Attempting a new sheath.

Joined
Apr 6, 2001
Messages
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I finally gave up on streaching the sheath for my 18"AK. So, today I completely disassembeled the sheath and I am going to attempt to make one how I like it. Right now I am planning on using the wood from the first sheath to make the second.

I am going to treat the wood first to make sure all these "HI wood bugs" are out of it. 50/50 linseed oil and spirits I think will do it. This is my first question...will the linseed oil hurt my blade? If so should I apply a spray on laquor to seal and waterproof the wood?

I am going to keep the rig simple and not include the accessories. Using leather from one of the local feed stores, I think I can get a nice western theme going with the sheath...ordinary rawhide will do, right???

If you have any suggestions please post.

Thanks.
 
Also,

This was one of Uncle's specials, the tight sheath was one of the reasons for the discount. All of my 10/10 knives still have 10/10 sheaths.

I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea. :)

Thanks for understanding.
 
Hey, Dave!

First, do you see signs of the bugs talked about in the thread we had a while ago? Little holes, or sawdust when you opened it up? If so, I'd BBQ that wood quickly, before they get into something else and start from scratch.
If no bugs, good. Formby's Tung oil will make a better seal than the linseed and will penetrate the soft wood just as well. Neither should harm the steel, as both (in some form or other) have been used on gunstocks for years.

Out of curiosity, were the wood halves glued face-to-face, or were they pinned/dowelled as well as glued?

When I was considering a leather-wrapped Corian sheath, I was considering stainless steel screws as well as epoxy to hold the halves together, with epoxy in the screw holes (like LocTite). Any screw heads or points would have been ground down as the sheath was shaped, and this would have kept them from backing out.

When I found no Corian available in the sizes I needed (and a cost just under bar-stock platinum) I went back to vegetable tanned leather. It can be soaked and stretched around the wood, pinned with small nails to another piece of wood until the leather dries, and if you are going to whip-lace the edge after it is stitched, the lacing will cover the nail holes.

I've gone back to an all-leather sheath, patterned off a pancake-style pistol rig - "bat wings" with belt slots about 1/4 to 1/3 down from the top. I'm still cutting brown paper patterns, so not much progress other than "wanna do" stuff.
 
Dave,
It's not that hard to make a new wood core for the sheath if you need to. Give me a call and we can yap about khukuri sheaths.
1-918-283-0022 anytime after 4:00 pm.
God bless.
Terry
 
Wal,
No signs of bugs, I just thought it would be better to treat the wood in the long run. Better to do it right now than to do it over later.

The only nails that I found on this rig was to hold on the leather loops for the accessories. No epoxy either accept for the brass cap on the end, just leather and stiches. The opening to the sheath had the leather tucked in at such a way to the wood around it that no glue was needed.

Neat rig, just too tight.


Terry, thanks for the offer.
I think I will take you up on it.
 
Nothing much to add. Wal seems to have covered your questions pretty well. Just a bit of general info about linseed oil. There is an old timer mix that was used on iron and steel items made by blacksmiths in days gone by, Linseed Oil and Beeswax.The oil is heated and the wax melted in the oil, then applied to the iron. After applying the iron is heated slightly to carborize (darken) the piece of iron work. I will rub some of my ironwork just with linseed oil(boiled) while the iron is still warm from the fire and it will add a nice patina I will usually top coat it with a lacquer after the oil dries so customers don't get oily hands. So no, linseed oil won't harm steel.
 
Ok, another question....:confused:

I bought a bag of rawhide scraps from a hobby shop yesterday; 5 lbs for $5, most of the scraps are of a good size.

The question I have is how should I sew 4 of these pieces together to make my sheath??? There are no 2 pieces long enough to cover the entire sheath. What I thought about was making 4 pieces into a sheath, a top and bottom to each of the two sides of the sheath. I would double stitch the seam along the shoulder of the scabbard as to make it stronger, and do the rest “pancake” style.

I also have a friend that is going to hook me up (Friday afternoon) with the costume dept. here at college to learn some stuff and get ideas. This weekend should be interesting.

What do yall think?

Thank you for the advice :) :) :)
 
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Dave if it's real rawhide you may want to cut some laceing strips from some smaller pieces, just make a circle and cut around it contionuosly until you have enough lace to do the job.
The rawhide lace is strong enough to stand up to rawhide projects while many other products either stretch too much, allowing gaps, or break because they can't stretch.
Another thing is also if it's real rawhide you will need to cut the laces twice as wide as you want them to come out as.
Wet rawhide stretches tremendously.
And you don't want to cut to a too small of circle as this makes your lace real "curly" and hard to work with, also can pull the stitches out of whack on the finished project.
And the way you tell real rawhide is that it is very stiff and hard and cutting it with anything less than tin snips is nigh impossible unless it's pretty thin.:D

I think what the sarkis use is something in between real rawhide and real leather. It appears to be partially tanned as if the animal's hide was really fat and it got rubbed in instead of being fleshed off or perhaps it was treated with a little fat.?
I have a deerskin that is that way. One of the fattest deer I've seen in a mighty long time.
The hide isn't fit for a drum head, but is wonderful sheath lining or covering material.:D
 
YVSA,
It is real, not the thin vinal stuff, and thanks for the leather strip idea. I bought a small spool, 20 yd, of artifical sinew.
(I know you are the guy you ask.) Will this stuff work?

Thank you.
 
:
The artificial sinew is waxed nylon and if it does manage to hold it would probably stretch over time.
Use the lace you cut from your own rawhide and make it twice as heavy as you think it ought to be. Rawhide has tremendous stretch capability!!!!!!!
I once made a drum and had to cut my laces 3 times. The last time I made them about 1" wide and they came out about 3/8" wide when stretched on the rawhide drum heads.:o
And soak the rawhide in really warm water to get it's maxiumum stretch. I use the bathtub for my large projects. A piece of rawhide that will fit a 20" drum frame has to be soaked in sections.:)
 
Bro, thanks more more invaluable help. Having you on this forum is like having an encyclopedia of "do it yourself" and I think all of us appreciate it more than you will ever know.
 
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