What sort of leather for a sheath?

[rigger_john]

Ok I've decided to have a go at making a leather sheath for my new frost knife. I've never done any leather work before so I have a couple of questions that I haven't seen the answers to yet.

1 What sort of leather should I order from say, Le provo, how thick, what treatment ect

2 I noticed in one of the tutorials the leather was shaved down to make it thiner for folding, why not just use thiner leather to start with? what am I missing?

Looking forward to reading your answers.

Thanks

 

[DKW]

1 What sort of leather should I order from say, Le provo, how thick, what treatment ect

I'd say halftanned leather, 2-3 mm thick. But almost anything will do for practise.

2 I noticed in one of the tutorials the leather was shaved down to make it thiner for folding, why not just use thiner leather to start with? what am I missing?

That it isn't the entire sheath that is being shaved down, that it isn't being shaved down into the same thickness all the way and that its halftanned leather, meaning it has a core with the same properties as rawhide. This untanned bit you wouldn't want to shave off, as that makes out the longivety and sturdiness of the sheath.
The sheath design in that tutorial requires the bladepart of the sheath to be shaved a bit down, to make it "fold and mold" better. Just like a piece of clothing has to have a nice fall/drop/hang to 1. look good and 2. feel good

Treatment: ANything you fancy really. Beeswax, leatherwax, leathersoap, leathervarnish, leatherdye, or even your shoepolish in various colours will do.
Trial and error will in time tell you what you like to use and what not.

Personally i prefer a top quality colourless saddlewax and leatherdye from horseharnessproducers. SOmetimes i even use my oldschool shoepolish, and occasionally a leathervarnish.

To knife and sheathmaking there really is no True and wrong. However there are numerous of trials and errors, and the occasional succes we all hope for.

 

[brancho]

depends on teh style you are after.

If you want a scandi style wetform sheath halftanned is best but will need to be bought from abroad as far as I know.

If you want a more western style 3mm veg tanned from leprevo

What type are you intending to make?

 

[rigger_john]

I think I like the look of the wet form sheath, so probably that but if it's a pain to get the leather I guess I will go for something else.

 

[leon-1]

Most leather can be wetformed, it doesn't have to be half tanned, but if you wish to do tooling then Half tanned is the best choice.

For a scandi style sheath you can get away with using 2.5mm veg tanned, I have a little old brusletto that has a 2.5mm traditional scandinavian sheath and it will do the job quite happily.

As far as treatments the Fiebings dyes are quite commonly available in smaller pots, once dyed you can then stitch it and proof as the guys have said with anything from mink oil, beeswax or you could use resolene (resolene is an acryllic waterproof desinged to be used with professional oil dyes by Fiebings) and then use a clear wax over the top.

 

[brancho]

I think I like the look of the wet form sheath, so probably that but if it's a pain to get the leather I guess I will go for something else.

As Leon says you can use veg tanned leather it will need to be thinner as he says. I buy half tanned leather from Brisa and teh The Good stuff shop when I buy blades and other material

 

[DKW]

Howcome Halftanned leather is so hard to get at where you lot live? Been puzzling me some time now, so just for enlightenment.

 

[leon-1]

Howcome Halftanned leather is so hard to get at where you lot live? Been puzzling me some time now, so just for enlightenment.

I think the main production of half tanned leather is from Germany. Most leather that comes into the UK originates from Italy. Also if I had a cow hide and wanted it tanned there are very few commercial tanneries in the UK and they are quite costly. Most of the hides in the UK are shipped to Italy to be tanned and then returned to the UK as the cost of tanning them in the UK itself is actually more than sending them out and having them tanned abroad.

I hope this answers your question.

 

[DKW]

I think the main production of half tanned leather is from Germany. Most leather that comes into the UK originates from Italy. Also if I had a cow hide and wanted it tanned there are very few commercial tanneries in the UK and they are quite costly. Most of the hides in the UK are shipped to Italy to be tanned and then returned to the UK as the cost of tanning them in the UK itself is actually more than sending them out and having them tanned abroad.

I hope this answers your question.

Answers my question very superbly. Thanks.

 

[Leonidas]

If you do not want to use veg tan or half tanned (cost / availability) then use whatever leather you have and soak it in acetone and watch it mould to your knife.

Like using veg tan and water......

 

[Leonidas]

PS be careful and use in a well ventilated area.
Acetone is highly inflammable and will make you a space cadet in a small area with no ventilation.