? for sheathmakers

U

Uplander

Joined
Apr 18, 2007
Messages
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Hi, Guys
Some of my slings, holsters & knife sheaths are getting pretty ratty & worn. I'd like to repair some & make replacements for others. Could someone give me a list of leatherworking tools needed & suppliers to start such a project? Thanks.
Uplander
 
You'll need for a basic starter kit:

A fork to space holes
An ajustable groover to inset your stitches (Tandy)
Thread and Needles (Get your needles from a sewing shop or Walmart rather than Tandy, Tandy needles break easily IMO)
A drill to make holes
Contact cement from HD
A razor knife to cut the leather
 
Wall & workbench already have deep fustration dents incurred during refinish & repair of old military rifles.
OK, what sizes of needles? What kind of thread?
Uplander
 
The 2 guys I would have refered you to already answered, I think you're in good hands :)
 
Check your area for a Tandy leather supply store and they can show you everything you need.

Also, don't get disappointed on your first few sheaths. I have made a couple dozen now and am still working at it.
Much like grinding knives, it just takes experience.
 
Get upolstry needles. And I get waxed nylon thread that is meant for the speedy stitcher. Google it and go with whomever is cheapest.
 
OK. Thanks guys. I think I know enough now to make a start. Tomorrow I'll be going past a big tack shop, I'll stop there & look for any leatherworking stuff then mail-order whatever else.
BTW. How would waxed dental floss work as thread?
Uplander
 
It wouldn't work. It would be a terrible way to cheapen your work.

Be sure to get veg tanned leather.
 
Fiddleback said:
It wouldn't work. It would be a terrible way to cheapen your work.

Be sure to get veg tanned leather.
Click to expand...

Andy sorry to dispute you here but waxed Dental Floss does a good job for sewing leather sheaths and looks especially good if doubled and twisted and used on black leather. Also it looks pretty nice on real dark brown but not on the lighter shades, as then you're right and it looks tacky.;) :)

And Vegetable Tanned leather is the only way to go for anything you are going to tool or that is going to hold bare steel such as a knife blade.:thumbup: :D

Edit:
When using any kind of nylon for sewing leather or anything else be sure and double back the stitches at least four holes and six is better.
If you are knotting it at the end of a seam be sure to leave enough to burn down to a fair sized bead or it will unravel something fierce. :)
Actually I burn the ends even when doubling back on my stitches and then force the small bead into the hole the best I can, doesn't work on white nylon like dental floss because it looks nasty, Sorry Uwinv, there's just no other way to put it. ;)
 
Yvsa said:
Andy sorry to dispute you here but waxed Dental Floss does a good job for sewing leather sheaths and looks especially good if doubled and twisted and used on black leather. Also it looks pretty nice on real dark brown but not on the lighter shades, as then you're right and it looks tacky.;) :)
Click to expand...

Good to know. Sorry for misinforming. Uplander, what I know of leatherworking I learned from Yvsa. Always take his words over mine.:o
 
Everybody else who has given you advice here know more than me. But to add my .02 cents, I like to use blunt needles as they tend to hurt less when you poke yourself, and catch in the leather and thread less.

Tandy sells a starter kit that isn't too bad, but it contains some things that I didn't need.

These are the things I use regularly -

Sharp, thin bladed knife. You can use a boxcutter type, or a real knife, your choice, but a thin blade is nice, and my preference is a wharncliffe or sheep's foot blade so you have a nice point to work with.

I like to cut on a marble anvil, they sell them at Tandy, it is just a thick tile or block of hard marble.

Metal straight edge of some kind.

Heavy scissors or shears.

A quality awl.

A block of beeswax.

Phone books. I don't use a drill unless doing several layers of leather. The phone books are to go under the leather when pushing the awl through, they provide a soft surface that won't damage the point of the awl.

Leather mallet.

Edge rounder? Tool used to take the sharp edges off of cut leather. It rounds the exposed edges for a nicer finish, not sure of its true name.

Groover.

Boner. Really. Just a smooth, hard tool used to smooth and burnish the edges of leather for a nicer look.

