Bowie sheath question

Leatherface

Leatherface

Joined
Dec 3, 2005
Messages
1,991
Hi guy's,
Got a guy wanting a knife sheath for a primitive way's bowie...Not a problem with the sole exception of this...

That little knob thingy that keeps it from sliding into the pants or sash...I have no clue what it is called nor do i have a clue where to get one...

Anyone??



DaveknoblessBurke
 
Someone else may be better able to fill you in on the minutia of the proper terminology, but I've always heard of it referred to as a frog stud or belt stud. The frog is actually the leather belt loop that slips over the scabbard, and the stud holds it in place. I don't know if the metal stud on the scabbard has its own specific name, but that's what I've heard it referred to.

I've seen them available online somewhere, but I really don't like the design of the ready-made ones I've seen. I carry my big bowie tucked through my belt, held in place by the stud in this fashion. I made the stud too small, and it still slips through sometimes. And my stud is bigger than commercial ones I've seen. I'd think your best bet would just be to make one.
 
possum,
thanks...yea I knew what the frog was for...just couldnt remember what the thingy was called:D


Ferguson,
That will work I think...Right now I am not sure just how big a primitive bowie is, but it should hold...Would be prettier is he would lemme make him a belt loop but the customer is always right and all that..

Yup Zack Whites is about 10minutes from me...I get to harrass Tim and Ronnie 1-2 times a week...Good people, they just dont have the warped sense of humor that I do:p
 
Sam Browne Button & Washer #130901 (brass)


Sam Browne Button & Washer #130902 (nickel plated)

www.tandyleather.com

You could make a frog for it too. That way he would have carry options.


Steve
 
Steve,
Doubt he would splurge on the frog...Maybe but we will see...I just quoted him the price for my horrifically underpriced talents and I am waiting on the go ahead...


BTW...If I am using 7-8oz leather how thick should the welt be?? I have been using the half the weight method (4oz welt for 8oz leather) for getting the welt thickness, but on a Bowie of this size I am wondering if that is thick enough..

Any suggestions??
 
Leatherface said:
BTW...If I am using 7-8oz leather how thick should the welt be?? I have been using the half the weight method (4oz welt for 8oz leather) for getting the welt thickness, but on a Bowie of this size I am wondering if that is thick enough..

Any suggestions??
Click to expand...

Davy if it is the Atlanta Cutlery Primitive Bowie he's wanting the sheath for the 7-8 ounce stuff is at the bottom of the scale of what I'd use for it. Personally I think 9-10 ounce would do a better job with a 7-8 ounce welt
If there is gonna be any tooling on the front of the sheath cover proper then I'd maybe go with the full size 9-10 ounce welt as I've found that anything less is apt to either stretch out the tooling or pull the stitching. When making welts for khukuri sheaths I make the welts the full thickness of the spine on the blade and then one and usually two on the edge side.
 
It is me with whom he is discussing making a scabbard. I waant it for my AC Primitive Bowie and I think that it needs the heavier leather. I am not so certain about the welting, I wil have to leave that to those more expert. If that screw-in button stud from eleatherworks could have the backside padded in some way so as to protect the blade, that would seem the perfect choice as it seems rather larger than the Tandy buttons.

The scabbard should come up only to the guard, no further, and there should be no strap. When you slip the knife and scabbard between your belt and your body, the tension will hold the blade in place.
 
Hi Fullerh:

When rivets are placed through sheaths they are often positioned so they end up in the space in front of the guard. That way they don't touch and mar the knife.

Sheaths using boot clips are sometimes lined on the one side where the clip is, to protect the blade.

Just a few thoughts.
 
10oz?? wow now that makes my hands hurt just thinking about it!!:(

Good idea though and thanks



Steve...Yuppers planning on lining it with a thin piece of leather...I think I got a split laying around here somewhere
 
Leatherface said:
10oz?? wow now that makes my hands hurt just thinking about it!!:(
Click to expand...

Dave, 9-10 ounce isn't that bad. You may have to drill the holes for the thread rather than trying to punch them though. Try doing 8-9 ounce leather, all I had, with seven thicknesses to go through to sew it up. Had a 5 layer welt on the spine side of the khukuri.:eek:
If I had of lined it with a Rubbermaid Wastebasket it would've been safe for all sorts of carry but even 9-10 ounce wouldn't be suitable for a safe khukuri sheath IMO.
 
