MEMBER ITEMS FOR SALE
Custom Knives | Other Knives | General Items
-------------------------------------------
New Posts | New PhotosAll Photos



Go Back   The Knife Network Forums : Knife Making Discussions > Custom Knife Discussion Boards > Knife Making Discussions > The Newbies Arena

The Newbies Arena Are you new to knife making? Here is all the help you will need.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #16  
Old 06-30-2017, 08:18 PM
Ray Rogers's Avatar
Ray Rogers Ray Rogers is offline
Founding Member / Moderator
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Wauconda, WA
Posts: 9,840
Nope, I didn't think of that and I sincerely hope he didn't use JB Weld for that purpose...


__________________

Your question may already have been answered - try the Search button first!






Reply With Quote
  #17  
Old 06-30-2017, 10:05 PM
KevBooth KevBooth is offline
Enthusiast
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Northern Utah
Posts: 79
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ray Rogers View Post
I agree, much, much better! The knife is very nice too, nothing to be ashamed of there assuming you've done some hard testing and know that your blades will hold up.
I have done a fair amount of testing with this steel. I use a professional heat treating company and have been well pleased with the results. With this particular blade I whittled through a 2x4, and cut a cardboard box into confetti. By the end it was pretty dull, but resharpened nicely.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ray Rogers View Post
See those dark circles around the handle pins? That means you over heated the pins while shaping the handle and burned the wood. The most common culprit for this is using a dull belt. Too much speed with a finer grit can also do this.
I actually did that intentionally, realizing it might affect the overall integrity afterward. My intention was to achieve a certain aesthetic for this particular customer. I realize now that pins attached to burnt wood may not be the strongest most secure way to fasten handles. My customer appreciated the look, and was cautioned, and was given my full replacement guarantee. Lesson learned.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ray Rogers View Post
As for balance, some people prefer the handle heavy balance that comes from full tangs on a short blade. If you want a more centered or blade forward balance the surest way to get it is with a stub tang handle design ...
I have done a few stub tang knives, and I keep going back to the full tang. Not because if anything technical or integrity concerns. No reason really other than I like the full tang look and feel. Almost all of my knives are 6" or less, and none over 8". This one is 7 1/2" long and balances just behind the blade. I removed a good portion of material from the tang, being cautious not to affect the integrity. Not a good substitute but it worked in this case for me. I do realize that if I start making bigger knives I will need to use the stub tang designs to address this.

Thank you again for all of the encouragement, kind words and coaching. This hobby can be daunting, but step by step, with good advice helps greatly.
Reply With Quote
  #18  
Old 06-30-2017, 10:09 PM
KevBooth KevBooth is offline
Enthusiast
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Northern Utah
Posts: 79
Quote:
Originally Posted by jimmontg View Post
Maybe he used JB Weld glue Ray, did ya think of that? LOL
No JB weld was used in the making of this knife... LOL!!! Fortunately I was cautioned against the grey goo from the start.
I use acra-glass now, but I used 5 minute epoxy in the beginning.
Reply With Quote
  #19  
Old 07-01-2017, 01:52 PM
jimmontg jimmontg is offline
Guru
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Now live in Las Cruces NM.
Posts: 1,345
As for tooling the leather vs. a plain sheath then why not just buy a ready made sheath for about $20 as all the knife suppliers sell them for just about all designs, as Ray says time is money why bother to make it yourself then? Making the sheath is what takes the most time to get it right. You can dye them after you buy them.

Tooling a border really sets a sheath off and all other things being equal I would take the nicer sheath. Doing a nice clean border doesn't take much time at all. No rule says you have to tool the whole thing, that's just me. It thins and spreads the leather out to tool the whole face which I account for when I do.


__________________
Now it says Guru and it used to say Master. I think I like Master better, though skilled would be the best description
Reply With Quote
  #20  
Old 07-01-2017, 02:21 PM
Ray Rogers's Avatar
Ray Rogers Ray Rogers is offline
Founding Member / Moderator
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Wauconda, WA
Posts: 9,840
QUOTE: why not just buy a ready made sheath ?

