Sheath Making Contest

Gonna throw this one in. Just finished it up. It is made using 8-9oz double shoulder veg tanned leather, dyed a reddish brown and hand stitched using artificial sinew and finished with Montana Pitch Blend leather dressing for waterproofing and conditioning. The first pic is a tad dark, crappy weather prevents outside pics.




 
Sheath is looking good so far rotte. I don't think there is a benefit to free handing .I'd prob be much better off with a plan but it's just not me. I dont really plan anything I make or carve . Things would prob come out alot better if I did plan.
Looking forward to seeing it finished .
 
pugs75,

Very nice sheath and cool knife. Love it. Stitching looks great. ...but, doesn't qualify for the contest. The first picture must be of the materials prior to assembly, along with a dated tag that says "Bladeforums". Sorry to be a stickler, but I want everyone to be sure that the sheath was made as part of this contest. Thanks; there is plenty of time to enter your next sheath!

R
 
Rotte said:
pugs75,

Very nice sheath and cool knife. Love it. Stitching looks great. ...but, doesn't qualify for the contest. The first picture must be of the materials prior to assembly, along with a dated tag that says "Bladeforums". Sorry to be a stickler, but I want everyone to be sure that the sheath was made as part of this contest. Thanks; there is plenty of time to enter your next sheath!

R
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Lol no worries man, I will have another ready for sure. I guess I should read more. This one was just completed but I did not take the starter photo so I will step up with another.
 
So I glued the sheath together using Pliobond 25. My house now smells like we had a dozen cats get into a scent marking war. We ain't got no cats. :grumpy:

The Pliobond was a bit easier to work with than Barge cement because it is thinner and easier to spread, but the smell is too awful.

I grooved the edge and marked the holes with stitch markers. They make nice starter holes, but aren't long enough to get through the welt. So, I'm using an awl to make each hole and then complete a stitch, before moving on to the next hole. I think I'm getting better control this way. :(

The needles I'm using are HUGE. Osborne 16 gauge harness needles. Triple-aught maybe? (sounds like a shotgun and buckshot.) I notice that as I go along, wax builds up on the needles and makes it tough to get them through the awl holes. Are my needles too large? Is there a better needle?

 
pugs75 said:
Lol no worries man, I will have another ready for sure. I guess I should read more. This one was just completed but I did not take the starter photo so I will step up with another.
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Thanks. I'm totally looking forward to seeing it, your work is awesome.

You are the Jack of Hearts. Nice.
 
I can't help ya out with that rotte. Im new to leather and I have broken about 6 needles trying to pull them through holes. .sheath is looking awesome .
 
I still haven't figured out the saddle stitch . I sew down and then back over itself . I think it looks like the saddle stitch and it is strong so I haven't bothered leaning another way.
 
Rotte said:
Thanks. I'm totally looking forward to seeing it, your work is awesome.

You are the Jack of Hearts. Nice.
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Thank You, and your work is looking good as well. The needles can be tough when hand stitching but if you go thinner you will be breaking alot of them. I mostly use a pair of fishing pliers (needle nose type) to help push and then pull the needle through especially on the back part of the saddle stitch.
 
pugs75 said:
Thank You, and your work is looking good as well. The needles can be tough when hand stitching but if you go thinner you will be breaking alot of them. I mostly use a pair of fishing pliers (needle nose type) to help push and then pull the needle through especially on the back part of the saddle stitch.
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Thanks, it's fun, but challenging. I ended up using some needle nose pliers (no pun intended) to push/pull the second needle through the hole. I wrapped the jaws of the pliers with duct tape to keep the teeth from damaging the needles. Don't know if there is a better tool for this.

I finished sewing the sheath this evening. Then treated it with some Neatsfoot oil and then some Montana Pitch blend for water protection. Finally, topped it with a bit of Lincoln Wax for a little shine and a tad more protection. Burnished the edges with an old dowel.



My belt loop got canted a bit....uh, I did that on purpose, yeah; I like a 5º reverse cant in case I'm working from horseback, yeah, that's it.

I think I need to do a little more finishing work before sewing in the belt loop. In this case I skived the ends and ended up skiving some of the end off. I should have stopped, re-cut a belt loop, and then finished it up before sewing in. Live and learn.
 
Rotte said:
I notice that as I go along, wax builds up on the needles and makes it tough to get them through the awl holes.
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That's normal. Just keep wiping off the wax as you go.

I'm probably going to enter when I can find some time....
 
Rotte said:
Thanks, it's fun, but challenging. I ended up using some needle nose pliers (no pun intended) to push/pull the second needle through the hole. I wrapped the jaws of the pliers with duct tape to keep the teeth from damaging the needles. Don't know if there is a better tool for this.

I finished sewing the sheath this evening. Then treated it with some Neatsfoot oil and then some Montana Pitch blend for water protection. Finally, topped it with a bit of Lincoln Wax for a little shine and a tad more protection. Burnished the edges with an old dowel.



My belt loop got canted a bit....uh, I did that on purpose, yeah; I like a 5º reverse cant in case I'm working from horseback, yeah, that's it.

I think I need to do a little more finishing work before sewing in the belt loop. In this case I skived the ends and ended up skiving some of the end off. I should have stopped, re-cut a belt loop, and then finished it up before sewing in. Live and learn.
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That looks really good, Rotte. :thumbup:

The saddle stitch is completely new to me, so this ought to be an interesting project.
 
