Leather sheath fix

BuckShack

BuckShack

Gold Member
Joined
Jul 19, 2015
Messages
3,388
My problem with leather is it stretches over time. This is my 501 Squire sheath. It's so loose it gets caught on things as I walk by.

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Without the proper tools and hardware on hand (and unknown talent with leather) I opted for paracord. So far, so good!

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Nice and tight :) And if it happens again, I can adjust!

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Feel free to post fixes or modifications you've made to your sheaths :thumbsup:
 
TAH said:
That's a great idea, BuckShack. Always good to have some paracord, even if it's just a small amount. Is that a mini flashlight? Also like your nice quality belt. :thumbsup:
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Thanks! Yes, paracord is always good to have nearby. That was a free mini flashlight I picked up somewhere, it has a red bulb. I was looking for something to tie on the excess cord. I've since removed it and found a way to tie the cord in rather than cut it off. The belt is from Cabelas, should last a lifetime! Holds a holster firm :thumbsup:
 
Sitting on it also makes the flap contoured to the shape of the knife.

if the knife is loose in the sheath I soak it in water then let it dry and shrink.

edit: It will shrink best if you dry it with heat. Like on a heat vent or with a hair dryer.
 
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eveled said:
Sitting on it also makes the flap contoured to the shape of the knife.

if the knife is loose in the sheath I soak it in water then let it dry and shrink.
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I didn't think of that, I'll have to give it a try :thumbsup:
 
BuckShack said:
I didn't think of that,
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Neither did I. I used to have to take my 110 off my belt a lot and carry it descreetly in my back pocket. I noticed sitting on it all day helped it’s shape.

Getting the whole thing wet was accidental too. Forgot to mention the shrinking part is best if the sheath is dried with heat. You want to dry it fast.
 
I would soak it, put the knife in to get a rough form, remove the knife. Put in the oven at the lowest temp for 20 min.
 
eveled said:
Neither did I. I used to have to take my 110 off my belt a lot and carry it descreetly in my back pocket. I noticed sitting on it all day helped it’s shape.

Getting the whole thing wet was accidental too. Forgot to mention the shrinking part is best if the sheath is dried with heat. You want to dry it fast.
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Good info!

Makael said:
I would soak it, put the knife in to get a rough form, remove the knife. Put in the oven at the lowest temp for 20 min.
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I will give this a try. Thanks! Reminds me of treating my boots with bear grease and sticking them in the oven, I forgot about that. I don't even know if you can get bear grease anymore. lol.

For now, the paracord has definitely reduced the size of the belt loop for a quick fix and has held up so far. We will see for how long.

Thanks guys.
 
Alternative to the paracord might be a short piece of bicycle inner tube. I keep several different size tubes by my work bench. Makes a good grippy handle for a knife tool or gun. Also good if glueing two pieces of wood together. Comes in handy.
 
I treat all my leather sheathes with SnowSeal. Cut the stitching and take the sheath apart including the belt loop, apply 2 or 3 coats and melt in with a heat gun, re-stitch with waxed nylon thread. No problem with stretching and the sheath will last years longer. Another solution is to get one of Buck's excellent nylon sheaths, which I find more comfortable than the leather ones.
 
eveled said:
Alternative to the paracord might be a short piece of bicycle inner tube. I keep several different size tubes by my work bench. Makes a good grippy handle for a knife tool or gun. Also good if glueing two pieces of wood together. Comes in handy.
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An interesting option to try, I will keep that in mind.
Alberta Ed said:
I treat all my leather sheathes with SnowSeal. Cut the stitching and take the sheath apart including the belt loop, apply 2 or 3 coats and melt in with a heat gun, re-stitch with waxed nylon thread. No problem with stretching and the sheath will last years longer. Another solution is to get one of Buck's excellent nylon sheaths, which I find more comfortable than the leather ones.
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I do prefer nylon sheaths and use Buck nylon sheaths for my 110s and 112s. They don't stretch and they maintain a nice low profile fit close to the side. Buck doesn't have one specifically for the 501 and I haven't found a suitable nylon sheath from another model yet. This paracord option is the best solution so far, it's still holding the knife tight on my belt :thumbsup:
 
How about roughing up the leather a bit and use leather cement to hold the loop where your belt will fit nicely?
 
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