Dyeing inside of sheath ?

[harronek]

I have noticed on a few occasions both here and elsewhere that some people don't dye the inside of the sheath ( I'm mainly talking Folder sheaths ) .
I have always dyed the inside because it's just something I've always done without to much thought .
I have recently made a sheath for a very light coloured handled knife and I think the dye inside the sheath has transferred and has discoloured the handle scales a fraction .
What do others here do and why ?


Ken

 

[Gary W. Graley]

I don't dye inside the sheath, mainly for that very reason of transfer that can happen. Of course that depends on the knife, but I just don't dye inside the sheath. I think I remember doing that once, black and it wasn't handy later on...

G2

 

[sheathmaker]

Ken,making only folder sheaths, why don't you see if you can get some VERY light weight deer skin pre dyed, like 2 oz. or less, and start lining your sheaths. The deer skin work extremely well because of the stretch and in any pouch style sheath either folder or fixed blade, I've found it to be the best. On all other styles of sheath I use 2oz. veg.tan tannery dyed, mostly from the same side as the sheath, split down on my splitter.

Alternatively, if you can source drum dyed leather so you don't have to dye in your shop the problem will minimize or maybe even go away completely even if unlined.

One further thought. After the dye has dried completely, I Mean COMPLETELY, apply something akin to Feibings TanKote to seal the leather and the dye.

Paul

 

[harronek]

That does make sense Paul , I stole a tip from you and started to double side my leather awhile ago to achieve a lined sheath and the results were very pleasing .
My sheath making has changed over time and now I almost exclusively make only Rough Out sheaths .
I've turned to the Rough side for a number of reasons , one of those is that I automatically get a lined sheath without doing any work ( a cheats or poor mans lining you might say )
I think I might try just dyeing the lip and the first 1/8th of an inch inside and leave the rest of the interior bare .
Now I've just got to work out a way of masking of the leather somehow so that the line or transition between dyed and un dyed is sharp and crisp .
The other reason behind my move to Rough Out was I got tired of pouring everything into trying to achieve simple cleanness only to have it look like something the dog chewed after a few weeks of hard use .
Rough Out handles the knocks and scrapes a lot better .
I'm even contemplating moving to Black or another Dark coloured thread from my beloved White for the same reasons .
After a few weeks of dust , grease ,sweat and tears the White thread may as well be Black anyway .
I guess you might say I'm slowly refining my sheath making and usability and prolonged life has become increasingly important to me , where I'm at now is miles apart from where I began .

Ken

 

[leatherman]

Like Gary I just dont dye the inside of my sheaths either, and for the same reason. No matter what I tried the dye always seems to transfer to the light handled knives. Micarta always seems to draw that dye right out. It doesn't look bad to me to leave the inside uncolored, I do seal the inner leather with Atom Wax so it does have that finished look.

If you work with machined handles on a regular basis like I do, you will understand why some of us dont use soft leathers inside our sheaths. Those sharp little edges eat up that stuff in short fashion. Smooth handles on the other hand are wonderful with a soft liner, grips very well.

 

[vilePossum]

hmmmmm, interesting points... i tend to coat the inside of my sheaths (the few i've done so far) and the inside of my bracelets with edge kote. maybe that would help against the transfer, but i doubt it would hold up in the long run.

 

[Omega Leather Works]

I choose based on the handle material and customer preference. I prefer the look of dyed, but usually only go half way down inside.

My very first sheath was made for my Fiddleback Forge Kephart and I asked for ghost jade g10 because I prefer light colored material. I dyed that one green on the inside. I was very careful to rub off as much dye as possible, and I used beeswax over the dye. The wax did draw out a bit of dye, but additional rubbing (with canvas) removed almost all of the left over dye. There is a very small amount of transfer to the g10. It doesn't bother me in the least, but I recommend to customers that they go undyed with anything but black handles. I haven't tried tan kote, but it sounds like a great idea.

Last thing I can think of, leather paint. I have seen absolutely zero transfer from the stuff. It would probably work very well, and you can do a contrasting color, or match the outside.