This is one of my favourite sheaths. Don't know why I haven't made another one yet. Similar to the Quik-Snap shoelace retention cord mentioned on my other thread.

http://www.jcbknives.com/galleryimages/equalIV-burgroseL.jpg

The front-piece of leather was very thick, looked like elephant hide (actually cow) and fully waxed . A bit dark but I think you can see the leather carving with a leather grooving tool - dyed the grooves with a Q-tip. Rest was regular tan leather dyed a dark red to match the handle. The belt loop panel at the back that holds the adjustable snap retention is Kydex moulded and laminated onto leather.

The knife - 4" O-1 carbon chisel ground clip, edge quench, filework, mini-guard, handles of mortised, mated Burgundy Rosewood Dymondwood with invisible seams. Hidden tang is 4" long.

Howzat ? I'm going crazy posting pics since the good Mr Primos taught me how. Took lots of editing to get this going. Cheers.

Again welcome Jason!

That carving is ultra cool. I've mistakenly grooved the face of my leather a lot of times but NEVER thought of it as a carving tool.
You can teach old dogs new tricks.

dyed the grooves with a Q-tip
I had to laugh. All good leather workers I've ever met come up with makeshift tools (it's part of the fun), but get a good watercolor brush or two my good man! Just keep them clean and they last you a long time.

Jason -- that is the most innovative idea I've seen in a LOOOONG time for a retaining strap !! Can't tell you how much I like it. Just in one day Chuck shows me how to integrate stiffer leather for a throat-keeper, and now you throw the Quick-Snap out here. As we used to say when I was a young Southern California beach bum a century and a half ago, "I'm totally stoked". Thanks for the inspiration guys,
MtMike :D
Oops -- didn't mean to neglect the great knives, in particular the superb file work. Nice variety in your work too !

Hey Mike where at in So Cal? I used to ride the waves in the Ventura and Santa Barbara area. My favorite was Rincon on a good winter day! Talk about stoked. I was a belly boarder mainly so when those curls started topping 10" feet the drop down that steep face was something else and laying back in the tube was like magic!
I was just a kid of 15 when I first met George Greenough the Granddaddy of the belly/boogie board at Rincon and he convinced me to give it a try.

Yes, George gave a different meaning to the term "knife edge":) Who knew back then that the innocent Morey Boogie would be such a threat to the world order as we knew it ! I was one of the original infamous "Wedge Men" of the world-famous Newport Beach Wedge, arguably the best pure body-surfing break in the world. Still go back for a few weeks in the summer to catch a big "southern hemi" swell, rode some 15-18 foot hurricane swells last July. I still own 2 pairs of the original Voit UDT Duck Foot fins -- an old surfin' buddy is bringing the UDTs back in 21st century form -- original molds but new materials and injection technologies. KNIFE CONTENT: much as a knifemaker uses a Rockwell test for hardness, softer materials can also benefit from specific density tests, and the new UDTs are tested at the foot pocket, blades, and web using the exact same type of instrument familiar to bladesmiths.
Kowabunga, dude -- comin' down :D
Mike

Back to the Quick-Snap -- Hey Schwert, you listening? How about a short braid where Jason has the shoelace? It owld have to be adjustable (and replaceable !), but sure would look great. With thanks to Jason,of course !!
PS: Chuck, sending you an email with a bit of beach stuff
Mike

I see a couple of ways to make a Quick-Snap in braid.

You could start with a solid piece of leather where the snap is placed and cut strings from this to braid for the over the guard string. This could be flat or round braid depending. Hooking this in at the back of the sheath could be done like Jason has done through a hole or through a flap. Once the braid was pass through the hole it could be backbraided to secure. This would be replacable.

Alternatively the leather with snap could have an oval slot cut in it and flat braid brought out from this. Terminated like above or a number of other ways.

Braid may really be nice here. Cool to take the 3 colors and make a braid to match.

A very neat idea to eliminate the a stiff keeper strap. The only real difficulty is getting the length and tension correct and making sure it was replacable easily.

