Generally I prefer to carry a smallish blade when I'm hunting or working outdoors. But there are times when a bigger blade is useful.
I've got a Tramontina machete with a 10 inch blade. While this isn't a big blade for some folks, it is big for me. I bought it without a sheath, and I got a local leatherworker to make me one. The sheath looks nice, but I've found that it gets in the way when hanging on my belt, and when I'm using the machete frequently there is a risk I will cut the beautiful sheath by inadvertently sticking it in at the wrong angle.
This machete has been used to split carcases down the backbone. I simply line it up, then baton it with a lump of firewood. It works amazingly well compared to what I've done with a saw, cleaver or axe. When butchering, I like to keep my sheath clean... and once again the fully stitched leather sheath isn't ideally suited to this.
I love to set traps, and during a morning on the trap line the machete can be used many times. And while doing this I may have to squeeze through thick scrub where a big belt sheath is likely to get snagged.... or be uncomfortable or difficult to get at if hung behind or in front. Often I will be wearing a jacket or parka when working on traps, and it can be difficult to see the sheath on my belt when trying to put the machete back into it.
Another thing about the machete on my belt is that it may look frightening to anybody that I meet in the bush. Sometimes I might set traps on land where others have access, and while I feel within my rights to carry a big knife, I'd rather not upset anyone.
A couple of days ago I was contemplating the machete carrying problem and decided that maybe I should try to make a simple sheath out of plastic pipe. While I knew that PVC pipe could be moulded when hot, I thought that polythene was a 'friendlier' material. I did some calculations and figured that I'd need some 32 mm nominal diameter water pipe (1.25 inches) to be wide enough to hold my blade. The bushcraft God must have heard me, because I checked out some redundant pipe I'd seen earlier in a vacant lot next door, and it turned out to be 32 mm pipe (which to me is not a commonly used size of pipe).
I cut a bit of pipe just slightly longer than the blade, washed it out thoroughly, then put it in the oven and set the temperature to around 115 degrees celsius (just above the boiling point of water). I put some tape over the cutting edge of my blade. I had leather gloves on, and when the pipe had become quite soft I quickly forced the pipe over the blade and maybe half an inch or so over the top of the handle. I then clamped the blade portion of the pipe between two planks until it cooled.
The result was pleasing. The oven may have been a bit hot because the oven rack left marks in the pipe. I had to trim a little off the handle end of the pipe so I could pull the pipe off the machete. But the pipe sheath fits snugly and holds the blade even with the handle hanging downwards.
I found that a short bit of thin cord was all that I needed to sling the machete across my chest. The loop passes around my neck and under my left arm (see the picture).
The sheath is not something you'd see in a knife collectors gallery, but it cost very little and it is very practical. It can be washed out; the flare at the handle end helps to guide the blade in; it is narrower than my leather sheath... and I can easily replace it.
The planks I used to clamp the pipe were old bits of lumber I'd used for boxing when I'd made some concrete vegetable beds. So the lumber was rough. Smoother planks would make a smoother looking sheath.
Polythene water pipe is common in rural areas here. I've heard it called alkathene, polyethylene, and low density polypipe. I think that other grades of polythene might work, but the low density pipe is probably easier to work with even if it is likely to have a thicker wall than some.
I had thought it would be good to drill a hole through the end of the pipe sheath to ensure that my harness cord didn't slip off. However I'd cut the sheath a bit short for this. But I found that with a couple of wraps of nylon braid... and a decent sliding knot... the cord seemed to stay where I put it.
So now if I want to carry my machete I can have it in a very accessible position... it is so easy to quickly draw and replace the blade. I can wear it under my jacket and under my arm if I don't want to upset hikers. I can hose it out when it is dirty.
Now I'm thinking I should get some smaller pipe for some other knives. These sheaths are so quick to make.
I've got a Tramontina machete with a 10 inch blade. While this isn't a big blade for some folks, it is big for me. I bought it without a sheath, and I got a local leatherworker to make me one. The sheath looks nice, but I've found that it gets in the way when hanging on my belt, and when I'm using the machete frequently there is a risk I will cut the beautiful sheath by inadvertently sticking it in at the wrong angle.
This machete has been used to split carcases down the backbone. I simply line it up, then baton it with a lump of firewood. It works amazingly well compared to what I've done with a saw, cleaver or axe. When butchering, I like to keep my sheath clean... and once again the fully stitched leather sheath isn't ideally suited to this.
I love to set traps, and during a morning on the trap line the machete can be used many times. And while doing this I may have to squeeze through thick scrub where a big belt sheath is likely to get snagged.... or be uncomfortable or difficult to get at if hung behind or in front. Often I will be wearing a jacket or parka when working on traps, and it can be difficult to see the sheath on my belt when trying to put the machete back into it.
Another thing about the machete on my belt is that it may look frightening to anybody that I meet in the bush. Sometimes I might set traps on land where others have access, and while I feel within my rights to carry a big knife, I'd rather not upset anyone.
A couple of days ago I was contemplating the machete carrying problem and decided that maybe I should try to make a simple sheath out of plastic pipe. While I knew that PVC pipe could be moulded when hot, I thought that polythene was a 'friendlier' material. I did some calculations and figured that I'd need some 32 mm nominal diameter water pipe (1.25 inches) to be wide enough to hold my blade. The bushcraft God must have heard me, because I checked out some redundant pipe I'd seen earlier in a vacant lot next door, and it turned out to be 32 mm pipe (which to me is not a commonly used size of pipe).
I cut a bit of pipe just slightly longer than the blade, washed it out thoroughly, then put it in the oven and set the temperature to around 115 degrees celsius (just above the boiling point of water). I put some tape over the cutting edge of my blade. I had leather gloves on, and when the pipe had become quite soft I quickly forced the pipe over the blade and maybe half an inch or so over the top of the handle. I then clamped the blade portion of the pipe between two planks until it cooled.
The result was pleasing. The oven may have been a bit hot because the oven rack left marks in the pipe. I had to trim a little off the handle end of the pipe so I could pull the pipe off the machete. But the pipe sheath fits snugly and holds the blade even with the handle hanging downwards.
I found that a short bit of thin cord was all that I needed to sling the machete across my chest. The loop passes around my neck and under my left arm (see the picture).
The sheath is not something you'd see in a knife collectors gallery, but it cost very little and it is very practical. It can be washed out; the flare at the handle end helps to guide the blade in; it is narrower than my leather sheath... and I can easily replace it.
The planks I used to clamp the pipe were old bits of lumber I'd used for boxing when I'd made some concrete vegetable beds. So the lumber was rough. Smoother planks would make a smoother looking sheath.
Polythene water pipe is common in rural areas here. I've heard it called alkathene, polyethylene, and low density polypipe. I think that other grades of polythene might work, but the low density pipe is probably easier to work with even if it is likely to have a thicker wall than some.
I had thought it would be good to drill a hole through the end of the pipe sheath to ensure that my harness cord didn't slip off. However I'd cut the sheath a bit short for this. But I found that with a couple of wraps of nylon braid... and a decent sliding knot... the cord seemed to stay where I put it.
So now if I want to carry my machete I can have it in a very accessible position... it is so easy to quickly draw and replace the blade. I can wear it under my jacket and under my arm if I don't want to upset hikers. I can hose it out when it is dirty.
Now I'm thinking I should get some smaller pipe for some other knives. These sheaths are so quick to make.
