Need info on rawhide wrap.

R

R.H.Clark

Joined
Aug 23, 2007
Messages
771
I want to do one on a period style knife.The handle will be Maple with the wrap at the front.I looked at the stickies and did a search here and quick google but didn't find what I wanted.Any help or links would be greatly appreciated.

Here is what I have questions about.

Can I soak a large dog chew and use that or would a purchased piece be much better?

I assume I want about a 1/8" strip to wrap with does 3-4 oz sound about right?

Do I need to stain it while wet or after? Does it matter other than when wet it would be lighter?

Is there a particular tie off method I should use or just do a tuck under with the last couple wraps and trim close?

What should I use to seal it after dry so it doesn't get wet and loose or start to rot later?
 
I find cow rawhide way too thick. I use deer rawhide cut about 3/4" wide. It is well soaked, sometimes over night, then stetched a bit, and wrapped with maybe a half overlap as it goes around. Let dry 24 hrs. Then you can stain it with a spirit stain which will dry it a tad more. The edges will often stand a little proud, but will usually turn inward with careful passes of a propane torch. This is a strength wrap. Another way is a full wrap, sewn with a thin strip of rawhide in a baseball stitch. Cut the wrap a little shy of joining the edges. Maybe 3/16" to 1/4" shy. Soak, wrap, sew, and let dry.

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Get a hold of Rick Marchand. He spends a lot of time over at Wilderness Survival & Skills on this forum.
His leather wraps are beautiful and feel great in the hand.
 
Another fella you might want to check in with is John Cohea. He works a lot of rawhide and made an instructional video on the subject. He posted in the first thread listed below. You also might want to ask in the Sheaths and Such forum where this thread was. These threads don't answer all your specific questions, but they may give you some ideas or directions to pursue. Good luck!

Recommendation? Advice on Rawhide
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=762510

Rawhide sheath
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=593019

Working with rawhide?
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=499565
 
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