Glue. Rubber cement works well, Tandy makes some stuff that looks just like Elmer's glue, probably the same stuff.

Needles. I have had experience with broken needles. If possible, use the needles with small eyes. Might not be able to if using heavy thread.

Thread. There is a ton of it available. I use black or dark brown medium weight, waxed, either natural or nylon.

Dye or finish. Tons of it available, pick your color and shade! Tandy is my source.

Leather, of course, veg. tanned as mentioned. It is good to be able to see the leather before you buy it to inspect it for quality. You don't want very stiff or dried out leather regardless of how thick it is. Look out for scratching, scarring or other marks that might disfigure the leather, unless that's what you want.

Buy a good leather working book. There are several on the market, do a google and you are sure to find something. Not all of them are what you want but a basic beginner's book that covers equipment and stitching techniques is quite helpful.

Vise or stitching pony. This will help hold your work in place while stitching, it is the third hand we weren't born with.

Several (half dozen at least) small soft jawed clamps like can be found at Home Depot or a hardware store. These are useful for all kinds of things, but I mainly use them for holding together glued pieces of leather until they are firm. Don't get anything that will leave marks on the leather.

As previously stated, don't worry about what your first few look like. They probably won't be beautiful, but they likely will be quite servicable and good enough for your own use. It does take practice and learning by doing.

Keep your designs simple to start with, they will be hard enough!

Good luck and have fun! Post pics when you finish something, no matter how bad you think it is. This bunch provides very good positive criticism.

Andy
 
Thanks heaps for all the good info, guys. Today I scored a dusty old box with an assortment of needles, a roll of artificial sinew, a swivel knife with a kind of guide, a beveler, 4-prong punch & a matching single punch. Some of the needles are kind of strange looking, flat with a split on one end. The sinew is flat also so I think they are meant to be used together. Oh, yes, got an old but useable rivet press too.
I had to crawl before I could walk. I intend to gather up some scraps & practice stitching them together until I can make a decent seam, then make a decent seam that follows the edge, ect. I think I've got enough to make a start, now I need to clear a spot in my work room [AKA: The Hole] & get to it.
Uplander
 
Uplander said:
Some of the needles are kind of strange looking, flat with a split on one end. The sinew is flat also so I think they are meant to be used together.

Uplander
Click to expand...

Uplander those needles you're speaking of are for lacing and IMO next to worthless :barf: even though that's all that was available for a good many years.
When you raise up the end you will see a couple of tiny prongs on one side. You put the lace into the needle and then press it flat until the prongs pierce the lacing and you're ready to lace your project. These needles were notorious about the lacing pulling straight out and away from the lace.:mad:
Tandy has had a newer needle out for years now that works 210% better although it's been so long that I have forgotten what they are called!:foot:
It is a piece of round brass with a small hole that has been threaded a short ways inside and a tapered blunt point on the other.
You cut your lacing to a thin sharp point and then simply screw the needle onto the lace and you're ready to go!!!!:thumbup: :cool:
You can pull quite of lot of lacing through the project without any of the troubles the old needles gave and almost always have to unscrew the last three inches or so of the lace out of the needle so you can install a new piece.:D
I don't know about now but they used too come in two sizes, a small and a large for the wider and heavier lacing.
I've had my two since the mid '70's and they still are like brand new!:thumbup:
I've misplaced them a time or two and had to dig around through all my crap to find them but you won't wear them out doing hobby work, I guarantee!:thumbup: :cool:

Also Andy is spot on when he says to use the dull needles. Most leatherworking needles are blunts anyway since the holes are already there to sew through. The best stitch to use is the double needle stitch, You use one piece of thread, pretty long, maybe six foot, and put a needle on each end. You start by pulling one needle through the first hole and drawing up the thread until it's even. Then go through the next hole with the left needle and do the same with the right needle and pull taught. Then simply do the same until the thread is used up, cut a new piece of thread and repeat.
What you get is a sewn seam with two threads running through each hole making the double needle stitch the strongest leather sewing stitch out there! :cool:
 
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