Need A Pattern Or Some Ideas On A Sheath For A Dagger Type Knife

[BenG76]

I have a John Primble knife that has a dual edge or is like a dagger. It is handled like one of the Old Hickory knives with a slab of hickory wood on each side of the handle. I am having a hard time deciding what I want to make for it. Any ideas, patterns or even any pictures to give me some inspiration. Thanks

[camano ridge]

It would help if you could post a picture of the knife. A little more information would help. Do you want the knife to sit deep in the sheath or do you want the guard above the top edge of the sheath with a retention strap? Are trying for a certain look? Since you call it dagger like , I assume the edge is sharpened on both sides. If so I would reccomend a full welt. You can easily draw out a pattern lying the knife down on paper draw around the blade and handle staying as close into the knife as possible. Now along the line of the blade draw another line 1/4" out all the way around the blade thei will be the welt and now you have the basic shape of the sheath decide how you want the upper portion of the sheath to look and how you want it to attach to a belt you will have your pattern.

Edited September 23, 2014 by camano ridge

[CaptainBeaky]

Here's one I made earlier...

This is folded around with a single seam up the back, wet moulded then hammered flat against the blade.

I have the pattern somewhere, if you're interested.

[BenG76]

Thanks for the replies. This knife doesn't have a guard so I would really like part of the handle to sit down in the sheath so I wont need to put a strap around the handle. I will try to post a picture here soon if I can. Its very similar to some of the Russell Green river type knives I have seen.

[CaptainBeaky]

I'll post some more pictures later when I can get on my pc at home - I have done a few as you describe, although for single-edge blades.

For ideas about knife and dagger sheaths/scabbards, you could do a lot worse than have a look at the Sheaths and Leatherwork section on the British Blades forum.

You will find all sorts of ideas and designs on there, plus they tend to be very helpful (Ian Atkinson, who I believe is a member here, is also very active on there).

[CaptainBeaky]

OK, a deeper pouch-type sheath - the pattern was made pretty much as described above by camano ridge:

Big hint with wet-moulding around a knife - grease the blade with Vaseline or silicone grease, wrap in cling film, then tape over the cling film.

Saves loads of rust spots!

For your Green River style knife, I would suggest a modification of cr's method above:

1. Draw round the knife on a sheet of graph paper, extending your pattern up as far as you want the knife to sit into the sheath.

2. Expand your pattern laterally so that the width across each segment of the blade is twice the blade width, plus suitable seam allowance (I normally work on 1/4" per side).

3. The sheath will need to be wider around the handle - measure the circumference of the handle at a few heights, and add your seam allowance again - this will be the width of your pattern around the handle.

4. Fold in half and stitch the seam together.

5. Soak it!

6. Re-fold the sheath flat so that the seam is in the middle of the back surface, then push your wrapped knife into the sheath, making sure the seam stays straight.

7. Allow to partially dry, then hammer the back seam onto the knife with a light, CLEAN hammer.

8. Allow to dry completely, but remove the knife before completely dry.

Finish the surface according to your preferred method.

This type of sheath does require a frog, or if you make the back seam a little deeper at the top, you can use a D ring to make a dangler-type sheath.

HTH

[BenG76]

Here is a pic of the knife finally uploaded one.

[CBlackwell]

I've made a LOT of knife and dagger sheaths. I would have to agree with the deeper pouch type sheath. Maybe a one piece wrap style like the one on the quillion dagger earlier only deeper.

[Tannin]

Yes, the traditional Scandinavian style sheaths might suit your knife as it has no guard (quillons). E.g.:

Although a dagger without a cross-guard (quillons) doesn't make much sense to me, other than perhaps as a throwing knife, as pushing/thrusting it would tend to force your hand up the blade. (Which is sometimes used to point out why good, inexpensive Scandinavian craft knives, such as made by from Mora/Frost, should be considered craft tools and not weapons.) But perhaps it is intended a craft tool with two cutting edges (like a double-faced axe)?

Edited December 18, 2014 by Tannin