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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 11-20-2003, 09:28 AM
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Colin KC Colin KC is offline
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Could someone critique this please

Hi,
Some one has asked me to post a "how to" on making a pouch sheath & I've done my best, could anybody check it out & rip it to shreds for me please

http://www.britishblades.com/forums/...0614#post20614


Thanks guys


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  #2  
Old 11-20-2003, 10:49 AM
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McAhron McAhron is offline
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the tutorial is good.i think more pictures would be nice for a novice to learn
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  #3  
Old 11-21-2003, 03:43 AM
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Colin KC Colin KC is offline
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Thanks McAhron, I've added a couple of pics & will prolly do a couple more to slot in there.


Thanks again for the feedback


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  #4  
Old 11-21-2003, 09:28 PM
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Chuck Burrows Chuck Burrows is offline
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Colin-
I'm not ignoring you - just been too busy to do much foruming!
I've got it on my list to do though ASAP.


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The beautiful sheaths created for storing the knife elevate the knife one step higher. It celebrates the knife it houses.
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  #5  
Old 11-22-2003, 02:34 AM
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Colin KC Colin KC is offline
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Thanks Chuck, I knew you wouldn't let us down


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  #6  
Old 11-23-2003, 06:20 PM
Mike T. Mike T. is offline
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Soaking

You mention "definitely do not soak" in your tutorial. Why not?

I've soaked hundreds of sheaths over 25 years in the hottest water my tap can provide until no more bubbles come from the leather (it's saturated!).

Then I wet-mould immediately (bags & fridges??) and re-soak when it's getting harder to mould (like over the bottom end of thick folders).

It then gets to air dry overnight.

What have I been doing wrong?
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  #7  
Old 11-24-2003, 04:25 PM
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Colin KC Colin KC is offline
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Mike, I have no idea if you're doing anything wrong, I've just been told "definately do not soak" just colour the face & slip into the fridge in a bag for an hour. seems to work quite well, maybe it's not so much "definately, "just no need to"


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  #8  
Old 11-24-2003, 07:27 PM
Mike T. Mike T. is offline
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I've found that the wetter and warmer the leather the easier it wet moulds. It's not so important with simple folds like the 180 degrees around the back of a fixed blade knife but when I'm wet mouding around the bottom end of a fat folder it takes all the strength I've got and unless the leather is saturated and hot there is no way I can get it tucked as tight and stretched as much as I want it.

If you go back into the 6th archive page of this forum I tell how to get a really tight tuck but for some reason the pics have vanished.
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  #9  
Old 11-24-2003, 08:07 PM
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Chuck Burrows Chuck Burrows is offline
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MIke - as Colin said I wouldn't say you're doing anything wrong - just different paths to the same end.

I wet mine by dunking in a sink full of warm water and then I place it in a plastic bag for a couple of hours or even overnight (putting it in the fridge is an old carver/toolers trick to keep it from molding if you don't get it finished all in one shot). This "tempers" or "cases" the leather to the right consistency for tooling and after beaucoup years and reading lots of info from others I've found that it works even better than getting it sopping for molding.
For fitting a thick folder I make a wooden two piece mold - works better and is much easier on my old arthritic hands than stretching it by hand (depending on how thick your leather is anyway). Making the mold takes about 15 minutes with a scroll saw and a couple of pieces of plywood.

Be aware that getting the leather over 150 degrees F because at that point the leather changes chemically - to put it simple it sort of begins forming hide glue - in fact it's the technique for making hardened leather which isn't necessarily bad when it comes to sheaths, but if over done it can weaken the leather in the long run.

The images disappeared due to a a broken link most likely. Where were you hosting them? Some of the image hosting sites - both paid and free - have a time limit on links. If this is the problem and if you would like I'd be glad to host them for you on my site and then send you the corrected links which you can use to edit your former post. Just let me know. The otehr option is to go to the computer forum her on CKD and take advantage of Jamey Saunders free hosting service for CKD forumites.


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The beautiful sheaths created for storing the knife elevate the knife one step higher. It celebrates the knife it houses.
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  #10  
Old 11-25-2003, 01:11 AM
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Colin KC Colin KC is offline
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Thanks Chuck

The images didn't disapear, I only did two & now I've gone & finished the sheath with another two pics & my camera's gone & lost 'em (think it was more to do with me than the camera )

I'm doing another soon which will be a bit more relevant (I'll be sending out a bunch of pre-cut "kits" for some similar knives) so I'll redo the pics then.

Thanks again


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  #11  
Old 11-25-2003, 04:08 PM
Mike T. Mike T. is offline
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Here's the sheath I wanted to show. I'd posted it on this site months ago linked from my ISP and website but I guess I'd done some housecleaning since then.

Anyway here it is again - hot water soak and lots of pressure to stretch & form -

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  #12  
Old 11-26-2003, 11:03 AM
ABN ABN is offline
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Question about creasing

Mike:

That is a beautiful sheath -- congratulations.

One question: Just to the right of your stitching, there is a well-defined crease that marks the end of the stitching area and the beginning of the pouch. What is the best way to make a crease like that?

Gary Graley seems to be doing something similar when outlining handles or bolsters in leather:

http://www.ckdforums.com/showthread....threadid=16483

Thanks, -Alex
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  #13  
Old 11-26-2003, 12:34 PM
Mike T. Mike T. is offline
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That's easy and hard at the same time Alex.

The leather is soaked in hot water until bubbles don't rise anymore. It's also cut 1/4 - 1/2" bigger than in the finished stage as seen here. It's folded over the knife and placed on a piece of suede so that the back of the sheath doesn't get marked up.

Then with the plastic covered leg of a small pair of pliers I force the mouldable leather down around the knife. The leather has to be stretched around the thick end of the knife.

When this step has been taken as far as it will go I switch to a "bone folder" - a plastic stick 6" long x 1" wide with its end tapered down to a thin rounded point (if you need a pic just ask) and I continue to force the leather down around the knife.

I also push back in towards the knife so as to tuck and force the leather as far "under" and as tight to the knife as possible. It takes all my strength.

Eventually it's moulded and tucked as far as it's ever going to go. It's then of course left to dry.

This sheath is so form fitting that when the knife first gets inserted into the finished sheath I have my doubts that it will ever be able to get it out again.

But after many, many insertions and removals (usually while watching TV) and wiggling it very slightly it gets to be a perfect fit.

That knife (my own personal knife) comes out oh-so smoothly but will not come out if the sheath is inverted and shaken.

Retainer straps/flaps are not necessary!

It's is also, like most of my sheaths, lined with thin suede.

Mike T.

Last edited by Mike T.; 11-26-2003 at 12:36 PM.
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  #14  
Old 11-28-2003, 08:48 AM
ABN ABN is offline
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Thanks for the information, Mike -- it is very helpful.

Any chance you would be willing to post an image of the reverse side of this sheath? I would like to see how you accomplish the belt loop.

Regards, -Alex
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  #15  
Old 11-29-2003, 02:33 PM
Mike T. Mike T. is offline
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Thanks Alex. Here's the belt loop. The end of the loop that you can't see is skived down to a thin edge.



I'll throw in another pic of that sheath too. Here is a 600 grit edge. No, really it's a "worn out 600 grit" edge. I don't see much point to leaving rough edges when to get to this stage takes no more than ten minutes after the outline grinding.

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