oiled leather for sheath?

[Alan Molstad]

I was at a place that sells me leather for my knife sheaths when I noticed they had some black leather.
It looked like great leather, so I had a closer look and the sign said that it was 11oz tan/oiled leather.

Unlike the normal leather I use, this black oiled leather was just as thick, but way more soft and bendable.

Anyone ever use this type of leather for a sheath?

Will leather glue show up white on it?

 

[CW Doc]

Hi Alan;
That is good sheath material. Make sure that you tell the buyer about it.(That the leather is more "flexable") I sold some knives with oiled leather sheaths several years ago and 2 guys came back because they had poked the knife tip through the sheath when resheathing. Now I wet fit the sheath to the knife with alcohol and then put a leather dressing/oil on it. The sheaths come out "stiffer" and I haven't had a sheath come back. I did not have a problem with glue when I used the type of leather. This was just my experiance and others may vary.
Good luck

 

[DC KNIVES]

Don't bother with it. It is not suitable for knife sheaths.The main reason is that when leather is oiled like that you cannot acheive the proper casing needed to mold to the knife and it remains too soft.You want a sheath to be stiff and firm.I also think that 11oz is quite heavy for any knife sheath except maybe a machete. A quality veg tanned shoulder of about 8-9 oz will take care of most of your needs.Dave

 

[psycho78]

Yeah. 8-9 oz veg tan is good stuff. If you want it to be black, slap some dye on it. Takes all of 5 minutes.

 

[Leatherface]

ahh what dave said!

zackwhites.com etc can hook ya up!

 

[Alan Molstad]

darn,,,,it looked cool...

How about this - I use a design I took from the Ed Fowler pronghorn sheath.
I use very thick leather, then after the sheath is all hand stitched i heat up a hot wax dip .

I have the wax mixed with mink oil and some bees wax and some other leather products. Dont ask me what else because I have lost track over the years whats all in it.

All I know for sure is that the sheath comes out darker and when it's dry its very VERY hard.
I have made about 50 sheaths over the years and none has ever failed.

However, oiled leather is an interesting idea for me to try.
But my wax dip would be kind of pointless as the wax and oils cant soak in due to the leather being already waterproof...

So what would happen if I dipped it anyway?

 

[DC KNIVES]

It would probably be messy, but I don't know because I don't use the hot wax method nor do I recommend it. I prefer Fiebing's Bag Kote or Leather Sheen.Dave

 

[Alan Molstad]

Yes, in the future I might try other ways to finish the sheaths...
Except for now I REALLY love the way my system works for me!
When I return my knife to it's sheath, there is a popping sound, almost like the leather is a hard plastic....and I like that.

Also, I have learned that after a few years I can make one of my old sheaths look new by just warning it in the kitchen oven and heating the wax thats still left on the sheath and then rubbing it around....

 

[Leatherface]

I use the wax method on the inside and outside of the sheaths that I make...Works like a charm and doesnt cost much to do...

For sheaths that I CANT do the outside I use TanKote...Sometimes I use both!!

 

[Ed Fowler]

The leather I use is "Waxed Harness Leather" Never had a knife go through one or rust in one. A little tough to work, but when you get it figured out it works well for me.

 

[Alan Molstad]

There are 3 things that I use my wax-soak to achieve with my sheaths.

#1- the Sheath turns a nice darker color. I really don't like the look of fresh leather on a sheath. But the moment a fresh sheath hits the hot wax it turns forever a rich darker color...

#2- Wheather resistant. I work with my knife at my side outdoors in the rain a lot. I need a sheath that can stand up to the weather.

#3- hardness. The dry waxed sheath are as hard as a rock. the sound of a sheath being put back is like a popping...thats the sound i seek.

The Black oiled leather looked good to me because it gave me a leg up on two of the things I seek in a sheath. The color, and the weather resistance.

However the hardness?....

 

[Wild Rose]

FWIW - most "oil tanned" leather is actually oil re-tan - i.e chrome tanned leather which is then oiled - in my experience chrome tanned leather is not good for metal - the residual chromium salts can wreak havoc over time.....

Any veg/bark tan leather can be "hardened" by dampening with water (not sopping wet just wet through) and then dried at between 140-160 F - it's a method, commonly known as cuir bouilli, that's been used since at least the time of ancient Egypt. Not only is the water/heat method less messy, but much safer than working with hot oil and wax - and besides on hot days wax hardened sheaths can soften, where as the water/heat will only soften if way over oiled or worn that way through heavy use.

FWIW - I generally avoid heavy wax finishes in my work because they tend to be dust/dirt magnets and the mix winds up acting like valve grinding compound.........Like the vast majority of professional leather crafters I generally use 8/9 oz veg tan leather for sheaths on blades up to around 10" - over that I go to 10/11 or 11/12 oz

If you really want a tough, stiff working sheath that won't easily soften - make a veg tan liner of 8/9 oz and cover that with deer or elk rawhide - the 19th century kydex! Only caveat - rawhide is harder to work with as it must be worked wet, but once dry and properly sealed (the traditional sealer is spar varnish) - it is virtually impervious to water and wear - of course it gives one a whole different look than "plain" leather.

as always others mileage will vary..........

#1- the Sheath turns a nice darker color. I really don't like the look of fresh leather on a sheath. But the moment a fresh sheath hits the hot wax it turns forever a rich darker color...

Wickett and Craig offers their leather in a pre-dyed chestnut - with a just a light coat of oil this turns into a super rich looking reddish brown.
Demers Leather offers pre-dyed veg-tn shoulders in brown and black.......