Camouflage Stamps

[HondoMan]

Your Camo stamps are huge, but it's no bad for your first sheath.

Chris, Don Gonzales uploaded a video about serpentine borders.  Give it a wee watch and you'll see what I'm on about with starting at the corners and working towards each.

On the other matter, what I was on about and what would have given an easier go on the camo stamps in the corner.  Looking at the back of the sheath, your maker's mark is in the center with a 'half circle' down and up.  My suggestion was to switch them.  This would offer easier corners, perhaps. 

Another few suggestions. 

The front:   Your stitch line.... start at the corner and top and work towards the middle.  Seems you cut one hole in half (at the top).  Also, don't tool to the edge (top).  It's no asthetically pleasing.  That edge should have a border of some type.  

Do you have a welt between the front and back?

Next, this is a personal thing to me, but I do no put screw rivets or press snaps on top of the blade unless the sheath is to be lined.  It will scratch the blade and if the metal in that wee screw is poor quality, it could rust.

The back:

It appears you have top grain or the junction with corium.  See how the flesh side looks rough and loose?  Use some saddle soap to press those fibres down.  That or use oil dye to dye the entire thing and use a good top coat.   

Lastly, a wee trick on your tooling window:  If you bevel the edge to be tooled and then....use the camo stamp, it will look stunning.  More importantly, your camo stamps will be straighter and deeper.

Again, you did well for your first go.

[Chris623]

Stuck with the size of the camo stamp for now..............it's the only one I have.

 

2 hours ago, HondoMan said:

maker's mark is in the center with a 'half circle' down and up.  My suggestion was to switch them.

Oh, I understand now.  Thanks.

It looks as if I messed up on my stitching holes because I punched them before I did my stamp work and the sheath stretched.  Had to cut it off and unfortunately the holes had to end up where they ended up.  Newbie mistake.

There are several welts, in fact.  There is a piece of leather covering the back of the stud so the blade won't be scratched.

Don't know the definition of "corium", but I'm assuming you mean the part of the flesh that is exposed above the opening of the sheath.  Since that picture I have slicked it down with Tragacanto.

I beveled the edge on the back before using my camo stamp.  Guess it wasn't deep enough.

 

Okay, I've answered all your critiques.  Thanks for all of them.  I admitted I knew there were mistakes.  Just didn't realize how many.  I'll do better next time.

[HondoMan]

@Chris623

Tooling and stamping.  Get yourself some tape.  I use a double-sided carpet tape.  Tape the leather and fix it to a piece of cardboard.  This will stop the stretch.  You can leave it when dyeing the leather.  Dyeing can change the size of the leather as well and the tape stops the dye from showing on the flesh side, if one does no plan to dye the flesh side.   The cardboard will also allow one to hammer a wee harder to make a better imprint from the stamp, beveler, etc.  This is handy with thicker leathers.

Corium?  Google leather grains and corium.  It's a layer of the leather.  Corium is the looser fibres closer to the flesh.  When your budget allows, buy full grain only.

Good on protecting the blade.  Well done!

 

[Chris623]

I used the tape method when doing the back.  (learned my lesson on the front)  Took measurements both before and after and the tape stopped the stretching.

[Retswerb]

5 hours ago, Chris623 said:

I admitted I knew there were mistakes.  Just didn't realize how many.  I'll do better next time.

This is great though, and I hope you know we’re all cheering for you. There’s lots to learn and just think of what you know now about making a sheath that you had never had reason to think about until now. Plus I suspect even this first sheath is going to turn out great.

[Chris623]

I never mind constructive criticism.  It's how I learn.  I never fear asking questions..............in fact I'm prone to ask far too many sometimes.