Dawkind
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2000
- Messages
- 13,022
EDITED TO ADD: Pictures of the finished sheath added.....magnificent!!!! 
I was extremely fortunate to get the very first Prototype of Tom Maringer's 'Vorpal Haiku', #915, in 2009. It came with Tom's extraordinary harness and front-break Kydex sheath (that it has NEVER been in except for when Tom made it for this knife) but it always deserved more.
After bugging Tom for years, until I was afraid he'd ignore my emails even if they weren't about building me a scabbard....I just can't call it a 'sheath'.....he agreed to make me one but when he was able to get to it.
Fast forward to this past February and Tom sent me these pictures of the inside of the scabbard, done up in bamboo flooring, velvet, and musical cork at the throat. He also told me that he just wasn't feeling it and he'd just send it back as is......NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
After I assured him I was absolutely in no hurry and to please just hang onto it and things could change.....he told me he had it all boxed up and labeled with my name on it so if anything happened next of kin would know where to send it!
Fast forward to late this past week.....
Tom told me he has a vast array of forms in Micarta and hardwood for all of the tips, throats, hangers, bands, etc., he's done over many years.
Working in stainless....
The throat and collar all TIG'd up...running at 16A in an argon-purged 'glovebox'.
Looking all seamless now and fitted up....ready to wrap!
To TIG weld like that....
It's a team effort to twist the stainless-wire used for wrapping the handles and scabbards, here a friend of Tom's son that works with them making sure all is well.
Here's a shot of Tom's son 'skiing', a term Tom uses when the wire's tied off to a fishing scale to keep consistent tension....10# is too loose, 15# will crush the scabbard....the scale is marked at 12#.
Here's a real short video of Tom applying the wire....his machine turns at 10rpm.
>>Scabbard Wrapping<<
Here's a short video of the finished wrap, soaked in clear polyurethane and turning/drying on the rotisserie so there won't be any sags, drips, etc....2 days to cure and then assemble.
>>Curing<<
I'll get some additional pictures when it's all finished up....a true Masterpiece!!!
And now for those additional pictures......WooHoo!!!!!
I was extremely fortunate to get the very first Prototype of Tom Maringer's 'Vorpal Haiku', #915, in 2009. It came with Tom's extraordinary harness and front-break Kydex sheath (that it has NEVER been in except for when Tom made it for this knife) but it always deserved more.
After bugging Tom for years, until I was afraid he'd ignore my emails even if they weren't about building me a scabbard....I just can't call it a 'sheath'.....he agreed to make me one but when he was able to get to it.
Fast forward to this past February and Tom sent me these pictures of the inside of the scabbard, done up in bamboo flooring, velvet, and musical cork at the throat. He also told me that he just wasn't feeling it and he'd just send it back as is......NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
After I assured him I was absolutely in no hurry and to please just hang onto it and things could change.....he told me he had it all boxed up and labeled with my name on it so if anything happened next of kin would know where to send it!
Fast forward to late this past week.....
Tom told me he has a vast array of forms in Micarta and hardwood for all of the tips, throats, hangers, bands, etc., he's done over many years.
Working in stainless....
The throat and collar all TIG'd up...running at 16A in an argon-purged 'glovebox'.
Looking all seamless now and fitted up....ready to wrap!
To TIG weld like that....
It's a team effort to twist the stainless-wire used for wrapping the handles and scabbards, here a friend of Tom's son that works with them making sure all is well.
Here's a shot of Tom's son 'skiing', a term Tom uses when the wire's tied off to a fishing scale to keep consistent tension....10# is too loose, 15# will crush the scabbard....the scale is marked at 12#.
Here's a real short video of Tom applying the wire....his machine turns at 10rpm.
>>Scabbard Wrapping<<
Here's a short video of the finished wrap, soaked in clear polyurethane and turning/drying on the rotisserie so there won't be any sags, drips, etc....2 days to cure and then assemble.
>>Curing<<
I'll get some additional pictures when it's all finished up....a true Masterpiece!!!
And now for those additional pictures......WooHoo!!!!!
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