What leather ?

[Silverclaws]

And so I have a big sharp and useful billhook, but when not in use that thing worries me, as the blade is unguarded, so, it neads a scabbard, sheath or something, and I want it in leather, as when I do it, I like working leather and this baby is getting boiled leather. But my knowledge of leathers to source for jobs is not good, I usually just make things out of what I find around, but now need to source the correct leather for this billhook, so I ask here,

What leather would be recommended to find to make a leather scabbard for a billhook with a blade ten and a half inch long, by five inch at the widest point, (the hook), and quarter inch thick. The plan being to incorporate a cigar type sharpening stone too, but the blade covering is the most important. Yeah, the scabbard will be decorated, as with me, it always is.

 

[Thijzzz]

At the Dutch BC-weekend, 1 of the people in our sheathmaking workshop made one for a Fiskars Billhook. We used veg tan 3,5 mm thick saddle leather, but it was not boiled.

PM me if you want a picture of the end result.

 

[Leonidas]

I'd look at using 3.5 > 5mm shoulder.
Also treating it with Neatsfoot oil so the leather remains rigid.
This is not as a measure to stop the leather wearing....more to provide positive feedback when sheathing the beast

PS I'd also ensure there were rivets at the business end, just in case.

 

[Silverclaws]

Thanks, I will now scour for the correct leather, and yes, a picture of the Fiskars billhook sheath would be useful, as I go on the fact that a picture is worth a thousand words, and I tend to make based upon what I see.

Neatsfoot oil, yes, I know that stuff, like rotted down cow in smell, but very useful, I get mine cheaply from an old fashioned cobbler. The only problem I have with it, is in my place it being kind of damp, anything neatsfooted goes mouldy.

I only wish to go the boiled leather route, possibly with beeswax, is because it makes fab armour, good armour for a heavy blade. Rivets, yes, f course, that thought had crossed my mind, for my Morris Newton hook.

 

[Leonidas]

anything neatsfooted goes mouldy.

Not if you treat it afterwards with beeswax cream or similar

I've treated a couple of sheaths this way...not a hint of mould

 

[Silverclaws]

Good Idea, thanks

 

[badgeringtim]

Ok here comes the stupid question;

When boiling items of leather are they formed first and the boiled (and boiled for how long in what?) and does the process change the shape or size of the object - im very keen to have a go for a few things.
Wih there were more leathercraft courses out there it sems there is so mich to do with it but its a bit tricky to get to playwith it.

 

[Jeannius61]

Boiling the leather makes it shrink up a lot (changes the structure of the leather - much as a piece of steak will shrink up when dropped into boiling water) and become very stiff once dried. You drop the leather (oversized by up to one third, depending on your project) into boiling water, wait until the bubbles stop, then hoik it out and quickly wrap it around your form, sew it in place, and then leave it to dry. Make sure your form is good and strong, and that you will be able to remove it from the shrunken leather afterwards! If you can't remove it, you could be inventing a new game of irregular shaped cricket...

There is plenty of info available on the web it is called 'Cuir Bouilli'.

 

[British Red]

These might be useful for some ideas - the sheaths for my Newton and Khighton pattern bills.

All credit of course to the incomparable Topknot and Singteck!

Red

 

[saddler]

"Cuir Bouilli" is an ancient much misused & mis-appplied term

You really want to CASE the leather - not boil it (I boiled something once in over 20 years of leatherworking, and that was an accident)

Soak the leather in HOT (i.e. if you cannot hold your hand in the water, its too hot), then form it over whatever you want to, checking that the said item if steel is protected from rust damage

Jon

 

[badgeringtim]

I presume that its only veg tanned leather that you can do this with.
I have some other stuff (chromw tan?) i was going to have a practice on but i assume it wont work?