how do you wet fit a sheath?

[s7brad]

I'm working on a kit knife and made a pouch sheath< was wondering how to go about fitting it to the knife. do you just soak the leather and form it around the blade inside?

 

[rayban]

Yeppers, that's all you do.....if you just mold the leather to the knife and work it with your hands for about 10-15 minutes, then take the knife out and dry it off....you shouldn't get any rust started on the knife. Set the sheath out where it will get some air....I like out doors but where the dog can't get to it...:thumbup:

 

[Mahoney]

Alcohol (rubbing, vodka, paint store ethanol) works well and evaporates out of the leather a little faster than plain water

 

[siguy]

I like to wrap up the knife in a couple layers of kitchen cling wrap (clear plastic film) so that I don't have to worry about leaving it in, or getting wood handles wet.

I also like the cling wrap in case I am using an alcohol to soak the leather, so avoid any risk of it eating the epoxy holding the handle scales on.

 

[mete]

Coat the blade first with a good wax or preservative grease then wrap with plastic wrap .Do not heat to dry the leather !! Much leather is damaged with heat. Slow dry only.

 

[bgentry]

I saw a guy at a gun show selling holsters. He wet fit them on the spot. He used a food saver vacuum sealer to draw all the air out of the holster/gun combination, helping to do the initial fit. Then he used a rounded tool to press the leather into place where it needed extra help, like where there were indentations in the frame of the pistol. I don't remember whether he wrapped the gun in plastic first, but I suspect he did.

He also had some instructions to the buyers on how long to leave the gun in before pulling it out, but it was just a quick thing I saw, so I don't remember all of the details. The food saver seemed to do a good job though.

Brian.