Skystorm Scout sheath Kit WIP thread *NOW DONE*

Nice job. I'm sure I'll refer to this page when I finish my own sheath kit, which sadly won't be until mid-July since I'm out of town until then.
 
Awesome!
The look of the sheath compliments the knife scales nicely.
The "mountain range" you sewed in was a nice touch.
 
Thanks guys! The loops I think would be improved with double snaps. I'll be buying some new to fix it. But it still works fine, particularly because the retention is good enough that it won't just fall out.
 
In retrospect, looking at the sheath design, I think this might be best with a snap at top and bottom on each side, and you could then snap the belt loops on and off. I don't know if I really like the loop design very much. Or, better yet, I'd throw some eyelets through the welt and use a teklok. I'll make another sheath for my Ratmandu, since that doesn't come with a sheath at all (and you guys complain about the Becker sheaths...at least you GET a functional one), and experiment a little with that. This sheath kit is awesome, and it's a good design, but there's room for improvement, at least in the way I made it. If Skystorm had put it together, it would probably be completely perfect.
 
The tools are very simple. You don't actually need a drill press or arbor press. I just had them on hand, so I used them. You can get the tools you need for less than 10 bucks, and, together with the kit, you have pretty much everything you need. As far as the skills, I admit I've done some leatherworking, but I've been working with leather for less than a year if I recall correctly, and have made less than 20 things. I admit I started hard; I made a couple pouch sheaths, and then went straight to a leather cuirass. This kit gave me fits. I spent a good couple months pondering it before I figured it out enough to start it. I'm glad you all seem to think it turned out well.

The best advice I can give you is that, if you want to learn something, don't let your perceived lack of skill stop you. I'm always surprised how a combination of a willingness to try something coupled with an internet tutorial with plenty of pictures can result in a workable project.

By way of example, less than two years ago, I started dabbling in knifemaking. I started with a file knife, which looked...rough:


Around a year later, I made this:


And now I'm making things like this (not finished, so forgive the screws):


And the best part is that it all started with Becker modifications. My very first knife DIY project was a set of handle scales for my first Becker:


That's one of the reasons I love Beckers so much. They're so moddable, and you can really make them your own. But more than that, they get the creative juices flowing, and the next thing you know, you're making your own blades, or leatherworking, or making handle scales, or customizing knives, or doing acid etched artwork, or learning kydex, or even buying a copy of Uncle E's cookbook (yeah, I didn't realize he was responsible for The Joy of Cooking), and learning how to cook amazing meals... well, you get the point.

The holster pictured earlier is my second holster ever. I made it from an internet tutorial. There's so much out there to learn, and the only thing that holds me back, besides finances, is time, as long as I have the guts to try it. And, if I fail miserably, I don't even have to put it on the internet (although I do anyways).

I guess what I'm trying to say is that Beckers, to me, represent imagination and creativity, and the ability to exceed the limits of human potential. Beckers aren't just great because they're great knives. They're great because the culture here inspires innovation, creation, and making a production knife into a truly individualized blade. There have been some truly great custom Beckers, from Clich's beautiful patriotic acid etched 7, coupled with Fal'ers handmade camo micarta scales, to the gorgeous 5 that Tiberius made for SleepyBadger, to that lovely custom 15, to the amazing stuff that K9 produces, etc. In fact, the much loved 14 came from a forumite's creativity in combining the 11 with the Izula. I'm very thankful to be a part of this culture of innovation. I can't think of a single other production knife brand that has the same kind of culture, and that should say something very important about this group, and Uncle E's blades.
 
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