A rawhide sheath for my crooked knife

[jojo]

Because the shape of the crooked knife was so awkward, I have made a rawhide sheath for it. I had tried using leather but because of the shape of the blade, it kept getting cut into by the curved tip of the blade.

The rawhide came from a doggy bone from a pet shop, less than a couple of quids' worth. I bought one of the brown one rather than the large white ones, the colour being more to my taste

You have to soak it into warm water for a while and when well soaked and supple untie the knots, and open the bone, it may need further soaking depending on how thick it is. I used the hide straight away, but if you want to store if for later use you can stretch it on a plank of some sort, nail it close to the edges and let it dry like that.

I dyed it dark brown when the hide was quite wet or the dye does not penetrate the hide, just sits on top of it. Just made it by wrapping the hide around the (well oiled and protected by cling film) blade, it took a little playing around to get the right dimension for the hide, then sewed it with strong linen thread which I dyed brown too.

When it was dried it had gone really hard. Then I sanded it very lightly and then varnished it with a water based clear acrylic garden stuff (can't think of the name, will check it out )

From this:

To this:

I am working on a couple of other rawhide sheaths at the moment, one for a large "mountain man" type knife and another one for a Frost Mora.

I think the rawhide has nice properties to make sheaths with because its so tough and much less likely to get cut into by the blades.

 

[fishfish]

brilliant! i never thaught of using a dog chew!!!!!!! post of the month!

 

[Toddy]

Now that's a really good idea
Simple, really effective and practical

cheers,
Toddy

 

[DoctorSpoon]

That's cool, but you'll have to keep it away from the dog!!

 

[Chips]

Wow, that's nice. Never thought of doing that, might try it.

If I tried it, I think I would make the belt loop out of leather, just because I would think it will break if you have the sheath on your belt and it catches on something.

 

[Diligence]

Excellent bit of bodge (I think that's what you folks on that side of the pond say)......I'm definately going to try this out.

I have an old Erik Frost mini-mora with a hardshell (but not plastic feeling) sheath....I think that rawhide would replicate that feel exactly!!!

Wonderful...

I'll buy you a beer next time you come to the mountains!

d

 

[jojo]

Excellent bit of bodge (I think that's what you folks on that side of the pond say)......I'm definately going to try this out.

I have an old Erik Frost mini-mora with a hardshell (but not plastic feeling) sheath....I think that rawhide would replicate that feel exactly!!!

Wonderful...

I'll buy you a beer next time you come to the mountains!



d

You're on, Diligence....I am packing my bags n' be on my way!:You_Rock_ Keep the beer on ice!

I am about to make another sheath for my mora too and trying to make a more conventional looking sheath for it, with a fire steel too!

I think I would make the belt loop out of leather

The belt loop isn't held rigidly to the sheath, I have used some really thick linen thread and there is some flexibility between the loop and the sheath. But there is no reason why you couldn't use leather, of course.

 

[jojo]

That's cool, but you'll have to keep it away from the dog!!

I have to keep everything from the dog, blooming beast mangles everything at the moment, even had one of my overstitch wheel a couple of days ago the :tapedshut :tapedshut dog

 

[topknot]

Now thats different! i like it.
Topknot

 

[ForgeCorvus]

I used to use dog chew as the edging for shields, much lighter then metal and pound for pound tougher than anything else in its price range

I saw a brand new shield tangle with a five foot daneaxe once (granted it was a rebated re-enactment blade) the only damage was a 1/4 deep notch in the ply under the hide .......and a nice polished triangle on the axe blade

Nice sheath.....nice knife........wheres the 'green eyed monster' emoticon?


Why don't we use more rawhide ?

 

[joejoe]

like the sheath. love the blade

 

[jojo]

I saw a brand new shield tangle with a five foot daneaxe once (granted it was a rebated re-enactment blade) the only damage was a 1/4 deep notch in the ply under the hide .......and a nice polished triangle on the axe blade

Nice sheath.....nice knife........wheres the 'green eyed monster' emoticon?


Why don't we use more rawhide ?

I have got a couple of hand axes and I am not particularly happy with the sheaths that came with them, they are too soft, me thinks. I am going to make some rawhide sheath for them, simply because it is so strong. I'll try to do something pleasing to the eye as well.

 

[Singeblister]

thats great jojo , its really hard stuff when dry isnt it , I have had a play with it myself it looks quite good when left opaque and edged with copper, but looks just as good with the dye which I didnt try but will do now

 

[Schwert]

That is very nice. Those crooks are hard to sheath that is for sure.

I used a dog bone for an awl sheath. This is my completed awl sheath after braiding over the dog bone.

The core:

I think I need to see what I can do for my crooks too.

 

[Diligence]

Hey Jo-jo....this rawhide is just an organic version of Kydex!!..

such a great idea - why I never thought if it...who knows!

D

 

[ForgeCorvus]

Its a pig to cut when dry (just what you want in a sheath) and so easy to work when wet.

BTW, some of the pressed shapes (like rings and things) are packed out with really nasty stuff, its kinda like greasy soggy cardboard and pretty much useless (dry it back out and give it to Fido ).
The better stuff is the bones, or it you want thin strips you can get twisted chews (must try sewing with it sometime or using it instead of sinew for bindings)

 

[soggy boots]

Nice one Jo-Jo!!
I'll try this material in the near future.
Thanks for this useful thread!!
:You_Rock_
Soggy Boots