Second Sheath In Progress!

Good idea with the iron, don't have one at hand but I would imagine that would take care of the small bits sticking up, with mine I trim the top as close as possible and then pull it down into the hole but just to the top so it won't slip out the back side, and then turn it over and trim off the thread on the back, of course by then you can't pull that back into the leather so an iron there would help shorten it up and keep it neat and tidy, as long as you have a steady hand ;)

And CJ, I was looking at your threads again, I think one more thing would help it if you pulled the thread tight as you sew along, you want it to keep things snugged up so it's solid, otherwise the thread may wear and tear, as looking at your photo you can see daylight below some of the threads.

G2
 
I got some smaller string and a smaller needle, so that should fix the daylight shining through. I will pull them tighter and use a soldering iron on the next one.
 
Gary W. Graley said:
Your holes appear to have been drilled out and might already be large enough to allow back stitching without enlarging the holes, here's what I was saying about back stitching, taken from the tutorial at the top of this section of the forum;

I then punch the holes through the added layer of the belt loop,
which ends up being 4 layers of leather along the bottom of the sheath
I use the awl to enlarge two holes just behind the last hole.
This will be so I can do what is called a back stitch, it locks the thread into the sheath.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tutorial! I'll try it and see how I like it. :)
 
CJ Newton said:
I got some smaller string and a smaller needle, so that should fix the daylight shining through. I will pull them tighter and use a soldering iron on the next one.
Click to expand...

Just be careful, with smaller string and the holes the same size will not look as good, not sure what you're using to make the holes? But you might be able to mark the spacing and use a small all or even a nail to drive a hole through the leather, I use a small screw driver that I ground down the tip into a point to make it an awl to get all the way through.

G2
 
Gary W. Graley said:
Just be careful, with smaller string and the holes the same size will not look as good, not sure what you're using to make the holes? But you might be able to mark the spacing and use a small all or even a nail to drive a hole through the leather, I use a small screw driver that I ground down the tip into a point to make it an awl to get all the way through.

G2
Click to expand...

Yeah, I'm going to make the holes smaller. On both sheaths I have used a drill press to make the holes, but this time I was thinking of using a small nail or a large tack, or a screwdriver, if I can find one small enough. Thanks!
-CJ
 
A guy as handy as you seem to be CJ, just make you an awl. I got to think of something clever to keep tempting you to the fixed blade side of the force.
 
It'll come with time Dave. :D

I registered here a while back, and carried folders for years before then. I only realized recently that fixed blades were the better tool, at least for me. Now, when I look at folders, especially ones with big bad tactical blades, the proportions look way out of whack. Sometimes bordering on comical.

Now then. That is a huge improvement. Proper step in the right direction for sure.

Drill press... If you have a walmart, in the sewing area, they sell a five pack of "doll making" needles. You only need the largest one. Snap about a third of the length off, then chuck it up. Depending on the press, the needle will be rock solid, and dead straight. I had a *tiny* bit of wander when going through 4 layers of 8/9oz, but that was before I clipped it. The needle is longer than necessary. It'll bottom out way before it wanders now.

A stitch groover should be high on your list of tools to buy, although I do rather like the raised look on your second sheath. If you plan on getting an overstitcher, Hobby Lobby sells the Tandy (5,6,7 stitch per inch) kit for $20. Very competitive with online pricing.

The guys got the rest. You do good work. We all have areas that need improvement, but I'd be very pleased to call that my second. Back stitching is the only way to go too. Knots are for chumps. I had to completely tear down a completed sheath tonight and the back stitching was definitely solid. As long as you get the hole to thread size close, they shouldn't pull out. I've been stressing about that (as I'm sure most new crafters do) so I'm glad I got to see for myself how effective it is.

Last bit of advice. Keep all of your scraps. It's nice to be able to test new ideas before committing them to a project. Your current work is not the right place to try something new, trust me. ;)
 
CJ Newton said:
Yeah, I'm going to make the holes smaller. On both sheaths I have used a drill press to make the holes, but this time I was thinking of using a small nail or a large tack, or a screwdriver, if I can find one small enough. Thanks!
-CJ
Click to expand...

The best screwdriver to make an awl is a watchmakers star screwdriver, they are cheap and I used a dremel to make a diamond shape of the tip, two gentle whacks with a Mallet will go through 2-3 layers of leather, another tip is to stick it in beeswax before and it goes in and releases easier that way.
 
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