You know the answer to that already, it's a custom knife and it will have a custom sheath. Nothing wrong with the sheaths you buy, they can even be tooled if you wish, but any sheath you make should be higher quality than the ones you buy for $20 even if you make a plain one. Some guys can get extra money for a tooled sheath but apparently I didn't have that kind of clientele. If they had wanted to pay for it then I would do it. My knives were pricey enough already. I tried to make my sheaths 'fancy' by the way they were designed and finished and on the ones with a snap retainer I would use a real silver Liberty Head dime to replace the snap's cap. Just a way to dress up a sheath without investing a lot of time...


__________________

Your question may already have been answered - try the Search button first!






Reply With Quote
  #21  
Old 07-01-2017, 04:27 PM
jimmontg jimmontg is offline
Guru
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Now live in Las Cruces NM.
Posts: 1,345
Of course I knew the answer already Ray.

Was just saying if time is a consideration a ready made plain sheath is pretty much indistinguishable from a plain handmade one. I do not tool a sheath after it is sewn though as it's hard to get it even, maybe an easy border though. Without a pattern (I have a few and they can be modified some) it takes more time to make a sheath from scratch. As some of my knives are not standard sizes like the oyster shucker where I didn't know if the client's father-in-law was left or right handed I had to make it ambidextrous, something I have never really done except to make a cross draw sheath that could be accessed with either hand or just make a square unformed sheath.

My next sheath and Knife will be a copy of my big 12" double edged Bear Killer knife as I forged two of them at the same time. (That's ambidextrous lol) My son wants to display them crossed on his mantle. I will redo the original sheath as well as it was just "too busy" the 1st time. I do believe I will do just a border and one bear stamping on each sheath with a whip stitch style sew, I like the whip stitch, but they use up a lot of thread.


__________________
Now it says Guru and it used to say Master. I think I like Master better, though skilled would be the best description
Reply With Quote
  #22  
Old 07-01-2017, 06:36 PM
KevBooth KevBooth is offline
Enthusiast
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Northern Utah
Posts: 79
I tried the pre-made sheaths and they didn't fit the knives. Like not at all. I thought I was saving time and money. Turns out neither were true. As it stands right now I figure I'm into a sheath for materials maybe $5, not including my time. Also the sheaths I was using did not have a welt, and wore out quickly.
Make no mistake there are those amoung us that elevate leather work to an art form in the highest degree. Currently that is not me. I am still focusing on the metal and wood work aspect of the craft, and I have a long way to go. But like others I suppose, family and friends are asking to purchase knives, and they need sheaths. That being the case I need to dip my toe in the pond so to speak. I make a simple functional sheath, in order to sell the knife. I am pleased with the current result, and will continue to grow my skills. Perhaps someday, I'll wade in hip deep and try my hand at tooling.
Thanks again for all the advice and coaching.
Reply With Quote
  #23  
Old 07-01-2017, 07:13 PM
jimmontg jimmontg is offline
Guru
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Now live in Las Cruces NM.
Posts: 1,345
Well Kevin take a look through the photo thread and look at some of the simple border tooled sheaths. It doesn't take much time to do and just sets a knife sheath off really well. Also you can forego the welt with the judicious use of pure brass rivets. I do axe sheaths and just use rivets and they look nice too. I have done a couple of knife sheaths with just rivets and for the knives they were good looking. A filet knife is a suitable all rivet sheath for instance or use stainless Chicago screws too.

I never bought a store bought sheath and was unaware they had no welts, you would have to put rivets on a sheath with no welt that is for certain.


__________________
Now it says Guru and it used to say Master. I think I like Master better, though skilled would be the best description
Reply With Quote
  #24  
Old 07-01-2017, 11:32 PM
KevBooth KevBooth is offline
Enthusiast
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Northern Utah
Posts: 79
I guess it's just another one of those style things in this hobby that makes every project unique... If all anyone ever made was drop point hunters with hidden tangs, I would have little to no interest. As certain as I am that I am oblivious to 98% of the knife making world, I am just as certain I am aware of even less in the art of leatherwork. Perhaps as I progress I'll venture outside of my comfort zone. For now I'll just keep trying to improve on each project.
Reply With Quote
  #25  
Old 07-02-2017, 11:28 AM
jimmontg jimmontg is offline
Guru
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Now live in Las Cruces NM.
Posts: 1,345
I too am still improving Kevin.

