Peter Darby

If you want to stamp or carve the back, go for it. When Al Shelton was making belts and hatbands for his high end customers (Roy Rogers and Gene Autry to name a couple) he would put a design on the inside of the band or belt. His theory was that for a custom made piece going the extra mile was a good thing. I can't really tell if the back is not stamped well or if the picture is just not very good. Making a good sheath is a bit more complicated than just making a well made sheath. It sounds like from your comments that you are making progress. When I make a sheath I consider not only the knife but how it is to be used and where. For example a small sheath knife that sits in a tool box would look much different than the same knife to be worn on the belt of a canoe paddler which would be different from a farmer or hunter. And decidedly different for someone who is wearing it primarily for self defense. A quick example of what a well designed sheath can do for you. I was canoe camping with my wife and dog when while executing a sharp maneuver the wife fell out of the back. As I floated off down river trying to keep the canoe upright with 150 pounds of camping gear and a 100 pound dog in it while steering from the bow and trying to keep the dog from jumping in I noticed that my wife was tangled in our fishing line. If I couldn't unsnap and get my sheath knife out of the sheath with one hand to cut the line and return it to the sheath the same way I would have been pulling a barbed fishing line out of her arm or upside down in the river. Ideally a working knife should come into your hand smoothly enough that onlookers wonder how it got there

I noticed a couple of things about the construction. 1. I usually build the gusset up near the hilt so the top of the sheath is close to the same width as the guard to keep it from pushing it into the back of the sheath. 2. This might just be the way I prefer but I usually have the snap or button; a) attached to a piece of leather sewn onto the sheath to prevent the back of the fastener from rubbing on the blade. and put the fastener close enough to the hilt to allow you to unsnap and draw the knife with one motion. 3. It looks like the way you folded over the belt loop that the bottom edge might catch on the knife guard as it is drawn. 4. This is just one of my pet things; But even on a basic sheath I will seldom make the knife hang straight. A bit of an angle I find is more comfortable for sitting than straight up and down.

Great bag.

Really nice!

Awesome.

I just finished my first bombard. It turned out pretty good. It holds more than a quart and less than a half gallon but not sure exactly. The bottel is my first machine sewn (boss) project. It has some flaws but the essential part worked out well i.e. I can sew it. It only takes a few minutes and it holds water.

Really nice!

Nice looking and well built sheaths. I also got into leatherworking because there are a lot of good knives with crappy sheaths out there. Of course once you make a knife sheath you need a belt to carry it on and a pouch would be nice. And then your wife/girlfriend wants a purse. And all the sudden your a leatherworker.

You can see the attachment points on the second picture. (keeping in mind that I am left handed.) The higher attachment goes to the center of your back. Here is a picture of the quiver in action. I used veryy soft leather on the strap to keep down the abrasion. And so far it has worked.

My buckles have never been in the way. I shouldn't think anyone else's would either. Just make sure the buckle is placed at the level of the center of your chest or a bit lower.

Here is a quiver I just finished. (You'll notice my photographic abilities are almost right up there with a 6year old with a brownie box camera) I recently completed a Hedeby Viking style quiver and was struck by a couple of interesting things. It didn't seem to be strapped like a side quiver or a back quiver. I also remembered Art Young's quiver in his Alaskan hunting trip around the turn of the last century. When he bends over his back quiver stays upright and the bottom swings free so he doesn't spill arrows out. So while my new quiver body is the same as most (a tube with a bottom), the strapping is unique. One d ring is near the top and the other side is closer to the top than the bottom. Worn like a shoulder bag the quiver stays upright while the arrows are easy to reach. But when I bend over the quiver stary upright . (The belt like looking thing in the mirror shot is actually a singer sewing machine between me and the mirror.) All in all I think it will pass the usage test.

Very nice.

Well done, I like the Silhouette carving. I used it on my own SCA quiver.

A very nice first attempt. If your interested in making medieval pouches you should get a copy of purses and pieces. You will be surprised at how complicated and ingenious they were.

That is a great belt.

Looks good to me.

Very nice. I like the clean simple lines.

Very nice.

It looks to me like you have the talent you just need to learn and practice the techniques. for the barb wire I would have lightly run a line to use as a base to keep things lined up. You can do the same for the lettering.

Looks good. I am also one who doesn't have the genetic code to free hand so I am envious. If your having trouble with getting smooth beveling lines you might try going over them with a modeling spoon.

Looks good. I once decided to do a boiled leather mug. I went to dip the mug and dropped it by mistake into the now boiling water. I know have a leather teacup that you could chop wood with. I could readily imagine boiled leather being able to turn a sword without much difficulty. Shrinkage was probably 50 percent and the leather thickness increased X 3 or so.

Very nice. Back in 83 a pocket sheath for a fixed blade knife was my first leather project. A very handy sheath for working around the house.

What dirtclod said. I just finished an flattened oval quiver. I used a retangular piece for the body (with a curve to the top edge) and when it came time for me to sew the bottom I squeezed the body of the case to the proper sized. Drew the bottom on the leather which gave me the bottom of the quiver. For the mouth of the quiver I cut four holes near the top and threaded a lace through which when tied off forces the top into the same shape as the bottom. I've enclosed a picture that shows the back side. I whipped stiched the bottom on then reversed the whip stitch to give that triangular look.

Awesome work!

Good job. One of the great things about designing your own stuff is the ability to make it exactly the way you want. I just completed a sporran that has interior pockets and a slots on the back for various knives I might want to put behind it rather than the off-the-shelf big bag that most sporrans tend to be.