First attempt at a leather sheath...

SmokinOnion

SmokinOnion

Joined
Nov 11, 2006
Messages
53
After talking to Moose last week about a leather sheath and options, I decided to try to make one for my BK9. I learned pretty quick that I am no leather worker but the end product suits me fairly well. Still intend to get one of the M1s for my 9 but I'm fairly satisfied with my efforts for now.

I used some saddle leather in layers, double stacks of it on the edges and a collar for where the handle sits when the blade is sheathed for a bit of retention. Again, I am not a leather worker, but my end results are satisfactory for my needs. Stitches in thick leather stacks is a pain in the fingers!

After it was fully assembled I got the bottom quarter wet, placed a BCUSA patch there and then the whole thing into a flat wood vice to press the patch into the leather. It came out okay, I was shooting for the whole thing and what I got was a vintage looking worn away embossing.

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That's a smoken set-up.. !! Very nice work, what do yo mean layers? I only see one layer on the inside.. Also can you pre-drill the holes into the leather to make it easier? Just asking as I could only imagine how hard that would be directly with a needle..

How is the rentension of the knife? After seeing everyone's leather its making me want to step up and put on some big boy pants.. ;)

Nice work.. the bcusa idea was a good one regardless.... I like it..
 
I think it looks great. A good mesh between modern looking yet traditional style at the same time.
 
TheLastDaze said:
That's a smoken set-up.. !! Very nice work, what do yo mean layers? I only see one layer on the inside.. Also can you pre-drill the holes into the leather to make it easier? Just asking as I could only imagine how hard that would be directly with a needle..

How is the rentension of the knife? After seeing everyone's leather its making me want to step up and put on some big boy pants.. ;)

Nice work.. the bcusa idea was a good one regardless.... I like it..
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Here is a pic showing the thickness, it's actually four total layers. Last pic is what I used to make the holes and it worked ok, just working the needle through them was painful on occasion.

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Forgot to comment on the retention.

That piece that is wrapped around where the blade enters the sheath itself it very tight and formed, even without it I could hold it upside down and shake it via the shock cord and the blade would not come out. With the collar wrap around the first couple inches of the handle it is very very tight.
 
nice work - looks like a good design.
As a finger saver, I generally use a pair of needle nose pliers to pull the needle through multiple layers of leather. Also, it's easier to sew when the leather is still wet, because it has more stretch.
 
TheLastDaze said:
are those layers skinny strips that run along the edge?? did you cut the edges clean after you sewed or before..

thanks,

Rob
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Those strips are about a half of an inch wide.

What I did was lay the knife blade on the latigo, traced the pattern and cut two sets of each side. Laid those up in the main sheath which is a folded piece of the same saddle leather, glued it up and put it in a vice. After that I trimmed and did the stitching.

So if you unfolded the upper most layer you would see the blade shape made up of the layers on either side, this sort of "pockets" the blade so that it cannot move laterally inside the sheath.
 
Nice! I think I need to get some leather like that. My first try turned out ok, but from what you're saying it looks like you are gonna use your leather sheath. I think that yours turned out really well.
 
That's your first try at making a sheath ? Freakin' Awsome !

Mine would be 2 band aids and some duck tape. Serious - leather and I don't get along.

Like the embossed patch. Does give it that cool vintage look.

"Good 'rob mhan" (Jamaican for, good job man) :D
 
Damn I think it looks excellent...

if thats your first I can't wait to see the others you make.........:thumbup:
 
I'm diggin' it, very well done. Nice thinking out side the box, on the design too. When starting to leather work, I always went by my natural inclinations, brute force and ingnorance, the more you do the faster you learn, that leather is a workable substance, and it just takes some time behind the needle.

One thing to remember, if you are predrilling your holes with a drill bit, it removes material. I pre punch mine with an awl, which just seperates the material, so that way when I seal it, the leather swells, and closed up the holes, pulling the stitches tighter. Just a suggestion, when I first started I used a 3/32 drill bit and a drill press. I got away from the mechanical stuff, so I can truly say, Handmade sheaths. If I had my way, I would have all kinds of presses and stuff, to punch patterns out at will, but, there are other places and people doing that, I just like stiching leather.:D

Good sheath, dammit.

Moose
 
moosez45 said:
I'm diggin' it, very well done. Nice thinking out side the box, on the design too. When starting to leather work, I always went by my natural inclinations, brute force and ingnorance, the more you do the faster you learn, that leather is a workable substance, and it just takes some time behind the needle.

One thing to remember, if you are predrilling your holes with a drill bit, it removes material. I pre punch mine with an awl, which just seperates the material, so that way when I seal it, the leather swells, and closed up the holes, pulling the stitches tighter. Just a suggestion, when I first started I used a 3/32 drill bit and a drill press. I got away from the mechanical stuff, so I can truly say, Handmade sheaths. If I had my way, I would have all kinds of presses and stuff, to punch patterns out at will, but, there are other places and people doing that, I just like stiching leather.:D

Good sheath, dammit.