Rotte said:
OK, I've been slacking a bit, but venmm73 gave me a kick in the butt by getting his sheath done so quickly.

Today I cut my leather out, dyed it, and glued in the belt loop and welt. Obviously, the welt is undyed at present. I left the welt a touch on the big side--I'll trim it down later. I used a template for this one. Maybe next time I'll freehand it.





The interior of the sheath looks blotchy because I dampened the interior and exterior in order to bend the leather and check for overall size and fit. Seems OK so far.

Rick, I'd love some brutally honest criticism at this point!
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I've been totally swamped with orders and haven't taken the time to get back here for a couple of days. Here's some quick thoughts on your sheath progress Rotte. The welt doesn't need to be nearly that wide. The sew line can be 1/4" from the edge and the welt can be 3/8" wide which makes a tighter, neater fit. If you like the more squared bottom, let the welt curve along the lines of the knife. Again, this makes a tighter, more secure fit for the blade. I used to dye the inside of the sheath, but after some customer concerns about the dye staining handle material, I now leave it natural or just a light coat of sealer (I use Fiebings Bag Coat).

When hand sewing I glue in the welt then use the diamond awl to make holes through the welt and one layer of leather. After attaching the belt loop and gluing both sides, I go back through the same holes from the front side/welt and through the second layer. Easier since you're only going through one additional layer of leather. It also allows more control of the back side hole placement and more even stitches. Lastly, go back through the holes from the back side to help open and relieve the hole. Sounds like a lot, but goes quickly and makes sewing faster. Your needles are the right size and the tips on using needle nose pliers are spot on the mark. To reduce wax build up on the thread, before starting to sew pull the thread through a piece of course cloth with some hand pressure a couple of times. The friction will soften the wax and remove some of the excess. You'll still have some wads of wax build up in the holes, but that just helps seal the stitch line.

Hot wax will seal leather, but can make it pucker and loose shape. It's also not really good for the leather's over all life. Montana Pitch Blend is an excellent finish product and I've used SnoSeal, too. For 99% of my sheaths (and other leather items) I finish with Bag Coat.

Hope some of this may help.
 
I will definitely follow this thread with interest. I'm opting out of entering but if anyone wants help, I'm always up for it.
 
Rick Lowe said:
The welt doesn't need to be nearly that wide. The sew line can be 1/4" from the edge and the welt can be 3/8" wide which makes a tighter, neater fit. If you like the more squared bottom, let the welt curve along the lines of the knife. Again, this makes a tighter, more secure fit for the blade. I used to dye the inside of the sheath, but after some customer concerns about the dye staining handle material, I now leave it natural or just a light coat of sealer (I use Fiebings Bag Coat).

When hand sewing I glue in the welt then use the diamond awl to make holes through the welt and one layer of leather. After attaching the belt loop and gluing both sides, I go back through the same holes from the front side/welt and through the second layer. Easier since you're only going through one additional layer of leather. It also allows more control of the back side hole placement and more even stitches. Lastly, go back through the holes from the back side to help open and relieve the hole. Sounds like a lot, but goes quickly and makes sewing faster. Your needles are the right size and the tips on using needle nose pliers are spot on the mark. To reduce wax build up on the thread, before starting to sew pull the thread through a piece of course cloth with some hand pressure a couple of times. The friction will soften the wax and remove some of the excess. You'll still have some wads of wax build up in the holes, but that just helps seal the stitch line.

Hot wax will seal leather, but can make it pucker and loose shape. It's also not really good for the leather's over all life. Montana Pitch Blend is an excellent finish product and I've used SnoSeal, too. For 99% of my sheaths (and other leather items) I finish with Bag Coat.
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Thanks, Rick. Great advice, much appreciated!

I found in the past that my welts were a tad narrow, so I intentionally cut this one a bit oversized (and more fool proof). I think as my skill improves I'll be able to narrow that down a bit.

As you suggest, I found it helpful to use a round awl to open the holes from the back to make slipping the needle through a bit easier. The holes seem to close up after stitching the following holes.
 
here is my latest project. Made it for a good friend who works for USDA hunting asian longhorn beetles. Left-handed cross draw machete sheath. 30 sections of hand stitching and 16 hammered rivets....





 
As you do a few more sheaths you'll gain confidence in using a narrower welt. That comes with practice in getting the stitch line more uniform and at a comfortable distance from the edge. Keep in mind that you only need maybe an 1/8" of solid welt material to protect the stitch line from the sharp edge. The round awl will help to relieve the back side of the hole for sewing and you can sure use the diamond awl the same way. If you're using an over stitch wheel to mark the holes, use it on both sides starting at the same point. That will give a solid point of reference for an even line of stitches front and back.

Forgot to comment on the glue issue. I use Weldwood low voc water based latex contact cement for all glue ups. It's the one in the green labeled can. Can be a bit hard to find, but Ace Hardware, Lowes and Home Depot usually have it in stock. Cleans with water, thins with water, no odor and no light headed feeling from the fumes after a long glue session. Several years ago I had a really bad health scare from the regular stuff after two days of extended glue ups and have used the green label ever since. Apply it the same as Barge or regular Weldwood, but only one coat. Let it dry thoroughly and glue the pieces together. Light tapping with a flat object or rolling with a large dowel sets the glue line.
 
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