Which sheath?

[John Fenna]

I have just re-handled a Mora - a Jonsson carbon steel blade that came with a nasty painted wood handle - and have made 2 sheaths for it and cannot decide which is the best!
The one is a tulipwood/leather "Scandinavian" type but lacks any of the figuring that makes the hidden tang, tulipwood and buffalo horn handle of the knife attractive - and the leather went a bit odd when I hot waxed it (cooked it?) the dangly bit on the leather cordage belt loop is intended for an antler handled firesteel.
The other sheath is a standard "double dangler" veg tanned, wet moulded leather job.
Which should I stick with for this knife - given that I will prob. never use tulipwood again so will never match a knife to the wood/leather sheath but can always make another knife for the leather sheath.....?

 

[Chris G]

Personally (and wooden handled knives aren't to my taste) I'd say the leather one as the wood of the handle doesn't match the shade/grain of the wood in the "Scandinavian" type sheath.

Just my opinion, but what do I know about knives?

Chris

 

[John Fenna]

Ah - the flash makes the sheath wood look a bit paler than it is - it is from the same bit of wood, but does lack the grain/figure of the handle.

 

[Jedadiah]

I like both sheaths John, the leather Dangler is the safe option. Might i make a suggestion? The tulipwood/leather on looks a little plain and phallic, it looks a little like a wooden phallus poking out from a leather foreskin! Might it be an idea to do a little scrimshaw style carving on the wooden part of the sheath or a little bit of pyrographing? Just a thought as i would'nt want the tulipwood one to lose out to the safe option.

 

[John Fenna]

?????? is in the eye of the beholder!
How is your new therapist coping?



Actually - not a bad plan.....

 

[Injati]

I reckon go for the wood and leather one. But like Jedadiah said, make it a little more interesting. Just a suggestion though. The knife looks very good by the way.

 

[Jedadiah]

?????? is in the eye of the beholder!
How is your new therapist coping?



Actually - not a bad plan.....

Simon is coping fine, thankyou very much for asking, though he keep's mentioning 'sectioning' whatever that is! How are the rehearsals going?

 

[John Fenna]

As long as he does not mention resectioning!
Rehearsals go to prove that I am the one needing sectioning!

 

[John Fenna]

By cracky!
You only get on shot at this scrimshaw stuff eh?
C*ck it up and you are stuck with it!
Wish I had a steadier hand....maybe my Angel is right and I should cut back to one bottle per day.....
Well - which sheath now?

 

[Steve27752]

I would go for the leather one.

 

[SOAR]

I like them both now you have added scrimshaw work to the wooden one, if I had to pick I'd choose the leather one.

If it helps they are both fantastic.

Simon.

 

[Dougster]

I like both sheaths John, the leather Dangler is the safe option. Might i make a suggestion? The tulipwood/leather on looks a little plain and phallic, it looks a little like a wooden phallus poking out from a leather foreskin! Might it be an idea to do a little scrimshaw style carving on the wooden part of the sheath or a little bit of pyrographing? Just a thought as i would'nt want the tulipwood one to lose out to the safe option.

You can tell you've got dogs...............

For what it's worth - keep em both, you'll change your mind occasionally and it's like having two coats - depends on your mood.

 

[British Red]

Hmm

The wood one looks better for embellishment but I'd go leather - function first

Red

 

[John Fenna]

Yeah - I think I agree with the majority and will go with the leather one - though I will not be chucking the wooden one away!
I feel that the leather on the wooden one is not totally up to my desires, it went wierd when I hot waxed it and think it may have had some sort of plastic treatment (it is recycled leather), the wood is admittedly boring and I am not convinced by my abilities in the art of scrimshaw work..... though it was fun trying and I think I will try it again.
All in all - the leather one wins out!
Thanks for your comments.
John

 

[h2o]

got to the end of the thread and im still laughing at the leather foreskin jibe lol

 

[John Fenna]

Almost - but not quite (and theres the rub) - as good as saying its the Dogs Boll....but it wasn't!

 

[brancho]

John
Nice work.
My advice would have been to adjust the wooden/leather one by adding a piece of buffalo horn and fit new leather to it.
You should have (Isay after teh fact) put a sweep to the right on the tip of the sheath to make it more Scandi style and it flow better. If you learn from the job it is worthwhile (if it didnt cost too much).
Try a scandi style leather sheath next time.

Alf

 

[John Fenna]

Free wood, free leather, self unemployed - no losses in time or cash, gain in the experience - a good deal all round! No school fees paid for the lesson!
I would have swept the shape of the sheath, but the wood was an oblong no wider than the width of the bit you see, and I had no suitable horn to hand
Previous sheathes in wood/leather I have done have been a bit more elaborate with the woods of stacked handles being repeated in the sheath and one decorative piece (based on an Arabian dagger design) having a 180 degree curl in the front view an 45 degree curl in the side view. I cannot find my pickies of these at the moment.
An Arab dagger in stainless (based on a Buck skinner blade) and English Oak...it can never be said I slavishly copy an ethnic design, merely use it as an inspiration.
Art scool has a lot to answer for!

 

[Greg]

I have seen John's knife / weapon collection and believe me he has got alot of wonderful and different works of art from wood to leather and more!

 

[John Fenna]

Shucks Greg - now I am blushing!