Mocivnik

@LetterT: 1. Well, I guess I pressed the stamp too hard. I'm using a vice to stamp for now, but hopefully, I'm getting a knacking press within a month. Will do it more even and will have to test different materials on background of leather. I used hardwood for now. 2. I did painted it with Fiebing's edge kote, but I guess it wasn't finished on this pic yet. Unfortunatelly, I've uploaded these photos waaaaaaaay too fast. I should wait until September, when I will (hopefully) be able to finish plenty of stuff more). 3. Yeah, I really wanted a 2-prong leather belt for myself, but buckle as this, isn't very practical. You need 5 times much time as with 1 prong to close it. They're not conected between and it's a bit harder to center both into holes. I'm searching for this kinda buckles, they're easier to deal with.

Well, here we go: This is an axe sheath made from 5 oz. veg tan, colred with FIebing's PRO DYE color dark brown. Single layer, then put over resolene and seal's fat for gloss finish. I've also added a single strap with 2 snap buttons to hold on, but haven't got that pic on me, sorry :/ This sheath is actually fully functional, although it's not very good looking. THis was a first ever made sheath from me, so it's like a 0x00 Pilot version :D :D :D There are some extra holes around that rivet and just doesn't look very good. The next thing is a machette sheath. 6-7 veg tan, colored with FIebing's PRO DYE color dark brown. I've noticed, that I should NEVER EVER used more than 1 coat of this dye, because it gets bad on some surfaces. Never ever applying 2 or more coats (here I applied 3 coats of dye). Total lenght: 590mm or 23.2 inch. And the final one, the dagger's sheath. Dyed with Diablo (italian company) black (nero) dye, alcohol based. APplied resolene on top. Made from 7 oz. veg tan. The dagger is also made by me, but the handle + pommel at the end isn't finished yet. Still need to add some kind of a strap, to hold a knife on place.

Here are my first real leather attempts: First are 2 belts, I've made for collegues.. And a couple of biker's wallets I've came up with. Nothing special, but they are the first ones, I've made. The left one was a present for a friend of mine, who gave me a hand couple years ago and wasn't able to meet him until a month ago.

@fred: sorry, it says 44 inches. I'm constantly using metric system and just got wrong. this is the actual ad: https://www.ebay.com/itm/real-Cobra-snake-skin-hide-tanned-snakeskin-genuine-Pelts-Leather-soft-no-63/153021187985?hash=item23a0c60791:g:jdsAAOSwXqVaj6BC @JLSleather: is the belly-cut better than back-cut?

so you think, this is worth of 15$ ?

I've found it cheap on ebay and want to try it (this will be my first attempt crafting with leather beside cowhides), I am wondering, what kinda snake is this? It says, it's 24" long and 4" wide (100 x 10cm). The price is about 15$/piece.

sent a pm

Anyone knows, where could I get any? Ebay doesn't find anything useful.

I know about them, but I really don't like their look. I don't know why, because I could bet my head, that they are stronger than any other rivets, but the look...just isn't something I'd put on my work. Which still doesn't say, that I don't admire other people's work with them! Mind if I ask, where did you get them?

Yes, I'm aware of that, but I'd like to somekinda avoid this. I believe, that if I "stock" myself with various rivets (lenghts, diameters, colors, etc.), I can work for a long time and without obstacles (as long as you have a reliable supplier). That's why I'd like to make myself a proper stock of rivets from 4 up to 15mm sized head, single and double, including at least 4-5 different distances on each rivet, all in every color (antique brass, polished brass, silver, gunblack and copper).

I'm constantly having problems with lenght and diameter of rivets while making (mostly) sheaths. It gets difficult, combine the diameter of the rivet's head with the lenght, depending on close to edge and thickness of the leather(layers). Is there any kind of "universal" rivets, that has something such as: 1 size of the head and 3 or more different lenghts of the base? And there are several sizes, such as (5mm diameter - 3,5,8,10,12mm lenght; 8mm diameter - 5,8,10,12,15mm lenght, etc.)? It would be infinitely easier to rivet nearly anything.

