Grit in sheath

Alden Cole

Well-Known Member
Hey guys, I made a 3 piece sheath (welt, front, back) that holds the knife by friction. All well and good, but I must have got some grit in it, because I've scratched the blade as it goes in and out of the sheath! :mad: I roughed up the welt and sides with 80 grit paper, and I'm sure that is where it came from. Two questions then. What do you do if you have grit in a sheath, and how do you rough up prior to cement? Thanks
 
Hey guys, I made a 3 piece sheath (welt, front, back) that holds the knife by friction. All well and good, but I must have got some grit in it, because I've scratched the blade as it goes in and out of the sheath! :mad: I roughed up the welt and sides with 80 grit paper, and I'm sure that is where it came from. Two questions then. What do you do if you have grit in a sheath, and how do you rough up prior to cement? Thanks
I am no leatherworker so take this for what it is worth, my opinion only. I do not rough anything up for that reason. The cement is only temporary, I just need it to hold long enough for me to stitch. If you are looking for an alternative though, maybe try a clean rasp.
 
What do you do if you have grit in a sheath, and how do you rough up prior to cement?
Hi Alden, I only rough up the area where the welt will be glued, and use a slick to compress and smooth out the area where the blade will contact. Tough to get a friction hold that way, but I've also found that any leather sheath will stretch out over time and I haven't been able to maintain a friction fit more than a few months....
 
I've had the leather stretching problem too. What kind of sheaths do you build if you don't like friction fit?
 
I've had the leather stretching problem too. What kind of sheaths do you build if you don't like friction fit?
That's the dilemma, the alternative is something with a strap that snaps to hold the knife in place, but that only works well if there is a part of the handle that sticks out like the guard or significant contouring. For some filet knives I have made a folded over plastic insert that both protects the inside of the sheath and provides a better friction fit.
 
Thanks, Chris. I've got a similar billet already for sale if you want.... ;) But you can probably make your own.
 
Cash always works, but not sure you want to drive up to Portland.o_O. If you want to PM me your e-mail, I'll send a Paypal link/request.
If you want to send your shiping address, too, I'll find out how much postage and insurance will cost.
 
Also, will you be forging this or stock removal? I'll do some grain refining in the HT oven if you're doing stock removal.
 
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