"The only real difficulty is getting the length and tension correct"
That is the hardest problem as I see it. Could a braid be done around a center core of non-stretching material, say a twisted nylon? Jason's Quick Snap is almost perfect from a practical aspect -- functional, totally adjustable, easily replaceable, and cheap. If it looks good, as I'm sure the braid would, but doesn't meet the other criteria might as well stay with straps.
BTW Jason-- another adaptation I've seen is similar to yours, but used a chicago screw on the back, anchored in the sheath body, so the whole strap could be replaced.
Life is good today, waiting for some glue to dry, readingthe mail, and enjoying a 5" Don Capitano, handrolled in Ybor City :D
Mike

Round braid of 6+ strings can be done over a core of any flexible material.

I Think even using a 4 string braid cord, that is looped and attached just like the shoelace would work. This could be retied as it stretched.

I really think a flat braid of 3 strings could be looped through the snap leather slot then brought to a 6 plait round with a center core of heavy stitching cord. Bring this round braid back to the side of the sheath through a hole or better through a pair of holes so the string could be adjusted as tight as needed, (like the Randall paracord hole tie.) If this was braided very tight in kangaroo it would probably last a very long time.

This would be fun.

Jason send me a snap flap piece with a 8mm wide x 3mm slot, I will put a string on it and see how you like it.

I'm in the midle of a couple of things right now, but the braiding sounds good. I actually failed the knotting tests in my Scouting days, so I admire how people can actually get 3 or more pieces of cord and make them go thatway, then thatway ...
I hear kangaroo plait is extremely strong. Its used down here for their legendary bullwhips.

I'll give you an email when I'm ready.

But this is why I want to post my stuff. I always reckon whatever neat ideas I can come up with, they're either not new or theres always something else that can be done to spruce things up or make it work even better.

And thanks for the cool comments. Cheers.

Jason,

Just so you know I am not a pro at any of this leatherwork, just an interested amateur. I have done a couple of trifles for Mike and myself.

I would be happy to give it a try if you want however.

Currently none of my posts about my braiding have images (host died a miserable death) so you cannot see them. But if you promised not to laugh loud enough for me to hear all the way from Oz you can see a braided bolo I made with an incomplete amateur sheath project over at KF.

None of you other guys go here! (knife from Australia)

Jason Only, page 2 (http://www.knifeforums.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=UBB42&Number=230846&page=1&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1)

Randy if you send me your braidwork pics I'll be glad to host them. Just send a couple per email and at 20 minute intervals so it won't bog me down. I've got plenty of room and when they are up you can go edit your tutorial. It's too good to leave like that.

Chuck,

Thanks, will do a bit at a time.

Randy

Got your first batch already. I'll wait to get them all and when I've got em uploaded I'll give you a shout with the urls.

Thanks, I'm editing now with what I think the url's will be, but will finalize after my last send.

Thanks so much for this, of all the junk I have posted this is what I am most proud of.

Did find one bobble which I will edit in after....

So no one has to go to that other place to see a 6-plait braid along with a goof ball attempt at a sheath, here is the link to the braiding tutorial.

Knife Lanyard Tutorial (http://www.ckdforums.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=11384)

The picture of the knife and sheath, by Jason cutter, is very nice (a lot of talent there), as is the whole discussion about "keepers".

However, as a newbie, I have trouble relating to meanings/definitions/etc. (why isn't there a 'photo contest' for sheaths as there is for knives?).

More pictures would help; not necessarily photos (pencil or pen drawings can sometimes illustrate points that a photo cannot).

I really enjoy working with leather, and making knife sheaths, tomahawk sheaths, and revolver holsters. I am NOT a great craftsman, and most of my designs were 'borrowed' from web site pictures.

Just one further observation, vis-a-vis 'stiff leather throat keepers'. To me this is an area for considerable development, which would include knife designs that use a very subtle "habaki" (Japanese sword). I think this can be very subtle because it does not have to be as fancy as the more expensive habaki designs, and does not have to be part of the knife, but can/may be part of the sheath design.

This viewpoint would seem to me to be most applicable to obsidian bladed knives that someone actually intended to use. The prehistoric 'sheath' is largely unknown, and unlovely where it is known (e.g., the "Iceman's knife and sheath).

In that regard, I am in the process of trying to design sheaths for several obsidian bladed knives (both commercial, and 'kit made'; i.e., the obsidian blade by others). Any help and/or suggestions on that would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your courtesy !

