Whacha Been Up To......

[John A. Larsen]

Picture on the belt.

Nice knife and sheath! Question for those who are more knowledgeable than I am, concerning using neatsfoot oil on this sheath. My experience with neatsfoot oil is it makes the leather more pliable. In Ranger School they had a gallon can outside the orderly Room and you were "Encouraged" to oil your leather boots, to make them fit better. I had an extra sheath for my Randall 14, that I gave a very good friend and he used neatsfoot oil and it got very pliable, so much so that we had to place a piece of hard plastic on the back and tape it on with 100 MPH tape. The late Custom Knife maker, Wayne Goddard told me about using a mixture of neatsfoot oil and bees wax about 50/50 and I have used that on several sheaths, left a hard finish that is about as waterproof as any I have seen. Even on my other Randall 14 sheath, I ended up taking a plastic stiffener out of the side of an M14 ammunition pouch and taping it onto the back of the sheath to stiffen it up, so when jumping the tip out not bend over and let the point of the blade come thru the sheath into my leg. I have seen more than one KaBar leather sheath with the tip of the knife has penetrated thru the sheath because the tip bent over. So I guess my question is do the SME (Subject Matter Experts) here recommend using neatsfoot oil on a fixed blade sheath? I imagine it would also depend on how much neatsfoot oil you put on the sheath. Happy 4th of July to everyone! John

 

[jfk1110]

Came out great Josh...

 

[Sharp & Fiery]

Nice knife and sheath! Question for those who are more knowledgeable than I am, concerning using neatsfoot oil on this sheath. My experience with neatsfoot oil is it makes the leather more pliable. In Ranger School they had a gallon can outside the orderly Room and you were "Encouraged" to oil your leather boots, to make them fit better. I had an extra sheath for my Randall 14, that I gave a very good friend and he used neatsfoot oil and it got very pliable, so much so that we had to place a piece of hard plastic on the back and tape it on with 100 MPH tape. The late Custom Knife maker, Wayne Goddard told me about using a mixture of neatsfoot oil and bees wax about 50/50 and I have used that on several sheaths, left a hard finish that is about as waterproof as any I have seen. Even on my other Randall 14 sheath, I ended up taking a plastic stiffener out of the side of an M14 ammunition pouch and taping it onto the back of the sheath to stiffen it up, so when jumping the tip out not bend over and let the point of the blade come thru the sheath into my leg. I have seen more than one KaBar leather sheath with the tip of the knife has penetrated thru the sheath because the tip bent over. So I guess my question is do the SME (Subject Matter Experts) here recommend using neatsfoot oil on a fixed blade sheath? I imagine it would also depend on how much neatsfoot oil you put on the sheath. Happy 4th of July to everyone! John

Good evening John…just in between stitching up projects and happened to see your question.

I don’t suggest neatsfoot oil on finished fixed blade sheaths, myself. It is ok to put a little on (think, holy smokes is there even any oil on this rag?!) every 4-5 years or so. You are correct that too much to often will cause the sheath to get “floppy”, for a lack of a better term. Also, certain wet formed sheaths can also loose their form/snuggness.

That said, I do use a super small touch of neatsfoot oil in my wet forming process (thanks Dave!)

Horsewright Dave will probably be along soon to put what I am trying to say into more eloquent words.

Not sure if this helped. Back to stitching for me.

 

[jfk1110]

I'm not much of a sheath .maker but.on my leather boots, jackets, sheaths pretty much anything I've found Obenaufs to be the best stuff going.......Granted would be expensive for a leather guy to treat all his work in it....
But it keeps my 1988 Danner canadiens in tip top form......Just a damn good product in this knuckleheads opinion..

 

[Horsewright]

Nice knife and sheath! Question for those who are more knowledgeable than I am, concerning using neatsfoot oil on this sheath. My experience with neatsfoot oil is it makes the leather more pliable. In Ranger School they had a gallon can outside the orderly Room and you were "Encouraged" to oil your leather boots, to make them fit better. I had an extra sheath for my Randall 14, that I gave a very good friend and he used neatsfoot oil and it got very pliable, so much so that we had to place a piece of hard plastic on the back and tape it on with 100 MPH tape. The late Custom Knife maker, Wayne Goddard told me about using a mixture of neatsfoot oil and bees wax about 50/50 and I have used that on several sheaths, left a hard finish that is about as waterproof as any I have seen. Even on my other Randall 14 sheath, I ended up taking a plastic stiffener out of the side of an M14 ammunition pouch and taping it onto the back of the sheath to stiffen it up, so when jumping the tip out not bend over and let the point of the blade come thru the sheath into my leg. I have seen more than one KaBar leather sheath with the tip of the knife has penetrated thru the sheath because the tip bent over. So I guess my question is do the SME (Subject Matter Experts) here recommend using neatsfoot oil on a fixed blade sheath? I imagine it would also depend on how much neatsfoot oil you put on the sheath. Happy 4th of July to everyone! John

Howdy John. I know I've told ya this before but Thank You for your service! And everyone else too that reads this and has served.

