TargetRockLeather

Nice design. I really like the way you used the studs and snaps to attach the sheath to the "carrier". I'm not sure if that was your idea or how common that is, but I like the modular design. It gives you options without having to modify the sheath. I've got to try that some time.

Thanks for sharing your testing results It's too glossy for my liking as well. Another concern I have is that the lacquer seals the leather which prevents conditioners such as neatsfoot oil from penetrating. I don't know what the long term consequences of not being able to effectively oil the leather will be over time (years or decades). I have leather items that are quite old yet are still in good shape because I oil them occasionally. Getting back to the original question; I have yet to find a better solution to the problem of the antiquing rubbing off. Therefore I tend not to apply it on anything that will be handled extensively unless I'm willing to spray on Saddle Lac. Just my opinion.

I've had exactly the same experience and it was very frustrating. I have since used "Saddle Lac" which is a spray on finish. It dries quickly without smearing the antique gel. When it's dry you can rub the surface and even get it wet without the antiquing rubbing off. Supposedly it is flexible and doesn't crack, but I have not tested that. I've only used it on a knife sheath and a fender bib for a motorcycle. It seems to be holding up fine on both.

I'm surprised that mildew formed in just 24 hours. That has never happened to me. Can you post pictures to show us what it looks like?

Thanks for the explanation. It sounds like the purpose of adding turpentine is to give the mixture a creamy texture which makes it easier to apply. You've been using it for 20 years and I have never tried it, so I should probably make a batch with turpentine in it before I voice my opinion I will try to find "Pure Gum Spirits of Turpentine" as other comments here have said it's not the same as the stuff I would buy in the local hardware store.

I'm not picking on Bert here, this is just a general question: I'd like to understand what the purpose of adding turpentine is. I've seen it in several recipes but I don't see what benefit it offers to leather. Is it being used as the "carrier" to allow the beeswax and other ingredients to penetrate the leather? If so, then it's unnecessary because the neatsfoot oil accomplishes that already while moisturizing the leather. Turpentine doesn't make it more water proof and it doesn't condition the leather. So what is the purpose of this ingredient? I can somewhat see a potential benefit from adding lanolin, though I doubt it's any better than just neatsfoot oil. But why turpentine?

I personally wouldn't use either of the recipes in these videos. Cotton and leather are entirely different materials. Solvents such as turpentine, mineral spirits etc should not be applied to leather. It's not necessary and does the opposite of conditioning the leather. Linseed oil or tongue oil I would also not use. These take weeks to "cure". During the curing time they leave a sticky gummy surface and when they do finally cure, they harden. It's great for wood but I can't imagine why anyone would want to do that to leather. My personal preference is a 50/50 mix (by weight) of beeswax and neatsfoot oil. I use a hair dryer to warm the surface of the leather (don't cook it) . I use a brush to rub the mixture into the leather. Let the leather absorb that and when it's cool, buff it with a soft cloth.

Very very cool. I especially like the pen.

I haven't used "satin sheen" in particular, but I have the same concern about products I have used such as Saddle Lac for example. Sure it looks great now and probably protects the leather, but how can you apply conditioner years down the line? Perhaps if you can still get to the unfinished side of the piece you can condition it that way. I think you are correct though that conditioner will not penetrate through such a finish.

In my opinion clamps aren't needed at all. I used clamps on my first sheath project and never again since then for the reason you stated. If you're using the right glue, it isn't necessary to clamp it. Use a contact cement such as Barge or Dap and tap the joined pieces with a hammer, they will stick together so well that you probably couldn't pull them apart if you wanted to.

I guess I misunderstood the question when I replied the first time. I assumed he meant going through each layer separately in the same direction, not from the front and then from the back. I made that mistake once and was not happy with the result, so I would never use that technique again.

It depends on what the total thickness is with the pieces glued together. If the chisel will go through all of the pieces at once, then glue them together and do it that way. If the combined pieces are thicker than the chisel will penetrate, then you'll have to chisel them separately. In my opinion, going through all of the layers at once will give better accuracy. That's IF the chisel will go through all at once. Chiseling the pieces separately and then getting all the holes to line up when you put it all together can be somewhat challenging. But certainly doable. There are several ways to accomplish that.

I know nothing about saddles but I can appreciate craftsmanship when I see it. I can't imagine a project more complicated than building a saddle, but you nailed it! Very impressive work. You should be very proud of this accomplishment.

From what I'm seeing of your work, you might be able to teach some of us a thing or two!

Both knife and sheath are absolutely beautiful. I really like the removable belt loop. I've been wanting to do something like that for myself. I have to ask about the red foot prints. Does that have some special meaning? Seems like a random design to put on a rugged looking outdoorsman's rig. It looks like you've inlaid that behind the face of the sheath?

I've encountered the same problem when making a small pouch out of thick leather (7-9 oz). A trick I learned is to skive the inside surface of the bend, to make it thinner. Also, while it might make sense to dampen the leather to help it bend, I find that it contributes the wrinkling problem once it has dried. More recently I try not to wet the leather at all, If I can bend the piece without cracking it. That seems to alleviate the wrinkling for me.

Same opinion. It’s just you it looks like a hand made leather case. Nicely done and looks great.

Keep in mind that part of the reason for a groove rather than just a simple line is that the stitching lays inside the groove which helps to protect the thread from abrasion. That might not be a concern for some projects, but for items such as a sheath or holster where it is likely to rub against clothing and other gear it does provide some degree of protection.

I would just trace the blue gun with a pencil onto a piece of paper the old fashioned way, then scan the drawing. I've done this with knives and axes so I don't see why it wouldn't work with a blue gun. Then used Corel Draw to clean up the lines and all of the other cool tricks you can do with a digital copy of the pattern. I'm not very Corel savvy at all which makes it painful, but I'm trying to learn it.

I also use 50/50 by weight beeswax and neatsoot oil. I wouldn't use terpentine . Instead I warm the leather with a blow dryer, then warm the mixture briefly to soften it a bit. Then rub the mixture onto the leather. It will soak in. You can apply a bit more heat to make it penetrate some more. Eventually there will be none left on the surface. After it cools, buff with a soft cloth and it will have a nice luster to it. Note: this will darken the leather, though the darkness will fade somewhat over time.

He didn't mention what he intends to put in the syringe. You're assuming he's going to put paint in it

Thank you very much!. I found a set on Amazon with multiple sized needle tips. It's more money but that way I can experiment to see which one works best for me. I didn't know they existed until I read your post.

That came out really great. Can you post a picture of the bottle with needle so I know what I'm looking for? I've used the fine paint brush with acrylic paint option which works ok but not nearly as nice as yours. This is how mine came out:

Hopefully you're using thick enough leather that it will be rigid enough not to flex inward. If you are wet forming it then it will most likely be stiff from that process (especially if you heat it in an oven). Also flare the "throat" of the holster so that it has a slight funnel shape to it. Other than that, just be thoughtful of the shape of it so that there aren't any surfaces that are likely to bend inward. Look at examples that other people have made. One last thing, don't saturate the finished holster with neatsfoot oil or other conditioners. I've seen holsters ruined by making them too soft/supple to the point that it's mushy.

Great looking sheath, but you broke one of the rules here. You need to show the steel that goes with it! One question; wouldn't it make more sense to wet mold it before applying the snow seal?