Talfuchre

If I saw a dude wearing that... I would have to run and wait till after sundown! I fear he knew how to use it! TF

I am sorry if this is overstretching my bounds... But I am deeply impressed with your work - and I always wonder. With this much work - how much would you charge for this type of art? TF

Paypal sent for the stubby. This is a deal in my book. I didn't really need the long portion. TF

I have been using Al Stohlman's books on stitching and making leather cases as guides. Any other suggestions on books for sheaths would be great. I need to buy a belt punch to make that portion easier - but it turned out pretty well. I have been asked to sell this - what do you think is a fair price for a sheath with this much stitching? What would you charge? Thanks, TF

It is funny. You sort of forget that all shoes were made by hand until very recently. These look great! TF

I don't like skulls, gray, or buckstitching - but I can appreciate the time and craftsmanship that went into this. I think it looks great and I would wager the customer was very happy. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. TF

It does totally look like a bag made by a sheath maker! I think that is a compliment. It will last forever and she can use it as a weapon if needed. I really like it. You did good son! TF

Thanks for this thread - I was having the same issue with knives... I will try dying before I form... TF

Oh yeah that is nothing.. you should see my... my... Hell - who am I kidding... those are damned awesome! TF

Nice - thanks for the advice - this is exactly the kind of stuff I need to hear. LIttle stuff that makes my work better! TF

Alright - so when I made my first sheath - I accidentally cut the pattern the wrong way. This made a lefty. I did not want the leather to go to waste - so I made it up. I tried my hand at a firesteel loop - added a drain hole - and I think it went well! I also tried some different stain and some other tricks. I made some mistakes - but I am learning fast and leather is very forgiving. Check it out and give advice where you see fit: TF

Who else uses forms to leather form their work? I tried making a form from wood today to leather form a sheath for a Swill Army Knife. I simply used a piece of wood - cut my leather and formed it over the top and then used a U shaped peice of wood and clamped the whole mess. It seemed to work - but is there anything I could do different - or any resources you can point me too. I am a newbie and I am sort of making it up as I go! TF

OH - I get it now. Don't close the U - just use the U. That makes total sense. I did dye the inside - you have to with that Ox Blood IMHO because it gets EVERYWHERE! TF

I am not sure I follow you. You are talking about the belt loop on the back of the sheath right? I sewed a U on the bottom and closed the top - what should I have done differently? I thought I followed the sewing suggestions in Al Stohlman's book to a T - but I am eager to learn. Thanks for taking the time for the tip - can you please clarify so that slow people (like myself) can understand? TF

That is really amazing. Was all of the work done with JUST a swivel knife? Amazing. I think I like the design on #2 more - but #1 has such a perfect technique. I have no clue how he did it! TF

I tried my hand at forming leather around an object. I have found that it is a LOT more difficult than it seems! I made some mistakes in the placement of my nails - and I will use brass tacks next time - but it went pretty well. I am learning a lot - and I like the finished product: Thanks - and comments are always welcome! TF

I am not sure why you said that Rayban. Here is the link to the Boatswain Whistle Knot: http://www.ropeworks.biz/reader/boatswai.pdf TF

That is hand stitched. I don't have a machine. That knot is not a monkey's fist. It is a boatswain lanyard knot - doubled. Thanks for the comments! TF

I thought about doing a grommet there: I just thought it took away from the leather... TF

After a LOT of reading, lurking on this board and others, and thinking... I decided to take on making a simply pouch sheath for my Bark River Knife and Tool blade - called an Aurora. It came with a sheath by SharpShooter sheath's which was fine - but I wanted not only to change a few details - but make my own. I got all of my tools and some 8 or so ounce leather and set to work. Perhaps 20 hours later (it would be much faster next time) I finished it. I think it came out okay. It has a Chicago screw at the top so the dangler can be removed and I decided against any rivets or lanyard tubes as it seemed to detract from the look. I learned that Oxblood dye needs about eleven billion coats to get it dark and not just red, and the sealing was a learning process. I ended sealing the inside with some supersheen and the outside with a wax and neatsfoot oil compound. I am happy with the finish and the feel of the piece. Please tell me what you think and give me advice and links to tutorials for anything you think I could do better. I am deeply impressed by the difficulty of leather work - and my respect that do good work has skyrocketed. Thanks, TF