A Visit to Treestump Leather for our Downeast Companion Model's Sheaths (pics!)

Tanguay Custom Knives

Tanguay Custom Knives

Joined
Jun 15, 2003
Messages
1,500
Hi Guys,
You may have seen Downeast Knife Company (www.downeastknife.com) is a new venture Lamont Coombs and I are working on together. Our prototype has come a long way in just a few days. We've met and/or talked with alot of great folks. This morning I delivered our prototype to Treestump Leather (http://www.treestumpleather.com/) so Chris could start on our sheaths. I snapped a few pics of Chris as he went right to work on them...
Thank you,
Scott

Chris at 9 am. Bright eyed and bushy tailed
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Checking the pattern's fit
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Tracing the pattern
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Cutting out the sheath
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Wet molding the sheath. Now its gotta hang until dry
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Hi guys,
I saw our buddy Chris Kravitt from Treestump Leather today. He had the first two of our leather sheaths completed. These were both black. He'll have two brown ones ready this Sunday. I wish I would've gotten a chance to get some pics of the knife in the sheath, but Lamont had to wisk the prototype knife away to the shop to check the fit of the grips as the CNC machine was cutting the first ones. We also got to watch a waterjet machine in operation today. Very cool! Busy day, but we're one step closer to having our four prototypes complete!
Thanks,
Scott
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I like the way the belt loop is sewn and finished. The photos look like the sheaths are very well made.
 
I like the sheath and especially that knife he's wrapping in PIC #2!!!!!!! I haven;t been to the link yet so maybe this is premature (I'll go as soon as I send this post :D ), but do you have some specs on your knife for us?

See that drill press in pic #1? I have one exactly like that. About 20 ears ago I bought it used for $75 from a window shop going out of business. I ordered some paint from Delta and a manual. They sent me a brochure with some info on that old press. I haven;t read it in 20 years, but IF I remember right, it was made circa 1938 in Milwaukee, back when Rockwell was assembling their tools in a 2-car garage! The castings were made elsewhere, I think, but man that's some history. I'm going to post a pic of mine in this thread. I've given mine a few minor modifications, but your bud Chris will recognize it straight away!

The best thing about that press is the quill lock. You can;t hardly find them on today's drill presses!
 
Hey Scott, I went to your site and I like that knife! Would you mind very much if I blew off a little steam about one of my pet peaves regarding Kydex and TekLoks? You may have the same gripe, and if so, maybe take this into account when making your sheaths....... this really chaps my butt:

Knifemakers will send out a Kydex sheath with 4 or 6 or 8 grommets around the Kydex. Then they throw in a TekLok for "versatility". THis kills me - the TekLok can be put on the sheath ONE WAY...two on a sheath where the sheathmaker cares even just a little. In my opinion, I mean if it were possible (and it probably isn;t in all cases), the Tek Lok ought to mount on any two holes of the user's choosing. I mean, it ought to be almost 360 degree mountable, whenever possible.

I kndly got a little carried away...getting angrier as I was typing the above paragraph...the idea of my piss-poor sheaths with TekLoks running through my head while typing. The sheaths are nice...the Tek Lok is nice....the moutning needs to be thrown in the trash. Ever feel that way?

I'm looking at your sheath with 4 grommets...maybe it isn;t feasible with that sheath, I don;t know, but I offer it just as a thought since you guys are starting out on a new venture. A customer's perspective maybe.....

Great knife! I like the logo AS IS (is that an American flag and a Ranger's badge?) :thumbup:
 
StretchNM said:
I haven;t been to the link yet so maybe this is premature (I'll go as soon as I send this post :D ), but do you have some specs on your knife for us?....

THis kills me - the TekLok can be put on the sheath ONE WAY...two on a sheath where the sheathmaker cares even just a little.
Click to expand...

There have been various post on it.
BUT.. you did make me go back to the website and see how easy it would be to find out. The specs were a little bit distributed through the prototype and products pages. After thinking on it a bit, I consolidated the quickie questions; OAL, BL, Steel, Grip, sheaths.. in a summary right below the picture on the first page.

Here it is for you as well, in case you visited there before I made the update.



