Class on Sheath Making Results

[oddball]

The sheaths are not my work but I showed them all how to do it. This is my second class teaching sheath making. we spent a little time making a simple keychain that was featured in a "Skiver" newsletter many years ago . This served as a lesson in cutting stitching and dying before moving on to designing a sheath and working with larger pieces of leather. Most of the students had taken a knife making course at the school and now wanted a sheath for their creation.

[TheFrood]

Wish I had a school like this in my area! Knife making, leather working... I think our local CC has painting and computer graphics. They might have had ceramics years and years ago.

Nice work and great outreach!

 

[AlZilla]

19 hours ago, oddball said:

The sheaths are not my work but I showed them all how to do it. This is my second class teaching sheath making. we spent a little time making a simple keychain that was featured in a "Skiver" newsletter many years ago . This served as a lesson in cutting stitching and dying before moving on to designing a sheath and working with larger pieces of leather. Most of the students had taken a knife making course at the school and now wanted a sheath for their creation.

I love what you've done here. A small class with a good mix of ages and everyone got to do something unique to their knife. 

I'd be interested in how you structured it. I'm thinking you had to have done multiple classes. How many, spread out over how many days/weeks? Do you have your own space it did you borrow a place? 

I ask because I have a small community building with a space we can configure as a class room. I'm looking for something like this we could do. Sewing classes are on my mind.

Congratulations on a great project.

[oddball]

2 hours ago, AlZilla said:

I love what you've done here. A small class with a good mix of ages and everyone got to do something unique to their knife. 

I'd be interested in how you structured it. I'm thinking you had to have done multiple classes. How many, spread out over how many days/weeks? Do you have your own space it did you borrow a place? 

I ask because I have a small community building with a space we can configure as a class room. I'm looking for something like this we could do. Sewing classes are on my mind.

Congratulations on a great project.

This the metal fab shop at my local Vocational High School. I generally teach blacksmithing as a volunteer on Fridays for the high schoolers and as a paid position for the adult evening school. This is my second time teaching the sheath class the first time I did 2 nights we got things mostly done but many students need to finish stitching at home and never dyed. This session was 3 nights  3 hours each. I had them bring their knife and in one case an axe. We started with key fob kind of a figure eight shaped piece. I have a hand full of 1/4 thick acrylic templates that I had them trace and cut out explaining to be frugal with their leather I gave each their own piece. They were big enough for the key fob and 3 or 4 sheaths.I demonstrated multiple ways to layout out and punch for the stitching, using a divider or a stitch groover for position and then using a divider, a stitch wheel or a multi prong punch. I demonstrated saddle stitching let them show me they new how to stitch.  I assigned them to finish at home. I demonstrated using a manilla folder to make a template and explained if the stapled the template together about 3/16 from the edge the could test fit their knifes. I sent them home with extra folders so they could try it a couple ways and get the sizing right. Week two we dyed their key fob, made adjustments to templates transferred to leather, cut, punched, and started stitching. They finished stitching at home the final night we did staps and button studs for those who wanted them, burnished the edges, and dyed.  I only took 10 students because I had worked with 6 out of the original 8 my class was originally capped at and seeing the 2 on the waiting list were former students. Knowing the dexterity and abilities of the majority made it easy. Having 10 slightly different designs was a little challenging. Having enough tools so no one had to wait long. I had many tools from being a merit badge instructor. The only real requirement was sturdy tables, a drop cloth for dying. Having a belt sander to even out some of the sheaths was useful but a sanding drum and electric drill would have worked.  A couple of the minor failures were with 20 students not realizing 2 of the students accidentally constructed off hand sheaths, couple need some last minute wet forming to fit their blades properly and in one case when we made the template I did not catch that the blade near the handle was narrower than middle of blade so the throat was too narrow we ended up cutting his welt short and not stitching a few holes. We did stitch them as single layers just for looks. I should mention we made one piece sheaths with a fold by the spine This reply is a little long if you have further questions please hit me up.

[AlZilla]

10 hours ago, oddball said:

This the metal fab shop at my local Vocational High School. I generally teach blacksmithing as a volunteer on Fridays for the high schoolers and ...

Thank you for the detailed response. It gives me a lot to think about. I could definitely build a sturdy bench for heavier work and just use our regular tables and seating for the most of it.  Interesting that you shared tools between students. My mind instantly went to "I'd need enough starter sets to have one for each student".

I'm thinking that even in our small town of 1500 people, there'd be enough interest to do a beginning class a couple times a year. I'm often enough asked about my hats, suspenders, wallet, etc. I need to give this some serious thought about resources and lesson plan.

Thanks for the inspiration and motivation!

[oddball]

Alzilla, I have enough home made mallets and end grain wood blocks for punching. I started class with 4 then bought 3 more sets of 3 (2, 4, 6,hole punches) I had 2 mini punches, and a few  rotary punches. I was a couple pairs short on shears but had a few utility knifes and some roughly 1 foot square plexiglass for cutting. I had tons of needles and a few awls. I had like 4 stitch groovers and 4 dividers, 1 stitch wheel. I can send you links for some of the things I bought on amazon. I am glad to help in any way I can. I am thinking of running an intro to stamping and carving class that would require students to buy some basic tools. I would do this with all the same project  for the class and I am trying to narrow down a few project sand would teach it as a 6 week class.