Leather?

I am curently using oak tanned leather with a wax hot dip.

It is about time to order anouther hide and was thinking of going with waxed harness leather for durability. But was told by a saddle maker that harness leather has a bad habit of moulding down here in the humidity.

I haven't had that problem with my hot dip sheaths, was wondering if this was true, or was he refering to harness that spends it's life in a damp barn?

Any idea's?

If you wet-mold your sheaths to the knife, you will find that vegetable tanned leather is the only way to go. If you don't, I guess your options are wide open.

After using normal vegetable tanned leather for some years i changed to half tanned leather with a rawhide (non tanned) center some months ago. I would never go back again. You don't need inlays, because it is virtually impossible to pierce the blade through the leather by inserting it into the sheath, because the rawhide is so hard. You get a perfect fit with a wet mold. You may use a lot thinner leather without loosing strength, thus making lighter sheaths. You have a clamping ability similar to kydex sheaths.

Achim

Achim, I have not seen half-tanned leather from any American suppliers. Do you have a European source for it that will ship to the US?

Don, I got some half tan from Tandy one time they got it by accident. One of the Leather suppiers I think maybe Hide house had some.

I believe it is also called orthopedic leather....might help. I know it was once or currently used for prostetics.

It is also the only I use...I like it alot...I even heard they got something halfthickness of what I am using now that should hold up just as good...more expencive of course.

William I doubt if you could form the harness leather. I have a sheath I made for my son, back in the 70s it is wet formed and diped in hot wax. It looks brand new and the knife still pops in and out like it was new. This process is hard to beat but the new leather sounds interesting--Rade

Rade, I have not been compleatly satisfied with the hot dip yet.

I went ahead and ordered a vegitable tanned hide and will keep experimenting with the hot dip.

Have heard of Balistol Lube used and think I will order some and give it a try, maybe in conjuntion with the wax dip.

The reason I was wondering about waxed harness leather is that I do very little stamping or carving and it is suposed to be soft and durable and at the same time water profe.

When funds allow I will order some and try it.

Thanks,
William Courtney

Hello

Sorry to keep popping in like this.. but don't know any other way to learn. What the heck is hot wax dip? when do you do it? how do you do it? i really have a lot to learn.

William

As a gun/knife nut I live by Ballistol. It is amazing what that stuff will do. If I can I'll post a picture off an old, beat up commecial sheath that I restored using Ballistol. Great stuff.