My first piece of leather work

[TraditionalTools]

I'm new here, and new to leather work in general. I made my first handsaw sheath a couple nights ago

I've been digging around here for the past several days or a week, but just haven't had the nerve to post, much of the work looks great on here.

This is my humble offering, it's for a handsaw I made to enter in a Toolmaking Contest.

Here's a link to my entry for the contest.

I'm looking forward to working with leather more.

[Hilly]

Looks like you're off to a great start! Your hand saw will be proud to wear it!

When I first came here, I felt a little shy about posting, too, but I've learned that nobody here will bite. Every one here is very helpful, and kind. They are also good if you need a critique or helpful criticism on your work.

Stick around and post more photos of your work as you do more projects. We all love photos!

Hilly

[BOOMSTICKHolsters]

I think it's fine. I wish my first leather project looked that clean. Pay attention to the folks on here that do a little tooling and carving and before too long you'll have the fanciest saw and sheath around. BTW, I think it's awesome that you make some of your own tools. That's a trade that could really come in handy sometimes. Keep up the good work.

[Oscar B]

Nice work. One question does your saw blade set on the metal rivets? This may not be the best for you blade.

[TraditionalTools]

Nice work. One question does your saw blade set on the metal rivets? This may not be the best for you blade.

Yeah, it did, but I pulled them out. I'll tell you why, it was a f#@$ up on my part, I punched a hole on the wrong side, and thought I would just add the rivets in to cover it up.

I don't like the idea of how the snaps present metal to the blade also, but the rivets didn't take long to start coming loose on the backside from the teeth being pushed in. Ripped them out and left the holes there and didn't fill them...my story is that it provide air which helps make the steel "springy"...LOL

Another mistake was how the right side of the case doesn't go to the end, I would have preferred that it did.

All in all, I was fairly pleased since it was my first case, and it was done under pressure to get the saw done for the contest. I just shipped it off overnight today. It needs to be at Lee Valley by Sat., the deadline for the contest.

[SCOUTER]

Hey Traditionaltools! Welcome and thanks for posting... Thats a fine looking saw! The case will really add to it's appeal! I'm sure you will find lots of people here with similar interests... Like me! This is a tool-chest I made to house some of my antique tool collection...

[TraditionalTools]

Hey Traditionaltools! Welcome and thanks for posting... Thats a fine looking saw! The case will really add to it's appeal! I'm sure you will find lots of people here with similar interests... Like me! This is a tool-chest I made to house some of my antique tool collection...

Scouter,

I like old tools. Nice brace! Those are way kewl. Aren't those Crown drivers? It always gets my goat that there aren't phillips head drivers, even new, with wood handles like those.

Do people wrap leather around handles at all? I have seen many a knife with leather strips wrapped around it, but have not seen too many tools like that.

I should probably post Qs in another fora.

Edited March 14, 2008 by TraditionalTools

[Pip]

Nice saw cover, traditional....

if you have taken out the rivets, and knowing how old tools can be got real sharp, you may have a problem with cutting your beautifully straight stitching (mine still isn't that straight). IF you do get that problem try stitching a thin strip of leather sandwhiched between the two side, it will protect your stitches it works for my knife sheaths, anywho.

[TraditionalTools]

Nice saw cover, traditional....

if you have taken out the rivets, and knowing how old tools can be got real sharp, you may have a problem with cutting your beautifully straight stitching (mine still isn't that straight). IF you do get that problem try stitching a thin strip of leather sandwhiched between the two side, it will protect your stitches it works for my knife sheaths, anywho.

Pip,

I had planned to use a welt, but was trying to design it so that the back would have sit up on top of the front piece, and I can still cut it down just a bit. Although the teeth are sharp, it's different than a knife, and I'm not sure they'll cut through. But certainly a welt would be the safest.

This leather stuff is yet another slippery slope to fall off of. I originally bought some scraps of 16oz veg tanned leather to line the vises on the workbench I have been building. I have an emmert clone and with the 16oz, it's wonderful. That stuff was quite thick to work. I was gonna try to work that and created a small sheath...kinda, but it was just to test and get familiar with doing the actual stitching, per the Stohlman book.

To be honest, I wouldn't store a saw in a case like that, but would use it when I transported a tool. Got me to thinking ti would be cool to have a larger bag with a few saws on the outside of the back and some cmpartments inside for other tools needed for hand tool work, a couple planes, some chisels, marking and measuring tools, etc...

[Pip]

Pip,

I had planned to use a welt, but was trying to design it so that the back would have sit up on top of the front piece, and I can still cut it down just a bit. Although the teeth are sharp, it's different than a knife, and I'm not sure they'll cut through. But certainly a welt would be the safest.

This leather stuff is yet another slippery slope to fall off of. I originally bought some scraps of 16oz veg tanned leather to line the vises on the workbench I have been building. I have an emmert clone and with the 16oz, it's wonderful. That stuff was quite thick to work. I was gonna try to work that and created a small sheath...kinda, but it was just to test and get familiar with doing the actual stitching, per the Stohlman book.

To be honest, I wouldn't store a saw in a case like that, but would use it when I transported a tool. Got me to thinking ti would be cool to have a larger bag with a few saws on the outside of the back and some cmpartments inside for other tools needed for hand tool work, a couple planes, some chisels, marking and measuring tools, etc...

A ha and the leatherwork teeth and claws are in, its weird how it gets you isn't it, i started to make a sheath for a crook knife (for making spoons) which I was constantly slicing myself with, then thought, mmm i got a bit of leather left, i'll make a pouch, then another sheath, then my mums birthday pressie (for that I needed carving tools, and stitching tools and different leather) etc etc etc Next thing i find myself looking at handbags, leather jewellry, photo's, sheaths, scabbards, armour, and....... well there it is, now i just have to find a way to play with leather more and work less and i'll have cracked it. ask for a recommendation from the guys here where the best patterns can be found for your bag, someone will know I am sure, there are some super talented people here.

[TraditionalTools]

Pip,

I hear 'ya...I was standing at the edge of the slope unsuspectingly, and whoa...

Got the first piece done, and next one should be easier...but I'm sure I'll make it more complicated so it will be harder...lol

[Srigs]

Very nicely done... You even have rivets to protect the bottom of the leather!

[TraditionalTools]

Very nicely done... You even have rivets to protect the bottom of the leather!

To be honest, that was a mistake on my part. I ripped the rivets out as I didn't want to damage the teeth of the blade. The rivets were actually to cover up the hole that I mistakenly punched, so I punched a second one trying to cover it up...some things are best left fubar before making them more fubar would apply I suspect...:-/

I'm learning...but have a ways to go...