Moose
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Thanks for the tips Moose!

I was curious about the drilling. Seems like a good quick and easy way to do it. I had a bit that small but I ended up using the saddle needle.

After looking at all of your designs I thought I had enough of a handle on the idea to pull off something and since there is a local shop that sells saddle leather I figured I'd give it a whirl.

Thanks again for the encouragement.
 
Its kinda funny, I went yesterday to pick up my leather, it got shipped to the wrong place, I was supposed to get it friday. After I picked it up and took it home, I realized that its 12-13oz, instead of my standard 9/10oz. Good for my customers, bad for me. Talk about hard to stitch, its nearly 3/16" thick in most places. I only got charged for 9/10oz, which is about half price (half as thick too). I'm gonna put this stuff back and get some 9/10, but I got 3 orders I am working on, so, today, I got 3 patterns cut and glued, I'll stitch them as the week goes on, but man, my fingers are killing me, LOL.

Moose
 
SmokinOnion said:
Forgot to comment on the retention.

That piece that is wrapped around where the blade enters the sheath itself it very tight and formed, even without it I could hold it upside down and shake it via the shock cord and the blade would not come out. With the collar wrap around the first couple inches of the handle it is very very tight.
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I'm interested in that setup. How exactly did you sew it on/wrap it around the sheath? Like how does it stay in place? Looks cool...You make the base sheath just for the blade and then a retention collar. Did you wet-mold it and if so, how? I've done all my stitching dry....haven't soaked anything beforehand.

Also, how did you attach the belt loop? It looks like it is it's own piece of leather (one strip - sewn inside sheath and then to the back) but I'm not sure.

Could you take a pic of the mouth of the sheath and the collar/belt loop parts?

I think that is a great sheath for someone's 10th attempt, let alone first. If you make more, pick up a stitch groover, stitch place marker and maybe a leather horse/stitching horse to hold it together to make it easier.......also a diamond awl to poke the holes. It might make it a bit easier for you.
 
obsessis said:
I'm interested in that setup. How exactly did you sew it on/wrap it around the sheath? Like how does it stay in place? Looks cool...You make the base sheath just for the blade and then a retention collar. Did you wet-mold it and if so, how? I've done all my stitching dry....haven't soaked anything beforehand.

Also, how did you attach the belt loop? It looks like it is it's own piece of leather (one strip - sewn inside sheath and then to the back) but I'm not sure.

Could you take a pic of the mouth of the sheath and the collar/belt loop parts?

I think that is a great sheath for someone's 10th attempt, let alone first. If you make more, pick up a stitch groover, stitch place marker and maybe a leather horse/stitching horse to hold it together to make it easier.......also a diamond awl to poke the holes. It might make it a bit easier for you.
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Here is an overview of the process since I am doing it for my BK2 as well.

It's really caveman simple.

It's basically four parts.

The main piece, the cut outs for stacking, the collar.

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Find the correct placement for the knife form pieces.

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Fold up from the bottom confirming the placement is correct and market for glue up.

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Fold down from the top to make the belt loop and mark placement for gluing.

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At this point I glued it up with Barge Cement, the stuff is damn strong, flexible and waterproof, the leather will give before the cement will. You probably don't have to stitch it but I did.

I put it in a flat wood vice and let it set up for 24 hours. Then started hole punching to thread it. I stitched up either side including the lower section of the belt loop. I glued it by sections, so glued the stacked together and then to the back, then the fold up from the bottom and finally the top loop down for the belt loop.

I then added the "collar", it looks like this:

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Mark it up for placement, I cemented it to the front of the sheath, then punched the holes in either side for future stitching once it was dry.

Folding either side to the back I stitched it and applied glue to the inside, pulled the stitch tight and locked it in the vice.

This is the back of the one I finished:

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Because the entire thing is cemented and stitched I feel like it is very durable. The belt loop is a part of the sheath, not a separated piece.

I hope that made sense.:eek:
 
Thanks for the pics. One of the few times I didn't mind watchin' the sausage be made.

"Cave man simple" - funny. Geico will be after you for an ad.
 
When you fold back the belt loop, does it get sewn to the backside of the sheath or sewn to the collar?

How do you mold the collar to the knife....get it damp or put the knife in the vise?

VERY informative post, thanks. I always like seeing how other people do things to compare to mine. I used rubber cement on a wallet and on the spacer pieces of the 70% done sheath I have....I just need to fold it (taco style), sew it shut, sew/attach a belt loop and then form the leather around the handle. Then I would have to dye it.....

I used veg-tan leather from Tandy and not a nice leather like that. I got some leather like yours to make myself a strop for straight razors. I'll have to remember the scraps for a sheath!
 
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