New Scabbard and Pics!

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Fiddleback

Knifemaker
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Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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Oct 19, 2005
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Well I have decided that those people from Nepal had it right and that an all leather sheath for a khuk is impractical. Mostly because of the high cost of all that leather you have to use, but also because its just not as easy or safe to get the knife in and out. So I've been wanting to do a wooden scabbard and I wanted to do it out of pretty wood and leave it uncovered. Here are my results. What do you think?

I used curly maple and dug out the inside with a chisel. The edges contain 38 brass pins and the tip an eyelet. The mouth is reinforced with an integral ridge of wood to hold the frog on the front, and a small slat (cross grain) epoxied along the rear. The two halves are epoxied together, and the pins (2-56 machine screws) are epoxied into the holes just like the brass eyelet.
 
It's beautiful Andy! I occasionally do some woodburning...bet we could come up with a couple of neat designs for that!

Woohoo...
 
Andy?

All leather is also usually heavier.

Very clean job. Let me get used to it--the color, not the craftsmanship.

Nice.
 
Thanks Nasty. Tell me more about woodburning. Interested to know procedure, and design considerations. Where would you put such a design? More. More. Yea.:thumbup: ;)
 
Looks lovely. Not sure what you used to finish the maple ... one way to get it to turn the wonderful burnt honey/butter colour of antique maple is to fume it with weak nitric acid. Not a job for the squeamish, but the results are amazing. Also makes the grain simply pop. I think that Fine Woodworking's site used to have a tutorial on how to do this - maybe they still do.

A really pretty scabbard.
 
It's the simplest thing in the world to get started...I used to do it for Art class with my Special Ed kids when I was a teacher.

A $5 burner, piece of carbon paper to trace and the design would be all you *had* to have.

I have a burner with multiple tips but use a standard one 95% of the time.

Designs are limitless...but it would be easy enough to get a few sample of typical kami work...or their marks...whatever.

I think a collection of the kami marks running down the front face of the scabbard would be awesome!

It'd also be easy to do since they are typically done with a chisle...you can always get fancier later if you enjoy doing it.
 
So you use one of those cheap blue handled soldering irons?

I finished the scabbard with Danish Oil. Its not done yet. I have several coats to go.
 
Very Nice Andy ! :thumbup:

One little thing to add, what if you slim down the wooden scabard where the edge is? Would that be too weak ?
 
Beautiful scabbard Andy, the curly maple looks nice, and the leatherwork is well done. Keep up the good work and keep having fun with it.

Sarge
 
Thanks Sarge.

Astro. the edge has been slimmed. When you are looking at the mouth of the scabbard the thickness comes from the ridge that holds the frog in place. The scabbard isn't boxy at all. Just an illusion.
 
Beautiful work, Andy.:thumbup:
I, for one, like the natural pattern of the curly maple and much prefer it over some woodburnt decorations. Your preferences of course might be different.
Anyway, great job.:thumbup:
 
aproy1101 said:
Thanks Sarge.

Astro. the edge has been slimmed. When you are looking at the mouth of the scabbard the thickness comes from the ridge that holds the frog in place. The scabbard isn't boxy at all. Just an illusion.
Click to expand...

Anyhow I just love it! Pretty. :) And I noticed the triangular spine you put in too. :)

p.s. How much the scabbard weighs ?
 
Nice scabbard, aproy1101.
The woodburning is a good idea. I would suggest a celtic border and devangeli kami's name.
One thing that would make a world of difference would be a slight bevel on the front edges.

Again aproy1101 :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:
 
Looks good. How thick was the wood that you used? How much does the wood extend beyond the width of the blade?
Looks like it was fun to do.
I am curious about what you have in the scabbard and the final dimensions.
 
Andy, You're just a ball of fire aren't you! Excellent work. :thumbup:

If you do some decoration on your next one, maybe we can come up with some tradional Nepali designs from old scabbards. That would be neat I think.

Steve
 
What I have into it, you mean money? Didn't spend a penny. Did have to use 38, 2-56 machine screws, epoxy, ~3 ft of 4/4(1") x 12" curly maple, and leather stuff too. I'd say maybe ten or fifteen dollars worth of supplies. I had it all laying around the shop, so no money spent. I left a 1/4" lip around the blade. The final thickness of the wood around the blade is 1/4" roughly. The entire scabbard tapers to the tip and toward the edge by almost 1/2". Any woodburning would be done on subsequent models as this one is done. The edge side is 3/4" thick and the spine side is 1.25". The length and width I'm not sure of as it was kinda set by the Bonecutter itself and I haven't measured. The fit is solid and you can hold it upside down and shake it without dislodging the blade. It weighs 296 grams on our triple beam here at work (296gm/28=10.57 oz, 10.57 oz/16=0.66lbs).
 
That would be great Steve. I'd love to do some woodburning on the next one. Nepali script sounds perfect. Thanks for the compliments too.
 
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