Gluing Leather?

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Forest fella

Full Member
Jul 2, 2008
2,890
211
Gloucestershire
I'm trying to find out which Glue? I should use as I'm going to glue a Ferro-Rod Sleeve / Holder to 1 of my Knife Sheaths.
And tbh I've Googled the hell out for 1 Defiant Type and I still ain't sure.
cheers
 

C_Claycomb

Moderator staff
Mod
Oct 6, 2003
7,355
2,369
Bedfordshire
Gorilla glue, the foaming urethane type, works well in some situations. I have used Zap Goo on a number of things, and while it is strong, it isn't so good if I have to sand multiple layers with glue joins for, say, a welt. Tends to pull and pill at the joins, where the Gorilla glue sets hard and sands easy.

There is a difference between "best" and "more than adequate". I think you need the latter, and most contact adhesives will do. If you planned to do more work, then maybe spending a little more time and effort getting "best" would be worth it.
 

Erbswurst

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 5, 2018
4,079
1,766
Berlin
Good leather shoes are sewn together but have on glued rubber soles.

I would simply bring the sheath to a shoemaker in town. That's surely cheaper than buying the glue.
 

Lean'n'mean

Settler
Nov 18, 2020
695
411
France
If you're planning on just gluing the sleeve onto your sheath without stitching then no glue will hold for long but if you just want to glue it in place before stiching then any contact adhesive would work provided the area on the sheath where the sleeve is to be placed has been stripped of waxes & oils & sanded to give the glue something to grip onto. Neoprene contact adhesive has the advantage that it can be rubbed off when dry so you don't have to worry too much about going over the edges.
That said, if this is a finshed sheath I don't see how you can sew something onto it without taking it apart.
 
Last edited:

eungang

New Member
Jul 5, 2021
4
2
52
South Korea
I usually just use contact cement, or sometimes even just double sided tape if I'm looking for a temporary hold in order to stitch a bit more easily.
 

Smudge

Forager
Jan 20, 2004
107
30
West Midlands
I use uhu prior to stitching but I would always stitch leather I want to secure.

You can undo a few stitches along the welt, glue and re-stitch as a quick easy fix if using thin leather.

Alternatively remove a section of the welt if using thicker leather (gluing and re-stitching)
 

Robson Valley

Full Member
Nov 24, 2014
9,959
2,664
McBride, BC
I have a really old and leather-covered instrument(?) case. Several flaps of leather have come adrift. Can I use plain woodworker's PVA glue to stick them back down again? I can't imagine a situation where the leather would ever be expected to flex like a shoe.
 

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