Does a sheath need a safety lining?

[dikman]

Irfanview. It's free and lets you size them to whatever you want.

[Peter Darby]

It looks very nice.  I like the way you reversed the keeper for a right hand draw on a left side carry.  I would have put the keeper next to the quillion so in the event of a fall the knife can't rise up in the sheath and plunge down through the back, especially when the sheath ages and the keeper is stretched out a bit.   Also placing the keeper next to the sheath allows for an easier one motion draw.  

[Willie0]

It is awkward to get past the keeper.  In the future I would ask if the owner wanted a keeper that wraps from the back and is less intrusive.  More like this one I did awhile back.

 

[Dwight]

On 10/3/2017 at 5:16 PM, Willie0 said:

Here it is finished.  It feels pretty solid and the knife slides in and doesn't snag at all, so it should be good.  Looking forward to seeing the owner's face when he sees it.

I don't know how to make photos small enough to fit in one post, sorry.

Good job WillieO, . . . someone mentioned the direction of the snap for the keeper, . . .  in this picture, . . . this is the way I make all right hand carry sheaths.  

While it may get snagged on something, . . . if it is a good snap, . . . you will feel the break if you are paying any attention at all, . . . AND, . . . in this format, . . . the rearward motion of the hand opens the snap, . . . then grasps the handle of the knife all in one motion.

Having the snap the other way makes it at least two motions, . . . and if you watch most people, . . . it is awkward at best for them, . . . no matter how long they have been carrying a sheathed knife.  

The other option is like the big bowie you had in the other picture where the keeper comes around from the back.  I like it about as well.

May God bless,

Dwight

[Josh Ashman]

Good job on the sheath! 

Apparently everyone has opinions on the keepers. I'll go ahead and share mine just for fun. I'm aware that they are worth exactly what they cost !

For a "wicked" sharp knife (really any knife) the down side I see to having the keeper up where you have it is that they seem easier to accidentally cut. I don't have any trouble un-snaping the keeper and drawing the knife with the flap going to the rear but I do always worry about cutting into the straps. As others have pointed out, the knife can also move out a little. Of course, for this to happen you'd have to be upside down, which would probably be much more concern than your knife coming out a little.

I like straps that come from the back and wrap around the guard, like you have on the Bowie knife much better. However, on that Bowie I'd have put it around the front of the guard to keep from having to worry about cutting it. As for having 2 motions to get the knife un-snapped versus 1 swift motion, I've never had a reason to quick draw a sheath knife. I do however regularly walk through brush which could accidentally unsnap a keeper that was "pointing forward". I do pay attention to stuff like that, and I try not to let myself get turned upside down, so having it come unsnapped wouldn't be "catastrophic". It would just need to be snapped back up and the chances of the knife falling out would be fairly minimal, but if you point the keeper "back" it wouldn't catch and come unsnapped in the first place.

Again, nice job on the sheath. The red and black with the buck stitching looks great and the shape of the sheath seems perfect to me. Solid work!

Josh

[Willie0]

Thanks for all the nice comments.  I made the black sheath based on kbars for an ex Ranger who doesn't expect to be knife fighting at all, but does  have an idea about how he would attach it to his gear in some specialized way.    The sheath it came with was horrible, and he cut himself 3 times getting the thing out once.  The bowie was for another ex military guy who is a knife fighting expert and I did things just the way he wanted.

[malabar]

Willie,

Very nice design, lovely workmanship. A+ in my book.

Minor criticism:  The retention strap is in the wrong spot.  It needs to be down at the base of the hilt.  The bowie sheath is perfect.  When they are up high, the knife can ride up and expose the blade.  Ideally, you want to be able to grasp the hilt of the knife, and pop the strap loose without changing your grip.

Again, lovely work.