First knife sheath

[TDragon]

Fairly new to leather working and opted to make a sheath for a knife I've had since I was about 12. Came out serviceable but quite a few things went astray in the process. Was also my first go at doing saddle stitching.

[Riem]

It looks like your first post, so welcome to leatherworker.net.

The sheath indeed looks serviceable and it certainly should last a long time. While many people may point to this and that as areas you can target for improvement, the more important question is - what would you target for changing / improving on your next project? Knowing what you want to improve on is the best way to work towards a concrete goal. And as @bikermutt07 normally advises: make a couple of the same item. That way, you'll be able to track the improvement over successive items.

BTW, it's 'protocol' on LW to show the blade if you show the sheath...

[bermudahwin]

2 minutes ago, Riem said:

It looks like your first post, so welcome to leatherworker.net.

The sheath indeed looks serviceable and it certainly should last a long time. While many people may point to this and that as areas you can target for improvement, the more important question is - what would you target for changing / improving on your next project? Knowing what you want to improve on is the best way to work towards a concrete goal. And as @bikermutt07 normally advises: make a couple of the same item. That way, you'll be able to track the improvement over successive items.

BTW, it's 'protocol' on LW to show the blade if you show the sheath...

I can only echo Riem's comments...

Welcome, and look at it with an open mind, noting anything you may want to change next time.

Bikermutt always suggests redoing it as Riem says, which is a great way to see your own improvements.

At college we were taught the four fs of design... form, function, fashion and finance... you've nailed all of them to a point, but is it the point you want to be at for this piece.

Best

H

[battlemunky]

Looks good for a first go. Definitely gonna need pics of the knife  

[JazzBass]

What's most important IMO, is that you DID it.
I remember that on my first project, that it took a lot of time in planning, for me to get up the nerve to actually take a knife to leather.

Many of the elements can also be practiced separately - I spent quite some time just experimenting with different methods for saddle stitching, and this can be done with scrap. Scribe a line, mark or punch you holes, and see how consistent you can make it. Other steps can be practiced independently of specific projects, at very little cost.

Another example would be what I've done with belts -
Rarely would you need the whole length of the strap that you buy, so I would often take small pieces of what would be excess, and try different finishes on them, since I've found that every piece of leather will finish out differently, even with the same stains/sealers. Working with the exact material from the current project, can help avoid a lot of, "what the heck happend?" moments.

Welcome, and good luck

 

[TDragon]

As requested

 

https://ibb.co/X4w7LkV

 

[Rockoboy]

That is a nice looking blade. Do you know the history behind it? Age? Where it was made? Maker?

Ohh yeah ... nice sheath. That will protect your knife for many years, and keep it from drawing blood unnecessarily.

[TDragon]

1 hour ago, Rockoboy said:

That is a nice looking blade. Do you know the history behind it? Age? Where it was made? Maker?

Ohh yeah ... nice sheath. That will protect your knife for many years, and keep it from drawing blood unnecessarily.

No idea for the most part. Picked it up at a swap meet when I was 12. No identify marks on it short of it was made in Pakistan. I probably only paid $5 - $10 for it.

[bikermutt07]

That was a great job on the sheath. 

It's true I profess doing batchwork on smaller items, especially in the beginning.

It allows you to get the most practice out of the least amount of material. You get to spend a lot more time with each step in the process, and if you goof, you aren't completely stalled out and starting over.

The goofs also give you practice pieces for future steps.

But, I don't deserve the mention on coming up with it. I stumbled around in the dark for 2 years before I ran across a true treasure of a member here...... @NVLeatherWorx , casually mentioning it in some random thread and then the forehead slapping commenced. It was one of the most game changing tricks I have learned here.

My cutting, burnishing, hardware application, and finishing all improved immediately.

Now a person doesn't need 10 knife sheaths for their favorite childhood knife, but you could make 5 at once and give them away or even sale them.

It looks like you had a lot of fun making this sheath. And that is what is most important.

Put in the homework and you will be amazed at what you can accomplish.

Edited December 29, 2018 by bikermutt07