A Good Sheath Tutorial?

Mike Martinez

Mike Martinez

Well-Known Member
Do any of you leather mavens have a good tutorial(pictures or video) for leather sheaths? I'm starting to make knives that don't quite mesh well with that "unholy" substance we call Kydex.
 
Jim Coffee said:
Hey Mike, Look into getting Paul Longs dvds, After watching the dvds you will be makin sheaths..
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Thank you Jim, (hope you don't mind being addressed by your first name since I didn't feel right calling you Mr. Coffee, my wife's grandpa is a Coffee and hates being called it due to the Coffee maker by the same name). I thought that would be a prudent way to go but I'm trying to put my spending in check. After getting new belts, steel and building a new forge, I've eaten up my hobby budget for the next few months. :biggrin:
 
Second Paul Longs Dvds, he describes, leather type and size, pattern making, tools used hand and machine, step by step construction.

It's like being in his shop looking on as he makes a sheath from pattern making to final fit.

I've watched the Pouch Sheath dvd over and over, you won't be disappointed.
 
Thank you all. As soon as my knife funds are back in the black I'll grab Mr. Long's DVDs. For the moment I found a tutorial that more or less allowed me to play with the basics. The outcome was less than great but every journey starts with that first step.

http://beebeknives.com/html/make_a_sheath_tutorial.html

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Mike,

GREAT looking first sheath ! A little dye and burnishing the edges will work miracles with the look of the final product.

FAR above average for a first attempt

-Josh
 
Look and see on YouTube, there are many good videos there on sheath making. Watching them can take you to a very well informed starting place.

I have learned and agree with dying & burnishing as a way to improve the look. Black hides things very well.

Nice first sheath, they get better the more you do.
 
Here's three I have written:

http://www.wrtcleather.com/1-ckd/tutorials/_leatherstitch.html - a variation on the saddle stitch that some newbies find of beneft
http://www.wrtcleather.com/1-ckd/tutorials/_stitchpony.html - this is how to make a stitch pony
http://www.wrtcleather.com/1-ckd/mexloop/_mexloop.html - making a Mexican Loop sheath - the methods are pretty much the same for other styles

http://www.knivesby.com/knifemaking.html - Dan Gray collected a lot of tutorials on knifemaking and sheath making

re: Youtube - yes there are some very good ones, but there is also a lot of crapola and others are down right dangerous, so you need to know how to tell the difference.
 
Mike, the afore mentioned posts are good info. Looking carefully at the sheath you displayed so well, I believe that the greenish interior of the leather is an indication that it is chrome tanned. This is a no no in sheathmaking. Use only vegetable tanned leather.
 
Thank you Mr. Morrissey, I figured it was either oil or chrome but it was the only thing I had on hand. I get nearly manic when I pick up a new interest and love to put ideas into practice. I ordered some better leather from W&C prior to seeing your post on suppliers so hopefully the next one comes out better.

Thanks again.
 
Yes, chrome tanned leather will ruin a carbon steel blade in a hurry. Veg tanned or oil tanned won't have that greyish center. Ok to practice with, but that's about all.

Here is a list of a few links to sheath tutorials that I have bookmarked:

www.northcoastknives.com/northcoast_knives_tutorials_LeatherSheath.htm
www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3175642&posted=1#post3175642
www.knivesby.com/dan-sheath-tutor-1.html
www.beknivessite2.homestead.com/pouchsheath.html
www.stoneandsteel.net/pouch_sheath.html
 
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