Chris623

I like Fortune Cookie Proverbs. Sometimes they are really insightful. For using carbon paper to trace patterns in my wood carving classes, I use a stylus with a point about the same size as a ball-point pen. But I don't want to use carbon paper on leather, do I? The stylus most likely would be useless for just the impression it would leave in the leather. I'll give it a try, but it will probably be ineffective unless the leather is cased.

Thanks, Fred, I'll go give Lacquer Thinner a try. (........................as he walks off grumbling!) Well, I tried Lacquer Thinner. Didn't work. Also tried Zylene............and no luck there. What I've decided to do is to dye the back of the sheath a dark enough brown to cover up my newbie mistake and the front of the sheath a lighter golden brown. Guess that'll work. Not happy, but what's a guy to do???

Well, I'm learning, for sure. Pulled a stupid beginners blunder. Marked the back side of my sheath backwards!!! DUH! Is there any way to get ballpoint pen ink off the "top" side of leather? I've tried, Acetone and Mineral Spirits so far. Hate to throw away the leather and make another. Also, it's obvious (now) that ballpoint pen is the wrong thing to use to mark the leather. I can't see a lead pencil mark on the leather..............so what's a guy to use to mark with?

Update: Maker's mark is traveling within the Postal System and should be here Monday. Very timely for my first sheath, I'd say.

Probably the latter if you were expecting to be commenting to Daymond. He posted that in 2015 and it was his only post.

Makers mark is destined for the back of the sheath. And, yes, I know to do any stamping before I sew'er up. I'm already wondering how I'll finish it. The Buck handles are Black. The original sheath was black. Hmmm. I like browns and antiquing on sheaths. Oh well, that's way down the line. Makin' mistakes, correcting them and moving on is the best way to learn. So I tend to learn well!

. "its worse than chess, you need to think about things many stages ahead and plan on them, doing them in sequence when you least expect to have to do them" Just found that out !!! Glued that tapered piece on the back WAY before thinking I needed to sew the HLS on! DUH !!! Had to cut it off and I'll get the back done and start playing a better game of chess! It IS a fun puzzle, battlemunky. Some good news...........................just got an email saying my makers mark has shipped. So I'll be able to use it on this sheath..................................that is if I'm proud enough of it to mark it!

Haven't glued the whole back onto the front and welt yet. Was (originally) planning on using the back as part of the HLS, as you call it but realized the overhang of the guard messed that up. So I did it differently. I've glued a skived piece the width of the back to the back of the welt that was tapered from the guard to about half the length of the blade. I plan then on the back making the HLS. I may have to put another shorter tapered spacer on this piece before doing that. Not sure if that makes sense, but I'm sure it'll work out. I understand what you are explaining, but I don't really like the look of sewing through two pieces and then into the back piece of the sheath to make the loop. I think it's unattractive doing it that way. Being new to this, I'm just making it up as I go, so humor me. It's a puzzlement, but I'm sure it'll work out just fine. I'll be sure and post pics.

Working on it. Got the front all stacked up and tapered. Now to figure out how to stack up the back so the guard is clear of the belt hanging loop. Going to have to do some "pondering". I hate guards on knives.

Thanks, guys, I agree with you both. Just feelin' my way down this dark corridor, not really knowing what to expect ahead of me. I have already cut and glued the spacers. This is an interesting journey, for sure.

Well, the joke's on me! I mentioned the sheath had stretched in length. Okay, so I cut it off to match the welt. Glued the welt in today. Laid the knife "inside" the welt to check the fit. Uh...............................don't know why I didn't think to check it, but the sheath also stretched in width in the area of the mouth. (1/4") I'm pondering whether to cut 1/8" spacers to get rid of the slop and finish the sheath or just nail what I have to the "Wall of Shame" and start over. If this sheath was for a customer, I'd not even consider continuing on with it, but since it's just for me and the idea was just to get a little practice in making sheaths, I'm tempted to finish it. It's my first sheath. If I "toss it" over every little mistake, I'll never get it done! Thoughts?

Well, DUH! I thought I'd been all through their catalog at least once or twice since getting to this. Didn't remember seeing that in there. Thanks. Pretty neat tool if you do a lot of gluing.

This was all I got to see of it. But yes, that was absolutely it. Where is that available?

I've been watching a lot of Youtube videos trying to learn more about this leather working "adventure" I'm on. Watched a fellow making a small wallet yesterday and he was using some kind of "pump" contact cement applicator. (it was Red, if that helps to know) I can't find the video now or I'd reference it. I've done Internet searches until I'm blue in the face. I don't need one of the durned things, but thought it was cool enough I'd like to learn more about it. Anyone know what it was, or where to find more info about it?

Thanks. That's my plan when I get back to the leather working.

Thanks, Gary. That's an almost too obvious tip. I should have thought of it myself!!! I'll definitely do that when I prepare to tool the back of the sheath.

Thanks, battlemunky.

Thanks for the tip, Todd. And thank you, Retswerb, I'll do that. I've just had too many irons in too many fires all at once to be able to do that and keep any helpful data...........but I'll give that a try.

Okay, don't laugh...............this is my first stab at stamping leather. I cut the welt and front of the sheath the same length!!! Might not have stretched a full inch as I claimed, but at least 3/4" on the longest stretched part. Wierd! I just bought some 2" wide Blue tape to put on the back of my future pieces. Should have paid attention to what I was reading even if it didn't make sense. So, as you can see from the picture, I didn't get any burnishing. But it looks to my beginner's eye as if the stamps are of a good depth. I still think the leather was too wet. I'm asking advice on how to case my sheaths to stamp properly. That piece of leather is still very cool, so still has a lot of moisture in it.

Okay, thanks. Guess this is one of those times I should have just done what I was reading about even if it made no sense to me. DUH!!! (we need a "head smack" emoji!)

Okay, I'll try that next time. I just figured the adhesive on the tape would give way when the water hit it.

Sorry, I know better. I'll let it dry and post one in the morning after my "inspection". I kept reading how I'm supposed to attach the leather to a piece of cardboard so it won't stretch. I didn't, and it did! It's an inch longer than originally cut. I don't understand how you can case it if it's stuck to a piece of paper..............or how you can glue it to paper if it's already cased.

I'm making a sheath to replace the one on my Buck 119 hunting knife. Cut the front piece and the welt. Got the front wet and in a Ziplock baggie last night. Pulled it out of the bag at noon today. Sat down at about 4:30 to tool it because it was almost the color of un-cased veg-tan leather. Just finished stamping it. I didn't get that dark brown burnished look under my stamps. Does that mean I didn't let it dry enough? The impressions look deep enough........just no burnishing. Figured I'd let it dry and look at it tomorrow to see if it was too wet and the impressions wash out overnight. Comments for a newbie???

Thanks for the tip, OLESKIVER.

Thanks, Tom. I had already figured on using a dead-blow hammer if hand holding the die. Just placed and order for my maker's mark. Their website mentioned they are about 3 weeks behind due to the Pandemic, so I guess I'll have to be patient.