another leatherwork question

[Peter_t]

im making a sheath for an axe. problem is as im folding the leather (fairly thick 4mm-ish) it starts to split. i soaked it beforehand which i think has helped a bit but is still not very supple.
i read on another thread that you can shave it down, how? im guessing you need specialist tools

how about using sand paper along the inside of the crease?

Many thanks
Pete

 

[g4ghb]

as you say there is a specialist tool called a skiver but you can (carefully) use a knife and cut a number of shallow V's into the leather.

You could just sand it but it will probably take forever......

you say you have soaked it - for how long? veg tanned leather even at 4mm should go very soft if soaked well (I use warm water from the tap - just a tad hotter than I can stand...)

If the soaking isn't helping much I would guess the leather is probably chrome tanned and then thinning it will probably be your best solution.

 

[Peter_t]

i soaked it over night in cold water. i'l try hot and see how it goes. i don't know what type of leather it is, i just found this 12" square sheet at an army surplus sale for 50p it had tags with issue dates back to the 60s! so maby its just a bit old?

pete

 

[Nat]

If you sand it, wear a mask. Leather dust is nasty stuff to get into your lungs.
Soaking in how water would be better than over night in cold water, that way while it's wet you can fold it slowly then clamp it together.
Also sounds like it's been treated aswell. Is it coloured already? If so then that will crack especially if it's old.

 

[Black Sheep]

If you have a stitch groover, you can use that to score a line on the inside of the fold.

Richard

 

[leon-1]

This may sound strange, but what does it smell like. Different types of tanning methods leave different smells.

Traditionally tanned leathers (like oak bark tanned) have a distinctive smell, they are also quite stiff, almost like board. To bend them without removing leather they will require soaking in warm water (hot water will remove oils you have in the leather), then drying naturally. This should stop the leather from splitting when it dries as the drying times for inside and outside remain similar (when leather dries it shrinks and the tighter the bend the larger the disparity between drying times on the inside and the outside).

I would suggest that the leather probably requires some tlc, use some saddle soap on it to both clean and restore some of the natural oils and flexibility to it.

Then when you are happy with the condition of the leather cut it, groove it and mark it up for stitching, then dye it and fold it aligning your marks, when mostly dry glue the welt in position and clamp in place. When fully dry punch through with a stitching awl and stitch before doing the edging.

I hope this helps.

 

[Peter_t]

ah, it could well be oak tanned. i noticed it stained my hands blue black just like when i work with freshly cut oak. the leather is also very stiff.

do you think liquid nikwax would help? it says on the lable that it is good for saddlery

pete

 

[leon-1]

ah, it could well be oak tanned. i noticed it stained my hands blue black just like when i work with freshly cut oak. the leather is also very stiff.

do you think liquid nikwax would help? it says on the lable that it is good for saddlery

pete

Oak bark tanned is quite a stiff leather at the best of times, soak in warm water for about ten minutes and flex whilst in the water, it will go very pliable almost like cloth in it's flexibility.

When it dries it will dry like rock.

Allow it to dry as slowly as it feels like, but do not expose to the heat from a radiator or other heat source as this will cause splitting along the bend line on the outside. The splitting looks almost like where you split layers of paper by placing pressure from inside to out.

I would suggest somewhere dry and preferably hung so that there is reasonable air flow around it (I use my shed).

I would then use oils and waxes on it afterwards.

I have never used liquid nikwax so cannot say, I can however say that saddle soap has been used for years just because it works and many people still use it over the new waxes.

On oak bark tanned you could use mink oil as well, I do and I know Roger Harrington uses it on his sheaths as well.

 

[topknot]

Hi Pete, You do not say Were the leather comes from or how old the leather is ?

Topknot

 

[cheapeats]

Is the leather colored? You say it stained your hands this leads me to believe it is Chromed tanned and soaking won't help. Oak tanned leather is usually flesh colored and becomes soft and stretchy when wet.