critique my first knife sheath

[bandanaman]

[Mablung]

Does it have a welt? If so, I would skip the rivet. I know Stohlman says to put a rivet in to prevent the knife from cutting the stitching, but that will dull the blade, even a soft metal like copper. If it doesn’t have a welt, I’d put one in and skip the rivet. 
 

I’m not huge on the partial envelopment of the handle at the top, but that’s personal preference on aesthetics. It LOOKS like it might interfere with establishing a grip, but I might be misjudging that. 
 

Otherwise, good work. Everything appears well-proportioned and the stitching is good and straight. I like the color, too. I can go either way on the stamping. 

[rleather]

It does not look like a first attempt. You did a very nice job. Un written law you must show the blade. 

[bandanaman]

I did put a welt in and felt the rivet might be good insurance but possibly a bit too large of a head...It does throw a bit of a kink in the flow of the sheath ....I got to fooling around with the first keeper while it was still damp and stretched it so I left this one longer and will trim it if my buddy feels it is too long.....The front wrap actually holds the knife quite nicely so should the keeper come undone I thought it would be harder to lose. That's why I left the belt loop part the way it is. I thought it would look better a little narrower as the handle looks off center. Again I could trim it if my buddy doesn't care for the look. Pattern making has been both a challenge and a learning curve especially when planning to do some wet forming......

 

[bandanaman]

Also I know my stamping needs lots of work....I miscalculated my spacing on the backside and experimented with antiquing for the first time....

[Mablung]

Good copy on the fold---if it helps retain the blade better, no reason to get rid of it.  Personally, I'd get rid of the rivet since there's a welt, since it just isn't necessary and messes with the visual flow.  As to your stamping, I think it looks quite uniform and quite good---I meant more that that style of stamping just isn't my style (I'm kinda stuffy re: style).  It was executed well, though, as was the antiquing.

[MarshalWill]

The sheath is nice looking. I am undecided on the handle being partially enveloped by the leather. If it prevents a good grip on the knife, next time make it without, otherwise it's a design preference. The rivet at the end of the stitching is also preference although as already mentioned, it can dull the blade. If you do manage to cut the stitching without a rivet, it can always be re-stitched. Also, I like the copper rivets that are visible from the front put in the other way (burr side out) for aesthetics (my preference, not right or wrong).

When I install rivets that will go against a knife or pistol, I recess the head slightly by hand with a brad point drill bit so there's no chance of them dulling/scratching the knife/pistol. When I set those recessed rivets, I wet the leather at the rivet so it pulls down into the leather.

That meander border stamp takes some care to get right. Yours is nice and even. Great job on that.

All around, your sheath is a fine one. Good work.

Edited May 21 by MarshalWill

[bandanaman]

Thank you all for your input, I kind of think I'm stuck with a rivet now or live with a hole where it doesn't want one. The rivet does go through the welt and hopefully will never contact the blade. I brought the belt loop down and had it extend into the welt so there would be two rivets securing the loop itself ,hoping not to rely on  glue alone as I don't have any stitching in the loop itself....I don't know if a leather/trade bead thong or horse hair tassel of sort as an embellishment would detract from a vacant  rivet hole .......The synthetic handle kind of destroys that line of thought !

[Mablung]

I wouldn’t bother removing the rivet, if it goes through the welt. Then again, I usually end up building a new version if I don’t like the previous one. I’d just leave the rivet as it is and maybe design it a bit differently on the next iteration to stitch the belt loop, instead of relying on the rivet. 

[bandanaman]

We'll see how it holds up this fall on our elk hunts. I offered a do over but  my buddy seems more than happy to field test and go from there for now. I don't know why it didn't occur to me run a stich line at the bottom of the loop ....it would have been out of sight except for the backside.....Guess that's why they call it a learning curve.....

[Mablung]

43 minutes ago, bandanaman said:

We'll see how it holds up this fall on our elk hunts. I offered a do over but  my buddy seems more than happy to field test and go from there for now. I don't know why it didn't occur to me run a stich line at the bottom of the loop ....it would have been out of sight except for the backside.....Guess that's why they call it a learning curve.....

On the whole, the thing ought to be solid, and it really looks good. There’s nothing objectively wrong with doing it the way you did. It’ll work just fine. Don’t sweat it and let your buddy tell you the good, the bad, and the ugly about it, then tinker with it later.