I'm always really hesitant to recommend neatsfoot oil. It's just too easy to use too much. I much prefer and recommend a cream type conditioner. Put some on, wait a few minutes, (10-15) and wipe off excess. Leave for a couple hours and then buff with a soft cloth. Too much neatsfoot oil does make leather items too soft. I know this from personal experience. I was using the first pair of saddle bags I ever made on a horseback hunting trip in Idaho. Was getting ready to head out in the morning. Pulled one of the closure straps tight to close the flap and it broke. Smacked myself hard in the nose. Dang near broke my own nose! Too much oil on the strap. Many leather items need shape to help function correctly, sheaths , holsters, boots etc. Too much oil and there goes the shape. It'll smack ya right upside the nose!

Each item I make is treated sparsely with oil after or during construction. After that my own personal ones don't ever see oil again. The cream conditioners I use are Oakwood and Skidmore's and I used several different Australian saddle creams too. Which brings up a good point. I mean let's look at it this way. We might be talking about a sheath worth somewhere around a hundred bucks. But those dang saddles...........my current one cost about $7500. Ya got that kind of $ tied up in something I tend to listen to what the guy who built it says. On this one he says Skidmore's. My previous saddle and a different maker, he was big on the Australian creams. Saddles can be exposed to some very harsh conditions. Around here we have a lot of hot, dry, dusty winds that can suck the life out of a lizard let alone leather. I use the creams.

Hope this helps.

 

[John A. Larsen]

I'm not much of a sheath .maker but.on my leather boots, jackets, sheaths pretty much anything I've found Obenaufs to be the best stuff going.......Granted would be expensive for a leather guy to treat all his work in it....
But it keeps my 1988 Danner canadiens in tip top form......Just a damn good product in this knuckleheads opinion..

jfk1110. I also use Obenaufs on my boots, and agree from my experience it is the best stuff for that purpose. Now as I posted earlier Gary Graley used neatsfoot oil on the belt sheath he made for my folder, and for a folder it worked just fine. John

 

[navman]

Too hot to work in the shop (aka Garage)...so wet molding some leather and drinking bourbon. (sheaths 2 and 3, tried my hand at a scout/horizontal carry sheath).

 

[Sharp & Fiery]

Too hot to work in the shop (aka Garage)...so wet molding some leather and drinking bourbon. (sheaths 2 and 3, tried my hand at a scout/horizontal carry sheath).

Looks like fun!! We shoulda had a leather party!!

Sheaths look great!

 

[jfk1110]

Too hot to work in the shop (aka Garage)...so wet molding some leather and drinking bourbon. (sheaths 2 and 3, tried my hand at a scout/horizontal carry sheath).

Looking good..

 

[navman]

I always hated sheath day. Kydex was tedious and not very fun...or interesting...to me. I am starting to understand the appeal of leathersmithing. It's almost as therapeutic as grinding steel. And leather definitely smells better than kydex.

 

[jfk1110]

I always hated sheath day. Kydex was tedious and not very fun...or interesting...to me. I am starting to understand the appeal of leathersmithing. It's almost as therapeutic as grinding steel. And leather definitely smells better than kydex.

Well your kydex sheaths don't reflect that mindset at all.......Fit, form & function perfectly........If its any indication of what your leather work will evolve too your set!!!.........

