Custom sheaths - strapped or strapless?

S

sergemaster

Joined
Jul 23, 2006
Messages
144
Amici,
Greetings all sergemaster here. About me, well I'm a relatively long time member but seldom poster until now. But regardless, what I am is a full-time Buck 110/112 fan, user, plus a collector as well with the 110 or 112 being my folder of Choice when I venture into the wild since I'm also an avid hiker as well..

My question to those of you who are fellow 110/112 users when in the backwoods who also prefer a custom leather sheath over the stock ones are what style do you prefer, strapped, strapless as in an open pouch style or even horizontal carry, and do you feel safe with that style sheath or have you suffered loss and regretted your choice in sheath fads?

Personally, I have always used custom flapped models from either Dale Pack Station or Cross Otter but with a recent new110 purchase, am willing to try something new but only if it's loose proof so put fourth the question to my fellow Buck users so strapped or strapless?
 
I like horizontal carry, and I only have one custom sheath for a Buck. Its a (mostly) horizontal pouch sheath made by Gary Graley. It is slightly angled up, and fits a 112 snug as a bug in a rug. Heres and older pic I have of it. I love it BTW!!

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I prefer the vertical carry, open top. I have one from crossotter that's good, but I prefer sheaths from rudderjt (Jack Rudder). Jack's have a perfect fit!


CrossOtter

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rudderjt (Jack Rudder)

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I just checked on eBay for the Dale Pack Station sheaths. I had to order the pancake style for the 110! If they've been making saddles for that many decades, I'm sure the leather & workmanship will be top notch!
 
The Dale Pack Station are about the nicest sheaths that I own. The workmanship and overall quality is just superb. The problem is that when I contacted them via their web site, I was told that they only sell them through eBay. I don't know why that is, but that's what I was told.

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I like the forward slant built into this one that I use for the 317.

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I've always liked this combo as a "dress" combination.

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When hunting in the woods, I prefer the traditional snap over flap carried on my belt vertically. Probably because that's what I've always done in the last 40 years and I'm used to it. I do like the security of the flap though.
 
I like the strapless for show, dress or whatever. However for use, like going through the woods where you may slip, hitting a branch or log, going up and down steep slopes, in pouring rain or heavy snow, I'll take the strap or flap-over type. It protects the knife more, or at least gives me the impression of doing so.
 
None of the above. My adventures into the woods typically involve backpacking, ski camping/touring (cross country sort of) and hunting. In all cases, I almost always have a pack of some sort that has a hip belt that interferes with *anything* on my belt. So, bulky items that I want on my person at all times (as on my person, not stashed in my pack) need to go in my pockets. These items generally mean, compass, altimeter (very useful in New England), map and knife.

For hunting, my 110 rides in the pack. In the woods, I always have a lighter smaller knife in my pocket. Typically a Buck 482.

I pocket carry my 110 around town as an EDC type knife but prefer pocket to sheath. Hate things on my belt.

I know this isn't the feedback on sheath types you were looking for. Pockets for me.
 
Hi Sergemaster,

Good subject! Flap-over -VS- Open-top sheath.....hmmm.

Ok, I'll start with a story as you asked a question about suffering a LOSS! Well this story took place a long, long time ago, before some here were even born I'll bet. So the year in this story is 1979, 33 years ago. I was a member of the AG Russell's knife collectors club and as a member I always got the AG Russell's knife catalog. In the 78/79 time AG Russell was offering a brand new one hand knife design and they were going to sell the first knives made to us;). I was working as a Carpenter at the time and a one handed knife was a cool new knife design and one could also buy a separate belt sheath made to go with this knife it was an open top and the first open top sheath I had ever seen. The knife was a Gerber Paul knife and the sheath was also from Gerber. I got two of these very cool knives, one had Ebony scales that was to be my work knife and one was Ivory Micarta to be part of my collection, i also paid the extra for the sheaths.

Well, the knives were very nice. I took the Ebony Paul knife with me to work the next day after it arrived. I was sporting it in the new open top sheath, that week I was putting up siding and using the knife to cut Tar paper (bad idea as the blade quickly became dull). Any way, I had taken the knife out and put it back in the sheath many times during the day, this cause the sheath to loosen up and the knife fell out on the job site, to be never seen again by me:(. That knife cost me $80 in 1979 money would be like loosing a new $150 Buck custom shop knife today. That open top sheath was a very poor design as it was not form fitted and not very tight from the start. that sheath failed in less than 8 hours. I swore from the moment of that loss I would never use another open top sheath again ever!

Fast forward to the here and now. I had read from many of my forum knife nut brothers here on this forum that they love their open top sheaths. LOL, I told them they would be as sorry as I was many years ago. They kept telling me that their cool open top sheaths had never had and issues. So, I had to try another open top sheath and had our own forum member Jack make me one (what a deal, it would be a deal at twice the price;)) So The new open top sheath comes and the 110 fit in it like a glove. I can now say that this sheath to knife fit has been time proven by me. It is my EDC belt knife and has been for the last five years, it has been hunting, fishing, working, hiking and seen some very ruff conditions. My 110 still fits this sheath like a glove.....much better design than the Gerber sheath from years ago.

Sergemaster, If you buy one get it from someone who knows how to make them right! You should know that the brass frame of your knife will not be protected and if you work under your car/truck you will ding/scratch the hell out of your knife..:o..but it will not fall out of the sheath! "Your mileage may very"
jb4570
 
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jb and 2Tony, glad to hear the sheathes are still serving their purpose.

jb and 2Tony, glad those sheathes are still holding up and taking good care of you!!

Jack
 
vertical open pouch. wet formed so it's tight.
i think mine came from the buck custom shop, but i bought it second hand so i can't be certain.

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markpmc said:
vertical open pouch. wet formed so it's tight.
i think mine came from the buck custom shop, but i bought it second hand so i can't be certain.
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It might have come from the custom shop, but those sheaths were available for sale by themselves beginning in 1982. I'd have to do some more checking to see how long they were made. I have a box of 12 of them still in their clampacks for the 110. They were available for several different models and there were also versions for the fixed blades.
 
Plumberdv said:
It might have come from the custom shop, but those sheaths were available for sale by themselves beginning in 1982. I'd have to do some more checking to see how long they were made. I have a box of 12 of them still in their clampacks for the 110. They were available for several different models and there were also versions for the fixed blades.
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Are they still available from buck? The point I was trying to make was that Buck may have an option other than the usual snap top leather pouch.
 
Arksknives makes a great tooled leather holster styled sheath also,check them out.I have one for my 110s,and one for my 112.
 
markpmc said:
Are they still available from buck? The point I was trying to make was that Buck may have an option other than the usual snap top leather pouch.
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They haven't been available from Buck for some time. I think the only 110 sheaths for 110s or 112s are the standard snap top either leather or nylon.
 
I bought a few of the Dale Pack Station sheaths on eBay. Their quality & craftsmanship are top notch. I'm hoping they start making them out of black leather.
 
GOOD LORD you guys have some pretty sheaths! i admit, i use the factory ones and have never had any issues. actually i use nylon factory in the woods to keep the leather factory in tiptop shape.
 
I, personally, always like to have a secured flap over my knives. At work, I use the nylon sheath that I have blacked out the font on, to try to avoid drawing attention.(Not autorized in uniform for me). At home or in town, I have been carrying my new sheath I got from AKC made by AT. Other times, I love to bring out the tan one from the Buck Custom Shop.
 
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