Sheath work complete! (Pics too!)

TomFetter said:
Sarge ... even on a thread about sheaths, you really think you can get away with posting a picture of a knife in a sheath, and giving us no glimpse of the blade? Cripes man ...
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Just a regular old knife Tom, sharp and very pointy, blade tarnished and stained from much use at the feast table. :D

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Sarge

BTW: this is Andy's thread, sorry about horning in Andy, I'm looking for a good whomping stick even now
 

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Very useful and to the point, as usual, Sarge. Love the economy of design in those old patterns ...

Sorry for the thread-drift Andy ... but you were thoughtful enough to show the blades AND sheaths in your thread-opener. Lovely work too ....:D
 
Sarge save yourself the whoppin this time. I'm honored to have your knives in my thread. That is what this community is all about.:D
 
Nice work Andy...like that piebald effect too :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:
 
aproy1101 one thing I know about a big knife:if you want the thing to be comfortable put a belt loop that swings so it can move about on your belt....I've had enough big knives embedded in my armpit 'cos of a stiff belt type loop! :eek:
 
Yeah, I like the splotchiness on that khuk sheath. You must be left handed judging from the belt loops. I like to wear a khuk crossdraw with the handle canted forward on the weak side. A little more forward angle would be even better.
 
I made it to hang low enough on my belt that getting it in the armpit isn't an issue. I'm actually trying to figure out a way to have the thing hang at a forward angle to aid in the draw. Problem is with the quick draw feature. It takes away the option of using a frog. It slims down the rig considerably though. Still a design in progress and suggestions are WELCOME.
 
Excellent work Andy, "Outstanding," as Steve says.:thumbup: :cool: :D
And that's high praise coming from an old leather pounder like myself who is rather particular about his leatherwork.:thumbup: :D
And I can testify to the quality of Sarge's sheaths as I have one of them laying here beside me with a very nice and very sharp cutting instrument safely ensconced in it.:D

Let me give y'all a couple of tips.
One - You *can wax* your own thread and therefore have different colored stitching if you so desire.
A pretty red stitch looks particularly fetching ensconced, there's that eight grade word again,;) in a black sheath.
Stitching can go a long ways in embellishing your work without actually tooling it. Patterns such as the simple floral pattern on the Gangaola by HI fits the bill nicely, that is if I have the name right and it's still available from HI? :o

Edit:
You can also use regular mercerized cotton sewing thread when sewing leather. You just have to wax several pieces together in order to get a heavy enough thread for sewing heavy leathers together.
The multitude of colors generated by doing so is seemingly almost endless! :EEK: ;)
Bear in mind it gets several shades darker when waxed.

Two - Think outside the sheath, so to speak, when designing them. Just because the YCS karda's come packaged one way in the scabbard doesn't mean that one of them can't be turned over so the handle protrudes the opposite way. I've done the top one that way on the YCSs I've had just to make it easier to draw.
The kardas on my original Foxy Folly were done back to back when Terry reworked the scabbard for mine.
It made for a nice even sheath carry on the back of the main scabbard.:thumbup:
 
Thanks Yvsa. I hadn't thought of using regular thread. Its so small compared to this stuff. What about sinew? Any opinion there? Can it be dyed? Does it last longer? What are the considerations when working with sinew?
 
If you want something that's strong as all heck try waxed dental floss! If you want it at angel a frog is what you want....just make one but insted of a long belt loop put it on the frog at the angel you want.
 
Good work, Andy. I love the crock pot idea. There is a name for that wax-hardened leather. It was used for armor once. Hmmm... can't recall.
You might want to pick up an 'overstitch wheel' from Tandy. Use it to space out the holes for stitching, then go over the finished stitches with it - to sort-of push them down into the (damp) leather and even them out. cutting a shallow grove first will also help to sink the thread beneath the surface so it doesn't wear as much. There are tools for that too. The Al Stohlman how-to books are great for these kind of tips.
 
Bri in Chi said:
Good work, Andy. I love the crock pot idea. There is a name for that wax-hardened leather. It was used for armor once. Hmmm... can't recall.
You might want to pick up an 'overstitch wheel' from Tandy. Use it to space out the holes for stitching, then go over the finished stitches with it - to sort-of push them down into the (damp) leather and even them out. cutting a shallow grove first will also help to sink the thread beneath the surface so it doesn't wear as much. There are tools for that too. The Al Stohlman how-to books are great for these kind of tips.
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I use an overstitch wheel and also a groover to inlay the thread. The croc pot idea I got from someone on the makers section of BF. Can't take credit for it. Sure does make it easier to do this stuff though. I wish I had found an oblong one, but mine is round. It was only 4 dollars, so if I see another better one I'll pick it up. The seax is much better to carry with a decent sheath. I really like the design of that knife, but the sheath is a nightmare.
 
Bri in Chi said:
OD, Thanks,
Is this a great forum, or what?:D
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:D :D

I've never used one of the wheels. Generally I use one of the punches that cuts three slots at once. A leatherworker on another forum highly recommends an awl instead. He says the awl holes are not as prone to ripping.

Pat
 
My previous post was just about hole spacing and finishing the job - not making holes. My sheaths are pretty thick, 3 or 4 layers of 8 -9 oz. usually. So an awl is out of the question. For thinner stuff, an awl is fine. I also use this awl for very thin stuff, like covering a wood sheath with thin leather... or recovering a sarki sheath with other leather.
I make sewing holes in thick stacked leather with a drill press and a 3/32" bit. Works for me -along with good contact cement, I've never had a problem with my sheaths coming apart.
 
Bri in Chi said:
My previous post was just about hole spacing and finishing the job - not making holes. My sheaths are pretty thick, 3 or 4 layers of 8 -9 oz. usually. So an awl is out of the question. For thinner stuff, an awl is fine. I also use this awl for very thin stuff, like covering a wood sheath with thin leather... or recovering a sarki sheath with other leather.
I make sewing holes in thick stacked leather with a drill press and a 3/32" bit. Works for me -along with good contact cement, I've never had a problem with my sheaths coming apart.
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BRI,
No, I was with you on that - You made perfect sense. The wheel sounds great for even stitch spacing, especially on stuff too thick for the lacing chisels. I need to get a groover to recess the thread at some point.

The guy who recommends an awl makes holsters, sheaths, etc., but he may just use it on the thinner stuff. I'll hafta ask him. A drill press is definitely the right medicine for the thicker stuff though, and faster too.

Pat
 
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