Simple Foldover Sheath

[Dennis Morland]

With certain colors or techniques for coloring leather you need to use finesse. With black it is all about just getting it darkened.

I am a big fan of Fiebings dyed. I will be using this color. The reason, I could buy it from my local Hobby Lobby. I live 2.5 hours from Tandy Leather in Omaha. It has been closed and I have not had time to get there recently.

Sometimes you use what you have available to you.

 

[Dennis Morland]

I start the on the flesh side. I color the whole thing. Some makers do not color the inside. Some just color the top. Which type are you??

Then flip it over and do the grain side. Just make sure you get all the nooks and crannies in the stamping.

It is a hot sunny day. so I will just set these outside for a bit of time to let the dye fully absorb into the leather and dry.

 

[Dennis Morland]

I did not show a picture but I dyed the welt and belt loop.

 

[Dennis Morland]

While I wait for the dye to dry, I will show some of the tools/materials that are going to be used.

Gold braided cord and stitching needles.

A groover. This will create the trench for the stitches to sit in.

I will get the tiny little hole honed and sharpened on my strop.

 

[Dennis Morland]

Start with the top of the belt loop.

Three well placed stitches. It will hold the top of the loop tightly against the sheath.

 

[Dennis Morland]

This is my current way of setting stitches. A diamond hole chisel. This is a cheap Tandy model with three (3) different stitch lengths.

Just stand it up perpendicular to the groove line and hit it with a mallet.

 

[Dennis Morland]

Then just hand stitch. Set each stitch with the same tension. That is the key to a nice stitch line.

Finished the lower portion of the belt loop.

Afterwards take a clean faced mallet and lightly tap the stitches into the groove line flushly.

 

[Dennis Morland]

Time to place the welt. I like squeeze type Barges Cement.

 

[Dennis Morland]

Check the fit with the knife. I am good. Edge looks rough. Off to the grinder. I use my grinder with a clean 36 grit belt at about 30-35 percent.

 

[Dennis Morland]

Two rules for using your grinder. 1) Do not drop your sheath into your dip bucket. Mine is gross and that would get nasty. 2). After you cut yourself on the grinder, do not bleed on your sheath.

Edge is rough ground. After putting in the stitches I will clean it up, smooth it out, and dye it black. I just want the leather set so it does not move around. Stitches are the cure.

 

[Bruce McLeish]

Check the fit with the knife. I am good. Edge looks rough. Off to the grinder. I use my grinder with a clean 36 grit belt at about 30-35 percent.

lets just say someone doesn't have a grinder (hypothetical, of course) , what is the best way to trim the welt?

 

[Dennis Morland]

Time to stitch. Need to cut the stitch groove. I cut the front side only. In fact, I want it deep so I cut it twice.

 

[Dennis Morland]

Take the diamond hole chisel and punch holes down the front side. Stay perpendicular to the sheath will help immensely in lining up the holes on the back side.

I start with the first hole at the top of the sheath. I want it right there. I do not care as much as to where the last hole ends up at the bottom of the sheath. But the top one is kind of important. Right there!!

 

[Dennis Morland]

Holes are cut on the front side.

This is the back side. The leather was fairly thick with the welt. You can just see the little nubs.

I now use the groover to cut the groove on the back side. It should line up fairly well with the little nubs if you don’t change it from cutting the front side. Unfortunately, I lost the picture so you will need to trust that it worked.

 

[Dennis Morland]

Start stitching from hole no. 1 at the top of the sheath. Biggest tip I can give is have even pulls on the tension of the sting after each stitch.

Front side picture.

Back side.

 

[Dennis Morland]

Here is a picture of the back side groove. I found it.

 

[Dennis Morland]

Finished stitching.

Front side.

Back side.

 

[Dennis Morland]

Back to the grinder to even up the outside edge.

 

[Greg Rice]

Very nice sir - at beginning you mentioned 5-6 oz leather. There are many options Shoulder, double shoulder, belly First, for the ol' hillbilly - can I get nose or other 'special request' areas? and second - other than that - what leather would you recommend - thank you

 

[Dennis Morland]

I again use a clean 36 grit belt. I turn it down to around 20 percent. You can sand to 800 grit if you would like. I will stop here.

Then I dyed the edge.