Looking to make my own sheath

T

TheCanadian

Joined
Sep 11, 2012
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152
So I've decided that I wanted a new sheath for my knife, while at the same time I'd like to pick up a new hobby. I figured leather craft would be a useful skill as well as a decent hobby for me to try out. I would like to try making my own sheath out of leather but I don't how what tools I would need or what thickness of leather I'd need. As far as how to do it, from what I've read it seems fairly straight forward. I'd like to make one that is stitched, not riveted (if possible). Nothing really fancy, I just like to make things but have NEVER worked with leather before. I don't know what I'm doing but I figure if I get the tools in front of me and the material in front of me I'd figure it out pretty quick.

My main question is, how thick of leather should I use for a nice stury sheath and what would a "beginners" tool set would consist of.
 
I usually hesitate before answering questions like this because there are so many variables hidden within that simple request for advice .
I also hesitate to answer these questions because there are some very knowledgable experts here and I'm far from one of those .
But I saw your post and thought " what the Heck " :)
I am not a commercial leather sheath maker , it is purely hobby and not financial for me , so I think I can maybe add a few answers to your questions that come from a working on your kitchen table , flying by the seat of your pants , adapting tools to answer a need , what have I got to lose point of view .
Your first sheath will probably not be a work of art , but there is no reason why it can't be a clean , well designed , functional sheath that gives a pride of ownership and the ever important desire to improve on the next one .
There are so many tools and gadgets in the world of leatherwork that it can be very deceiving to a newby about what is required .
I personally work with a ridiculously small limited selection of tools and still somehow manage to turnout a sheath that is totally usable and functional .
Apart from the leather , needles and thread , contact adhesive , leather dye you will probably already have all the things in your household that you need to produce your first sheath . A few of the required tools you need are easily adapted from other tools and objects that you will already own or can be pushed into service the way they are . These are not ideal , but I guarantee they will get the job done .
No it won't look like some of the beauties you see pictures of here by the experts , with tooling and embossing etc , but it will still be something to be proud of .
Don't spend money on things you don't need when your first starting out , keep it simple and you will be amazed at what can be achieved .
What sort of knife do you have , that will determine what weight of leather and the design etc .
Give us a bit more info , and I'm sure the experts will contribute .
It's like when I was young and used to run to get fit for football . I used to tell people the hardest part of training was getting motivated to put my running shoes on . Once you got going the running was easy .
It's the same with leatherwork , buy a piece of leather and a handful of other things and make that first sheath , the others will be easy after that :)

Ken
 
I don't know what kind of information would be required to be honest, There are two sheaths I want to try to make, one for my Bear Grylls knife and one for a 2 pound kukri with a ten inch blade.

All I want to do is start out very basic, not looking to create a work of art, just a functional sheath that I can carry on my belt either on my left hip or horizontally on my back on my belt. I have always preferred function over form.
 
My sheaths are not pretty but functional and heavy. I believe I used 8 to 9 oz leather and chicago screws. I bought the leather pre dyed. I cut it. bolt it together and done. the edges are not what they could be, as I wanted to be able to take it apart for cleaning after hunting trips.
 
I'm new at this too...

I'm going to try to make a leather sheath for my new Boker plus vox rold, I just purchased some leather and I will be going to an arts & craft store to purchase an awl needle, string, rivets, buttons, and some brown dye.

Hopefully my sheath will come out alright, and I hope yours does aswell! :-)
 
I am looking for a basic set of tools so I can pick up leathercraft as a hobby rather than just make my sheath then quit.
 
Many folks getting started buy inexpensive tools to start with and then upgrade. This is false economy. If you are pretty sure its something you want to do buy good quality tools to start with. To make sheaths you are gonna need threads and needles, an awl, a stitch marker/overstitch wheel, an edger (#1 and #3 are most used on this outfit) and a rounded hardwood stick or a piece of canvas with either parafin or beeswax for edge finishing. If you plan on any tooling a camo border tool and a basket stamp can take a guy a long ways, along with a maul to smack em with. You'll need some way of cutting your leather and many guys use a utility knife for that. A roundknife and knowing how to use it will replace several tools but if you are just getting started maybe the utility knife might be a better bet. On your overstitch wheel/stitch marker there really isn't much differenece between a good one and a cheapie. On your edgers and stamps there is a HUGE difference. I really like Barry King tools for edgers, stamps and mauls (all hail Google). For the quality of tool they produce and what they charge they are a bargain. Probably gonna need some leather. You want veg tan leatehr and probably the ost used weight for sheaths is 7/8 oz. Thats a pretty bare bones set of tools but with that I could make a lot of sheaths
 
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One way to start if you've never had any experience with leather, is to purchase a generic kit like these.... http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/en-usd/home/department/kits/knife-pouches-sheaths/holsters-knife-pouches-sheaths.aspx

When I've purchased a pre-cut kit in the past, I'll usually buy a leather sheet at the same time, and just use the kit for pattern and instructions. This way you have very simple step-by-step instruction, but can also customize the actual leather used to your specific knife.

The tools I've accumulated have really been purchased just a few at a time. Usually just what I need for any one specific project. But if you're starting from scratch, a beginners kit is a good way to get the basics in hand without breaking the bank.

http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/en-usd/home/department/beginning-leather-kits/beginning-leather-kits.aspx

As mentioned above, 7/8 oz leather is a good weight for a lot of projects. But I've found it very valuable to have a little lighter weight leather on hand for misc components and/or accents.

I made my first holster and sheaths ever, earlier this year. I start out with a few manila folders to sketch out pattern pieces. Start with the knife and draw an outline. Then as I draw and cut out each piece, you can layer them like a 3D puzzle to make sure everything goes together as envisioned. Oh, and YouTube vids are a great resource. So far I've only got a few sheaths under my belt, but each one gets just a little better than the previous. Good luck.

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Thanks for the good advice so far, I've checked out tandyleather but their patterns are for right handed sheaths. I was looking at their beginner sets though and they seemed promising. I'm trying to keep it fairly simple, I don't want to make things to sell or anything, just make something functional that I can use. I like to build and make things that I can use.
 
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