Knife #5 and Leather Sheath #1

J

J.D. Hill

Active Member
I finished this knife a month ago. It is the first knife i've done with wood and the first with liners. When I finished it I came to the conclusion that it just wouldn't be right to make my normal kydex sheath for it. This leather sheath is the solution I came up with. While I realize its not the greatest. It seemed to turn out pretty good considering it was the first leather work I've ever done.
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Knife is 1/8 inch 01, pins are brass tubing and handles are some bocate scales I bought from the local Woodcraft store.
 
Very nice job on both of them. I can't tell but one picture looks like you cut a groove for the stitches to set in and another it looks like you may not have. I do really like the way you layed out the belt loop. You could try moistening the flesh side of the look and burnishing it with something hard and smooth then giving it a coat of Gum Tragacanth and burnishing it again. It will give a smoother finish but it still won't look as smooth as the skin side of the leather. It's just an idea; it's not really necessary. Just a question about the sheath being that I can't see the edge and it's your first one. Did you put a welt between the two layers before you sewed it up?

Doug
 
Eric, I appreciate the comment.
Doug, I did not cut a grove for the stitches. I bought a little tool to do this but I didn't because I wasn't sure if I do it on the front side is it also needed on the backside and if so how do you know that your stitch holes will line up in the groves? Is it acceptable to only grove the front side? How do you burnish the flesh side? I did put a welt in. I didn't have any other leather than the half shoulder I bought, so I doubled that up and made a welt. I wish now I had either got a little thicker piece of leather or ground down the doulbled up piece as it it a little wide at the bottem. Is there some sort of oil I can put in/on the sheath to protect it and that will keep the knife from rusting if it is left in the sheath for 3-4 days?
Thanks for your time
Jeff
 
Jeff, When I do leather sheaths the only thing I burnish is the edge after sewing. Doing it like Doug said by burnishing with a piece of antler and then giving it a coat of Gum Tragacanth and burnishing it again. Here is a reference to burnishing.
http://www.coxontool.com/index.php/Leather/Burnishing

I only use vegetable tanned leather, as chrome tanned uses chemicals in the tanning process that stay in the leather and will cause a knife to rust almost on contact. As for stopping rust a coat of a good car wax on the knife will help to prevent rust on the knife, but I don't recommend storing for extended periods, in the sheath.

One of my first sheaths was for a fish cleaning knife I made as a boy. The knife and sheath were both often exposed to moisture and fish often. I coated the inside of the sheath with hot beeswax and that helped but I always made sure the knife was completely dry. Which meant letting it set for a couple of days after use to dry out, because it had a wooden handle. I forgot to dry once and stored it and the next time I went to use the knife was completely rusted. Leather by nature attracts moisture so that is why most makers will not recommend long term storage in the sheath.
 
That's a fine looking knife and sheath 29C!

Here's what I've learned with the few leather sheaths I've made. As for grooving a line for stitches, to be honest I've done it both ways. I always groove the front and use a stitch spacer to layout where my stitches will go. I then enlarge them a tad bit with an awl so I can drill them with a 5/64 bit (and so I can see them to drill 'em!).

The problem with stitching the back is that sometimes your holes can be off. You have to keep the sheath straight when you drill it. In this Sheath Making Tutorial, Mr. Baily made a simple jig to keep the sheath straight. He made his from nylon, I made mine from a piece of hardwood.

I'm not aware of any oil that you can put on a sheath to keep the knife from rusting. It shouldn't rust within 2 to 3 days unless the sheath or knife is wet. I know some makers use different kinds of waxes and oils to protect the leather, but it's more for the sheath's sake than the knife. Just keep your knife well oiled or waxed and it should be fine for a few days.
 
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This is a little jig that I use to punch the stitch holes in my leather after I have layed them out with a stitch wheel. The board has a small hole in the middle and next to the edge. The one in the middle I use to punch flat work and the one at the edge is for punching things like the edge of a folded over sheath or to avoid having the belt loop on the bottom creating an angle. The needle that I have chucked up, a little off center as it appears:les:, is just a drapery needle that is a little larger than the needles that I use for sewing. I picked up a pack of them at a local craft store for a couple of bucks. I don't drill the holes in, I just use the levers on the drill press to push the needle through.

To Keep the groves lined up on the edge I get everything glued up (remember to sew the belt strap, etc first:what!:) and sand the edge even so that you have a straight line to lay out both of the grooves from. Adjust the groover for how far in you want to make the groove, groove one side, then flip the work and groove the other. Then lay out you holes with the stitch wheel inside the groove. I work from the front side. The above jig will make sure that the work is flat and the needle is at right angles to the work. You can do the same thing with a stitching awl by hand if you are careful in keeping the work straight. I usually have pretty good luck with keeping the holes in the back side of the sheath straight in that groove, but if you get off you can cheat it back in with hand held awl and cover up the off hole by rubbing over it with a modeling tool. Another good reason to work from the front of the sheath.

Doug
 
I really appreciate all the advice and information. That thread by Bailey was very informative. I guess now I need to get back out in the shop and make a few knives so I'll have something to make sheaths for.
Thanks for all the positive comments and helpful information, it is much appreciated.
Jeff
 
I've been a big fan of Bailey's sheaths ever since I saw them. His tutorial was informative and I learned a few things from it. But what has straightened the learning curve the most for me and my sheath making was Paul Long's video's. Hands down. I couldn't recommend them enough. I'm certainly not at the level of sheath making I'd like to be, but I'm a lot further along due to watching Paul's DVD's than if I hadn't found them. Worth every penny and then some!

Here's the fist Paul Long DVD "Basic Pouch Sheaths". It's the first one in a series of DVD's over leather sheath making. You can find the other two there as well if you're interested in taking your sheath making to another level!
 
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Chuck Burrows' DVD from Wild Rose Trading on sheath making is another fine investment.

A few tips:

-You can groove the front only, set your holes, then run the groover on the back to "connect the dots".

-Welts should only be about as thick as the blade. Now, having said that, sometimes it's necessary to stack the welt with wedges of leather at the handle area to allow for a better fit.

-Carnuba paste wax on the knife will help repel water and aid in rust prevention.

-Beeswax heated and rubbed into the sheath, then heated again to draw it in will help make the sheath somewhat waterproof. You can also use premade "blends" like Sno-Seal and Montana Pitch Blend. A good homemade combo is neatsfoot oil, beeswax and paraffin, melted in equal parts and brushed onto a warm sheath then hit with a hair dryer to draw it in.
 
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