Simple question regarding keeper straps.

O

Omega Leather Works

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Jun 13, 2007
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Are you guys making them from a separate piece of leather and stitching them on the back, or are they designed into the back piece pattern?

I'm pretty much shooting from the hip making my sheaths. Google pics help, but only so much viewing on my cell phone.
 
Sorry, I should clarify. I'm talking about the type of strap that crosses diagonally across the guard of the knife. The single keeper that snaps or goes over a peg mounted on the face of a stacked sheath.
 
Mine are all separate straps, but the attachment method varies depending on the style sheath. All of them use the Sam Browne button stud. (1) Some are inserted through a slot from the outside to the inside between the lining and the exterior. (2) Some are skived to zero and flat stitched to the exterior rear side, and (3)some are sandwiched between two layers of the loop on a fold over forward loop. (4) There is a fourth option I call the Bow tie.

First photo is the bow tie (4). Second is (3) and the third is (1) I don't photo the (2) because they're not that pretty, but they are effective.

By the way Strig, the second photo is Karung snake inlay.

Paul
 
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Most all my diagonal style straps are riveted so they swivel out of the way, some get the added benefit of snapping out of the way, doesn't happen real often but its nifty when it does like this one on a Chad Cunningham knife. :)






My around the handle straps go through a slot in the belt loop and pull out of the way, and also are easily replaceable.
 
Paul, excellent explanation. I actually used your name specifically for my main google search because your strap is exactly what I'm talking about, plus I don't have to see pics of those snap keepers that ride high on the handle. No disrespect to anyone that uses them, but I really don't care for them at all. Poor design in my humble opinion.

I looked at many of your sheaths. It's kind of hard to tell what's what from the front sometimes. Yeah, the Browne peg is on my shopping list. I love the look.

I'm really relived about the strap being separate. I know how you feel about pattern making but I'm still struggling with it. I'm sure it's only time and practice. At this point I make so many changes while actually making the sheath, the pattern is used just to get the correct size.

If you ever have a camera handy while you're doing that part of a sheath I'd love to see a pic.

The karung looks great. It really looks and feels like a different animal to me altogether.
 
Here is one I finished recently. I'm no sheath expert. I just figure it out as I go along. In this example I cut a slot in the front side of the belt loop and ran the strap inside. It is held in place by barge cement then sewn in when the loop is closed and sewn.




 
These are photos of some more detail on the (3) installation mentioned above.

Paul
 
Hey Strig buddy. I use Sam Browne studs on a lot of different projects, sheaths, holsters, rifle scabbards etc. I have used several of Paul's methods. They work well obviously. I also use one additional method for very hard use items like the holsters, scabbards and some sheaths for larger knives that are carried on saddles. I will design the strap and the sheath so that I can rivet it on unobtrusively in the back. That way if the strap ever stretches or breaks I can pop that rivet and replace the strap easily. Part of my design criteria on these rough use items is easy repair ability. A Sam Brown belt is an old style police gun belt by the way. The old style from the 50's and 60's that had the shoulder strap too. The shoulder strap attached to the gun belt in the front on one of these brass studs. Also it was kind of a break a way feature. If the officer got in a tussle with a bad guy and the bad guy grabbed the officer by the shoulder belt it would pop off. That's why we call em Sam Brown studs. Even today the tips of the gun belts are held down with one of these studs if the gun belt is leather. Most aren't any more. Lots of cool factor in those little studs.
 
Excellent Paul! That tells me more about the proper angle of the strap too.

I think I've finally got a very simple pattern that I like for the knife. I want it to be somewhat fancy so that'll have to come from tooling or an inlay.

Dave, thanks for the history lesson. :) I really love the way those old style belts look. Too bad there's no good way to use them these days.

Quick question about lining...

I have some really lightweight black leather (Dave, you know the stuff from our emails). It's chrome tanned. Can this be used for the lining so long as the lining doesn't go further into a sheath than the handle? Meaning, if it doesn't sit against the steel? Are there any problems with chrome tanned and stainless?

I think I may do an inlay using the thin chrome tanned as a window over the veg tanned too.
 
I don't know for sure one way or the other, but based on what I have been told by the old masters I've been exposed to………………….

Don't, DO NOT, never ever use chrome tan leather for the lining of a knife sheath or gun holster. That's about as simple and straight forward as I can make that.

Now, my advice would also be don't not use it as the window frame for an inlay. Most, if not all, chrome tan lacks the body of veg. tan and just does not work well for other than soft goods. That is based on my personal opinion and experience, and I'm sure someone may differ, but that's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

Paul
 
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Horsewright said:
Hey Strig buddy. I use Sam Browne studs on a lot of different projects, sheaths, holsters, rifle scabbards etc. I have used several of Paul's methods. They work well obviously. I also use one additional method for very hard use items like the holsters, scabbards and some sheaths for larger knives that are carried on saddles. I will design the strap and the sheath so that I can rivet it on unobtrusively in the back. That way if the strap ever stretches or breaks I can pop that rivet and replace the strap easily. Part of my design criteria on these rough use items is easy repair ability. A Sam Brown belt is an old style police gun belt by the way. The old style from the 50's and 60's that had the shoulder strap too. The shoulder strap attached to the gun belt in the front on one of these brass studs. Also it was kind of a break a way feature. If the officer got in a tussle with a bad guy and the bad guy grabbed the officer by the shoulder belt it would pop off. That's why we call em Sam Brown studs. Even today the tips of the gun belts are held down with one of these studs if the gun belt is leather. Most aren't any more. Lots of cool factor in those little studs.
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Very good to hear that my way of the rivet on the snap strap is an old idea. :)

Also good to hear from another that my around the handle snap strap is a poor design. :p
 
Aw hell Dwayne, you know I got nothing but good to say about your work. :)

It's entirely possible that my dislike for the design comes from exposure to inferior sheaths. I've only really seen a few examples, and these came from terrible factory sheaths. The one I was thinking of when I wrote that is on an Ontario nylon/leather junker. It's really difficult to get the knife in and out of the thing. The blade, if it were sharp that is, would like to cut right through the strap if I wasn't careful, and without looking, I think the strap might be riveted to the belt loop exposed to the knife. That right there is terrible design imo. Didn't mean to paint with such a wide brush. :o

That was my dad's knife. I've never really liked it, but I should probably make a new sheath for it anyway. It's a bit too tactical for my edc taste, but it might still seem like a better knife if carrying it wasn't such a pita. :)
 
sheathmaker said:
I don't know for sure one way or the other, but based on what I have been told by the old masters I've been exposed to………………….

Don't, DO NOT, never ever use chrome tan leather for the lining of a knife sheath or gun holster. That's about as simple and straight forward as I can make that.

Now, my advice would also be don't not use it as the window frame for an inlay. Most, if not all, chrome tan lacks the body of veg. tan and just does not work well for other than soft goods. That is based on my personal opinion and experience, and I'm sure someone may differ, but that's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

Paul
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Rats.

Alright, alright. As much as I hate to, I'll put the inlay work on the back burner until I can secure some proper light(er) weight leather. The lining can wait too, that one I'm not too terribly bummed about although I'm definitely looking forward to trying it.

So, I'll do what I can with the stamps, groover, swivel knife (if I get brave) and dye. I've got a new heavier mallet so my stamping should improve over my last attempt.

Thanks for the help.
 
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