BOHUNTER Report post Posted April 14, 2011 Hello, In as green to this as Im guessing you all were once. I happened upon some youtube videos and well.... here I am. Im usually pretty handy and after watching a few videos I was amazed at the abilities of some of these artists. Im a flintknapper, I make stone points and projectiles. Ive played with knife building and have always wanted me a nice bowie knife. Problem is they are really expensive and I like making stuff, so I felt its time for me to make one. Then Ill need a sheath.... ok Im back to why Im here again.. I understand the tools of the trade, watched and took notes of the basics. Purchased a few already. My question is this though. What kind of leather am I looking for. I know its got to be thick, stiff, well what the heck is it called in the leather works world. Im looking to make a nice sheath. Ill probably make some designs too. I would like to buy some leather now. Its very clear that the dyed, suede like stuff isntr the ticket! I see some posts on here say that 4-6oz is good but some prefer 8-10oz for sheaths.... Is there a chart to show what an ounce scale is? How thick is what? This is my only question so I can buy me some stock to work off of. If your looking for flintknapped stuff or have a question about this craft, whooo I can answer anything you got! LOL Appreciate your time, I need some leather to work! I tried the saddle stitching tonight... good grief that a tedious process,,,, LOL STEVE H. BOHUNTER Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chris of WV Report post Posted April 14, 2011 Hello, In as green to this as Im guessing you all were once. I happened upon some youtube videos and well.... here I am. Im usually pretty handy and after watching a few videos I was amazed at the abilities of some of these artists. Im a flintknapper, I make stone points and projectiles. Ive played with knife building and have always wanted me a nice bowie knife. Problem is they are really expensive and I like making stuff, so I felt its time for me to make one. Then Ill need a sheath.... ok Im back to why Im here again.. I understand the tools of the trade, watched and took notes of the basics. Purchased a few already. My question is this though. What kind of leather am I looking for. I know its got to be thick, stiff, well what the heck is it called in the leather works world. Im looking to make a nice sheath. Ill probably make some designs too. I would like to buy some leather now. Its very clear that the dyed, suede like stuff isntr the ticket! I see some posts on here say that 4-6oz is good but some prefer 8-10oz for sheaths.... Is there a chart to show what an ounce scale is? How thick is what? This is my only question so I can buy me some stock to work off of. If your looking for flintknapped stuff or have a question about this craft, whooo I can answer anything you got! LOL Appreciate your time, I need some leather to work! I tried the saddle stitching tonight... good grief that a tedious process,,,, LOL STEVE H. BOHUNTER Hey BOHUNTER, and welcome to Leatherworker.net! I'm just as new as you (although I've had some other experience in leatherworking), since I just joined a few days ago, but I think I know enough to answer your questions... Leather thickness is measured by the ounce, with each ounce equaling out to approximately 1/64th of an inch. So, when you're talking about 8-10 oz. leather, you're talking about 1/8" to 5/32". More info on thickness... The type of leather you're looking for is called veg-tanned tooling leather. This leather is called "veg"etable tanned because it's tanned with tannin and natural vegetable fibers. You DO NOT want sueded leather or garment leather. These are great for items such as pouches or clothing, but definitely not any good for tooling... For an idea of what you're wanting, check out Tandy or Springfield's selections at the links below: Tandy - Tooling Cowhide - Shoulders, Double Shoulders, Bends, and Bellies - Good for those on a budget (like me, lol) Tandy - Tooling Cowhide - Sides Springfield Tooling Leather As for the thickness of leather you should use for a knife sheath, I'm not quite sure. I have one that's made out of 3-4 oz and another made out of the 8-9 oz., and, to be honest, I believe the thickness is up to the craftsman's personal opinion. I'm guessing the 8-9 oz. might be a little tougher to work with, since it's so much thicker though... Now, as to where you can get the leather, you can get it from Tandy, Springfield, or a plethora of other companies out there. I have been basically just watching all the different companies, trying to keep an eye out for sales (for instance, Tandy had 3-4 oz oak veg-tanned tooling sides on sale for $39.99 each the other day, and they're normally around $110 each!). Hopefully I've been able to help you out some, and if you have any more questions (or if anyone else has any corrections) please feel free to holler! Best Regards, Chris Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BOHUNTER Report post Posted April 14, 2011 I was thinking this was the proper leather but I had to ask since its a good chunk of change to "THINK" I was correct. Learn something everyday! Appreciate the info and links. Ill be sure to study up. Steve Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DCKNIVES Report post Posted April 14, 2011 Welcome to another Floridian.A good rule of thumb for knife sheaths, is 4-5 oz for folders and small knives,7-8 oz for medium sized fixed blades, and 9-10 oz for bigger knives.Dave Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
King's X Report post Posted April 15, 2011 Welcome to the forum! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