Yvsa,

You don't think leather would make a safe sheath for a khuk? What do you mean exactly? Not questioning your opinion here, just want clarity. Do you think a carved basswood scabbard covered in leather is safer. I'm thinking of carving one out of basswood. I can't imagine basswood stoping a blade any better than waxed leather though, but I haven't tried any kinda tests. What leather weight do you use to cover wooden scabbards?

I have been using 8-9 oz leather for my sheaths so far. The tandy lady offered me a good deal on it, and didn't have anything heavier that was veg tanned when I went down. My sheaths have seemed pretty sturdy, but what the hell do I know. I'm green as a baby willow here. The safety thread is full of warnings about the scabbards, so maybe there is just no fullproof way to carry a khuk.

I've also been reading up on Finnish Half-Wood Sheaths and wonder if that style is adaptable to khukuris? Any thoughts?
 
aproy1101 said:
Yvsa,

You don't think leather would make a safe sheath for a khuk? What do you mean exactly? Not questioning your opinion here, just want clarity. Do you think a carved basswood scabbard covered in leather is safer.
Click to expand...

Andy it just seems that 8-9 ounce is a little light for a khukuri sheath if the khukuri is gonna be carried in rough and tough conditions.

If an 8-9 ounce waxed sheath is reinforced with a good sized throat and tip and possibly one at the bend it may be safe enough.
When I say safe enough I mean safe enough for jumping out of planes which may be overkill but when out in the boonies a slip and fall can ruin your day if a knife penetrates its sheath and enters a body part.

I have a Last Legend Heavy Dagger that has a well reinforced throat and tip that are just on the light side of safe because of their size. If the throat and tip reinforcements were a little longer it would be a whole lot safer.
It has a three layer welt, one of probably 7-8 ounce leather and a couple of 5-6 ounce leather over and under the middle layer.
Then with a piece folded under for the belt loop that makes for a total of 8 layers of leather at the reinforced areas at the top and 6 layers at the bottom.
The center part of the sheath with no reinforcement is 5 layers thick, top and bottom with the 3 layered welt.

I don't know that the wood covered scabbards would be safer unless they were wide enough to be glued up at the sides with a good epoxy to keep the knife from penetrating the scabbards.
The chape we all gripe about does have a purpose beyond stabbing us itself and that's to help hold the scabbard together.
Actually as much as I dislike it I have to say that the Kydex is no doubt the safest material for a heavy knife or khukuri scabbard.
 
Man I hate to hear you say that and thats a fact. We have kydex here in the back. I could take some of it home and they wouldn't care, but I just like natural materials. I'm no purist, don't get me wrong, idealism is unapealing to me, but I just don't like kydex. Leather has such a warm look to it. Even rawhide has a warmer look than kydex.
 
Hey there, Fuller.
Now that you've mentioned what knife it's for, I gotta emphasize my suggestion even more about getting a stud that's pretty big. Knowing what I know now, I'd make my next one more oblong, like this:

german_issue_1866_chassepot_scabbard_mod_small.jpg


It's because the blade is so wide, that especially when you allow the handle to cant forward or back, it forces the belt to twist a bit, which can allow a gap big enough for the stud to slip through. Sorry, I don't have a picture of what I'm trying to say here, but it's quite obvious once you've carried it that way for a while.

Also, there's been talk of the material for the scabbard itself. Leather, wood, kydex...
The safety thing is more important here because you want to carry it tucked through your belt. If you fall on it, it can't get away from your body or flop out of the way like it might on a belt loop. It's gonna twist until either your belt breaks (unlikely) or it splits/cuts the scabbard. Might get the end of the crossguard poked into your gut pretty good, too. ;) But aside from that, here's the simple reason I prefer wood. Think about what happens to the scabbard while you're moving around using the knife. Your belt will put quite a bit of strain on it, and would easily bend leather or kydex (perhaps even permanently creasing it?) so that you can't easily resheath the knife. A wooden scabbard that's still no thicker than the handle of the knife will take the strain much better in my estimation, though I admit never trying it with kydex. Haven't seen any thick enough that I think would take it. 'Course, if you do go with wood, you'll need a metal throat & tip to keep it from splitting, and it will probably end up costing more than the knife.

Just something more to ponder.
 
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