New Khuk Sheath Design and Pics!

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Fiddleback

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Well I am trying to come up with a better sheath design than the one I made for my FF. I don't like the snap strap with the FF sheath. It gets in the way constantly. I am giving my dad an 18" GRS and I want to make him a sheath too, but I'd been hitting road blocks with the design. So, I decided to make a sheath for my little Khadka (10.5") to test out a new design. It holds the Khuk at an angle for an easier draw and houses the accessory knives at the bottom toward the tip. The rig is significantly thinner in this configuration. The more I worked on the sheath the more I liked this setup. Lemme know what you think. (I gotta get more leather soon, I'm almost through with one double shoulder.)




 
Lots of talent displayed there Andy.:thumbup: :D :cool:

I don't know quite how to go about doing it but it would be real interesting to try a spring steel clip fashioned into a convoluted "U" shape so that the heavy part of the upper blade or lower part of the handle would slip in between the opening two opposing sides.
It would, of course, have to be encased in a double thickness of leather. Four to five ounce should be alright.
I don't know much about leather gun holsters but it seems like I have seen a similar concept used for them.
By using a spring clip the sheath would be able to be made a lot narrower and therefore a lot lighter. There should be a source for the clips even if maybe salvageing one from a gun holster.
 
Thanks gentlemen. I am going to try this design out on the 18" GRS soon. I'm glad I found a way to put in the accessory knives. Kinda completes the rig. I got some additional tools for carving the leather yesterday, and practiced a little. My next effort will be somewhat more elaborate. Sure appreciate the replies.:thumbup:
 
Very nice!!!!! :thumbup: :D

I just ordered a couple of the sheath kits from Tandy for my JKM and possibly
one of my small Sgt. Kadaka Khuks. I'll slowly ease into the leather work with the kits.
 
Ditto on your display of talent, Andy.

You put the pouch for the small knives at the end of the sheath. This will give it all the sheath's movement and the knives must be secure to stay.

When I look at your work, I see in the leather that you like to work.



munk
 
Looks great, Andy:)
Leather has a funny learning curve to it, don't it? It's not hard to make a very sturdy sheath, but it can be tricky to make a sheath sturdy...and beautiful. It looks like you have a gift. Great job:thumbup:

Jake
 
Looking good Andy, very neat and professional, definitely looks like you've been at it a lot longer than you have. Going to make a recommendation that you start exploring other leather finishes though, and here's why. The heat of high summer in the south can be kind of tough on wax dipped sheaths, especially if it's a knife you're going to keep behind the seat of your truck, et cetera. There's a whole gamut of leather dyes, stains, and finishes available, so experiment and have some fun with it.

Sarge
 
Sylvrfalcn said:
Looking good Andy, very neat and professional, definitely looks like you've been at it a lot longer than you have. Going to make a recommendation that you start exploring other leather finishes though, and here's why. The heat of high summer in the south can be kind of tough on wax dipped sheaths, especially if it's a knife you're going to keep behind the seat of your truck, et cetera. There's a whole gamut of leather dyes, stains, and finishes available, so experiment and have some fun with it.

Sarge
Click to expand...

I have had a block of PURE beeswax in my house with my air conditioning broke(:() last summer, and it got over 120degF in there, and it did not even START to melt...

But there were other methods of making leather armor, and one of them was to BOIL it... That supposedly makes to so tough that it is almost impossible to cut it...
I will have to find the directions...

Ahhh, found it... What you are attempting to make is called Cuir-bouilli and there is a LOT of dispute on what exactly it is...

Check HERE for some directions...

Also, I read HERE that you can add about 3 tablespoons of stearine to each pound of wax to keep it from melting...

Also... Be sure and use only vegetable tanned leather... It does NOT contain the chemicals that cause blades to rust in even a dry sheath... And most of the direction for making Cuir-bouilli specify vegetable tanned leather also...
 
Wow. Thanks for the words guys. I spent more time doing the finishing and sanding on this one. Sarge I got a dye (ox blood) and a sealer from Tandy when I got this leather. I do like doing the wax the best though. I just like the color I get and the stiffness.

Munk I can hold the tip of the scabbard and shake it up and down pretty vigirously without dislodging any of the blades. The front pouches are quite tight because the wet forming was only done on the top surface.
 
Sarge, Have you ever tried using Tandy's Neat-Laq and then tried the hot wax method on the inside?

