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A few words about Leather Sheaths...
Sheaths are so under rated! I for one, always took knife sheaths for granted whenever I bought a knife and I'm sure there are many people who think that way too. But not anymore. It wasn't until I needed to make my own that I started to really appreciate what was actually involved! One thing for sure, it's not as easy as it first appears to turn out something half decent and there's no such thing as making a sheath in a hurry!
I started off with odds and ends of Chromed type leather and although it obviously has its uses, there were few occasions when I could use it. As I got more involved with knife making, I realised that Veg tanned leather was what I needed to work with if I was to 'up my game' and turn out some decent Sheaths.
I'm full of admiration for people who can work magic with leather. I'm getting better at leather craft myself the more I practice, but if was to be honestly truthful, leatherwork, and stitching in particular, is not really my thing! However, once I make a start on a Sheath, I seem to settle down and just about enjoy messing about with it, playing with the designs, forming and applying different finishing combinations etc. As can be seen from the examples of Sheaths below, I've made a variety of sheaths, some of which are fairly good even if I say so myself. Maybe one day I'll come to love it as much as I do making knives! For now, let's say I accept that I've got to make Sheaths, so I get on and do them as best I can.
Good Leather is easy enough to come by as long as one is willing to pay. A good knife deserves a good sheath, by which I mean that the Sheath should not just be made to hold the knife, but to compliment and enhance it. Alas, few people appreciate the cost, effort and time factors involved in making a good sheath. So take it form me, there is more than meets the eye in a hand made knife sheath and one should never begrudge paying a fair price for a decent one. If I were to only make Sheaths, I'll certainly be expecting to charge more for them than I do now as part of a completed knife 'package' deal. Yes, I can make simpler functional sheaths, but I like to be different. I want to make sheaths that are in harmony with their respective knives rather than if it was an afterthought.
Most of the Sheaths I make are from 3.5mm to 4mm Veg tanned shoulder leather. For thread I use 50lbs breaking strain braided line normally used used to make fish nets from. I hand stitch two rows of 'Saddle Stitch' with extra stitching at the Sheath's opening. I feel that doing it this way ensures that the Welt is well secured and the overall effect is also aesthetically pleasing, especially if I add some fancy/contrasting stitching. After stitching, the Sheath may then be formed and embossed, followed by dying and finally by oiling and/or waxing depending on finish required. Depending on the type and finish required, a Sheath can take me from a few hours to a few days to complete. It's certainly not a job that can be rushed! Just as well that I've got time to spare and patience to match!
I don't normally do Sheaths for others, but if you're desperate I might just help you out...
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Now for some example of Sheaths I made...
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Karl's Damascus knife #1
This very nice Mammoth handled Poul Strande Damascus knife had no Sheath with it when bought, so Karl asked me to do one for it, giving me a free hand with its design. The result is as you can see, dyed and embossed veg tan leather over a Red Deer antler in the Scandinavian style. The clever bit cannot be seen as I incorporated a very strong 1cm diameter earth magnet into the sheath that helps to hold the knife more securely.
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Karl's Damascus knife #2
Another quality Damascus knife with a Black African wood handle that didn't come with a sheath. Once again Karl gave me free reign and the result is what you see. The dyed and embossed leather part of the sheath is obvious enough, but the photo doesn't come anywhere near doing to the lower part justice. I made it up from a sandwich of Black Buffalo horn, Cow horn and red fibre liners. An earth magnet is also incorporated into the sheath to further secure the knife.
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