Copper Rivets For Axe Sheath

[Jaymack]

I'm lookin to make and axe sheath or two and want to use some copper rivets. I'm looking for advice as to what guage rivet would you recommend. #9 or #12.

Thanks for your help!

[Dwight]

Not meaning to sound critical, . . . but about 55 or so years ago, . . . a similar question came up in one of our Boy Scout meetings.

Scoutmaster Beach (Ellsworth Lynn Beach to be exact) said we should never rivet an axe sheath.

The reason was simple, . . . one day, . . . regardless of how careful you are, . . . the axe will be dropped or swung with the sheath on it, . . . if it is sewn or laced, the axe head will cut through, . . . the sheath will need repaired, . . . and the axe will be undamaged.

Rivet it, . . . when the same happens, . . . you will spend some time filing or honing out the nick(s) the rivet(s) will put in the blade of the axe.

Made sense 55 years ago, . . . and I still do it that way.

May God bless,

Dwight

[ChuckBurrows]

The reason was simple, . . . one day, . . . regardless of how careful you are, . . . the axe will be dropped or swung with the sheath on it, . . . if it is sewn or laced, the axe head will cut through, . . . the sheath will need repaired, . . . and the axe will be undamaged.

Rivet it, . . . when the same happens, . . . you will spend some time filing or honing out the nick(s) the rivet(s) will put in the blade of the axe.

With all due respect that sounds "good" the only thing is if copper rivets put nicks in your axe blade then something is wrong with the blade - an axe blade made of good steel will cut through the copper rivets without damage, just like the nippers do that you use to cut copper rivets with. On the other hand I do prefer to sew for most of my goods, but again copper rivets should not affect the edge of a good blade at all - the Scout Master may have been basing his info on the steel shank rivets so often seen on older sheaths - that's a different story.

As for the size of the rivets - depends on the size of the axe, but for a good hand axe/hatchet 12's will work fine.

[Jaymack]

Thanks for the help guys.

[footrat]

I have never seen the need for a #9 rivet. I use long and short #12's on everything I make, from belts to firefighter suspenders.