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The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
leather sheaths
- Thread starter riversw
- Start date
Making your own is probably going to satisfy you more than a factory sheath anyway. Most of the factory sheaths I've had have been pretty flimsy. Or noisy, or poorly designed.
Don't go crazy when you start looking for rivets, though. Just get a Weaver Leather catalog. McMaster-Carr has some excellent rivet sets, too.
Being a true lefty has forced me to make my own for years. That way I get what I want. Yes the first couple may not come out perfect but it doesn't take long to improve. Kydex works but just isn't my style. Handguns should be steel, rifle stocks should be wood and sheaths should be leather!
mate, like you I don't care for plastic. I'm also a lefty so
I have little choice but to make my own too.
Try this.....
Take a plain piece of paper and fold it over the knife carefully
pulling it snug to get the contours of blade and handle.
Draw a line around the outside edge while holding the paper
snug , take your time, to get the general shape and width.
While folded (remove from knife) in half cut the general out
line you made. This may take a couple of trims so be patient
and don't be afraid to start over.
Once the paper pattern is made to fit your knife make the belt
loop pattern to the carry hight you want and carefully tape to
try on your belt. You don 't want it to high or low. If you want
a dangler shelth that's easier to make.
Next transfer the pattern to the leather of your choice and cut
a thicker piece to run along the blade edge side of the sheath
about a 1/4" to 3/16 to act as a spacer to keep the blade from
cutting the stiches or fasteners you close the sheath with.
Then , if you don't / can't sew it vist the hardware store to
buy some rivets to close the sheath with and carefully
mark (with the knife in the sheath) the riviet spacing.
Don't go to high or you can't get the knife out. Go just
high enough to hold the handle very snug. Try to pull
out a couple of times to get that rivet just right.
Assemble the sheath putting the back loop in the pre marked
positon first then fold over and assemble the sheath without
forgetting the leather spacer piece between the sides at the blade
edge.
Soak in water when assembled, wrap knife in kitchen plasitic
wrap insert into sheath and let dry to form.
I've made several sheath this way and they all came out fine.
This simple fold over design works very well holding and
carrying my knive and I've yet to loose one.
Good luck mate.
I have little choice but to make my own too.
Try this.....
Take a plain piece of paper and fold it over the knife carefully
pulling it snug to get the contours of blade and handle.
Draw a line around the outside edge while holding the paper
snug , take your time, to get the general shape and width.
While folded (remove from knife) in half cut the general out
line you made. This may take a couple of trims so be patient
and don't be afraid to start over.
Once the paper pattern is made to fit your knife make the belt
loop pattern to the carry hight you want and carefully tape to
try on your belt. You don 't want it to high or low. If you want
a dangler shelth that's easier to make.
Next transfer the pattern to the leather of your choice and cut
a thicker piece to run along the blade edge side of the sheath
about a 1/4" to 3/16 to act as a spacer to keep the blade from
cutting the stiches or fasteners you close the sheath with.
Then , if you don't / can't sew it vist the hardware store to
buy some rivets to close the sheath with and carefully
mark (with the knife in the sheath) the riviet spacing.
Don't go to high or you can't get the knife out. Go just
high enough to hold the handle very snug. Try to pull
out a couple of times to get that rivet just right.
Assemble the sheath putting the back loop in the pre marked
positon first then fold over and assemble the sheath without
forgetting the leather spacer piece between the sides at the blade
edge.
Soak in water when assembled, wrap knife in kitchen plasitic
wrap insert into sheath and let dry to form.
I've made several sheath this way and they all came out fine.
This simple fold over design works very well holding and
carrying my knive and I've yet to loose one.
Good luck mate.
knifeforums has a leatherwork and sheath section with some good tips. Most harware/leather places have a "speedy sticher" with is basically an awl and sticher in one. Nice intro to sewing leather as its easy to use, and pretty cheap. I'd like to try my hand at saddle stiching though, now that I've done the speedy a bit. I would suggest cutting everything oversized to start with, then trimming as you go. I've had to scrap/modify a lot so far as i get the hang of things, and undersizing the material has ben my biggest headache so far.
Gary W. Graley
“Imagination is more important than knowledge"
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
- Joined
- Mar 2, 1999
- Messages
- 27,309
One thing that I do when trying to figure out how the sheath will work is to use the small bubble bubble wrap material, it is about the thickness of the leather and of course very flexible and easy to cut to shape!
So save up those bubble wrap packaging material and use it to shape a pattern for your sheath. If it is one that you'll tend to use over again, I take and lay the cut pattern of bubble wrap onto cardboard, like a Priority mail envelope, and cut the pattern out on that for something more lasting to use to mark your leather, but use the bubble wrap to get a better fit when you go to wrap the leather around a knife...
And the other best thing is Barge Cement, tough stuff! BUT make sure that you rough up the leather surface to allow the glue to sink in for a solid grip...
G2
So save up those bubble wrap packaging material and use it to shape a pattern for your sheath. If it is one that you'll tend to use over again, I take and lay the cut pattern of bubble wrap onto cardboard, like a Priority mail envelope, and cut the pattern out on that for something more lasting to use to mark your leather, but use the bubble wrap to get a better fit when you go to wrap the leather around a knife...
And the other best thing is Barge Cement, tough stuff! BUT make sure that you rough up the leather surface to allow the glue to sink in for a solid grip...
G2
Thanks Gary, I like that bubble wrap idea. I know you were taking a break from giving out hints on sheath making, but if you are open to answering a quick newbie question, could you shoot me an email? If not, i more then understand.
Oh, and I know that this was a leather thread, but, pretending its a sheath thread, let me say you guys owe it to yourselves to try kydex if you are so inclined. I've worked on about 6 leather sheaths, of which I have one that I use. First shot out of the door with kydex was put into my EDC rotation (oxymoron?) the same day I started it.
Oh, and I know that this was a leather thread, but, pretending its a sheath thread, let me say you guys owe it to yourselves to try kydex if you are so inclined. I've worked on about 6 leather sheaths, of which I have one that I use. First shot out of the door with kydex was put into my EDC rotation (oxymoron?) the same day I started it.
Gary W. Graley
“Imagination is more important than knowledge"
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
- Joined
- Mar 2, 1999
- Messages
- 27,309
Wasn't a break for giving out hints...just a break from actually making the sheaths, been busy with life in general!
As to questions, email away and I'll do my best to help out, or post them like this thread and you'll get lots of help from others that may have an even better idea!
G2