Who finds sheathmaking aggravating?

G

Guy Thomas

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Feb 1, 2000
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I love knifemaking but sheathmaking is proving to be a real pain! Is working with leather an acquired taste? Hopefully it's something you grow to like in time! Maybe it's just the fact it's a new medium for me to fool around with (yes I've been putting sheathmaking off for some time now!).
 
I know what you are talking about. I dont enjoy it either but make my own for the lower end knives. Mine hold together well over time but dont look the best. I have a master saddle maker do the ones that have damascus and ivory. His sheaths cost money but I pass the cost off into the total cost of a neat package.
 
When I first started making knives, I found sheathmaking rather aggravating, I even trid to farm it out to some leather shops in my area at the time, they did such a poor job that I threw them away. Had to face the fact that the sheath was deserving of as much care in the making, as the knife, both were reflections of my skill, and they both carry my name. After realizing that, it wasn't such an aggravation anymore.:D
 
I do but it is because it's something I'm just not good at. I really wish I were. I've tried holsters, knife sheaths ax sheaths and so on. Maybe some day I will get the hang of it. Another problem I have is finding leather. It's not really available locally anymore.

An interesting side note. About 20 minutes ago I was making a frog for the new sword. I used Bruce Evans recipe of Mink oil and beeswax. Now the first piece turned out well. The second one was larger and I wasn'r watching the temprature. To sum it up, I deep fat fried the thing. That's why I don't like leather work!:mad:
 
Ditto to all the aggravations mentioned by all of you. Like, Bruce, I can make a good functional sheath that holds together well over time, but it will not win any beauty contests. I did everything by hand because I did want want to invest in a stitcher/sewing maching. Of course, doing it by hand is pretty slow. In the time it took me to make a sheath I could profile, grind and heat treat another knife. I know, I was slow! I figured I was better off having someone else make them so last year I chose to farm out my sheath making to a professional and have not looked back. I do this for low-end knives as well. Even though there is some cash outlay with this process I felt I was money ahead in time savings and reduced aggravation. I pass some of the cost on to the customer and eat some of it myself as the cost of doing business. For me, this has worked well and the professional sheaths make my knives look better and I believe, have improved sales.

Fox
 
i too, absolutely hate making sheaths... the few i have made came out rather well, but there is no bigger pain in the A$$ than hand stitching a leather sheath:barf: :p
 
Originally posted by peter nap
... I used Bruce Evans recipe of Mink oil and beeswax. Now the first piece turned out well. The second one was larger and I wasn'r watching the temprature. To sum it up, I deep fat fried the thing. ...
Click to expand...

I can guess how it looks. It puckers up and gets all wrinkled, browns and looks like a fried pork rind. Ask me how I know this.
When you get it right though, it does look good and makes the sheath nice and hard and impregnated with wax/oil.
 
I don't know of anyone that likes it but it's a neccessary evil.

Peter try Zack White Leather Co. in Ramseur, NC. Their site is at www.zackwhite.com They are really good people to work with and have most anything you need to work leather. And their service is really fast. When I order I usually get it the next day.

Never fried one but I did try the microwave onve. Same results.
 
I knew it. Several local knifemakers have a professional leather worker make their sheaths also, and she does do a beautiful job. Japanese swordmakers don't think twice about using other craftsmen on their swordprojects. Their blades are often farmed out to professional polishers and professional scabbard makers.

Stiil, I think I can turn out serviceable sheaths that match the level of the knives I am making now. Maybe as my knives progress my sheaths will also. The attention to detail is part of knifemaking but it appears to be doubly important with leatherworking. One moments inattention can cause a mistake on a knife that usually can be fixed but the leather almost always has to be scrapped!
 
leather is completely differnt that steel, or wood, i made a few :barf: and then decided that i would concentrate on the steel and handle. i have a man that is world class now. one of the things to remenber is it takes a little time to fine tune what you want for hunters, camp, fighters, etc. so find one or two leather people and work with them.i am happy that the shealth has his logo on it. he made it to my spec's.
 
Guy---You have probably noticed that as you get better and more proficient in making a knife, the more you enjoy doing it, and frustrations become less. The same applies to any other artistic endeavour you might try your hand at doing. I probably enjoy leather work now more than I did years ago and that is because I can now sit back and admire my work. It helps when you have an active ego, and in that regard--I do plead guilty---Sandy
 
Me and Leather work don't really get along either.Just something I have to do..
Peter how hot did you get the wax:eek:
Actually I have had some do this but it was the kind of leather I had picked up.I get some off the leather at the flea market from a guy that sells allot of scraps and seconds.I got ahold of a piece that was used for rawhide laces and boy did it curl up as soon as it hit the wax.
I heat my wax in a crock pot and let it heat untill it almost smokes.This gives me plenty of penetration..
Sorry to here that you had a problem with my method..
Buce
 
I really like to make leather sheaths. Problem is that most customers consider it a mere accessory to the knife.

I like to engineer the sheath to go with each knife and that is what makes the package complete.

I will use Eagle brand cordura sheaths for combat knives though.
 
It's not your method Bruce. It's my lack of attention. I've used this method a number of times and it works better than anything else I've tried. I don't have a crockpot to use with it so I use a burner. I can tell when it's just right and I did one a little earlier today that was perfect. I was working on a couple of things and let it go longer than I should have. It was really "Deep Fat Fried". I could crumble it with my fingers. Again, it was my method rather than your recipe that caused the problem. My wife is still laughing about it.
 
Sheath making, ughhhhhhh!I hate it, especially the stitching. Even the 80 pound dacron line I use eats into your hands. It got so bad I started wearing a pair of those Jersey cloth gloves.
Satin, did you ever finish that knife with the notch in the blade? I'd like to see it when you do.
 
Can't say that I like it either.

I actually know a couple of makers who have switched to folders just so they wouldn't have to make sheaths.
 
I guess I am in the minority because I love making sheaths.I like making a sheath to match the design of the knife.The tricky part is trying to continue improving your skills in two different areas.Dave:)
 
I guess I'm in the minority here,I like making sheaths.After all the dust and noise(and cussing) of grinding it's kind of relaxing to sit in silence and stitch away.To custom design the sheath to the style of knife just completes the whole package for me.I'm currently working on an elephant ear leather sheath to go with an Ivory handled knife.
 
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