Need Leather?

The suspension thong is a cord I handtwisted out of linen thread like I do to make my bowstrings. It attaches like this;
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Sarge
 
Originally posted by Sylvrfalcn
Drill leather? I stitched up this little dangler sheath last night out of vegetable tanned cowhide for my most recent homemade knife. Used an awl to go through all three thicknesses of leather (front, back, and welt) at one shot.......
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Yea but, Sarge we're talking up to seven thicknesses of 8-10 ounce leather!!!!
It's difficult to drill straight small holes in the several thicknesses. Some of mine on the back are mighty close to the edge!!!!
 
Yvsa, I can sure see where power tools would make things go quicker. Still, they're not for me, I like to be able to do what I do sitting on a stool by a campfire if I want to. I've got a mallet I made out of Osage with an ash handle that'll hammer an awl through an oak plank if I wanted to.

Sarge
 
I started using the drill after making kydex/leather combination sheaths. These are great. They have all the form-fitting strength of kydex without looking tactical.

In order to get it right, a drill is a must, and a press is nice.

I agree with Sarge in keeping it simple and "primitive". But, I'm not opposed to tossing in a new material now and then, and sometimes that requires modern tools.

It's still my hand that powers the tool...

and I certainly don't get it exactly right every time (like a machine would)...

:D

:p
 
"The all-leather sheaths I've made were all lighter than the wooden scabbards."

I suspect that this is due to replacing the frog with an integral loop. The frog is about 30% of the total scabbard weight. And did you include provision for K&C? Kinda moot, anyway considering how much the khuks weigh. Would be interesting to know the weight of the wood by itself.

Gotta be reason why so many larger blades traditionally have scabbards instead of sheaths, though.
 
Actually, I can count about 12 khukuris I've seen in the last 2 years that were 75+ yrs. old and had leather sheaths (instead of wood scabbards). They were amazing. It's as if the khuk and the sheath "grew up together". Most had cut-outs (for drawing), a few just had wider mouths.

That's probably what draws me to an all-leather sheath the most. That and that "American Frontier" aspect of owning a sturdy rawhide sheath. (Not that I dislike the wood scabbard - I plan on keeping all of mine.)
 
I think I learned more just by sitting back and reading what you folks have to say than I would after makeing a dozen sheaths on my own Thanks folks:)
 
let's keep this thread alive.

mattjerom - update?


Dan
 
Being afflicted with left-handedness, I am planning to make a leather sheath for my khuk this weekend out of 10-oz herman oak from Tandy. Possibly drop the belt loop a couple inches also to get the butt away from my elbow.

I also use a drill press for drilling stitching holes and have switched from rubber cement to double-stick carpet tape to hold everything together while drilling.

Where does one get kydex as raw material for sheaths? That is something I would like to try - expecially a leather covered one.
 
I just bought some from Norva Plastics. I'll post some pics later. It was nice because it came in a more khuk-friendly size = 12 x 24. Cost $6.
 
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