Home methods, Hot Waxing a Knife Sheath

[Dave]

There seem to be a number of methods of doing this, involving different ingredients.
Some use pure beeswax, others mix beeswax with boiled linseed oil, or neatsfoot oil, or paraffin wax, or a mixture of each, or sno-seal, which is difficult to get over here, or another product called, Obenauf's LP, also only available in the states.

Whats the best stuff and method, to do it with over here, to produce a nice stiff, hot waxed sheath?

 

[bobnewboy]

Not tried hot waxing myself as it seems a little wasteful for only a sheath here and there. I have had good results (stiff, well finished and shiny) for sheaths with with following: from bare but finished leather item -> fiebings dye prep -> 2 coats of fiebings spirit leather dye (allowing each coat to fully dry) -> one coat of neatsfoot oil left over night -> firm burnishing all over with a shiny bone folder -> one coat of EcoFLo Super Shene.

 

[MartiniDave]

I did my Helle Eggen sheath about 12 years ago, I just used melted beeswax and a toothbrush (an old one that is!). Don't be put off if it looks terrible to begin with, just keep going, work the hot wax well, re-heat the wax and sheath if you need to, but be careful not to just overcook it. Once cooled off they buff up a treat.
You can even warm it up a bit then better form fit it to your knife.

Dave

 

[VaughnT]

I've had good results from regular shoe polish. Most types have other things in them besides just wax, so you get a bit of oil and color depending on the brand you use.

I apply it thick and then go over the thing with a hot-air gun to melt the wax into the leather. Scrub it with a toothbrush or the like, and apply a second coat. I don't use a cotton cloth on it until the very last bit where you're wanting to get some shine because the cotton absorbs the liquified wax (pulling it way from the leather).

Takes time, but doesn't require as much wax as an immersion would.

 

[Robson Valley]

+1 for VaughnT's suggestion of a hot-air gun.
Plan B would be to put the waxed sheath on a stick, into a low oven for a few minutes (5 or less).
Just get the surface warmed up so the melted wax can soak in. Waxes all melt below 65C/150F.

 

[Dave]

Thanks for the replies, Ive done those techniques already, except martinidaves, which is what I was wanting to do. A Full immersion.

Thankfully there is a sticky tutorial at the top of the page from eric, showing a fully immersed drinking flask, which is the way I think I'll go.

Thanks. Im just not sure whether to mix the beeswax with something else yet, like a bit of parraffin wax as I think that might help stiffen it a bit.

 

[MartiniDave]

I should quickly point out, I didn't really do a full immersion, just several brief partial ones dipping different areas. The finished sheath will be much stiffer than pre-treatment, mine also went a fair bit darker, both of which were what I wanted. Originally the Helle sheath felt a bit flimsy, and as the Eggen takes a truly wicked edge, I wanted to make the sheath more robust. You could always try a scrap of leather first. I melted my wax over a trangia in a sort of bain-marie for safety. I did not add anything to the wax.

Dave

 

[Dave]

I should quickly point out, I didn't really do a full immersion, just several brief partial ones dipping different areas. The finished sheath will be much stiffer than pre-treatment, mine also went a fair bit darker, both of which were what I wanted. Originally the Helle sheath felt a bit flimsy, and as the Eggen takes a truly wicked edge, I wanted to make the sheath more robust. You could always try a scrap of leather first. I melted my wax over a trangia in a sort of bain-marie for safety. I did not add anything to the wax.

Dave

Ive got a new bark river bravo 1.5 coming, with a great eastern leather works sheath in a week or to, I'll do a before and after dave, so others can see whether I completely F it up or not.

 

[David LaFerney]

I've only ever done one, and being a beekeeper I used plain beeswax - and a heat gun to melt it and work it in. I'm very pleased with the results. Previously the (old) sheath was too soft and retention was poor, but both are corrected now. The leather is much darker - almost like it has been dyed dark chocolate brown, but I like that too. Really easy to do.