It says Master under my name here, but I'm not a master. I am still learning more about leather work and I really enjoy it. Same for knifemaking. It seems every time I try something new with leather I learn something new. It's been a long road since I used to finish my sheaths with the wet shoe polish, brown or black, but it worked as well as the dyes did. Funny how things open up along the way. Thank goodness I lived near enough to a Tandy store to take lessons.

Just keep going, there are hundreds of videos on Youtube on sheath making and leather work. Take a gander at some of them, I have and made my own modified stitching pony from one I saw online just for sheaths. Saves time believe me and makes it easier. Sewing is the only thing I don't like.
Reply With Quote
  #26  
Old 07-02-2017, 01:33 PM
KevBooth KevBooth is offline
Enthusiast
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Northern Utah
Posts: 79
That's interesting. Stitching is the only part I actually enjoy. The rest is nerve wracking for me and I generally have to be in a good mood to start a sheath, but the stitching I can do any time.
Reply With Quote
  #27  
Old 07-02-2017, 02:16 PM
jimmontg jimmontg is offline
Guru
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Now live in Las Cruces NM.
Posts: 1,345
I just don't like sewing, guess it's why I'm partial to the whip stitch as it is different. I learned some interesting lace techniques too, but use those on purses, wallets or bracelets mostly and viking axe handle wraps. I think when I redo the 12" double edged blade's sheaths I may use a sinew whip stitch type braid, very time consuming, but looks good when finished right. Has to be done after dye or the sinew dyes as well, but will be great looking knives to put in my Flickr page account.
Here's a link to it and I hope it works.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/139620...h/29925370071/


__________________
Now it says Guru and it used to say Master. I think I like Master better, though skilled would be the best description

Last edited by jimmontg; 07-02-2017 at 02:33 PM. Reason: addition and link
Reply With Quote
  #28  
Old 07-02-2017, 02:40 PM
dtec1 dtec1 is offline
Guru
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: ny
Posts: 1,438
Just a thought.....I very rarely make a leather sheath....Jim says he isn't a master but he down plays his skill with leather. He recently made 2 sheaths for a pair of knives I made and they came out fantastic. I never had much interest in sheaths. But with knife making sometimes you need one. But I have also sold a lot of knives that did not have a sheath and a lot of other makers out there do the same thing. When I first started making knives (way before I was making them for other people) I made them for my self and I wanted to carry my work to see what I could improve on. Very quickly I started making simple kydex sheaths. Mainly because of how easy and quick it was. Now yes kydex has its place just as leather does... In the early days a lot of my style was toward "tactical" knives so kydex fit the bill. Yeh over time I have played with many diferent styles. And I played with leather...Again didn't get interested to much in it. And again most of my knives haven't had a sheath to go with them.....The "learning curve" for kydex is much much quicker than leather. Some elaborate kydex sheaths come out VERY good. But it has its style of knife. One thing I have done before to get the leather look but without the time and effort that a full leather sheath I have made a kydex sheath and them glued and riveted leather to the kydex....Might serve as a quick way to get out a sheath with the leather look while you hone your skills and get better at leather by itself. I have also seen some amazing sheaths that has elements of the kydex showing but also with leather shoing in the design to ....but to do that you need to get very good at both. Just something to keep in mind glueing and riveting pieces of leather IF done the right way can be pretty cool you get the snap hold of kydex but the look of leather if you get good at it you wont even know its kydex under nieth until you get very close and inspect it.. In my opinion try everything you can to make your life easier and hey you may like it....I still am not that interested in making sheaths either kydex or leather I only do it when I need to. But hey maybe that is the reason I have been learning folders recently ...OH I saw ALOT of "hybrid" leather kydex sheaths at the blade show in atlanta
Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
advice, antler, belt, belt loop, belt sander, bevel, blade, bone, book, coat, demo, edge, folder, glue, grind, hollow grind, knives, make, making, problem, sander, sheath, sheaths, small, video


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 10:22 AM.




KNIFENETWORK.COM
Copyright © 2000
? CKK Industries, Inc. ? All Rights Reserved
Powered by ...

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
The Knife Network : All Rights Reserved