Awesome work! Please share how you are molding the leather around the different shapes of your knives?
That's much easier then most realize..... first and foremost.... it has to be QUALITY Oak/Veg tanned leather (I buy all my leather from Wickett & Craig)
Once the sheath is sewn, and completed, but before any dye or finish is applied, I go to the laundry sink in our basement.
Turn on the hot water, and let it get as hot as it will. SOAK the empty sheath with hot water, until it has that faint smell of cow (that's when natural tanned leather is "in case".. meaning moldable.) Insert the knife (I leave them bare, but some wrap them in plastic wrap) and then using my thumbs/fingers, I mold the leather to fit the knife. Once I'm happy with it, which is only a couple of minutes of working it, I pull out the knife, dry it well, then....
If it's winter, the sheath gets hung on a hook in the basement, until it's dry, or if it's summer/warm weather, I hang sheaths outside. Here in Montana, with our super low humidity, it usually takes a day or two for the sheaths to dry. After drying, if I color/dye them, I dip the entire sheath in leather dye, then let that dry for another day, then apply a product called "Tan-Kote".... OR I have also used regular old shoe polish. Either works equally well. The only difference I've found is that the Tan-Kote makes the leather much stiffer, which tend to hold the knife better.
On those sheaths in the above pics, that are lighter tan color, there was no dye used, except for black on the edges, and finished/coated with the Tan-Kote. I purchase the Wickett & Craig "skirting" leather, pre-dyed in "russet" color. The pre-dyed costs a few cents more per sq foot initially, but considering good leather dye is $30+ per quart.... if I don't have to dye the leather myself....its a time and money saver.
The biggest keys are.... QAULITY leather (that means DO NOT BUY from Tandy, or use any "Chrome tanned" leather for building sheaths. You MUST also is allow the leather to dry COMPLETELY, whether from water/wet molding, or from applying dye, BEFORE apply any finish. Putting any finish on leather that is not completely dry, traps moisture inside the leather, and dramatically impacts it's durability and longevity.
Just a final tip.... ever see an old knife with a sheath, that has green gunk around/on the guard? That is el-cheapo chrome tanned leather (chromatic acids) reacting with the non-ferric guard material.
