....and yes, it does make you look fat.:D
 
bladegrinder said:
It looks good for your first one Bruce, Dennis offered up some good tips. like anything it takes practice and making quite a few till you get a grasp on the finer points. ....and yes, it does make you look fat.:D
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Well, just thankee kindly Steve and personally, I feel quite slim and fetching in it. However, I do realize that the camera adds 20 pounds. But thanks fer noticin`!
 
Looks good - much better than my first attempt. I'm concerned that there isn't anything holding the knife in the sheath other than friction on the blade, and that usually doesn't have much if it's smooth. Can you turn it upside down without the knife falling out? (kind of my own guideline... don't know what the official test is :) )
 
TimGinMN said:
Looks good - much better than my first attempt. I'm concerned that there isn't anything holding the knife in the sheath other than friction on the blade, and that usually doesn't have much if it's smooth. Can you turn it upside down without the knife falling out? (kind of my own guideline... don't know what the official test is :) )
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If that's the official test, then it passes with flying colors. It does fit quite snug ,though. I was gonna put a strap with a snap closure , but dont seem to need it.
 
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