How to hot wax a leather sheath--need help

[Bladenoobie1]

Hi,

I recently received a custom scandi bushcraft knife from a maker here on bf. He did make a sheath for it as well, but the leather is "dry." I would like to hot wax it to harden it a bit and give it a nice waterproof coat.

That aside, what kind of wax do I use and where can I buy it? Also is there anything I should know before attempting to coat the sheath with wax?

- BN

 

[mkleathers]

Probably you will here pros and cons of hotwaxing so I'll just address your question
When I used to wax my sheaths I used pure bee wax - don't know about avability over your place. Here you can buy it in blocks or buy beewax candles and melt them. So, melt the wax in a pot, don't make it to hot, don't boil it. Apply thin layer on the sheath with a brush. Remove surplus with a cloth. Important thing is not to use too hot wax, cause you might burn the leather. If you have any piece of leather you can practice on, do it

Mat

 

[Bladenoobie1]

Probably you will here pros and cons of hotwaxing so I'll just address your question
When I used to wax my sheaths I used pure bee wax - don't know about avability over your place. Here you can buy it in blocks or buy beewax candles and melt them. So, melt the wax in a pot, don't make it to hot, don't boil it. Apply thin layer on the sheath with a brush. Remove surplus with a cloth. Important thing is not to use too hot wax, cause you might burn the leather. If you have any piece of leather you can practice on, do it

Mat

Should I mix the wax with neatsfoot oil or some similar oil for better absorption into the leather?