Just wondering what the outcome may be, could ruin the piece though....

Andy I have used boiling water to soak a piece of leather I made a cigarette case into.
I cut out a wood block the size of a pack of cigarettes and cut the hole large enough to allow for two thicknesses of leather on two opposing sides and one end.
I forced the hot leather into the hole with the wood block and then clamped it for a couple of days. I left it on the roof of a small shed so the SoCal sun would help dry the leather.
When I removed the leather box I had to trim it with tin snips because the leather was so hard. It was about 7-8 ounce leather, heavier than needed but was in the specs I was given as it was made for rough treatment.
A nice side effect was that the inside stretched corners were burnished a very dark brown that was totally unexpected but a very nice surprise.:thumbup: :D
I lost money on the project but gained a very worthwhile experience so although I spent time that I could've well used in making a more productive commissioned piece I figured that I came out ahead in the end.
And now I know I have because information hard earned and freely given enriches both the receipient and the bestower.;) :D :cool:

I was never completely satisfied with the Neat-Laq though as any bending on the piece would result in softening the leather moreso than I liked and if you use too much it has a tendency to crack.:(
Years and years ago, mid '70s Tandy came out with what they called Nature tanned. It was an orangy sort of color that when stamped with simple flower and geometric stamps and then dyed darker over the top turned out nicely different.
The materials used for finishing the NatureTanned stull left it a lot softer than the Neat-Laq though and so wasn't real applicable to sheath making as far as I was concerned.

Probably the best way to get stiffer finished projects besides boiling the leather is to simply use heavier leather. I have a small knife sheath made out of 10-11 ounce leather that is very stiff for its size and has remained so since the '70s.:thumbup: :D
 
Yvsa said:
Sarge, Have you ever tried using Tandy's Neat-Laq and then tried the hot wax method on the inside?

Just wondering what the outcome may be, could ruin the piece though....

Andy I have used boiling water to soak a piece of leather I made a cigarette case into.
I cut out a wood block the size of a pack of cigarettes and cut the hole large enough to allow for two thicknesses of leather on two opposing sides and one end.
I forced the hot leather into the hole with the wood block and then clamped it for a couple of days. I left it on the roof of a small shed so the SoCal sun would help dry the leather.
When I removed the leather box I had to trim it with tin snips because the leather was so hard. It was about 7-8 ounce leather, heavier than needed but was in the specs I was given as it was made for rough treatment.
A nice side effect was that the inside stretched corners were burnished a very dark brown that was totally unexpected but a very nice surprise.:thumbup: :D
I lost money on the project but gained a very worthwhile experience so although I spent time that I could've well used in making a more productive commissioned piece I figured that I came out ahead in the end.
And now I know I have because information hard earned and freely given enriches both the receipient and the bestower.;) :D :cool:

I was never completely satisfied with the Neat-Laq though as any bending on the piece would result in softening the leather moreso than I liked and if you use too much it has a tendency to crack.:(
Years and years ago, mid '70s Tandy came out with what they called Nature tanned. It was an orangy sort of color that when stamped with simple flower and geometric stamps and then dyed darker over the top turned out nicely different.
The materials used for finishing the NatureTanned stull left it a lot softer than the Neat-Laq though and so wasn't real applicable to sheath making as far as I was concerned.

Probably the best way to get stiffer finished projects besides boiling the leather is to simply use heavier leather. I have a small knife sheath made out of 10-11 ounce leather that is very stiff for its size and has remained so since the '70s.:thumbup: :D
Click to expand...

One reason I suggested the Cuir-bouilli treatment was because, with the shape of a Khuk, the edge is going to rub against the leather every time you draw or insert it... This will quickly cut a groove right through a non-'quick-draw' style sheath... Perhaps a Kydex liner is in order???
 
jamesraykenney said:
One reason I suggested the Cuir-bouilli treatment was because, with the shape of a Khuk, the edge is going to rub against the leather every time you draw or insert it... This will quickly cut a groove right through a non-'quick-draw' style sheath... Perhaps a Kydex liner is in order???
Click to expand...

James, won't matter if it has a welt and Andy has been using welts in his sheaths.
 
No problem Howard. I will be doing one or two more of these too. Gonna give one to my dad. Hell love it. I did use whelts and also a little smear of epoxy on the inside where the blade and tip will hit. Just in case.
 
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