sheath for my Ban Tang "BT4" knife.

mtnfolk mike

mtnfolk mike

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Mar 21, 2006
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hey folks.. here is some pics of my finished sheath, for my Ban Tang BT4.5...
i kind of rushed on it, so i could have had it done in time to take to Ban's shop last week, but i didn't end up going..

Ban Tang is a very talanted knifemaker and friend of our, out of San Jose Ca.. his knives are very well made and insanely sharp.. he is a super cool guy too.. he also has his own forum here on BF..

it came out okay.. it fits the knife good.. it's in there nice and snug..:) it's 8-9 0z. veg. tanned leather wet formed, dyed black(with few blems :() and then finished in beeswax...

let me know what you all think... i took a few WIP pics too...


pattern all cut out..
IMG_9247.jpg


all glued up, holes are punched and ready to be stitched..
IMG_9253.jpg


wet-formed.
IMG_9255.jpg



and the finished product...

IMG_9260.jpg


IMG_9262.jpg



i am loving this knife...
IMG_9263.jpg


till next time..

Mike
 
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Well done, Mike! I like that dye color too. It doesn't look quite black - it appears to have a very dark brown, mottled look to it. Can you put a few words in on the dye and process?
 
StretchNM said:
Well done, Mike! I like that dye color too. It doesn't look quite black - it appears to have a very dark brown, mottled look to it. Can you put a few words in on the dye and process?
Click to expand...

many thanks for the kind words Stretch...:thumbup:

the dye was indeed black, but it took much longer than usual to soak in, and when i went to put the final beeswax finish on it, some of it lifted.. oh well.. next time i shouldn't rush these things, i guess..:o
 
Mike, what brand of black dye were you using? Sometimes the bleed off of the dye can be from an inferior product or the differing grain structure of the leather. I do not promote one brand over another but go with the well established brands that have been around since Casper was a pup. The wrinkles in the sheath visible at the bottom of the molded to handle area would indicate the use of leather that was close to the belly---just a thought, not a certainty!! Your construction is impeccable and I do apologize for taking the liberty of critiqueing your efforts! ---Sandy---
 
helmar4578 said:
Mike, what brand of black dye were you using? Sometimes the bleed off of the dye can be from an inferior product or the differing grain structure of the leather. I do not promote one brand over another but go with the well established brands that have been around since Casper was a pup. The wrinkles in the sheath visible at the bottom of the molded to handle area would indicate the use of leather that was close to the belly---just a thought, not a certainty!! Your construction is impeccable and I do apologize for taking the liberty of critiqueing your efforts! ---Sandy---
Click to expand...


no worries Sandy.. thanks and I appreciate any critiqueing...:thumbup:

I understand what you are saying and am not sure if that's the case or not.. I am using the same ol' Fiebings dye, that i always do... i have never had this problem before, though i am fairly certain the dye wasn't quite dry when i went to finish it with the besswax...:o i tend to get impatient at times, when working on projects...:)
 
Mike, my friend, you are not the only one that has let impatience screw up perfection!!!! Some one, wiser than I, once said "Haste makes waste" and I have lots of proof of that in my garbage can----haha ---Sandy
 
I sure love Ban's knives!!!!!

Super talented, with a great eye for design, and finish, not to mention sharp slicers!

Great looking sheath too.

I would have gone with brown, but then again, brown leather is my style.

Looks like any blemishes in the leather covered up nicely!
 
Very nice, I like your work Mike:). Thanks for the WIP pics as well, I learn a lot just from pics like those, I can pick up ideas from different makers and how they build their sheaths. Hopefully soon I can put this acquired information to the test and try my hand at making a sheath.
 
many thanks for the kind words folks.. i appreciate it..:)

Ban's knives are amazing, and easily the sharpest i have ever encountered... he is a very talented knifemaker and a great guy too...:thumbup:
 
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