So, I've just closed the lid of the first empty bottle (yaay! ) of Fiebing's PRO DYE (dark brown, but that's not important right now) and came to point, where I'm ordering new one(s). What my question here is, is what's the actual difference between: Fiebing's Leather dye, Fiebing's PRO dye, Fiebing's Acrylic dye, Fiebing's low voc and Fiebing's leathercolors? I think that Leather dye is the one, which is based on alcohol, while PRO dye is oil based (?). What is advantage of which, if I'm using only daubers to apply the dye? Probably is best to mention, that I'm doing mostly knife sheaths and gun holsters. PS: What's with the fiebing's neatsfoot oil compound? Is it good for knife sheaths and gun holsters?

An utility knife, very simmilar to the one on photo below. I was searching for just what you've written, the head knfie, but I cannot find any below 30$ (which are from china). I also have several punches for inside curves, but I often need curves such as 100mm radius or even more. I need a proper head knife, but I cannot find a proper one for reasonable price.

Looking for something such as this, anyone got any?

etsy..?

This guy made an awesome one! PS: he also sells his templates.

Whoa! That first chapter blew my mind! I thought that any skiver shorter than 20cm (8") is just for belts and that there are waaaay wider...but OK, thanks! 3mm veg tan really isn't a problem to cut with knife, but I'm having difficulties at curves - axe and knife sheaths. Having difficulties at making beautiful curves and that's what's bothering me. I though I could do it better with 3 in 1.

Thank you, this really helps me understand more! Yes, I actually just need something to cut 2.5-3.5mm thick leather, because I really dislike cutting with knives the large curves at knife sheats. Beside that, i'd really like to have also a splitter. I'm getting my leather quite cheap, but it's not the best on back side (i get half for 100€). I'd really like to get that 3 in 1, but they're all really expensive..I thought I could get some old (but still usefull for <200$). But if I could get a cutter for under 100$, that'd be even waaaaaaay better.

What dimensions should be holes for needle for thread? I'm using a 150D thread. Would be 1.5mm hole enough for it?

Thanks everyone for answers, I happily read them all! But the thing is, that my sheath-to-be has to be "half-open" as such, because the blade will be a bowie with sharpened back (not whole, just the tip). And that's why I'm so confused.

I'm actually having real difficulties right now, I'm struggling for a day straight now "how can I solve this"! You see, the photo below is my drawing of the sheath with knife. Red: The full tang knife. Yellow: Bottom layer (the one, which is slosest to human skin while hanging) Green: Top layer, the face of the sheath. The middle layer isn't properly marked with color, but it's about 0.5mm thicker than the knife blade. All three layers are from same leather, 7/8 thick (3mm). Handle of the knife is from very top to the slightly curved line, where the red matches the green part. What my problem here is is that I cannot figure out, how to "end" the belt loop. Can't determine length AND shape of upper part of bottom layer (yellow), neither how to fix it. Should I use rivets, should I sew...I'm lost here. I want to avoid a belt loop like this, I'd like to turn it outside-in, so the smooth surface will be seen (From bottom to the middle layer, just to be clear). I can't figure it out, whether how long it has to be, (I know at least 2 lengths of the knife handle + 1 inch (25mm) for the curve on the top?), where to reconnect with midddle layer and what shape it should be. I hope I was clear, although I don't think I was :D

The customer in this occasion is me And I'm just asking questions for myself And the only thing that holds me back now is the size of the leather I've got :D

Thanks! Are there any pros and cons of anything of these 2 options?

I've always got a dilemma, how high on the belt the knife should be. Are there any kind of unwritten laws about this? (we're talking about fixed blades, not folders, ofc) I've seen some holsters, which keep a whole knife handle over the belt, just like this pictuer below.. ...while some are super low, as the top of the handle barely reaches the upper edge of the belt, as shown below.

PS: I really hope I will geta a machine like this one day. How suitable is it for making holsters and sheaths?