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The Sheath/Holster Makers Forum This is the place to discuss all forms of sheath and holster making.

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  #1  
Old 12-09-2011, 05:43 PM
Adam Adam is offline
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: USA
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I'm new to sheath-making.

Hi all,
I'm 17 years old and have been introduced to knifemaking by my cousin, but have yet to try and make one yet (still studying all the basics).
But one thing I have always liked to do is tool leather, and i made a sheath for a small skinning knife I have at the house. I made it out of one piece of leather that I folded on one side and sewn on the other. I tooled it before i sewed it and when I folded the leather to sew it the leather stretched and made the tooling faint. I was wondering what could be done about this, if i should make it out of 2 pieces where it wouldn't need to be folded, or tool it after I have it sewn? I also thought the leather might be too thick (about 3/16-1/4 inch) if I needed to maybe thin it to keep the tooling from becoming faint, any help would be greatly appreciated. - Adam
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  #2  
Old 12-09-2011, 06:33 PM
Doug Lester Doug Lester is offline
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Lay out your pattern and tool before you fold and sew the sheath. I have limited experience tooling but let me put forth a few ideas here. One might be that your leather was not vegetable tanned. If it was not vegetable tanned it will not tool well and it will corrode any knife that is stored in it.

Another problem is that it will be too lite in weight to take tooling. Also some stamps just tend to stamp deaper than others. I have one basket weave stamp that did great on some 6-7oz vegetable tanned leather and another that makes a fainter stamp on the same hide. Others will give their opinion but I would think that 6-7oz weight leather is pretty much minimal for stamping and carving. But some tools will be able to make a pattern on liter leather

What you stamp on can be as important as what you stamp with. I have a 1 1/2" thick slab of a reconstituted marble stone with a smooth surface to work on. I really does help make the impression deeper.

Doug


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  #3  
Old 12-09-2011, 06:45 PM
Adam Adam is offline
 
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Location: USA
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Thanks for the info Doug,
The leather I'm using is tanned (some pieces left over from my local saddle shop) I might have to try and make my tooling a little deeper than I usually do. It looked good until I folded it tight to sew it like I said, and then the tooling was just barely visible, but I'll try your method and tool it a bit deeper next time.

Thanks - Adam
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  #4  
Old 12-10-2011, 03:30 PM
Doug Lester Doug Lester is offline
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The thing is that if you try stamping a folded over piece of leather your stamp will really be faint. The layer of leather beneath will compress and take a lot of the energy out of the blow. Also, reading over our original post I couldn't tell, are you putting a welt between the two layers before you glue and sew?

Doug


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  #5  
Old 12-10-2011, 10:51 PM
Adam Adam is offline
 
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No, I didn't put a welt in, just folded it over and sewed it. Now that you mention it, adding a welt would help a lot because it would have to fold less than normal. I get what you're saying about tooling on the folded piece, but the fading happens after the fold. I tooled it flat like normal and the tooling looks good until it gets folded and then it fades. I made a two piece sheath today for my cousin, and it came out well without having to fold it. Once I get some new leather at the beginning of this coming week i'll try adding a welt and see if that makes a difference.
Thanks as always!
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Old 12-11-2011, 01:07 AM
Doug Lester Doug Lester is offline
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Without putting a welt in the sheath there is a good chance that the blade will eventually cut through the threads holding the sheath together.

Doug


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Old 12-11-2011, 09:36 AM
Adam Adam is offline
 
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Ok thanks for the info, Doug!

The next sheath I make I'll add a welt to it. I didnt think it was necessary for this knife because its a smaller knife and i made the sheath long enough for about half of the handle to fit in the sheath along with the blade, and it seemed fairly stable in the sheath.

Once the saddle shop in town is open tomorrow I'll go get some more leather from them and try another sheath with a welt sometime this week..

I will post some pictures to maybe help people visualize what I was talking about.
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Old 12-11-2011, 02:46 PM
Doug Lester Doug Lester is offline
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Still, as you put the blade into the sheath it is probable that the edge will cut through the stitching at throat of the sheath. Once the thread is cut there it will eventually release the two layers of leather. It's also a good idea to use something like contact cement to glue the leather together an the seam before stitching or lacing.

Doug


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Old 12-11-2011, 06:02 PM
Adam Adam is offline
 
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Ok thanks! I'll add a welt to the next one.. will rubber cement work to glue the pieces together or should I use a different type of glue?

Thanks! - Adam
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  #10  
Old 12-15-2011, 07:15 AM
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Crex Crex is offline
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Adam
Doug has given you some great advice. Still it is uncertain what kind of leather you are using. There is a great difference between veg. tanned and oil/chem tanned leathers. Both are use in saddle making. Ask the fellas in the shop which they are supplying you. The welt issue is a very important safety feature for both the knife and the carrier. As far as glues go there are several to choose from - not sure what your "rubber cement" is in particular, may be suitable may not. What are the brand specs?

Fading tooling can be caused by several different issues (Doug covered some of these). More facts and conditions are needed to accertain the actual cause. It may be as simple as terminology confusion. What you mean/say may not be what we see/hear, etc. Helps if we are all on the same page.
Stick with us and also read the great info in the stickies above....lot of excellent stuff up there.

There's a good bit more to working leather into sheaths than meets the eye or can be covered in short forum threads. You might find that you live pretty close to a sheath maker. Fill out your profile in a little more detail.....ie.-town and state. This might get you an invite to someone's shop for better instruction and details. Well worth the effort.
You'd be welcome in my shop as you would in just about anyone elses.


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  #11  
Old 12-15-2011, 12:24 PM
Doug Lester Doug Lester is offline
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I use a contact cement to glue with, one that is frequently also called a "rubber cement". Chuck Burrows made a great video on making sheaths. It's well worth getting and watching, repeatedly, if you feel that you will be making sheaths on at least a occasional basis.

Doug


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  #12  
Old 12-18-2011, 10:43 AM
Adam Adam is offline
 
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Thank you both for all the great information you have given!

I went and got some more leather this week and now I'm out of school for 2 weeks so I'll have some free time to make some things.

The "rubber cement" as Doug said is a type of contact cement (not sure on the brand because it is some old stuff my dad had) I'll try a sheath with a welt and some rubber cement this coming week and let you know how it turns out. I've also been working with some leather just making things other than sheaths so might post a few pictures.

Thanks for all the great info! - Adam
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