 

[ron55]

Nice knife and sheath! Question for those who are more knowledgeable than I am, concerning using neatsfoot oil on this sheath. My experience with neatsfoot oil is it makes the leather more pliable. In Ranger School they had a gallon can outside the orderly Room and you were "Encouraged" to oil your leather boots, to make them fit better. I had an extra sheath for my Randall 14, that I gave a very good friend and he used neatsfoot oil and it got very pliable, so much so that we had to place a piece of hard plastic on the back and tape it on with 100 MPH tape. The late Custom Knife maker, Wayne Goddard told me about using a mixture of neatsfoot oil and bees wax about 50/50 and I have used that on several sheaths, left a hard finish that is about as waterproof as any I have seen. Even on my other Randall 14 sheath, I ended up taking a plastic stiffener out of the side of an M14 ammunition pouch and taping it onto the back of the sheath to stiffen it up, so when jumping the tip out not bend over and let the point of the blade come thru the sheath into my leg. I have seen more than one KaBar leather sheath with the tip of the knife has penetrated thru the sheath because the tip bent over. So I guess my question is do the SME (Subject Matter Experts) here recommend using neatsfoot oil on a fixed blade sheath? I imagine it would also depend on how much neatsfoot oil you put on the sheath. Happy 4th of July to everyone! John

Good evening John…just in between stitching up projects and happened to see your question.

I don’t suggest neatsfoot oil on finished fixed blade sheaths, myself. It is ok to put a little on (think, holy smokes is there even any oil on this rag?!) every 4-5 years or so. You are correct that too much to often will cause the sheath to get “floppy”, for a lack of a better term. Also, certain wet formed sheaths can also loose their form/snuggness.

That said, I do use a super small touch of neatsfoot oil in my wet forming process (thanks Dave!)

Horsewright Dave will probably be along soon to put what I am trying to say into more eloquent words.

Not sure if this helped. Back to stitching for me.

Howdy John. I know I've told ya this before but Thank You for your service! And everyone else too that reads this and has served.

I'm always really hesitant to recommend neatsfoot oil. It's just too easy to use too much. I much prefer and recommend a cream type conditioner. Put some on, wait a few minutes, (10-15) and wipe off excess. Leave for a couple hours and then buff with a soft cloth. Too much neatsfoot oil does make leather items too soft. I know this from personal experience. I was using the first pair of saddle bags I ever made on a horseback hunting trip in Idaho. Was getting ready to head out in the morning. Pulled one of the closure straps tight to close the flap and it broke. Smacked myself hard in the nose. Dang near broke my own nose! Too much oil on the strap. Many leather items need shape to help function correctly, sheaths , holsters, boots etc. Too much oil and there goes the shape. It'll smack ya right upside the nose!

Each item I make is treated sparsely with oil after or during construction. After that my own personal ones don't ever see oil again. The cream conditioners I use are Oakwood and Skidmore's and I used several different Australian saddle creams too. Which brings up a good point. I mean let's look at it this way. We might be talking about a sheath worth somewhere around a hundred bucks. But those dang saddles...........my current one cost about $7500. Ya got that kind of $ tied up in something I tend to listen to what the guy who built it says. On this one he says Skidmore's. My previous saddle and a different maker, he was big on the Australian creams. Saddles can be exposed to some very harsh conditions. Around here we have a lot of hot, dry, dusty winds that can suck the life out of a lizard let alone leather. I use the creams.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for the great neatsfoot oil tips! I'm a novice leatherworker and have never been able to get an even coat of neatsfoot oil on anything. And I have never mastered any type of finish like tankote or bagkote. And I've never mastered any burnishing treatment like tokonole or gum tragacanth - it stains where I get it off the edges a bit.

The only "finish" that works for me so far is sno-seal. It's beeswax based. It gives me an even coat that isn't overly shiny and too dark, and I can use it for edge burnishing too. But I'm going to try some of the creams that Dave uses.

 

[Horsewright]

Hello Everybody



So I haven’t been posting much. Re injured my old back injury so was down for awhile. Luckily it healed up nicely, another lesson learned lol.
Anyways here are two customs I finished and shipped. Working to catch up for those on my list.
View attachment 2602810
View attachment 2602809

Excellent work my friend. I'd noticed ya hadn't been around. Glad to hear you are feeling better. Nichole had had some similar problems for some time. Bout 5-6 weeks could barely walk. She is doing much better now. PT has really helped her and Tincture of Time.

Lots on my workbench right now…gonna be doing some wet forming this weekend (today or tomorrow)…plus starting a few new projects.

This one finished up today.

View attachment 2603427View attachment 2603424

Very clean sir!

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Very clean too and the pics are great as well!

Picture on the belt.

Welcome here, navmanThats looking pretty good for first few tries. if I can ever be of assistance ya have only to ask.

