Some tips and thoughts on folder sheaths

[808]

Great tutorial Gary! I'm new to leather crafts and I started making my own sheaths for my knives. Your techniques will really help me. Cheers!

[RyanW]

Gary,
I just wanted to thank you for posting this information, we all know you didn't have to. It has been a great help to me. I had never done any wet molding so I gave it a shot over the weekend. I think it turned out decent, but I have a long way to go.



RyanW

[Gary W. Graley]

Looks pretty nice Ryan ! glad to be of help.
G2

[klamp]

Sand down, dye and burnish the sides



finished sheath

Thanks for the info! This thread has piqued my interest in this craft. Can you recommend a starter kit? Would something like this be adequate: http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/e.../4899-00.aspx? Apart from the tools you already mentioned, are there any other tools that I would need? Are glue and cement interchangeable or are they each task-specific?

A quick question about the above pics: The edge on the finished picture looks impossibly different from the first pic. How did you you get that rolled edge after cutting?

Edit. Added this question: In general, what difference does the cut of leather make? I inquired to Wickett & Craig about buying shoulder leather, but they've informed me that they don't sell it. They only sell side/back and belly and suggested using carving or skirting leathers for making holsters/sheaths.

Thanks!

[Gary W. Graley]

That kit looks to have quite a bit there, should be good to start, as you progress, you'll find
you'll end up with a few key tools that you use and the rest will collect dust/character as they say

As for the edge being rounded, good eye, that's something I've started to do a bit more in recent years
I've always knocked down the edge with an edge beveler, but now I do a bit more dangerous thing by
CAREFULLY, VERY CAREFULLY grinding down that edge on my sander, the drum roll one, and then dye
it and then burnish with the bone folder, then apply some Gum Trag and lightly sand and repeat with
the exception of the grinding down part, just do that once to get the corner knocked down as evenly
as you can, I'd suggest gluing up a few scraps and experimenting before committing a finished work
to the grinder though.

When I grind that edge down, I do it longitudinally, (paid $5 for that word ) but basically I have the
edge perpendicular (that word was on special this week, $2.50) to the sanding drum and I bring the leather
up and down to sand off the sharp corners of the work. Some guys will just use a larger edge beveler
but sometimes those can 'chatter' and cause it to look not so nice, so I do the grinding way myself.

As for the leather, I'd go with what they suggest, just make sure they understand your intended use,
you can always ask to get the type of leather that Gary Graley gets, tell them I recommended them or
I'm sure Paul Long won't mind, you can ask for what kind of leather he gets also, since he buys from there too.

G2

[Mikes Leather Shop]

New to the site but I like what I'm seeing.