Wax dipped sheath questions

[bradlox]

Hi there , i just finished two friction sheaths for a couple of pocket knives .
Really happy with the results ,i like the natural brown color . Retention turned out better than i hoped .
I was expecting to shrink them too much but they turned out nice !
Ended up with a nice "kydex" click in to place , solid retention !
Anyways couple of questions ...
Will they loosen over time , or "soften up " ?
If so can they be dipped again to re stiffen ?
Does dipped leather get softer in warm summer weather ?
Will they last as long as a regular wet formed sheath ?
Thanks in advance for any help !

 

[leatherman]

Hi there , i just finished two friction sheaths for a couple of pocket knives .
Really happy with the results ,i like the natural brown color . Retention turned out better than i hoped .
I was expecting to shrink them too much but they turned out nice !
Ended up with a nice "kydex" click in to place , solid retention !
Anyways couple of questions ...
Will they loosen over time , or "soften up " ? Yes it will, just the nature of animal hides
If so can they be dipped again to re stiffen ? yes and no, while you can reharden the leather, it will remain stretched, it looses its spring with time.
Does dipped leather get softer in warm summer weather ?Oh yes, if you go above the melting point of the wax it will leech out of the leather
Will they last as long as a regular wet formed sheath ? I am in the camp that believes that any excessive heat will effectively damage the leather in some form. But longevity is in question as there are really really old examples of both cuir bouilli and natural leather in museums so its debatable.
Thanks in advance for any help !

Personally, I dont like either cuir bouilli or molten wax dipped leather for a sheath. Heat draws out the oils in the leather and the barrier provided by both treatments wont allow for any conditioner to penetrate. But that is my humble opinion only, and what was taught to me by a few of the old timers back when I started.

 

[bradlox]

thanks for response , not sure if im totally sold on this process either .
seems like its forcing the leather to become something else .
im in for a really hot summer too so ill see how they fair in the heat .

 

[leatherman]

The reason I dont like the wax soaked leather is from my years in Medieval Recreation down here where its so hot you can watch the wax seep out of the leather. I started out my leather working career doing medieval armor for the SCA, this is where form always follows function, and I've seen all sorts of attempts to make leather stiffer without lessening its life. So far the only one is soaking the leather piece in a diluted epoxy resin. That made for one STIFF piece of leather. But it was no different, and much less safe than working the same piece in plastic. I did make some knee and elbow cops in 55 gallon drum plastic material once and it was awesome! A bear to work with but so tough and impact absorbent, so much so than metal that I was about to switch when we moved and left the game.