pancake knife sheath question. Welt?

[Boriqua]

I am making a couple as it was long overdue that I add them to my skill set so like I am want to do, I read a bunch and look at a bunch of videos and look at many pix. Today I watched Mr. Cheaney make one on you tube and discovered there doesnt seem to be a welt in that design. After looking at a bunch of pix I am either not seeing it or its not there.

I was going to make a welt that tapered from full width at the knife to zero where it hit the end of the belt slot area. Does this design not require a welt? I have made more than a few knife sheaths and always included a welt but never a pancake with slots so any advice would be appreciated.

alex

[jrmysell]

This is a great question. I am going to be making my first pancake sheath next month when I get back to the states. From what I have read and been told, all knife sheaths where the blade is exposed should have a welt, but I have also watched the video you mentioned and noticed he doesn't do a welt. I plan on using a welt and doing like you and tapering it to the edge. Hopefully some experts shed some light on this. 

[plinkercases]

I am building one right now and actually am welting the whole pocket for three reasons:

1. the blade is very think
2. the blade is very sharp!! I certainly wont leave either the stitching or the pocket itself without protection.
3. it is a cross draw so the blade is far more likely to be drawn against the blade side stitching

I will post pics later then finished this weekend.

here is a lesson learned... place the belts slots far enough away to allow fro the transition from full thickness welt at the pocket to zero between the layers... I just made it but would leave a little more room next time.

Actually remembered I did this one and welted all round as well but the slots were higher than the welt fro the most part so that made it a little easier.

Edited July 27, 2016 by plinkercases

[TacticallySharp]

I started as a leathercraftsman years ago. Today I'm mainly a bladesmith. All my sheaths including pancakes have a welt. I cut a full panel and then remove the knife outline from the center piece. This works very well and looks good too.

[Dwight]

I always put a welt in a knife sheath as well as hatchet / axe sheaths.  The reason is simple, . . . the welt gives a place for the blade to rest on and to glide against as it is holstered or withdrawn.  

The welt will last a long time even with a lot of use, . . . but if there is no welt, . . . the next thing for the blade to contact as it goes in or out, . . . is the stitches.  If you have a sharp knife, . . . the expected life span of the stitches can then become fairly short.

Just my thoughts and the way I do things.

May God bless,

Dwight

[HawkCreek]

All of my sheaths have a welt for the reasons listed above by Dwight. 

Here is a sort of a pancake cross draw sheath I did a while ago (just to see if I could). I made it a touch to small and had to open up the throat just a bit. I cut another piece of welt material and carefully tapered it with an X-acto knife. Not the proper way but my tools are pretty limited and I used what I had. Notice the top of the sheath appears pinched, so far this has held fine and the stitching is all there. First photo was just after I'd finished it up a year or so ago, second photo I just took a few minutes ago to show the welt/wedge.

Here is a close up of the tapered wedge I put in open it up.

Edited August 1, 2016 by HawkCreek

[Red Bear Haraldsson]

Hey Hawk, that is a mighty fine sheath. Is there another slot on the back side, like an avenger holster, or does it just have the one belt slot? 

[HawkCreek]

8 hours ago, Red Bear Haraldsson said:

Hey Hawk, that is a mighty fine sheath. Is there another slot on the back side, like an avenger holster, or does it just have the one belt slot? 

 

Thanks! It's a cross draw sheath with another loop on the back. What is an avenger holster?

[Dwight]

This is the back side of an Avenger Holster, . . . and it looks very much like the above knife sheath could also be worn in the same manner.

May God bless,

Dwight

Edited August 3, 2016 by Dwight

[malabar]

ALWAYS put a welt in your knife sheaths. If you do not, the edge will saw through your stitching.

This is why cheap sheaths always have rivets along the stitch line. When the stitching gets sawed through, it will still hold together.

[Boriqua]

Well I went ahead with a welt since I never did a knife sheath without one and I took some pictures since I had done a few knife sheaths but had never done a pancake style so here is what I came to and I am happy with it functionally and aesthetically. If it helps anyone else ... great! Its my first pancake style knife sheath so YMMV!!!

I didnt want to go to the end of the sheath at the belt loops at three thickness thick. This knife has about a 3.5inch blade and it would just seem cumbersome to go three layers of 8/9 oz all the way out to the ends of the sheath but I was sure I wanted a welt. So this is how I resolved that.

 Photos are not great so ask questions if ya have em.

Here is the welt made from 8/9oz and tapered to zero

 

Here it is from the rear of the knife

from the front of the knife blade edge

At the end of the sheath at the end of the belt loops

 

Without dye

 

with dye but not finished but finished enough for you to make one like it

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 12, 2016 by Boriqua

[jrmysell]

That looks good!

[Boriqua]

2 hours ago, jrmysell said:

That looks good!

Thanks man! It may not be obvious but I cut the welt so that it just ends at the inside or about 1/16" into the belt slot and the skive is back about 1/2 inch. Looking forward to what you come up with when you get to making yours.

[jrmysell]

15 hours ago, Boriqua said:

Thanks man! It may not be obvious but I cut the welt so that it just ends at the inside or about 1/16" into the belt slot and the skive is back about 1/2 inch. Looking forward to what you come up with when you get to making yours.

Yeah, I'll definitely post pics when I'm done. Have 3 finals left this week (2 last week, 4 this week), then going home Saturday and will start the knife on Monday, so it'll still be a couple weeks. 

[Boriqua]

ok for anyone following along this is what they look like done. One is for a small knife with about a 3.5inch blade and the other for a Terzuola designed knife with about a 6 in blade. Both done with the tapering welt. There are a couple more angles at the bottom of my sheaths page if your interested.

http://www.boriqualeather.com/Gallery/index.php/Knife-sheaths

 

Edited August 26, 2016 by Boriqua

[jrmysell]

It's 4 months late, but here's what I ended up doing. I just did a full welt on the entire sheath. 

Here's the knife, 1095 with Honey Mesquite scales. 

Does anybody know how to do pictures? Can't seem to figure it out. 

Edited December 17, 2016 by jrmysell
Pictures

[Boriqua]

On 12/17/2016 at 4:23 PM, jrmysell said:

It's 4 months late, but here's what I ended up doing. I just did a full welt on the entire sheath. 

Here's the knife, 1095 with Honey Mesquite scales. 

Does anybody know how to do pictures? Can't seem to figure it out. 

if they are small enough .. I think under 1 meg but I cant swear .. then they can be uploaded to the forums server. There is a link below your post that says "Drag files here to attach or choose files" Other than that you can get a free photo hosting account and link to the pix from there. I am pretty sure phtobucket is free and there are a few others which escape me at the moment. I would love to see what you came to.

Alex