What are they called?

D

David66

Well-Known Member
I have noticed on some of the upper-end sheaths what appears to be a stud instead of a button on the keeper strap. I hate buttons.

What are they called and where can I get them?

Thanks,
David
 
Maybe?

If this is how they are used; yes.

I borrowed the pic from the collectors forum, hope nobody minds.
 

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You can use them that way or use it with a single strap which is sewn to the sheath and pulled across a guard lug to hold it in the sheath.
 
I've heard them called frogs, no idea how that name came about. Sometimes they're used without any strap at all... you just slip the sheath between your belt and pants, and the stud keeps it from sliding down your leg. The tension of your belt keeps the knife from slipping out of the sheath.

You can also carry a pretty big knife totally concealed by just tucking it inside your pants and draping your shirt over the handle.
 
That's my sheath you pictured and the Sam Browne studs I use come from Tandy/Leather factory stock number 1309-02. They refer to them as "Sam Browne Button/Washer" and the type I prefer is a rivet back and will require a small anvil (about 89 cents) to set them with. The anvil is listed along with the studs on their web site.

Paul
 
Thanks Paul,

I was at the Tandy store on Friday but I was not sure if the Sam Brown studs were the correct item.

This weekend was my first attempt at sheath making, it does not have a keeper but my mind started working on the future.
 
Here's another example of Sam Brown studs at work:
RC5front.jpg

RC5back-1.jpg


I really like them for certain applications, they really give a nice rustic look to a sheath. :)
 
Old style knives used larger versions of these and called them Frogs. You can look at old painting and occasionally see a knife in between a belt and waist. A piece of fabric, ribbon or cord was used to tie the Frog to the belt. The Tandy (smaller) version is called a Sam Brown stud. No idea who Sam Brown is in this case...presumably the inventor of this version.
 
The older definition of a "frog" is the rig used to attach the sheath to the belt utilizing the stud or some similar device. This goes back to the medieval times. Essentially its the rig that stays on the belt and allows the scabbard, or sheath, to be removed without removing the belt.

Once upon a long time ago I did Medieval Re-creation armoring, learned a lot of esoteric terms back then. :bud:

Heres a pic of a rapier frog and scabbard, a knife frog is much simpler in design.
frog2.jpg
 
Here's a knife sheath comprized of a sheath body with sam brown stud attatched and the accompanying frog with belt loop.

Julykith004.jpg

Julykith003.jpg


-Josh
 
Josh Dabney said:
Here's a knife sheath comprized of a sheath body with sam brown stud attatched and the accompanying frog with belt loop.
-Josh
Click to expand...

Bingo! Josh, and Dwayne, the stud is not the frog. You are correct.

Also I don't know who or what Sam BrownE (notice the E in Browne) is or was, but the old Military and Police Dept. rigs consisting of a heavy waist belt and a strap running diagonally over the shoulder were called Sam Browne belts or "rigs" and the stud we all refer to was the fastening device behind a large buckle which was adjusted once and then hooked in placed from then on. These were standard for World War I era officer's uniforms (in color brown) as well as Police departments (mostly in black) until almost the 1970's.
 
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Paul,

Interesting bit of history there. In questioning Who was Sam Browne ? I came across this bit of history that is a short but interesting read on the subject which tells who he was and of the controversy over who invented the Sam Browne style rig.

As a side note I feel I should admit I would be completely clueless to all things leather if not for my mentor, one of our very own leather mods, DCknives.

A BIG thanks out to Dave, and Dwayne, and Paul, and Sandy, and John, and Chuck, and and.... (everyone else) for sharing your knowledge of the craft with those of us interested in learning !

-Josh
 
Paul Long said:
That's my sheath you pictured and the Sam Browne studs I use come from Tandy/Leather factory stock number 1309-02. They refer to them as "Sam Browne Button/Washer" and the type I prefer is a rivet back and will require a small anvil (about 89 cents) to set them with. The anvil is listed along with the studs on their web site.

Paul
Click to expand...

So am I correct in assuming that they are a compression fit?

The base or the (washer) is inserted into the top or (button) and tapping it while on the anvil seats it! :unsure:

Have you ever had one to come apart if that is the process as I discribed it?
 
The "washer" described by Tandy is really more like a rivet and its really quite difficult to force it into place, its a Very tight fit.

No worries on it coming apart.
 
C Craft said:
So am I correct in assuming that they are a compression fit?

The base or the (washer) is inserted into the top or (button) and tapping it while on the anvil seats it! :unsure:

Have you ever had one to come apart if that is the process as I discribed it?
Click to expand...

The stud goes upside down into the anvil. The rivet is inserted through the leather from the back and then placed on/in the stud and is driven home with a hammer. NO! they do not come apart.....EVER!!!

I prefer the rivet back over the screw back because when installed the rivet back sets flush or sub surface on the back and the screw back will leave a hump (if lined) and a bare screw head if unlined unless leather is relieved prior to installation of the screw.

Paul
 
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You can also get them with a screw back
http://www.thefind.com/jewelry/info-screw-back-button-stud

And Josh was right about the frog being the leather belt attachment the stud is just that a stud or sometimes called a button.


General Sir Samuel James Browne was a heavily decorated soldier of the British Empire in the mid-late 19th Century. He was a veteran of the East Indian/Afghani Wars (think Rudyard Kipling) and during the uprising of 1858 he had his left arm lopped off and due to the design of the original sword belt he was no longer able to draw his saber. Thus the original Sam Browne rigs was designed with the shoulder belt going over the right shoulder to the left hip which helped with the weight of the scabbard and saber, but it also has attachments to steady the saber in it's scabbard so that it could be drawn one handed rather than having to use the left hand to steady the scabbard while drawing the saber. The original rig is on display at Sandhurst, the British West Point.
Since the original design there have been several variations including moving the cross shoulder strap from the right shoulder to the left so it would aid in supporting the pistol carried on the right hip. This change was made after the saber was no longer part of ones fighting gear.
 
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