Leather sheath making questions

C

CDH

Joined
Jun 8, 2007
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283
I am almost finished making my second leather sheath. I admit to an ever increasing respect for guys who hand stitch dozens of sheaths a week!

Questions: After working in a bunch (technical term) of mink oil (warming with a hair dryer to 'warm to the touch but melting the oil' heat) I have a nice deep natural brown..exactly what I was looking for. The problem is that the sheath is still really stiff. After water forming, I dried it under a 60 watt reading lamp at about 6-8". It was never more than warm to the touch...but I dunno if I got it too hot. What is the best way to get it back to a workable stiffness?

I plan on a coat of Sno-Seal for a final finish. Will this markedly change the stiffness?

Has anyone tried superglue to fix the loose ends from stitching? After cutting off the thread short and pulling it into the next stitching hole I worked in some superglue to set it. It doesn't show and seems to have wicked into the thread well. Overkill?

What do you use to drive and pull the needle? Thimble and pliers? On the second pass the needle was dang tight and I snapped one off trying to wiggle it through by hand so I went to needle nose pliers for pulling. It slowed things down but it was much easier on the fingers.

'nuff questions for now. Thanks in advance for any advice!
 
i think dipping in wax/ oil mixture makes them more plyable. but i just dye and seal mine and they are always hard. as far as pulling the needle through, i use a dremel with a home-made drill press so i have a larger hole than the awl provides. and dont wiggle the needle through the leather. i lost many that way. just push and pull, no side to side or it will snap easy. good luck!
 
First off, the stiffness is from the leather losing it's moisture / oil content (from warming). Use leather dyes and finish with finish of choice. Some dyes will still extract oils from the leather making it harden. Neetsfoot oil can soften these back up if wanted. Leather Balm with Atom wax, Acrylic Resolene, Neat-Lac, Neetsfoot oil and saddle soap are all ones that have been used on sheaths.

I use waterproof Barge cement on the backside of the stitches when I can get away with it, though usually for the edge stitching I used waxed thread which grips to itself. When completing the stitching, back-stitch two or MORE holes backward before cutting off the thread. This will further secure it. Also, when starting the back-stitching, I use a sewing awl to open the holes a little bit for the needle to pass through easier. You just have to be careful to position the awl so that it doesn't cut through the threads already in place. I still use pliers from time-to-time when doing thick sheaths.
 
One more question...how do you get rid of the loose material on the flesh side? I tried sanding on the belt sander (worked, but messy) shaving with a skinning knife, and scraping with various sharp and semi sharp tools...and nothing was particularly good.

I did back stitch 3 holes, BTW, plus an extra back and forth at the sheath tip. Those were the ones that made me look for other options...and yes, they cost me a needle too. I only had one spare too...time to make a supply run.:D I was drilling holes with the drill press. Nice and square for the most part.
 
The really long stuff (which only seems to happen on mainly cheaper leather) I usually use my round knife to skive off, after that, I either put a lining leather over the top, or use Gum Tragacanth and a bone slicker to matt it down and slick it smooth.
 
The leather came from Jantz Supply...their 8-9 oz. It is better (consistent thickness, no stretchy section) than the stuff I got from TKS previously, but had more loose material on the inside.

For the curious...


http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a297/cdhcmh/Knives/IMG_1198.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a297/cdhcmh/Knives/IMG_1197.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a297/cdhcmh/Knives/IMG_1196.jpg

The long side opening I put in because 1 I though it looked cool and 2 the guard was going to need the relief for it would never work. We'll see how it wears...
 
You need to dye it before you sew it together.Also oil it before you sew it and work it hard or(break it) bending it and rubbing it will distribute the oil through the hide and when it is soft or softer again then sew it together. Don't need crazy glue just back stitch it a few stitches.
 
A sail makers palm and a pair of sewing pliers will do for the needle work. The stitching pliers are flat jawed with a small groove down the center of the jaws ( for gripping a needle. They look like small drawing pliers ( assuming you know what drawing pliers are).

