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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 02-13-2003, 03:43 PM
SkaerE SkaerE is offline
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help me clear this up...

im new to leather sheath making, have some questions.

1.) what type of leather is generally used to make sheaths/holsters? the ones im thinking of are form fitted to the knives...some of them almost look like rawhide? ive heard some use "half tanned" leather?

2.) what is "hand boned"? does it mean formed?

3.) any good online tutorials covering leather sheath making?

thanks

Last edited by SkaerE; 02-13-2003 at 03:47 PM.
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  #2  
Old 02-13-2003, 09:52 PM
Chuck Burrows's Avatar
Chuck Burrows Chuck Burrows is offline
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Question 1: Use vegtan cowhide in 6/7oz to 8/9oz weight depending on the size of your knife.
I just found a new/good source for leather including: deerskin, elk, moose, vegtan cow (real nice double shoulders), rawhide, and even buffalo. They have beads and bones and such as well.
Check with Dan at Colorado Leather Goods 1-719-633-8722.
Great people to work with and great prices. If you have a business ####### they'll sell wholesale.

Question 2: Yes. To see one example see my Wild Rose EDC sheath in the Sheath Gallery

Question #3: I have written three tutorials on CKD regarding sheath making/leatherworking: (the titles are links that open in a new page so just click on them)

#1 - WRTC Mexican Loop Sheath Tutorial
This shows specifically how to make the Mexican Loop style but you can use the basic skills to make any type.

#2 - WRTC Stitch Pony Tutorial Read tutorial #3 and you'll see what this is for.

#3 - WRTC Sewing Tutorial
Below is an addendum sort of to #3 Tutorial. It should clarify some questions you might have.
1) Saddle stitch: you take a single piece of thread and attach a needle on both ends. Pull the thread through your first hole until you have an even length with a needle on both sides. Assuming you have pre-punched your holes take the needle on the back side of your project and run it through the next hole. Pull the thread up snug. Push the second needle in from the front side through the same hole, FORWARD of the first thread. Pull both treads snug. Do the next stitch and so on - ALWAYS starting from the back. Here is a photo that shows the difference between a saddle (hand) stitch and a machine (lock) stitch and illustrates pretty well how to do a saddle stitch. This is taken from the book "The Art of Handstitching Leather". This book is so well illustrated and has so much info that it is required reading for my students.


2) Backstitch: this is not a different type of stitch, it's what you do to start/finish off a seam. I always start a seam at the throat of a sheath by starting down 2 or 3 holes from the top and stitching to the top hole as above. Then stitch back down through the same holes - you now have a double/back stitch. You finish off a seam by sewing all the way to the end and then back stitching 2 and 1/2 or 3 1/2 holes . What that means is to back stitch two or three holes and then take your front thread and push it through the third or fourth hole so you have both threads sticking out the back. Trim them off with a sharp Exacto blade. NO tying knots. Hint for backstitching: Make an awl with a harness needle (round, blunt tip) a size bigger (a #3 if you're using a #1 to sew with) than you use for sewing. Use it to open up your holes a bit when backstitching rather than the regular diamond awl. Wax the tip of the blunt end awl and it will ease through to expand the hole slightly and greatly lessen the chance of cutting your thread.


3) As for tools I feel that some traditional leather craft tools are absolutely necessary to have for doing a good stitch. You can get by with other things, but you'll find the basic cost will pay for itself many times over in time saved. The Hand Stitching Kit from Tandy is $29.99 (item #1118900) and has everything you need to get started. It includes the above mentioned book, a 5 stitch per inch (SPI) stitch marking/overstitch wheel, a diamond blade stitching awl, a stitch groover, a good sized skein of 5 cord linen thread, and a few #1 harness needles (it's supposed to have beeswax also, but the last one I got for a student didn't). Later you can get a 6SPI and a 7SPI overstitch wheel if you want to do finer stitching. If you bought the items separately they would cost almost twice as much.

With that said here are some alternatives to buying the set:
Stitch Groover: How to make a stitch groover: Bruce Evans tutorial link - http://www.customknifedirectory.com/...als.htm~tmain. (Bruce states that these cost $15.00 at Tandy but they are only $7.99.)
Stitch Grooving alternative: Rather than gouging you can impress a line with a set of dividers. Take a pair of dividers and slightly round off and polish the tip of one leg. Dampen your leather lightly and mark your stitch line. Press quite heavily into the leather with the rounded tip as you move carefully along the edge with the other.
NOTE: The general rule of thumb for stitch line distance from the edge is that the stitch line should be the same distance from the edge as the thickness of the leather that you are sewing- i.e. 1/8" thick = 1/8" from the edge.
Stitches per Inch Marking: You can again use a set of dividers, but keep both tips well pointed. The only problem with this method is you won't have an overstitch wheel which should be run over your seam after stitching. The wheel burnishes the thread and evens your stitches. A must in my book, unless doing "primitive" style work, where you traditionally use the whipstitch.
Diamond Awl: For all you forgers and other metal workers the original trade awls were made in a zig-zag shape similar to this:

This picture is approximate size: about 3" long overall with the using end about 1 3/4". The shorter leg was hafted with an antler tip or piece of wood. The using end should be diamond shaped and should be polished very smooth. The jog in the middle helps prevent the blade from being forced into the haft and also from twisting. It should be square in shape to help prevent twisting in the haft.
Edge Burnisher: Antler, bone, even dense hard wood or plastic make great burnishers. I mainly use elk antler tips for inside curves and file grooves of varying sizes into other pieces for outside edge burnishing. Round and smooth the edges of any grooves so they don't mark your leather.

Finally scroll back through this Sheath Forum - there is a lot of other information here.
Chuck


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Wild Rose Trading Co - Handcrafted Knife Sheaths



The beautiful sheaths created for storing the knife elevate the knife one step higher. It celebrates the knife it houses.

Last edited by Chuck Burrows; 02-13-2003 at 09:55 PM.
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  #3  
Old 02-13-2003, 09:59 PM
SkaerE SkaerE is offline
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wow! thanks a bunch Chuck.

i wanted mainly to learn how to make the leather sheaths that almost function like kydex ones do (as in they are formed to the blade and handle. i believe that is the type you were referring to in the gallery?)

thanks again
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Old 02-13-2003, 10:18 PM
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Chuck Burrows Chuck Burrows is offline
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Here's a link to the one I'm talking about. Scroll down in that thread and you can view my answer on how to do this style.
http://www.ckdforums.com/showthread....tely+different


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Hand Crafted Leather & Frontier Knives
dba Wild Rose Trading Co
Durango, CO
chuck@wrtcleather.com
www.wrtcleather.com


Wild Rose Trading Co - Handcrafted Knife Sheaths



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 02-13-2003, 10:48 PM
SkaerE SkaerE is offline
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thats the one!

thanks again
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