Design help for seemingly difficult knife

[ProfessionalDabbler]

Maybe this seems difficult because it’s the first sheath I have ever made. I’m not a complete stranger to leather work as I have made a few wallets and slips for me and my friends, and even a purse for my mother.

I do have what I believe to be a decent challenge with a sheath I am making for a friend as the knife has a very minimal heel, no guard, and a thick handle. My first attempt, the handle pushed the back enough to allow the welt to kick up and expose the threads, which the blade obviously cut through.

Am I just not stitching tight enough, or do I need to change the design to accomodate for the thickness of the handle, or should I wet it and mold it around the handle?

 

[duramax]

If you could post pictures it would help a lot. Pictures of the knife and style sheath your looking to build for it.

 

[JollyDeathCow]

Maybe this seems difficult because it’s the first sheath I have ever made. I’m not a complete stranger to leather work as I have made a few wallets and slips for me and my friends, and even a purse for my mother.

I do have what I believe to be a decent challenge with a sheath I am making for a friend as the knife has a very minimal heel, no guard, and a thick handle. My first attempt, the handle pushed the back enough to allow the welt to kick up and expose the threads, which the blade obviously cut through.

Am I just not stitching tight enough, or do I need to change the design to accomodate for the thickness of the handle, or should I wet it and mold it around the handle?

Add a thin extra strip of leather is there between the 2 where you sew. This will prevent the blade from being able Into come in contact With the stitching.

Also, have you considered using kydex? Lately, I've been making hybrid sheaths using both layered kydex and leather. I most recently made myself a drop leg frog So now I can mount damn near anything on a single rig:

https://imgur.com/a/01j44xM

 

[ProfessionalDabbler]

If you could post pictures it would help a lot. Pictures of the knife and style sheath your looking to build for it.

I tried, but apparently my old photobucket does not give links that work in forums. What photo hosting service do you use to post your links?

 

[Horsewright]

Maybe this seems difficult because it’s the first sheath I have ever made. I’m not a complete stranger to leather work as I have made a few wallets and slips for me and my friends, and even a purse for my mother.

I do have what I believe to be a decent challenge with a sheath I am making for a friend as the knife has a very minimal heel, no guard, and a thick handle. My first attempt, the handle pushed the back enough to allow the welt to kick up and expose the threads, which the blade obviously cut through.

Am I just not stitching tight enough, or do I need to change the design to accomodate for the thickness of the handle, or should I wet it and mold it around the handle?

Yes pics please. imgur

 

[duramax]

I tried, but apparently my old photobucket does not give links that work in forums. What photo hosting service do you use to post your links?

So I take my pics with phone. Then use the app Image Size. I then use picture upload here on BF. You see it in the post header just to the right of the chain link. Pic from photo album and select the pictures you sized with Image Size. I got this from BF in the tech / help section ? Hope this helps.

 

[Old Biker]

So I take my pics with phone. Then use the app Image Size. I then use picture upload here on BF. You see it in the post header just to the right of the chain link. Pic from photo album and select the pictures you sized with Image Size. I got this from BF in the tech / help section ? Hope this helps.

He has to have a paid membership for that to work.

O.B.

 

[ProfessionalDabbler]

Here are the pictures

As you can see, I did add a welt, but I don’t know if my stitching was just too loose (I did a saddle stitch and pulled every stitch tight along the way), or if I am putting too much stress on the stitching by not leaving room for the handle, which stretches the pocket because it is so thick. I am open to different designs, this was just my first one, and I didn’t exactly know how it was going to work. Because of the shape of the blade, I feel like a fold over style would not be best, because of the forward bend of the spine.

 

[ProfessionalDabbler]

In looking closer, the spine of the blade is quite a bit thicker than the welt, and I think I should probably double the thickness of the welt. I had not considered having a thick side and a thin side of the welt.

Being a full flat grind made from a file, there is a big slope from the thick spine to the cutting edge.

 

[Robber58]

The welt can be tapered with the top thicker to allow some room for the handle and thinner toward the bottom. Overall, the welt should average a bit thinner than the blade to aid in retention. As an alternative to tapering, simply bend the top belt loop (I assume) away from the handle to allow the blade to go in straight. Easier done when wet, assuming vegetable tanned leather. Finally, I really don't understand how the blade could have even reached the stitching since the handle should stop it from going too far. If it cut the stitches, the sheath was either too short or the inside row of stitches missed the welt and were exposed to the blade. A good fitting welt should not allow any blade contact with stitches. Not trying to be critical, just help.
Randy

 

[pineapple42]

My guess is the lack of retention from the handle side allows the tip of the blade to wiggle too much and ended up cutting the threads. I'd try extending the cillar of the blade to cover at least 1 to 2 in up the handle and wet mold to get some retention. Then make a welt allowing about 3/8 in of wiggle room for the tip. Your stiches look a bit too close.use some good glue, personally i use barge contact cement, kind of smelly but the bond is second to none

 

[duramax]

In looking closer, the spine of the blade is quite a bit thicker than the welt, and I think I should probably double the thickness of the welt. I had not considered having a thick side and a thin side of the welt.

Being a full flat grind made from a file, there is a big slope from the thick spine to the cutting edge.

So here’s some pics of a really old and well used sheath I built.
You can see inside how I added in a layer of leather. This created a ledge for handle to stop / rest on. Plus it added space for a thicker handle. Your main welt will still need to be close to the thickness of the spine of knife.


You’ll see here how it does add to the thickness of the sheath.

Hope this helps gives you some ideas.

 

[ProfessionalDabbler]

So here’s some pics of a really old and well used sheath I built.
You can see inside how I added in a layer of leather. This created a ledge for handle to stop / rest on. Plus it added space for a thicker handle. Your main welt will still need to be close to the thickness of the spine of knife.
View attachment 1777437
View attachment 1777441
You’ll see here how it does add to the thickness of the sheath.
View attachment 1777444
Hope this helps gives you some ideas.

This is exactly what I was looking for, thank you so much!