Overall Length of about 8", Blade length 3.75" with 3.5" sharpened
D2 Steel, 1/8" thick, with various finish options
Micarta Grips in various colors
Kydex or Leather sheaths with color options​

As to the sheath... I guess I view it differently.
I guess I dont expect my sheath to allow 360.
I have a kydex for my Benchmade 210
And it mounts two ways, Up and Down. Which is exactly two times as many ways as I could mount a leather sheath.
I think Scott did quote:
"This sheath can be worn right side or left, horizontal or vertical, or inside the waistband. Shown below are Front, Belt Loop Back and Large Tek-Lok Back (small Tek-Lok are also going to be available)"

I don't think they are doing less than others, and more than some.
Out of interest, do you have a picture of a true 360 degree Kydex application on something larger than a neck knife mini?

/disclaimer: I am not part of the knife team. The opinions expressed above are my own and are not meant to support or detract from DKC design and offerings.
 
No. My problems with Kydex and TekLok stem from a RAT-3 sheath and a BRKT Bravo-1 sheath. The BRKT sheath doesnt use TekLok and they drilled some holes so you have a couple more options.

Look. I went to the site and found the specs. I appreaciate your posting them.

I didn;t mean to suggest that a TekLok should spin 360 or that you must necessarily be able to mount it anywhere in a 360, I meant to suggest that...in a new venture....a thought might be given to lining up the grommets to a TekLok in as many configurations as possible. That's probably what Scott and his partner are doing anyway.

Someday I want to try and make some Kydex. I've been thinking I would lay out the grommets, equally spaced so that the chosen sized Tek Lok would mount in as many positions as possible. This wouldn;t necessarily be a full 360 degrees...maybe 358 degrees would suffice :D I just mean, I'd try to configure it so that any mounting option that could be made is made.

Also, you said they're not doing any less than others. I didn't mean to suggest they wern;t. That was the first time I went to the site. I wasn't talking about their Kydex. Maybe I shouldn;t have posted what I did. I meant to say "I have some serious gripes about limited TekLok mounting when a Kydex maker has free reign when designing grommet placings. I point to a RAT3 sheath. I'm hoping your guys would consider that......since you're starting a new venture and this is the time to maybe hear stuff like this".
 
StretchNM said:
a thought might be given to lining up the grommets to a TekLok in as many configurations as possible.

I just mean, I'd try to configure it so that any mounting option that could be made is made.
Click to expand...

I see what you are saying.
On a small knife you might be able to space the holes so they can line up in an "Eight" Configuration to give more options. But to do that on a large knife, since the holes would be too far distant across the span of the blade that it would seem that you would have to make a mounting plate kind of extend off the sheath frame itself.

Interesting thought. You might be able to use the belt loop option that only uses one hole. Though I'm not sure how snug it can get to maintain a not vertical hold.

Good questions all.
:)

I'm interested to hear if any sheath makers have found a solution that is not too obtrusive to using the sheath for normal wear.
 
Oh. I almost forgot. Even my BM Nimravus Kydex, with its rubber belt loop, has very limited mounting options. See, on these Kydex sheaths, it's almost as if the makers made the sheaths, thinking about stringing paracord through the grommets or something, and then they "found" some TekLoks. Then they said "Wow! Check this out! The holes almost match up...in some of them! Let's order a bunch of these cool TekLoks and ship them with our knives as if we planned it that way!".

I mean, you have experience with different mfrs Kydex. Doesn;t it almost seem that's what happened? Almost like a TekLok was an afterthought. Even with the BM sheath. So disappointing. Especially when a Kydex maker is NOT limited as to where he can install his grommets (within reason, of course). As I posted in my first post about it, that one sheath of Scott's only has 4 grommets, so obviously mounting options have some limitations.
 
I'm making these sheaths one at a time, so the customer can get anything they ask for that's actually do-able. I make these particular sheaths so the tek-loc can be mounted for right hand or left hand vertical carry, right side up, or upside down. It can also be mounted for right or left side horizontal carry, including small of back. That's at least seven different positions.

One can also order the IWB loop, and add several more carry positions. I can also do kydex loops, Clips, and leather belt loops mounted to the sheath with Chicago screws.

I can also do a two-piece sheath, or a fold-over from the bottom instead of the side. Ask and ye shall receive!
Thanks,
Scott

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I am always interested in what knives people in the business carry, so could you tell me what knife that is that Chris has on his belt? Thanks.
 
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