Need help baking a sheath

T

Tll6

Joined
May 14, 2016
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I recently completed a leather sheath for my new knife and attempted to dry it in the oven. I soaked it in water until no bubbles came out, shaped it around the knife and put it into a toaster oven at ~160-180 degrees monitored with a thermometer. After 15 minutes I placed the knife back in the sheath and reshaped it. Every ten minutes after that I checked on it to see how dry/hard it got. After almost an hour it was dry but still not very hard. A half hour later it was stiffer and dry and I did not want to risk cracking so I removed it. It is stiffer than it was before the treatment but still slightly flexible and can be compressed with a bit of pressure.

Is there any way to get the leather any stiffer? Maybe I didn't leave it in long enough or the oven was not hot enough? I have also read about wax hardening but I read about problems on hot days with the wax melting and the leather deforming.

Thanks!
 
In the stickies above there is one on Pancake Sheaths. It gives you a detailed description on how I bake my sheaths. I see two problems with how you proceeded. I think the biggest thing is how wet you got your sheath. Leaving it in water till the bubbles stop coming out is the traditional way of casing leather. However it was then wrapped in a wool blanket and left at least overnight before working. I leave my sheaths in the water until they start to sink then I pull them out. Then they are pretty much gonna sit around for 1/2 hour to an hour before they get into the oven. I work in batches and so more often than not I'm working on 20 to 30 sheaths at a time. While wet but before putting them in the oven I will trim any excess leather, punch any slots, sand edges, edge and rub the edge before I ever fit/mold the knife. Once that process has been done then the sheath goes into the oven. Also don't be afraid of putting them in later if you do get your sheaths too wet. If when you wet/mold fit the knife the leather is not hoding definition you have the leather too wet. If you are getting dark, burnished marks around the knife when fitting it, the leather is too dry.

I did a small batch the other day of 5 or 6, kinda a catch up deal. Something came up and we had to leave as I was gonna wet mold/ fit the knives. Just left the sheaths wet on some paper towels on the workbench. Came back some hours later and fit the knives and then baked em. Come out perfect no harm no foul. I have left them overnight before too and then baked them.

I think you're opening the door of the oven too often as the second problem. If you get the wet molding/ fitting of the knife right there is simply no need to reshape the sheath. I have experimented with holsters doing this deal and quit it. No bennies. Everytime you open the door you lost all your heat and it takes awhile for it to get back to temp.

In that sticky on the pancakes also pay attention to the welt section. Doing a "Loveless" type welt would help your sheath considerably.

Glad to see you got some color back into your cocobolo. I've used coco on many hundreds of knives, its one of my favorite handle materials. Hand sand to 600 grit, buff with pink scratchless and then two coats of carnuba car wax buffed off with a clean buffing wheel used just for wax. Nothing more is needed and is probably detrimental.
 
Thanks I took a look at the baking tutorial.

Should I re wet it and try again? Or is it a one shot deal and I have to make a new sheath?
 
Okay I'll give it a shot. Should I just wet it down, let it dry a bit and then leave it in for two hours or so?
 
I also I have read about paraffin was sealing. Would you recommend I do that or just baking? I don't have anywhere around me that sells beatsfoot oil. I suppose I could find a beeswax candle if that is better
 
Yeah I flip at 1 hour, flip again at the next half and flip back at the next half.
 
I've not done any of that wax sealing, can't give ya any advice there. Any tack store, feedstore or Tractor Supply is gonna have neatsfoot oil. Don't have to be a leather supply place.
 
Okay I will look around. I live in nyc so I'm not sure if there are any around. When I am upstate at college there are tractor supplies everywhere.

In your tutorial you say if your oven went below 170 you would use that. Mine goes down to 150. Should I bake at 150 for longer or just do 170 for two hours
 
I would do the lowest heat. 150 if it will do that.
 
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