Seeking Input on Sheath Design

[rktaylor]

I have two of these knives from a local maker and want to make a sheath. I made this real quick based on a similar sheath for a folding knife. I'm open for suggestions to improve the design for function and comfort. Thanks, 

Randy

[DieselTech]

Are them knives what they refer to as a chore knife? 

RK you make some nice stuff! 

If it were me & these were chore/work knives to be used around the farm/ranch. 

I would make sheaths a bit longer & wet form more around the handle. 

So the knife sits a bit deeper in the sheath for more retention. 

They look great to me as is. 

[rktaylor]

 DieselTech,

Thanks for the compliment. 

He calls this a straight trapper. I've used it on anything from leather work to field dressing deer. I also think it could be longer and have some thoughts for other changes. I thought I would get input before I made the next one. 

Randy

[DieselTech]

I know you do exceptionally nice stuff. 

It is hard to make a recommendation without the knife in my hand.  If that makes any sense.

But I am curious what others might recommend.

[DJole]

Looking at the sheath as a working piece, with the knife going in, coming out, many many times....
I wonder if the stitches along the blade edge will get sliced, especially as the leather stretches over time and use. Would a welt along that edge be a good idea?
I'm no expert on sheathes, so I look forward to someone with experience to correct me if I am wrong.

[Mulesaw]

I really like that the elongated holes have their edges nicely treated. That just gives that nice finished look. (I know you didn't ask for critique, but I couldn't help it)

For design suggestions, I would probably also make the sheath longer like DieselTech suggested. 
Unless the knife is intended to be a fast draw knife, I'd weigh retention in the sheath higher. 
 

Have you considered making a Samic type sheath? 

Those sheaths go all the way up the handle, so it isn't anything that is remotely fast to draw, but on the other hand, you can wrangle a reindeer and end up in a snowdrift and still be sure that your knife is in the sheath.
Since you write that you have skinned a deer with it, I am guessing that you might be able to get your hands on some antlers. Some of the Samic sheaths are constructed out of antler or bone and leather. so that the blade itself is stored in the bone/antler part, and the handle is held snugly in the wet formed leather. 
 

Curious to see what you will make :-)

Brgds Jonas

Edited December 1, 2024 by Mulesaw
MAKE, not male

[rktaylor]

Thanks for the feedback. Here's v2.0.

Critiques are always welcome, but I will note that I'm making these from scrap leather until I settle on a pattern. Both versions have welts, but the second one covers the tip better. I like this longer version, but there's still room for improvement. I think the stitch line along the top of the knife is too close near the handle and too far away near the blade. 

There's still time for input before the final build. 

Randy

[Mulesaw]

V 2.0 looks more secure, it also looks more elegant given that the blade section of the sheath is narrower compared to the first version. It looks really good that the lower stitching line flows so nicely, and fluently divides into the two parts that goes around the elongated hole.

I guess if you sew in a straight line from the tip of the blade/sheath up to the rounded portion of the sheath, it would fit the profile of the blade better since it is kind of a pointy knife. But I am also afraid that it would look weird/ugly since none of the stitch lines would be parallel. 

An alternative could be to continue the curve for the tip maybe just 1/2" upwards, so the upper sewing line would go straight from there. But that would probably make the sheath even deeper. 

As a side note, after looking at it for a bit of time, it looks to me like the profile of a greyhound, (which is very positive), and any of the above mentioned suggestions would destroy that. So V 2.0 is a good suggestion I think.

Brgds Jonas

[chuck123wapati]

wear it for a few days. that will tell you more than we can.

[ThisIsMyFirstRodeo]

On 12/1/2024 at 8:00 AM, Mulesaw said:

V 2.0 looks more secure, it also looks more elegant given that the blade section of the sheath is narrower compared to the first version. It looks really good that the lower stitching line flows so nicely, and fluently divides into the two parts that goes around the elongated hole.

I guess if you sew in a straight line from the tip of the blade/sheath up to the rounded portion of the sheath, it would fit the profile of the blade better since it is kind of a pointy knife. But I am also afraid that it would look weird/ugly since none of the stitch lines would be parallel. 

An alternative could be to continue the curve for the tip maybe just 1/2" upwards, so the upper sewing line would go straight from there. But that would probably make the sheath even deeper. 

As a side note, after looking at it for a bit of time, it looks to me like the profile of a greyhound, (which is very positive), and any of the above mentioned suggestions would destroy that. So V 2.0 is a good suggestion I think.

Brgds Jonas

Agreed

[rktaylor]

Thanks for the input. I've been focused on other projects recently, but will return to this soon. I can report that v2.0 and v3.0 (not shown) lost their retention after wearing for a day. I have plans for another version, but it'll be a couple weeks before I work on it. 

Randy

[Leathershark]

Stright blade knifes need a welt, so the blade does not cut the stiches. Have you ever tried to form the knife into the sheath by weting the leather and placing into a plastic bag then put it in a vacume packer machine , that would draw the leather around the blade and handle.  Let dry and you have it formed to the knife.

Just my opinion, have formed many sheaths that way  

[rktaylor]

Thanks for the suggestions. This sheath has a welt. I have tried wet forming, but I think I need to cover more of the handle. Wet forming is a skill, like many others, that I need to work on more. 

Randy

[1961Mike]

Hi, PERSONALLY I agree with DieselTech's first comment and you covered that.  Whether or not that's ENOUGH coverage for everybody, or TOO MUCH coverage for someone else is a whole new ball game. 

Hope y'all had a great Christmas.