water proofing sheaths

Evan Martin

Evan Martin

Joined
Aug 6, 2007
Messages
521
Tell me if this sounds right its what I've been doing and I'm wonder if there is a better way
After making the sheath wet forming and its dry I melt 50/50 bees wax and pariffin wax until it almost wants to smoke then I dip my sheath roll it around for a minute and the let it drain and polish it with a cloth
 
That will work for sure, but it sounds like overkill and stiff as a board. I've used a silicone wax for a final polish on sheaths and haven't had any wet weather problems. On a couple of sheaths that I knew would see a lot of inclement weather, I poured hot wax into the sheath and poured it out quickly. Then I kept the sheath hot with a heat gun and used a cotton rag and stick to get out any wax that didn't soak in.

Be VERY careful with melted wax. If it catches fire and you try to pick it up to throw it outside, the extra air you give it by moving it can make it fireball and blow wax all over you. Better to leave it in place and throw a soaked towel over it.
 
Putting leather in hot oil or boiling water will "cook" the leather, making it rock hard and often brittle. Sometimes this is the desired effect, but pre-plan for the hardening.
Stacy
 
Hot wax treatments are generally a bad idea and typically done by knifemakers who make sheaths and not by professional sheathmakers.Hot wax treatments like said tend to cook the leather, make a mess and get wax over everything.
There is a variety of better products made specifically for this this, including Fiebings Leather Sheene, Bag-Kote, Tan-Kote and Leather balm.Pure neatsfoot oil can be used also but sparingly( Not neatsfoot compound).All of these will give you a better overall finish and look more professional.Dave:)
 
I'm not a fan of hot waxing:thumbdn:....leaves the leather very "non-pliable", almost like a piece of wood. I've not had any problems with the Sno-seal...leaves a nice satin finish on the leather.:thumbup:
 
I've not had problems with hot wax, but I don't generally use it for sheaths. Don't see a problem as such, but.... well, it tends to take away from the leather character of the sheath (says the man who seems to be addicted to rustic knives).

I've got one that I've had for years and carried in all sorts of weather, and mostly it's been Brooks saddle goop- The styuff Brooks makes for leather bike seats. Okay, in the summer I put it on pretty melty and let it soak :)
 
I use hot wax on all my sheaths. I don't like to make a sheath. When I am done with the knife I like to be done. However I think it was in THe Loveless Barney knifemaking book that showed a method that worked. Heat a 50-50 mix of bees wax and neatsfoot oil up to 300 degrees. It's smoking. Heat your sheath under a light bulb until it's warm to the touch. Not hot.
Dip your sheath and completely submerge it. Be quick. If the wax starts to buble get it out. You are not makin chitlins. I hold the sheath upside down with a wire coat hangar to let it drain. This method gives a nice brown color to the leather and does make it quite hard. You can hear your knife pop into the pocket a a pouch sheath.
If left to boil in the wax the sheath will come out looking like a pork rind. If you need one of those I have a couple to demind me to be quick.
Done right and drained properly you have very very residue a the leather.
Take Care
TJ
 
casine in leather turns to hide glue at around 145F degrees. Heating leather up to 145F changes the leather, "activates" the hide glue and when it cools/dries out, the leather ends up very hard. If you want a hard sheath, soak it, mold it to desired shape and then dry it in a food dehydrater at 145 for several hours. Don't heat the wax/oil mix any hotter than 150F in the oven. It's horrible stuff to work with and dangerous to boot. Third degrees burns are life changing.

You'll never see shoes or saddles treated with wax/oil mix for a reason.

There are WAY better ways to treat a sheath for waterproofing and appearance. Look at Tandy's web site for leather treatment. I use Tandy's Super Sheene followed by Briwax buffed into the leather and then a soft cloth polish to remove any excess wax and give it a nice deep shine.
 
I have only made a sheath once sa a kid, which I left dry, but isnt Dubbin 'wax' made for waterproofing leather?


Lang
 
I made a sheath about 20 years ago and dipped it in Thompsons water seal and have stored a carbon steel knife in it the rig has been submerged in water many times and is still in great shape.
 
I use "Cherry Blossom" (a Scotch Guard product for suede) on the inner sheath surfaces. Then after dyeing, I'll some times use epoxy that has been thinned with alcohol as a sealant. So far it seems to be working.

Jim L.
 
A waxed sheath will break back in after a while.I only use that method on sheaths that are going to guys that dont want to take care of their gear.Many products out there that will work better and give a nicer look.....If your using a cheap leather then the waxing is a good thing for it.I suggest that you experiment with different products till you find what works best for you and that yuo like...

Fried sheaths cause you to say bad words,this is really true if you dont like to make sheaths.

Bruce
 
if you keep the sheath in the hot wax for too long then you end up cooking it. I give the stuff two quick dunks (it's so fast, it is almost a splash) and it is out and in the fridge. I avoid the stiffness by soaking the sheath in lexol and/or darkening oil very heavily before the hot dip so the sheath does not get stiff as a board after. I just recently made a fillet sheath that was soft as can be. the thing that gets me is the overload of wax inside the sheath. It comes out on the knife blade for a while. I need to design a scraper or something. Anything to avoid using a heat gun.
 
I am a knifemaker that makes sheaths. At least one for every knife and sometimes two. I like a stiff sheath (not the same as hard) for any knife that is going to see any use other than sitting in a drawer. I like to get the stiffness from the leather and not from the finish or it's application. I have used and will continue to use the wax/oil finish because I love the results. One of those results being sold knives.:D It is a great finish when properly applied, but it is not suitable for every application. It would be my last choice on any sheath that is made of thin leather, is stained, or one that has any tooling or laces of any kind. While I too use other finishes on my sheaths the wax/oil is still my personal favorite.
As a knifemaker the one thing that jerks my chain is the "using or working" sheath, or any sheath for that mater, that has a thin coat of "wonder finish" (fill in what ever brand you want, most all I have tried were good) on the outside and nothing to protect the leather, at all, on the inside. I have seen some sheaths, and their knives, for sale with nothing on them but stain. Unsealed leather will soak up moisture and hold it next to the knife, which is not a good thing. So whatever I happen to be using to finish a sheath, I like to make sure that the inside gets a coat too.
A knife with its sheath is a total package. They should compliment each other and the use for which they were designed. I won't limit myself to using only one type of finish when there are so many good ones available that fill different needs.
 
So, is there a way to treat a sheath with beeswax, without making it hard?

Gixxer, and everyone else: Is it just a matter of not letting it sit in the hot wax, and just doing real quick dunks?

I really want to seal my sheaths with beaswax, but I don't want to turn the leather into kydex either. I guess I could always use sno-seal, but isn't that mostly beeswax anyways?

Hmathews: Got any tips on how you treat your sheaths with wax/oil without making them hard and brittle?
 
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