Photos Swiss Heritage Co. (work progress thread)

Horsewright said:
Very clean! Excellent work. Sometimes you crease the throat and sometimes no?
Click to expand...

is that what the folded side is called? I gouge a channel in it every time yes, because bizarrely if I don't it seems to affect the retention (that's my theory at least). For me personally, also kind of depends on how hard the leather is tempered, I'd definitely prefer not to have to get it really wet if possible because I've had the water bleed through and change the way the dye absorbs. Also a wet sheath is difficult to punch and not stretch/deform.

I say all of this after scouring over your amazing time saving tips lol, because I'm super slow.
 
SwissHeritageCo said:
View attachment 2313229
Click to expand...
Sorry late getting back to ya. Tied up.

Anyhoo a crease is a decorative line along an unsewn edge like ya did above on this black sheath at the throat. There are special tools made to do this with or as you did or at least it kinda looks like ya did with your groover. I use a groover too on a certain project but most of the time I use a creaser. These come in different styles and shapes from a freehand one to adjustable ones. Osborne makes them in sizes like edge bevellers. Traditionally they were heated up over an alcohol burner or lamp and so the crease was kinda burnt in a little. This is seldom done these days. For the most part I feel that any un sewn edge should be creased. It, to my eye makes it more finished appearing. So to me this black one looks more finished than the tans ones further down. Its just a small thing but I think it makes a diff.

On the throat of this sheath:

HR8hxaL.jpg


Or this scabbard:

0AoJPAr.jpg


Course it does depend on the leather. I use to do it on the straps for scabbards too. But, when I switched to water buffalo for the straps I quit doing it on them. The water buffalo doesn't crease or tool well.
 
Horsewright said:
Sorry late getting back to ya. Tied up.

Anyhoo a crease is a decorative line along an unsewn edge like ya did above on this black sheath at the throat. There are special tools made to do this with or as you did or at least it kinda looks like ya did with your groover. I use a groover too on a certain project but most of the time I use a creaser. These come in different styles and shapes from a freehand one to adjustable ones. Osborne makes them in sizes like edge bevellers. Traditionally they were heated up over an alcohol burner or lamp and so the crease was kinda burnt in a little. This is seldom done these days. For the most part I feel that any un sewn edge should be creased. It, to my eye makes it more finished appearing. So to me this black one looks more finished than the tans ones further down. Its just a small thing but I think it makes a diff.

On the throat of this sheath:

HR8hxaL.jpg


Or this scabbard:

0AoJPAr.jpg


Course it does depend on the leather. I use to do it on the straps for scabbards too. But, when I switched to water buffalo for the straps I quit doing it on them. The water buffalo doesn't crease or tool well.
Click to expand...

I was referring to the "throat" which I have been calling the mouth of the sheath lol ;) As always, thank you for the feedback my friend. I do have a creaser, it came as an attachment with the groover you yourself suggested - no idea if it's worth a damn. I'm familiar with the hot creasers of old, typically I see them being used on the edges of wallets and belts but I definitely prefer the creased look over the groover (which is indeed what I used on the black sheath).

The choice to leave out a crease/groove of the throat for those natural sheaths was deliberate this time around because I'm attempting to emulate the style of the old swiss military saddlers which is a very specific clean look, the beauty is more derived from age/use/repeated treatments and part of that was making a sheath that holds it's form for a long time. Somehow I rationalized the groover away during that thought process lol.

Next one I make will be grooved! (or creased if that tiny attachment is any good). If it comes out looking weird I'm blaming you haha ;) Thanks again.
 
Echoing the other folks, looks like nice neat workmanship there for sure.

As to the crease along the top, I use that as a definitive line of the sheath, gives it a more refined look, to me at least instead of just the wide expanse of leather trailing off. I use the bone folder end to go down into the cut groove to burnish that area giving it a more finished look.

Here you can see the bottom side hasn't been burnished yet and above is an area that I am burnishing, it deepens the groove and burnishes at the same time

12 by GaryWGraley, on Flickr

G2
 
Gary W. Graley said:
Echoing the other folks, looks like nice neat workmanship there for sure.

As to the crease along the top, I use that as a definitive line of the sheath, gives it a more refined look, to me at least instead of just the wide expanse of leather trailing off. I use the bone folder end to go down into the cut groove to burnish that area giving it a more finished look.

Here you can see the bottom side hasn't been burnished yet and above is an area that I am burnishing, it deepens the groove and burnishes at the same time

12 by GaryWGraley, on Flickr

G2
Click to expand...

We're going to put this theory to this test and see if that line is truly more aesthetic or not! Personally, I find the throat groove a bit "meh", as in it looks like every other bushcraft style sheath but if the general consensus is pro throat groove I will happily oblige :)

I do think Horsewright Horsewright is onto something about using a creaser instead of a groover, maybe it's just the aesthetic of the groover I don't like.
 
Always a personal preference, I don't think there is a right or wrong way to make sheaths.

On my slip sheaths, since the leather is more flexible/softer I don't cut a groove line in, but use the creaser end of the bone folder to make that ridge like I did on this sheath

Untitled by GaryWGraley, on Flickr

54 by GaryWGraley, on Flickr

G2
 
Gary W. Graley said:
Always a personal preference, I don't think there is a right or wrong way to make sheaths.

On my slip sheaths, since the leather is more flexible/softer I don't cut a groove line in, but use the creaser end of the bone folder to make that ridge like I did on this sheath

Untitled by GaryWGraley, on Flickr

54 by GaryWGraley, on Flickr

G2
Click to expand...

There definitely is ;) and I do appreciate your feedback Gary. You do beautiful work! Love those viney/floral border stamps you have, one in particular. While there was an ideology behind leaving the groove/crease behind on that particular sheath model, it might indeed look better with it and I look forward to seeing how it pans out.

Thanks again bud.
 
SwissHeritageCo said:
There definitely is ;) and I do appreciate your feedback Gary. You do beautiful work! Love those viney/floral border stamps you have, one in particular. While there was an ideology behind leaving the groove/crease behind on that particular sheath model, it might indeed look better with it and I look forward to seeing how it pans out.

Thanks again bud.
Click to expand...
Yeah give er a try. It just kinda finishes a deal in my view.
Gary W. Graley said:
Always a personal preference, I don't think there is a right or wrong way to make sheaths.

On my slip sheaths, since the leather is more flexible/softer I don't cut a groove line in, but use the creaser end of the bone folder to make that ridge like I did on this sheath

Untitled by GaryWGraley, on Flickr

54 by GaryWGraley, on Flickr

G2
Click to expand...
Dang Gary I'd forgotten about that tool. I had one couple of million years ago. Have no idea what happened to it. I use the cheapie Tandy adjustable creaser. It works well for me. Secret seems to be in getting the moisture content in the leather just right.
 
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