Putting leather into very hot water or oil/wax will cook the leather and make it very stiff. Rigid leather shapes ( like a sail makers palm, or leather armor) are made that way by putting them on a form and putting the assembly into boiling water ( or hot oil). Just a minute in the boil,then let dry. When it dries it will be hard as wood.

I use a Tippman Boss Stitcher, It solves the needle problems.

Be careful using super glue on undyed leather. Any glue on the leather will make it not dye in that spot. I seal the last stitch with a minute drop of super glue. You only need a micro amount, much less than a regular drop.Use a needle to carry the small drop to the thread, touching only the thread. It will wick down into the stitch hole. Clip the thread and it is permanent.
Stacy
 
An easy way to remove the excess thread I learned from Sandy is with an electric soldering iron. I back stitch three stitches and then burn off the excess. Works great on nylon thread, just don't touch the leather. If you use a knife to cut it sooner or later you will nick a sheath somewhere you don't want to. I like using a hot (not boiling) oil/wax dip to finish my sheaths. It is true that you can cook leather if you leave it in the hot mixture too long, but if you try it a few times with scrap, it is not hard to figure out how long to make your dips. You get great penetration and don't have to spend time hand rubbing it in.
 
Sometimes I will use an awl to stretch the hole right before threading (with leather cord).

Also, I always mold with the wood end of my awl when the leather is wet. I use that and my hands. I will usually do it till my fingers hurt (at least an hour or more).

I air dry. It may take a day or more, but I think the result is good.

As a trick - Try this. Oil the outside of your leather, then do the wet mold. You will get a very cool pattern to the leather as it drys. Some really like it.

Also, as an alternative, oil the inside of the project liberally, then do the wet mold - again you will get a real different pattern to the finished project from the oil seeping thru the top as you mold and it drys...
 
Interesting...I was wondering if the wet mold would work after oiling...

With my very low production rate, a pot of oil for dipping leather is not worth the cost, effort, or most importantly the storage space.:D

Thanks for the tips!
 
I use waxed linen thread for all my leather work. I finish off by backstitching three stitches, stretch the thread taut, then snip off with a razor. NOTE: Be careful with the razor! It's awfully easy to slice a little chunk out of the leather when you snip the thread.
 
I use an awl and waxed linen on sheaths. I used to use my drill press/dremel to punch the holes in the leather for sewing, making a stitching clamp has changed all that. I now get much better results sewing by hand compared to the other ways of punching the leather. The added benefit is that I can sit in the living room and watch tv an interact with the family while I'm stitching.
 
I used waxed (artificial sinew) thread on sheaths and.. on the rougher use ones I backstitch and then tie off with a fishing knot and lightly nelt the fibers together. not quite invisible, but it don't come undone. For pretties I've just backstiched and cut. superglue is a thought, though. I might try that.

I've drilled and punched holes. the drill method seems to take too much leather out for me, even using a teeny tiny bit. Lately I've been moistening the leather and forming, then doing the awl and needle work while still wet.

sometimes I dye and then oil up, sometimes I dip in neets foot oil mixed with beeswax. That works nice, but don't leave the sheath in too long or you will cook it.

for storage of the oil/wax mixture I use an old deep can with a lid (5 pound honey tin) and just pop it in a doulbe boiler on the stove when I need it.

I'm not a serious leather craftsman. I make decent looking field type sheaths. nothing fancy
 
For a pot for the sheath oil or wax run by a Goodwill store or garage sale and grab a cheap crock pot. When your finished just unplug it and let it harden up/cool. Turn it back on awhile before you need to use it agains.

SDS
 
I use cuticle cutters to cut the thread after stitching. Tried the drill hole method , to me it always ends up looking like drilled leather , so I use an awl and do each hole by hand.

Stitch with Barbours Sinew that I dye and wax as I need it.

I mad a couple leather pouches for the side of my Tandy Stitching pony , each holds a pair of needle nose pliers ( jaws are smooth with no teeth ).

I use a modified ice pick to slightly open the first 3 and last 3 stitch holes for backstitching.
 
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