 

[Horsewright]

Hadn't posted much here for a while. Been pretty busy. First Aly (our daughter) and I went deep sea fishing out of Morro Bay. It was really rough, first trip out after a bad storm It was rough enough that the deckhands were falling down! I'd say half the folks on the boat were too sick to fish. Fortunately we were alright. As long as the wind wasn't blowing hard we did alright fishing wise. but when it would pick up the fishing fell off. Nichole doesn't go on these trips as she is very prone to motion sickness.

It was cold and foggy too. shivering all day cold:

Some old guy caught a pretty good LingCod. This one was 26"s long. See that turquoise color on the bottom of the fish? The filets from these guys are the same color. Kinda weird looking but they cook up white.

Aly got a nice Red:

She is on summer break from nursing school and so she spent some days up the hill with us. Got some riding in:

And she's handy as heck in the shop. She is great at sawing out blades.

Five sheets of AEB-L with 94 blades total. Her favorite job is profiling them at the grinder after sawing them out but not that far along yet. Takes a bit to saw out 94 blades.

We rented a cabin the next weekend up in the Sierra near Yosemite. Went fishing agin twice and dang if Aly didn't catch the biggest Bluegill I've ever seen:

Course been busy doing leather work too:

Water Buffalo overlay with black stitching:

Pair of spur straps. The customer had seen my old pair and used that as inspiration:

Well if you are gonna make one pair of spur straps ya might as well make four pair. Three extra pair I made for stock:

Roughout:

Basket stamped in chestnut leather:

And Carlos Border stamped:

Whaha been up to?

 

[jfk1110]

Hadn't posted much here for a while. Been pretty busy. First Aly (our daughter) and I went deep sea fishing out of Morro Bay. It was really rough, first trip out after a bad storm It was rough enough that the deckhands were falling down! I'd say half the folks on the boat were too sick to fish. Fortunately we were alright. As long as the wind wasn't blowing hard we did alright fishing wise. but when it would pick up the fishing fell off. Nichole doesn't go on these trips as she is very prone to motion sickness.

It was cold and foggy too. shivering all day cold:

Some old guy caught a pretty good LingCod. This one was 26"s long. See that turquoise color on the bottom of the fish? The filets from these guys are the same color. Kinda weird looking but they cook up white.

Aly got a nice Red:

She is on summer break from nursing school and so she spent some days up the hill with us. Got some riding in:

And she's handy as heck in the shop. She is great at sawing out blades.

Five sheets of AEB-L with 94 blades total. Her favorite job is profiling them at the grinder after sawing them out but not that far along yet. Takes a bit to saw out 94 blades.

We rented a cabin the next weekend up in the Sierra near Yosemite. Went fishing agin twice and dang if Aly didn't catch the biggest Bluegill I've ever seen:

Course been busy doing leather work too:

Water Buffalo overlay with black stitching:

Pair of spur straps. The customer had seen my old pair and used that as inspiration:

Well if you are gonna make one pair of spur straps ya might as well make four pair. Three extra pair I made for stock:

Roughout:

Basket stamped in chestnut leather:

And Carlos Border stamped:

Whaha been up to?

Beautiful pics and work...

 

[Sharp & Fiery]

Finished up a few…

A matching set…


And tried some leather overlay on kydex.


Hope ya all had a great weekend!

 

[Horsewright]

Finished up a few…

A matching set…
View attachment 2608659View attachment 2608660

And tried some leather overlay on kydex.
View attachment 2608661

Hope ya all had a great weekend!

Very distinctive work. You definitely have developed your own style.

 

[Sharp & Fiery]

Very distinctive work. You definitely have developed your own style.

Thanks, Dave! And thank you for your willingness to answer my questions.

 

[Horsewright]

Thanks, Dave! And thank you for your willingness to answer my questions.

Ya bet buddy! Anytime!

Some more of what I've been up too. Kinda funny I hadn't made any rifle scabbards for a while. Which is unusual cause I make a lot of these. Then got two orders one right after the other for one of these guys. Both were personalized, one with initials and one with a brand. Both were roughout and one was for a short barreled rifle and the other was for a standard length.

 

[SwissHeritageCo]

Ya bet buddy! Anytime!

Some more of what I've been up too. Kinda funny I hadn't made any rifle scabbards for a while. Which is unusual cause I make a lot of these. Then got two orders one right after the other for one of these guys. Both were personalized, one with initials and one with a brand. Both were roughout and one was for a short barreled rifle and the other was for a standard length.

It's like a massive knife sheath! Would hate to accidentally scrap one of those

Do they have retention? The sheer diversity of your skill is really impressive Dave, those spur straps are crazy intricate and they came out flawless!