Making a new sheath for an old knife

[WhichDoctor]

I know there have been lodes of threads on this subject so I won't ask any of the basic questions.

I'm planning to make a sheath for this old knife, it's original sheath having been lost somewhere along the way, after chrisanson generously sent me some very nice bits of leather.



I've seen various tutorials, but they all seen to be sheaths that come half way up the handle like this one http://www.bushcraftuk.com/content/articles.php?action=show&showarticle=58. But my knife has quite a prominent and pointy finger guard and I wasn't shore whether it would damage a sheath like that.

Would it be ok or are there any other sheath designs that mite be better?

Any thoughts are welcome.

 

[Longstrider]

Hi WDr, I'd go for a sheath of a similar design to those that knives like that originally came in rather than a folded over Scandi type sheath.
The type I'm thinking of is often called a "Stacked" sheath because the leather is built up in layers (stacked) from the back to the front. When making one of these I start with a piece of leather bigger than the knife all round and shape it to fit around the blade with about 10mm extra around the edges. Then I'll cut a welt from leather as thick as the blade. This can be stuck onto the back now or you can do what I prefer to do with most of my stacked sheaths and add what I call a "fillet" between the back and the welt. This fillet is a tapered piece of leather that prevents the width of the guard/handle from pushing the welt away from the back. (Knives with bigger guards and handles can require more than one fillet, like the sheath for the big bowie in the pictures.) Either way, you position the leather welt so it fits around where the blade will go and glue it (I use Evo-Stik) to the back. The front of the sheath is then cut to fit over the welt and is also glued into place. You can add a belt loop by stitching one on, rivetting one on or by simply putting two slits in the back where the handle of the knife will go.
Once all the leather is cut and glued together I sand all the edges so that they are "flush" and mark out where the stitching will go. I then either drill for the stitching or use and awl (I find drilling better with thick sheaths).
Once the sheath is stitched I sand the edges down to where I want them to be and "finish" them by edging and burnishing the leather.
This method will give you a sheath that looks similar to these....

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[WhichDoctor]

Thanks for that, they are beautiful looking sheaths, grate pictures :You_Rock_ .

The handle on my knife is quite a bit heavier than the blade, would I have to strap the knife in every time I put it away to stop it falling out with a sheath like that, or would the leather of the sheath balance it? Could you make the sheath tight enough to hold the blade in place?

Thanks for the ideas I haven't seen sheaths like that before.

 

[Longstrider]

With larger knives I can often get away without a "keeper strap" as the weight of the blade is greater than the handle. This fact combined with a really snug fit of the knife in the sheath will prevent the knife from slipping out.
With your knife I would recommened putting a keeper strap on around the handle to prevent losing the knife from the sheath. This can be done with a piece of the same leather as the sheath but it might need thinning (skiving) down a little to make it more flexible. You can secure the keeper strap with a toggle or a pop-stud.

When making the welt, I find that if I use leather that is exactly the same thickness as the blade I get a very snug fit. This is because the pressure from the stitches will compress the welt a little and make the sheath opening that tiny bit smaller. If I don't want the fit to be too tight I simply make the welt from leather a tiny (0.75mm ish) bit thicker than the blade. This idea has to be adjusted to suit the leather being used of course as some welts can be made of softer or harder leather. The harder it is, the less it compresses when it's all stitched together.

 

[singteck]

I agree with LS. The blade on your knife is longer then the handle so there shouldn't be any problem. Just make sure the welt of the sheath is the same thickness as the blade. Too thick and the blade will be lose, too thin and it'll be too tight.

Good luck.

singteck

EDIT: he is fast!!

 

[chrisanson]

if it is still top heavy you can add weight with small fishing shot in the bottem
chris

 

[fred gordon]

Gee, that knife takes me back. I had one like that back in the 1960's. It certainly had a keeper on the sheath to keep the knife in place and it was a great. I seem to remember it cost me 19 shillings, which is just under £1. Those were the days!

 

[British Red]

Didst see George Formby w'it change lad?

 

[Longstrider]

Fred; Didn't we ALL have one like that along the way ? I still have mine too!
I think every good Scout had one similar up to the time when they decided that letting young-uns wander at will with an edged tool perhaps wasn't a good idea.

Singteck; I think you may have mis-read my post. I DO recommend a keeper on a sheath for a knife like this despite the blade being longer than the handle. From my experience with this type of knife, the handle is still heavier than the blade and leads to the sheath wanting to tip up at any given opportunity.
When the sheath is all new and shiny it may well have a tight enough fit to prevent the knife from falling out, but after a year or so of "bedding in" the knife begins to slip in and out of the sheath far more easily. The leather of the back of the sheath also begins to soften where it is regularly flexed as the wearer walks. This makes it easier for the sheath to bend over with the weight of the handle.These two combined can all too easily lead to a treasured old knife being lost. Hence the keeper strap.

W.Dr; I'm posting another picture in the hope that it will show you what I meant by the tapered fillet between the welt and the back of the sheath. The fillet is the full width of the sheath but does not go all the way down the welt. It could, if you wanted it to, but that would only serve to add weight to the sheath.
You can see that on the black sheath at the top of the picture I tapered the fillet slowly down the length of the sheath, but on the brown sheath in the middle I had to put in 2 fillets due to the width of the guard on the bowie. I also put an escutcheon on the front of the sheath so that knife did not overhang the leather there either.
I hope this helps you with your project.

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[Singeblister]

Good luck with it this is a worthy cause , I to remember having a knife like this , its just a shame I didn't look after it or I would still have it now

 

[WhichDoctor]

Yes thanks Longstrider, I see what you mean . How did you taper the fillet, will sandpaper do to shape the leather?

I like the look of the bottom sheath in that picture, the leather rapped round the handle makes it look nice and secure. I'm not lightly to use it that much but can just see myself not remembering to strap it in every time I put it away, a little bit of extra protection wouldn't do any harm .

Ill have to get the cardboard out and knock up some prototypes :Thinkingo .

Hay I mite even take some pictures while I'm making it and if it terns out ok I could put a tutorial together for this design of sheath (wow, me making a tutorial, who'd of thought it ).

 

[Longstrider]

Sandpaper will do for tapering the fillet but it can be a long slow process if doing it by hand. I did mine "properly" for years, skiving them down with either a proper skiving knife or with any good sharp, straight knife. Nowadays I cheat and simply tack a piece of leather to a piece of wood with a couple of panel pins (Just one at each corner of the edge that will not get sanded down) and sand it to shape on my belt sander. Works a treat as long you remember to put the panel pins through the leather where the holes won't show later. I always make the fillet wider than it will need to be so I trim off the bits with holes in.

The sheath in the bottom of the last picture is what I think is called a "Pancake" sheath. I pinched the design from the leather sheaths that are available with some Buck Vanguards. I made the one in the picture for a Pardue Rant drop-point with a partial welt (3/4 of the way round the blade, missing the bit up the spine where the leather is folded) A cardborad template is useful if you want to make one of these Cutting off the bit where the pop-stud will go is the easiest way to mess it up.
I normally don't find I need a template of any sort when making a stacked sheath as the only bit you really need to be fussily accurate about are the thickness of the welt and getting the welt cut the same size and shape as the blade. I just draw round the blade onto the leather then cut to the line for this.

Good luck with the project.

 

[fred gordon]

Didst see George Formby w'it change lad?

I went twice. I couldn't believe it the first time!