Finishing a sheath.

[Marion David Poff]

I just got a sheath with a custom knife, knife is very cool, but....

The sheath is dyed black, and is making my hands lightly black, how do I stop this?

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Marion David Poff ska Eye, one can msg me at mdpoff@hotmail.com

"A journey of a thousand miles begins but with a single step" Lao-Tzu

 

[Harry Jensen]

I don't know how your sheath was constructed, dyed, or with what type of dye, but I'll tell you what I do to my sheaths. I learned this from Wayne Goddard.
After gluing, stitching and wet forming, the sheath is dyed with Fiebing's Leather dye. It's allowed to dry for several days, then it is placed in a warm (180 - 200 degree)oven while an old electric skillet filled with a mixture of 2/3 beeswax 1/3 neatsfoot oil is heating. I get this up to the same temp., using a candy thermometer. I take the sheath out of the oven, dunk in the wax mix for a 10 count, then hang it off a wire upside down back in the oven for the excess wax to drain off on a cookie sheet. 10 - 15 minutes later, I take the sheath out of the oven & jam the knife in & finish molding to shape. This makes 'em waterproof, stiff, and colorfast.
Hope this helps,
Harry Jensen
Fresno, CA

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[Marion David Poff]

Thank YOu,

I will try that, I hop it works, I have the sheath swaddled in Toilet Paper and Duct Tape.

MDP

 

[Athabasca Ed]

I treat the leather sheaths I make with Snowseal, a silicon-impregnated beeswax product. (I do this before stitching so the inside is waxed, too.) You may need some ingenuity to wax the inside of a finished sheath (Q-tip, pipecleaner, etc. to apply inside). Use a blowdrier or heat gun (on low setting) to warm the wax enough so it seeps into the pores. Helps to stiffen the leather, keeps it from absorbing water, looks nice too. (PS -- It is a good idea to wipe the sticky wax off the handle of the blowdrier before returning it to your significant other.)