Wet forming and knife retention

[donnord]

I am finishing up a project and using a pre-made sheath. The knife fit quite tightly in the sheath as it was. However, I like the look of a formed sheath and thought that by wet forming I would improve the appearance of the sheath and retention of the knife. For background this is a fixed blade drop point backpacking knife, so I want to make sure it stays put. The sheath is a horizontal carry.
When wet forming I used a sponge to apply warm water and worked the leather by hand. I let the sheath dry overnight with the knife in the sheath. When I removed it this morning I was not happy with the retention of the knife in the sheath. So what did I do wrong and how can improve retention. Heres a pic of the knife and sheath for reference. Next step is to dye the sheath, but I want to get the forming sorted first. Thanks.

 

[Robber58]

Wet forming and getting a snug fit has a bit of a learning curve. To begin, you need to ensure the leather has been vegetable tanned. I have seen factory sheaths that use chrome tanned leather and that will not wet form to any degree. Can't say what yours is but possibly the manufacturer can help you out. If it is veg tan, the next important thing is that it really should be pretty tight before you form it. Too much leather will simply move away from the knife, even with really good molding around it. If it is nice and snug before you start, you can probably improve on retention by molding tightly behind features like prominent guards or handle features. Molding tight to the side of the handle or blade will do almost nothing for retention. It can look cool but serves little purpose beyond that. The other important factor in molding is dampness of the leather. If it is too wet, it will not mold well and stay put. Allowed to dry a bit and it can be much easier. I have the best luck when it is just starting to show a lighter color. Everybody has their own process to get it right for them. I hold a sheath under a tap for 15 seconds to a minute, depending on size and thickness. Usually I can start right away. I also tend to do two stages. One soon after the initial bath and another after it has dried a bit, say an hour or so. I find I can get better details in the second step.

The knife you show in the pictures will probably not benefit much, if any, from molding. It just does not have much to mold around for retention. It really needs a tightly fitted sheath. One way to improve retention on an existing sheath is to glue strips of thin leather at the mouth to increase pressure on the handle.

I wish I could offer more help. Maybe others can add some better ideas and options.
Randy