First folding knife sheath....need constructive critiques

[DevilDog04]

I got tired of that big ol Case trapper in my pocket weighing me down so i decided a needed a knife sheath. I haven't bought any good leather yet, since i've just been practicing. But I had a piece of veg belly that I bought from Tandy laying around that I've been practicing on. It's a 6/7 oz leather so i figured it would work ok. 

I knocked this out in almost one night since I wasn't looking for perfection, just function. And I needed the practice. I thought it turned out okay. The stitch lines are not even and I trimmed a little too much leather off on one side which almost didn't leave enough room for the stitches around the belt hole. But I thought, for the first one, overall wasn't too bad. 

any opinions would be appreciated....could always use some pointers to get better. 

[Dwight]

Heck, . . . I like it, . . . 

Now if that had a USN insignia in the middle..............

Seriously, DD04, . . . you could probably sell those at a local fair faster than you could think of making them, . . . course, . . . depending on price.

My big old case goes to the left side of my billfold if I carry it, . . . learned that over in RVN, . . . 

Anyway, . . . welcome to the forum, . . . glad to have you here, . . . pull up an ammo crate and have fun.

May God bless,

Dwight

[DevilDog04]

Thanks Dwight....well now my brother wants one, one of my Marine Corps buddies wants one, and I had Christmas gift requests......Maybe I could sell them for a few bucks. I'm really thinking I need to tweak the pattern, as too much of the knife is sticking out. And I tried it with most of my Case knives and they all stick out the same. 

 

I'll take my time on the next one to get it a little more "perfect", if there is such a thing. At least, knock out some of the inconsistencies...

Yeah, not sure it was look as good with that USN insignia.....

[TacticallySharp]

I like the concept. You might like to try using a 1.75" bag oval punch for your slots. It makes them the same size and gives a cleaner look.

 

Other than that it looks good.

[DevilDog04]

14 hours ago, TacticallySharp said:

I like the concept. You might like to try using a 1.75" bag oval punch for your slots. It makes them the same size and gives a cleaner look.

 

Other than that it looks good.

yeah I've been needing to get a few oval punches. I did this one with a hole punch and a razor knife! I appreciate the heads up!

[Tugadude]

Great first project and thank you for your service to our country.  As you progress, you might try wet forming.  Gives whatever you're carrying a snug, secure fit.  Not going to critique anything, just learn and grow with the craft.  Put that sheath to good use and compare it to the work you'll do years from now.  Welcome to the club, lots of helpful folks here.

[Thor]

At first... it looks good and if it serves your purpose, it is good!

Now to help you improve... get a bag punch or make one big enough for the slots. It makes those slots a lot nicer and you don't run the risk to cut into the surface as you did here. For the time being, always cut from the edges towards the center and don't go all the length.

Your leather was too wet when you stamped it. Then, I just found that out myself recently, place your leather in the fridge for at least an hour before stamping if it's of poor density like this one. Bellies are always a little - well not my first choice. However, it really improves it.

A small piece like this, I would dye in two stages. Insides first, then glue the sides together, cut the slots and make the stitching holes and finally dye the outsides. This way all your stitching holes and the slots are dyed and don't show the natural tone.

Unless you are going to cut and bevel the stamping area (this is what I would do) I would very gently mark the area with an awl to get the borders and the distances to the edges right.

At last some well sanded and burnished edges would be great.

I hope this helps you a bit, but you're on a good way already. Keep up the good work!

 

 

[DevilDog04]

4 hours ago, Thor said:

 

Your leather was too wet when you stamped it. Then, I just found that out myself recently, place your leather in the fridge for at least an hour before stamping if it's of poor density like this one. Bellies are always a little - well not my first choice. However, it really improves it.

 

 

 

How can I tell if the leather is too wet? On this one, I just wet it down with water (didn't case this leather), and let it dry until it turned back the natural color. 

[Toney]

Very nice

[SmokeyPoint]

Hey Devil Dog,

One small gotcha here - one Marine to another...  The USMC has trademarked the Eagle, Globe and Anchor and requires you register products for sale with same and pay royalties for its use.  It's a big tangled mess and requires a ton of red tape.  Just be forewarned, put that stuff on Etsy or Ebay and you may get a knock on the door.  And, no, earning the insignia does not earn you the right to sell it.  You can give them away, but that's still a slippery slope.

Great job!

-Sean

Edited April 5, 2016 by SmokeyPoint

[Roq]

Cost is $30 per yr and a quick form to fill out if you sell less than $5000 of licensed product a year.

http://www.hqmc.marines.mil/divpa/Units/MarineCorpsTrademarkLicensingProgram/ApplyNow.aspx

http://www.hqmc.marines.mil/Portals/134/Docs/Hobbyist_USMC_License_Agreement_2015.pdf

[DevilDog04]

Thanks for that info guys......I did not know that. But so far I haven't sold anything with the EGA. I bought the stamp because I had some projects in mind for myself!! But if I do, I guess I need to pay that fee!

 

[Martyn]

On 29/03/2016 at 0:43 PM, DevilDog04 said:

yeah I've been needing to get a few oval punches. I did this one with a hole punch and a razor knife! I appreciate the heads up!

Try joining the holes up with a wood chisel.

[tclaridge]

On 4/13/2016 at 4:23 PM, Martyn said:

Try joining the holes up with a wood chisel.

I also punch two holes and join them with a wood chisel, but if you're using a knife to join them (which I have) I might recommend stopping shy of reaching the second hole, then cutting backward from the second hole to meet the cut from the first (so you don't overshoot it). Then I sometimes tape some sandpaper around a drill bit and run it around in there to smooth it up before burnishing. Just some thoughts! Looks like a great sheath-- probably rides really tight. Keep it up!

[jseymour]

Is that style of carry more convenient and comfortable than the standard style