Chris's trying out leatherwork thread

[bobnewboy]

IME, it’s worth giving leather a wipe down with Fiebings Dye Prep to remove any unexpected waxes or oils from veg tan workpieces before dyeing. But it’s not the end of the world as a lot of people look on dye variance as an antique or aged look.

I’m not sure I’d bother with dyeing the welt until the sheath is glued and stitched, and sanded down to its final dimensions. Then it’s just a bit of edge dyeing and finishing/burnishing etc.

 

[Chris]

Fiebing's leather cement for the welt. Got it glued and lined up on one side, let it set for a while, then painted on the visible side of the welt. I may have used too much cement, but so far it seems to have minimal leaking around the edges and I'll be sanding that side down anyway to even it out.

Clamped gently for a while to let it set properly. The eagle eyed amongst you might have already noticed my problem.





Let that set for a while and thought I'd risk a test with the knife to check for fit.



Not bad. It fits, it will certainly work even if the shape is slightly off.

Now my next job is to groove around the edge for the stitching, punch the stitch holes, so I can then stitch the sheath together and then...

and then I can stitch the... um...



Guess which plonker forgot to stitch the belt loop down before closing the sheath.

Spoiler: The Suspect

Back open we go. At least the cement hadn't fully set, and it's a mistake easily resolved. I think this is a good sign that I'm tired and I should pick this up again tomorrow.

 

[MrEd]

The Internet has told me that I should be oiling the leather both pre and post stain, and the wet forming should be done after the staining - is this Fake News?

Would the alternative be to skip the pre-stain oil, stain it, then wet form (once sewn together) and oil (or wax) at the end of the process?

I never oil my leather, I wet-form, stain and then polish/seal

It’s coming together well though good job!

 

[Tengu]

Fiebing's leather cement for the welt. Got it glued and lined up on one side, let it set for a while, then painted on the visible side of the welt. I may have used too much cement, but so far it seems to have minimal leaking around the edges and I'll be sanding that side down anyway to even it out.

Clamped gently for a while to let it set properly. The eagle eyed amongst you might have already noticed my problem.

View attachment 98773
View attachment 98774
View attachment 98775

Let that set for a while and thought I'd risk a test with the knife to check for fit.

View attachment 98777

Not bad. It fits, it will certainly work even if the shape is slightly off.

Now my next job is to groove around the edge for the stitching, punch the stitch holes, so I can then stitch the sheath together and then...

and then I can stitch the... um...

View attachment 98778

Guess which plonker forgot to stitch the belt loop down before closing the sheath.

Spoiler: The Suspect

View attachment 98780

Back open we go. At least the cement hadn't fully set, and it's a mistake easily resolved. I think this is a good sign that I'm tired and I should pick this up again tomorrow.

View attachment 98779

Oh, I made that mistake too.

 

[Chris]

Today's jobs were:

- Chisel holes for the belt loop
- Wax some 0.95mm linen thread for belt loop and main sheath stitching
- Saddle stitch belt loop
- Some light burnishing around the top of the sheath before putting it back together
- Glue sheath back together
- Stitch gouges on both sides of the sheath
- Stitch chisel to mark out my stitch holes
- A needle in a drill press to create stitch holes
- Saddle stitch the sheath (I had never saddle stitched before today, I quite like it!)
- Sand edges to even up the sheath and welt
- Bevel edges
- Stain edges
- Burnishing gum around the edges
- Burnish with a burnishing stick thingy
- Wet mould

Now waiting on the leather drying.














To do:

- Rub a bit more wax over the stitching once the leather's fully dry
- Burnishing gum again as I think it'll need a once over after the wet moulding
- Wax and polish the sheath
- Finishing touches as I notice them

 

[MrEd]

Looks great and when it has some wear on it will be amazing, well done.

For the edges, I like a piece of burlap or canvas to burnish - just keep going until it’s the finish you want.
I sometimes rub some beeswax over the edge also, and burnish that fast to melt it in, gives a deeper shine and on outdoor type gear makes the edge hold up really nicely.

Super job, what’s next?

 

[William_Montgomery]

Great job, Chris. Looks like a fine sheath.

 

[Broch]

Well done

 

[John Fenna]

Very nice

 

[Damascus]

For leather treatment, I was given a large tin of Barbour wax to coat a jacket many years ago, tried it once, along with a hot air gun (paint stripper) and gently warm the leather and rub the wax in, works a treat and buffs up nicely when cool.

 

[TeeDee]

"Mistakes are often what we make on the way to Mastery".. - Yoda/Buddha/Julius Caesar/Spongebob/Genghis Khan/Winston Churchill/ Hong Kong Phooey


Well done! Functional ! No doubt whatever you make next will be built off the back of the lessons an experiences of making this. Super cool!

 

[Tengu]

Its a good one.

And the next will be even better.

 

[Chris]

Thanks everyone for your help/kind words of encouragement.

I'm genuinely really happy with it, as I was not even necessarily sure I was going to have a functioning sheath at the end of it. I know it's a bit rough and ready, but I'll be happy to use it and not think it looks too much like it was found in a skip! As TeeDee says - first step towards refining things. Proud to have created something with my own hands.

I am now considering it finished, having oiled/waxed/burnished.

I quite like how it looks in different light:

 

[Chris]

Looks great and when it has some wear on it will be amazing, well done.

For the edges, I like a piece of burlap or canvas to burnish - just keep going until it’s the finish you want.
I sometimes rub some beeswax over the edge also, and burnish that fast to melt it in, gives a deeper shine and on outdoor type gear makes the edge hold up really nicely.

Super job, what’s next?

Cheers mate! I think a card holder will be next project, either that or an overstrike guard for my axe which I'm currently playing Overstrike Roulette with and am surely running out of luck.

 

[John Fenna]

The sheath looks great and suits the knife well

 

[bobnewboy]

Very good indeed. I bought the same knife but as a blade only: handled it with buffalo horn and stainless tubes, and then made a quite similar sheath:

https://flic.kr/p/EvUL1v

It’s a tough and sharp blade, and pretty handy in a general purpose camp knife scenario.

 

[Chris]

The sheath looks great and suits the knife well

Thanks John!

 

[Chris]

Very good indeed. I bought the same knife but as a blade only: handled it with buffalo horn and stainless tubes, and then made a quite similar sheath:

https://flic.kr/p/EvUL1v

It’s a tough and sharp blade, and pretty handy in a general purpose camp knife scenario.

Thanks!

Those look amazing, buffalo horn pairs well with the metal.

 

[TeeDee]

Very good indeed. I bought the same knife but as a blade only: handled it with buffalo horn and stainless tubes, and then made a quite similar sheath:

https://flic.kr/p/EvUL1v

It’s a tough and sharp blade, and pretty handy in a general purpose camp knife scenario.

Now I've seen this with different scales on I have an itch to get a few blanks and do the same.!! Lovely work.

 

[Tengu]

Buffalo horn makes good scales, -but plastic-y.

(horn is a natural plastic, after all)