David -- welcome aboardI think you'll find this is both a fun and informative Forum -- don't negelect the Sheath Making side of the Forum or you'll miss a lot! Actually the Photo Contest seems to favor sheaths as much as knives - In my opinion they compliment one another to the point that a good photograph wich incorporates both will almost always catch my eye quickly.
Most of us here will quickly admit that we not only copy good designs from other sources, but we also share our ideas here on the Forum(s), via email, and in each others shops (when possible). So please feel free to pick up what you like, use it as your own, and ask questions whenever you need to. Of course it's always polite to give credit where due :D
If you have specific pictures of the obsidian knives you're working with, post them (probably on the Sheath Makers side) and I'll bet you get as much information as you'll ever need. I'm not he expert in that area, but you won't have to wait long.
I agree it would be nice to have tutorials posted in the "How To" section (top of the home page -- listenin' in Chuck??) Unfortunatley thta's a very time consuming project, anf the ones who are knowledgeable enough to do it also make a living in this craft -- so it's often best to ask specific questions, or find a hard-cover source (Chuck also knows lots of those !)
Have a ball here, like to see some of your work,
MtMike

Welcome David-
As a newbie realize that at the bottom right side of each forum there is a drop down list that is set by default for only the last thirty days. Make sure and click on the list and select from the beginning to see the entire list. For instance here in the Sheath Gallery only about 10 posts show for the last thirty days.

For Historically inspired Sheaths also check out the new Historical Inspiration forum her on CKD and also the Outpost.

For obsidian blades I would recommend using a rawhide liner with a buckskin cover. That is the traditional method and considering how bloody sharp (pun intended) obsidian is it's the way I have done it and would continue to do it. I have a picture some where of one from ancient Denmark and as soon as I can I'll find it and post it.

Vegtan (and of course rawhide) are easily made as stiff as you want by wetting with warm to hot tap water and then accelerating the drying. I posted a short tutorial her some time ago on the procedure which has been known since medieval times as cuir bouilli.

[QUOTE]I agree it would be nice to have tutorials posted in the "How To" section (top of the home page -- listening in Chuck??) I'd be glad to list my tutorials but I need a how to on how to do it!:confused: :D :confused:

As Mike said many of us make our living via our craft (it's my sole income) so when asking a question please be patient. I try to check in a t least every other day, but sometimes I just don't have the time, but I am always glad to give a helping hand when possible.

Enjoy and we hope to see more of you here.

Thank you all for your help thus far (must warn you, though, that I'm 68 yrs. old; the only way anything new gets in memory is by repitition, repitition........)

I have two obsidian knives that I'm trying to plan sheaths for now. The first is a commercial blade from Travis Smolinski at Sparrow Creek Productions (www.sparrowcreek.com); his blades are very reasonably priced.

The other is a 'kit' knife: the blade is from Obsidian Arts (www.obsidianarts.com) and the handle is part of a buffallo leg bone from Moscow Fur and Hide.

(I would like to include images of these two knives, but can't figure out how.........help!)

I want to be able to use both of these knives without worrying about a lateral blow snapping the blade. Neck knives have been suggested elsewhere, but the knives are too large for that, I think.

Here is my best plan to date: 1. Make a protective sheath out of wood lined with relatively dense cell foam; 2. hold the knife in the wood sheath by means of a leather collar (habaki) built into the throat of the sheath; 3. cover the wood sheath with leather; 4. fancy up the leather as the spirit moves me.

Any suggestions would be appreciated !! (I have made wood sheaths before, so I have some experience with that; but nothing fancy, just plywood)

David sounds like a good plan. You might consider rawhide though as it's more traditional and when hardened correctly it should give you the protection you wish (Once it's hardened it's as unbendable as wood and unlike wood it won't break - of course plywood is virtually unbreakable and it is what I now use for making a wooden sheath liner except when doing a big bucks museum quality replica.) I'm a real traditionalist as you may have gathered so rather than closed cell foam I'd use sheepskin clipped to about a half inch thick.

If you make a pouch type sheath that comes up 1/3 to 1/2 of the handle that will give you the desired grip without having to make an habaki.

As for posting pictures A) you need some place to host them on the web b)Go to the sticky at the top of the list in the Computer Forum here on CKD. Jamey Saunders offers a free image hosting service and there are also instructions on how to post. In fact just click the link below to go there.
http://www.ckdforums.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=35