D-ring for sheath dangler?
- Thread starter Sieddy
- Start date
All the ones I have for leatherwork are quite chunky and you'd have difficulty bending them open and closing them again - after all they're designed not to bend open
Normally you'd sew or rivet the leather around them.
What size are you after?
A perfectly functional if not exact workaround is to use large flat key rings - the split type. So long as the leather sheath tube through which the D ring was to fit is wide enough this works perfectly and allows the sheath to dangle properly. I have done this myself and it’s a good solution. Suitable rings can be found in places such as Wilko and other handy shops.
Cheers, Bob
Cheers, Bob
+1 for Broch's post. However I've successfully retrofitted one by cutting it on the flat of the D with a dremel and circular cutting disk. As Broch says it was a bu99er to bend it open and closed but it was pretty strong and it didn't seem in any danger of giving way.
Thanks for the feedback lads. I was planning to do a classic design where a hole is made in the seam of the sheath after sewing and the d ring fed through that. after posting I found a bunch of seemingly suitable rings on ebay etc and assumed that you bend them open and closed with pliers. The metals supposed to be 2.5mm thick- do you think that'd be malleable enough ( I am concerned how secure the split would be after the procedure but presumed that was just how it was done!)
The split ring idea is a good one and will consider it but I'm also thinking of doing a simple twisted leather job.
Anyone know how the puukkomesteri do it? as I imagine there's are rock solid!
The split ring idea is a good one and will consider it but I'm also thinking of doing a simple twisted leather job.
Anyone know how the puukkomesteri do it? as I imagine there's are rock solid!
I think that Le Prevo, the leather and all things leathery site - might have them. Could be worth a look.
I think that twisted thong is perhaps the most traditional of all, but I’m British, so perhaps one of our Scandinavian friends could give chapter and verse. I quite like the twisted thong, where the thong is passed around the sheath, then through the hole on the seam in both directions, the ends passing each other. Then the loose ends are tied in a sheaf knot and securely tightened. The advantage of this is that the weight of the knife, when the sheath is hung over a belt, actually pulls the sheath tighter around the knife handle, since in most cases Puukko sheaths are made from reasonably thin leather.
Opening and re-closing a D-ring will be pretty hard work, and presumably leave a rough edge, but at least you would know that the ring is unlikely to come open again by accident if a sturdy ring is used. An example here: http://sharky-fourbees.blogspot.com/2011/07/finnish-puukko-knife-my-favorite.html
I get a lot of useful information and examples of other people’s work here: https://nordiskaknivar.wordpress.com/
An example of the split ring can be seen in one of my older posts: https://bushcraftuk.com/community/i...athed-a-couple-of-blades.148650/#post-1849972
Cheers, Bob
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Thanks for the input Bob. I like the other fellas idea of having the ring on a carrabiner well handy. Your two knives look great the split ring looks serious, not like a cheapo imitation at all. I will defo give that a go. But I am thinking more about the trad twisted leather job for now.
I also read nordiska knivar a lot!
Traditionally they used half tanned reindeer leather, did the twisting etc in the wet stage. IMO nicer than a metal D-ring. Still very, very strong.
I have seen in museums sheaths (Saame work) made from untanned leather, and the hanging part looked like dry tendon. 1800' stuff.
But they were 100% function, and quite ugly to be frank, just like the knives.
Personally I am not overly fond of dangling knives, as I have lost a few knives that way when I wore them like that.
I have seen in museums sheaths (Saame work) made from untanned leather, and the hanging part looked like dry tendon. 1800' stuff.
But they were 100% function, and quite ugly to be frank, just like the knives.
Personally I am not overly fond of dangling knives, as I have lost a few knives that way when I wore them like that.
There are a couple of nice carved antler sammi knives in the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford- but they are sheathed so you cant really see them properly. It's so frustrating!
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The nice ones were made for when they dressed up for special occasions like market and church visits, weddings and such.
Working knives were much planer.
Today most are made by artists, and very ornamental.
One wood that in fact was never used was curly birch ( masur birch) as the only two areas it grows in is in Karelia ( east of Helsinkfors in Finland, Russia) and in a small area in Gästrikland in Sweden.
Working knives were much planer.
Today most are made by artists, and very ornamental.
One wood that in fact was never used was curly birch ( masur birch) as the only two areas it grows in is in Karelia ( east of Helsinkfors in Finland, Russia) and in a small area in Gästrikland in Sweden.
You need 2 pairs of pliers, don’t try and make the gap in the D ring larger by pulling it apart but get the pliers on each end of the flat side and twist one left and the other right so you get a suitable gap to slide it on. Then just pinch it back together by reversing the process. That’s how I replace them. It’s not that difficult.
