Greetings and salutations from across the pond, SE US checking in and thanks for accepting my request to join. I'm a novice knife renovation carpenter, my newest attempt to make a custom sheath for an "interesting blade found while on a metal detection adventure. My time in the woods has lead me to paying attention to surroundings. I. Realize the abundance of fat lighter wood here, and decided to make a go of a wooden sheath .A 14 inch neck knife from F.Dick cutlery. Approximately 120 years old. Many advice above the terror it unleashes on my tools ,would be greatly appreciated. Salutations, and thanks in advance.
Knike sheath fron fat wood, yes or no
- Thread starter mikelangdon69
- Start date
-
Come along to the amazing Summer Moot (21st July - 2nd August), a festival of bushcrafting and camping in a beautiful woodland PLEASE CLICK HERE for more information.
Hello and welcome.
Did you type that intro on a phone? It is like the predictive text Gremlins have gone wild
The image of a 14 inch knife is hard to reconcile with something you would want to carry around your neck. Baldrick style, maybe, but that is different from neck carry.
Why would you want a sheath made of fat wood?
So that you always have wood to make fire with on your person? If your local woods have an abundance of fat wood, why would you go to the trouble of carrying a bit of it around with you?
If you are relying on the fat wood for an emergency, would you use all of it to get a fire going? At what point do you think you will have removed so much from the sheath that it no longer does its job of protecting you from your knife? I predict that if you have a sheath made of fat wood, and want a fire, you will usually have a little inner debate about whether the situation is really serious enough to use the sheath rather than look around your location a little more and find local supplies...and will invariably decide that bushcraft is about using the environment, not just carrying "bushcrafty" kit with you, and you will save the sheath for a "real" emergency.
The resin in fat wood will stop glue from working well, so you will have to lash the sheath together, primitive jungle style. Don't leave it in the sun, or the resin will leach out and make the surface sticky.
ATB
Chris
Did you type that intro on a phone? It is like the predictive text Gremlins have gone wild
The image of a 14 inch knife is hard to reconcile with something you would want to carry around your neck. Baldrick style, maybe, but that is different from neck carry.
Why would you want a sheath made of fat wood?
So that you always have wood to make fire with on your person? If your local woods have an abundance of fat wood, why would you go to the trouble of carrying a bit of it around with you?
If you are relying on the fat wood for an emergency, would you use all of it to get a fire going? At what point do you think you will have removed so much from the sheath that it no longer does its job of protecting you from your knife? I predict that if you have a sheath made of fat wood, and want a fire, you will usually have a little inner debate about whether the situation is really serious enough to use the sheath rather than look around your location a little more and find local supplies...and will invariably decide that bushcraft is about using the environment, not just carrying "bushcrafty" kit with you, and you will save the sheath for a "real" emergency.
The resin in fat wood will stop glue from working well, so you will have to lash the sheath together, primitive jungle style. Don't leave it in the sun, or the resin will leach out and make the surface sticky.
ATB
Chris
Resins are one of the main reasons for moisture expansion in wood. Also as C_C said it prevents most of the present day adhesives from working. On the other hand it is fairly good at keeping water out (or in). I have never tried it myself but read somewhere that birch bark tar does work.
In Northern Europe birch bark was often used for knife sheaths.
In Northern Europe birch bark was often used for knife sheaths.