battlemunky

For me, none of it is easy! I struggle with every piece but I see improvement every once in a while. Start small and practice on a piece that uses a lot of the basics.

Sharpening a swivel knife blade is just like sharpening any other blade. If you can't or don't know how to sharpen a regular knife, you can learn a lot you can apply to either depending on which version you start with. YouTube is full of sharpening videos as Tugadude posted one. Keep your angle constant (use the holder you picked up) and make sure that you are keeping it equal on both sides. You should get a burr to form on one side that you then work the other side down to until it forms a burr, then step up to higher grit sandpaper/stones and you should have it ready. It isn't always a quick process so take your time and pay ayyention. Check out some videos and try it out.

Maybe a hair blade for the swivel knife if you want to add some texture to the fur?

Nice bit of kit you've made!

Targeted block dying. YouTube "block dying" and then target the locations you want with the color you choose.

It may not just be the leather, it may be the foams throughout the whole thing. Get used to curry until it breathes its way out of the foams.

Sinabroks FTW!

Beautiful lines on them Chuck!

What a beautiful piece of multi-species self gifting. I've never tried archery but those armguards you make look as comfortable as some house slippers, man.

Ahhhh, that explains it. I was wondering how you got all the detail into the letters. Still, quite nice and sorry about the vice...and the rhyming.

I've made many sheathes and have also only used leather for welting. Initially I recoiled at the idea of using plastic but I don't see why you couldn't. It would need to be the right plastic too though. You would want something similarly pliable to leather so the edge can rest up against it and it gives a bit but still can protect the stitching. I don't think the bakelite is going to work because it will break and become a potential hazard because the sheath won't work correctly. Although it is unconventional it isn't wrong. If you pull it off, share pics and let us know how it carries. Also, I'd go with contact cement, either Barge or Weldwood. You don't want the eco-friendly water based versions for this. The smellier and more volatile the better. If you can find one that extincted everything on Mars due to its volatility and then fell to Earth, it'd probably be the one I chose.

Oh man...that is great Mike. I have no idea how you did it but it is incredible. The detail on the lettering has me baffled. I can see how you may have done Mikey but the detail in the lettering has me lost.

Good on you for persevering! It all looks great!

A great question that I don't know the answer to, regarding what is happening inside the leather. All I know is that when it gets over saturated it'll get a bit smushy and muddy and is ruined. Maybe if it is left to dry for a longer than the piece would've been needed for amount of time it may be ok? I've only seen it when there is too much oil and it can't evaporate/off-gas quick enough. Usually from dipping in NFO, or worse, soaking.

There is such a thing as too much neatsfoot oil. You may have fully saturated the work and it could be screwed. The only thing to do is wait. maybe try some of the cat litter/rice/other idea tricks that have been suggested and see how it goes, if not you may just have to remake the piece. Let us know what ends up working out.

Well it looks super bad ass so I hope that is what you were going for.

Beautiful work, Mike!

My personal preference is to avoid edge paint, I just don't like application and durability. That said though, as previously mentioned, if using chrome tan, it usually doesn't burnish well at all although there are a few that can, so paint or rolling the edge are your options. Veg tan...I burnish using water, dye, gum trag, glycerine & water, hell, I've even licked an edge a time or two prior to burnishing.

I do similar to Yin. So thin it looks like it wouldn't work, but it does. I still prefer Barge or Weldwood but Aquilum is pretty good for water based and it doesn't stink up the house.

Beautiful sheath IMO. Definitely stepped up from the original.

Another beautiful batch Mike!

They are super blotchy unless I ham hand them and then they darken a lot. I have the blue jean and the honey and both are pretty great colors until you have to use multiple coats, then they aren't nice anymore. Also, I noticed they rub off quite a bit too.

You can also use a crepe rubber eraser too. It works on both water and solvent based adhesives. They are a couple of bucks at the hobby store near the drawing stuff or Tandy.

Yeah, you have nothing to be bashful about, that is really nice work!

Looks good @DJole. How do you like the Angelus dyes? I've got two and I hate to say that I don't love them. I want to but they just aren't doing it for me the way Fiebings does.