Leather Master: Stuart Branson

Will York

Will York

Joined
Jan 21, 2000
Messages
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For those who don’t already know, our own Stuart Branson (Victoria, BC, Canada) has evolved into a highly talented leather craftsman. Here’s an NMFBM sheath I just received from him, well-constructed and strong, but slender enough not to add weight or bulk. The leather color, luster and finish are even richer than the pics show. A few specifics I like about his design:

1) No keeper strap to slice accidentally when drawing or inserting the blade;

2) Room behind the front talon/guard to accommodate a braided D-guard if desired;

3) Nicely thought-out belt loop is made of one leather piece that passes through a slot in the back of the sheath and then loops back over itself. Two functional aspects of this design are that it provides a “dangler” effect, allowing the sheath to swing freely out of the way when you sit down, and the exposed lip/end just above the mouth of the sheath applies a little extra retention pressure to the handle without getting in the way of drawing or inserting the blade.

All in all a VERY handsome, classic design that adds a touch of style to the already impressive NMFBM.

Hope you enjoy the pics,
Will
 
That sheath has beautiful lines... the corvette of sheaths Id say. Nice!!!:eek:
 
Very nice! :thumbup:

Did you have to send him the knife, or does he have one to make more sheaths?
 
Thanks for the nice words, guys--I'm sure Stuart will appreciate them. I especially like the moniker "Corvette of Sheaths". I agree--very stylish without being over the top. Solid, classy, tasteful all the way.

resinguy said:
Very nice! :thumbup:

Did you have to send him the knife, or does he have one to make more sheaths?
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He has a NMFBM, and the exchange rate between the Canadian and US dollar has been very favorable (to US residents) lately--of course, like everything else financial these days, it's on a rollercoaster. If you want one, better get it ordered.

Maybe Stuart will post here.
 
Wow, that's a gorgeous sheath!:thumbup: If you don't mind, could you post a picture of the backside of the sheath? I'm curious to see how that belt loop works. I assume it's removable?
 
Solstice said:
Nice Will.....snug fits are real cool.:thumbup:

Hows it carry?
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Very sweet carry--unexpectedly comfortable on a wide belt, as huge a knife as it is.

El Toro said:
Wow, that's a gorgeous sheath! If you don't mind, could you post a picture of the backside of the sheath? I'm curious to see how that belt loop works. I assume it's removable?
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Yeah, it could be removed. Here are a couple of pics under a harsh flash, not very flattering to the leather finish. I sprung the beltloop "weave" open a little to give you a better idea--it normally lies pretty flat.
 
Balislinger said:
Very good work. Does he have a website or gallery where we can see other sheaths he has made?
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I'll shoot him an email and see if he'll post here, or you can check his member profile and contact info here under his screen name: SBranson
 
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Nice work! Superb original design. :thumbup: I'd like to see some of his other creations as well.
 
Thanks a lot everyone for the kind and encouraging words and a special thanks to Will. I don't have many photos of other sheaths because I usually only make them for myself for knives that either don't have sheaths or have uncomfortable or poorly made ones.
I've had a couple friends up here in Canada ask for sheaths so I figured I would try to make them a little nicer and just recently got some proper tools. Again another reason why I have few photos. Here's a few links to some photos:
First, the original version of this sheath for the FFBM. It's a little rougher around the edges literally and so to speak:
http://www3.telus.net/sbranson/ffbm/DSC_0001JPEG1.JPG
A dangler for a small hunter I picked up at a local gun show.
http://www3.telus.net/sbranson/Sheaths/sheath2008/DSC_0092_01.JPG
A recent experiment for a Matt Roberts knife:
http://www3.telus.net/sbranson/Sheaths/DSC_0090JPEG.JPG
http://www3.telus.net/sbranson/Sheaths/DSC_0094JPEG.JPG
One of my first, for a Burt Foster knife:
http://www3.telus.net/sbranson/BurtFoster/DSC_0033JPEG.JPG

I really like the dangler style for edc because the knife always hangs vertically and doesn't bind when you sit in a chair or a truck. I dislike wearing a knife when you are constantly adjusting it on your belt.
 
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I was lucky enough to have one of bransons sheaths for my Hairy carry LE anbd it was exceptional. I have since sold the knife and I miss the sheath more than the knife but fortunately i have already convinced him to make me another ,this next one is for a
PSK SR. Bransons sheaths are also very nice soft thick leather which I love.
His HCLE sheath was really cool because it looked just like a normal belt sheath but it had these loops all the way down the back so it could be strapped to my DFLE sheath(that one was Rainwalkers) It fit perfectly and he did it from just having photos of the DFLE sheath.

My only complaint is he is only doing it for a hobby so he can't make me everything I want. In a way the fact he is a hobby maker is more impressive. I hate working with leather ,it is hard as hell compared to wood or steel.

Great work branson ,I like the beltloop weave a lot. It also worked well with the lines of the NMFBM. Now where is that sap?
 
Ha, Ha... I keep forgetting about that sap.. Thanks Unsub..

This one is made of butt leather which is really tough to work with but hard and stiff almost like armour. It suits the large blade well but would be impossible for a small knife.

With 2 very young kids, eating and sleeping are hobbies too. :D
 
Great sheath Will!!! I know for sure I will get ahold of Stuart for sure. The best thing is that we both live in the same province. :)
 
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