Small belt sheath

V

vilePossum

Joined
Jan 14, 2015
Messages
1,312
Here is a small belt sheath prototype made from 2mm veg tanned (I will probably go back to 3mm again) for my jess Hoffman knife.







Finish is rather rough I just wanted to test the layout. And I still haven't gotten the hang of the antique finish.
Also the blade has too much play in the sheath.
 
I like the idea and concept of that :thumbup:
Just one thing I'd mention .
I've made quite a few horizontal folder sheaths with snap joined belt loops .
In my experience it is far superior to fully overlap the leather loop sections .
I've tried to find a couple of pics to show what I mean .

cc2710d6fe372e94f66654c14b0c6bb8_zpsca291943.jpg

7a4a063b1072ba20b0b1a36f20fdd8f0_zps4939d58f.jpg


When you have the double overlap as I call it , it creates a much more secure loop which resists any forces that are trying to rip the sheath of the belt much better than just a short central overlap join .
I hope that makes sense .


Ken
 
Nice work Vilepossum. Ken have you ever experimented with four snaps on that setup?
 
Makes a lot of sense. I decided against snaps on the prototype and tried the rivets I had left over. In your picture the leather seems double folded. Very cool. I will try snaps on the next try, as the knife is just too loose. Might also secure the strap with a snap.
 
Nice work bud. :)

It looks like the strap is removable, but that you undo the one side for removing the knife?

There are pretty standard rules for how much room you leave between the blade edge and welt. I shoot for 1/4" but the design is going to dictate that figure. Adding design features can quickly alter the fit. At least in my limited experience. I try to keep the designs as simple as possible, at least for now. Guys like Ken and Gary can pull off some very unique designs straight out of their minds, but I don't know how much fiddling is required before success.
 
Strig, you leave a 1/4" between the edge and welt? I dont know if I understand it the way you describe but ......
 
leatherman said:
Strig, you leave a 1/4" between the edge and welt? I dont know if I understand it the way you describe but ......
Click to expand...
Yeah, well around .25-.50" gap. That's when I'm making a paper pattern. If it's a pouch I lay the spine (edge up) on the center line, then roll the knife over Stohlman style. This is specific to a simple pouch. Obviously the welt must accommodate anything in the handle that would block an easy path. Honestly, I shouldn't have said "specific rules" because it's not exactly accurate. I have my own guidelines that I try to follow, but as with everything else, we all have our way.

The sheaths in my signature (really need to update that) get their retention from molding around the ricasso. It works very well for the bushcraft blades that fit them, but I've been working a little on trying to get my work a bit more svelte. Those are from the days when I was doing sheaths for most 4" Fiddleback Forge knives. My work is totally custom now so don't have to worry about 5 different knives fitting one design.

How much gap do you use? I do about the same on full welt sheaths.
 
Here are a couple of examples.

This one has a fairly tight welt, but leaves a path.

ijYLped.jpg


This one has a fairly generous gap but I wanted symmetry.

LxeLUyJ.jpg
 
Lets talk via PM or email. I've got some ideas and info for you. I dont want to step on any toes. :D
 
na, no toe stepping around here, i am always happy about more info.
anthony thanks about the info about the area around the welt. for the belt sheath, i think there is only about 2mm max around the blade. so the play of the blade in the sheath isn't much of an issue. it's more due to the fact that the distance between finger guard and edge of the sheath is too large, so the knife can slide back and forth.
 
Thanks Possum. :) I've got to jet out the door so a quick set of pics, I dont seem to have pics of a standard sheath on the inside. I'll check in the shop this afternoon and see what I can find that has been welted. Basically Strig, I have as little wiggle room as possible. The welt is not tight to the knife, but fitted very close. Several reasons I dont have time to address right now. I'll get back to it as quickly as possible!





 
for me it really depends on the kind of sheath. on a simple layered sheath which might just enclose the blade itself, i will go with an as tight as possible fit as well. obviously for those tube/pouch sheath you have to add some material as well as when you cover the handle.

btw leatherman, that is some really awesome wet molding right there. i never manage to get the contours this tight. i will have to try that again.

also, like i said, i don't mind this discussion popping up here, i regularly check each and every thread in the sheaths section... but if we continue to elaborate on this, we might have to start a new thread so that it is easier for folks to find this info.
because this "how much space is needed" issue is certainly something i have not quite gotten the hang of yet.
for example you can't really tell with this sheath, but the fit was almost too tight, the only way to save it was to wet the inside and do some after finish wet forming.


this resulted in the fact that the welt is not 100% attached to both sides in the mouth of the sheath.
 
vilePossum said:
Makes a lot of sense. I decided against snaps on the prototype and tried the rivets I had left over. In your picture the leather seems double folded. Very cool. I will try snaps on the next try, as the knife is just too loose. Might also secure the strap with a snap.
Click to expand...

Sorry I didn't look hard enough at your pics and assumed that the belt loop was joined with Snaps , my mistake .
If you have used rivets then what you have done will work fine .
I'm a bit confused as to why the blade is loose within the sheath .
If I was to attempt a sheath like that I would try a very thin welt and slightly wet mold the leather over the blade outline to achieve a fraction of grip between the blade and sheath .
I have no idea how that would effect the stamping though as I never stamp my sheaths .
I think this idea is a good one with real potential .
Sit down with the sheath and a piece of paper and make a list of two columns , what you like , what you don't .
Spend an hour thinking about how you can incorporate the changes that fix the " don't likes " while still keeping the " vibe " of the original .
I'm different from most here in that I don't draw out a design on paper before I start . I have a vision of what I want in my head , and I just make it happen :)
My way is very inefficient in regards to materials . I always start with a much larger piece of leather than is necessary , but it allows for mid race changes as I see the sheath developing .
If I waste some leather I don't mind to much , its cheap in reality for a hobby I enjoy , if I was making sheaths for money it would be different .
I can't wait to see version two .

Ken
 
thanks ken, your input is always appreciated! i will make a list, there are several points on my mind already...
i did take a knive to the sheath yesterday... don't know how i could make do without a razorblade...

here are the results:


blade all the way in:


it can get out as far as this:


so all in all it is pretty much a design error. i could reduce the amount of play a bit by shortening the strap, but the overall issue just seems to be that the strap doesn't follow th contour of the blade well enough. i think i will try to incorporate a wet mold for parts of the handle on the next one. currently working on something else though.

*edited for early morning stupidity
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top