A trio of sheaths...

An early (1820-1840) Cheyenne style - the rawhide covered and carved body tucks under the belt and the pound beaded flap goes over the top to keep it from slipping down - the two thongs can then be tied to the belt or as an alternative can be laced through the flap to form a belt loop. The beadwork and carving are based on an earlier (1810 or so) original that was quilled but I used the beads in the same basic colors instead.



here's the original sheath that I used for inspiration - some sources state this may have been an Eastern Sioux made piece, but the quillwork was done in a very typical Cheyenne style seen on most later beaded sheaths and other gear.



A fairly simple 1870's tack style - bark tan body, braintan cuff, and rawhide lace. The belt goes through the slot and over the body.



A simple way to fix a cracked handle with stitched on rawhide and also it covers up the three rivets that weren't used much until after the late 1880's or so, thus making it more PC for the earlier period. The rawhide is decoed with brass tacks and three line cord wraps. It's a small Russell Green river (hunter's style?) knife



and last but not least - an 1870's So. Cheyenne style for a VERY large handled knife and lots of fooferaw including: beadwork, hawk bells, brain tan fringe, tin cone tinklers, brass tacks, spots, bone hair pipe, buffalo hair fluff, and a bit of carving on the rawhide covered body..



hope ya'll enjoy the view and even more hope it inspires others...

wow those look really nice... I really like the aged look on rawhide but im having trouble getting it to look all yellow and old like you managed... how did u do it??

Inspired for sure :hatsoff:

It all looks real nice.

Nice Chuck!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for posting,always like to see your work :hatsoff: :hatsoff:

Mitch Yates

Chuck, you are a national treasure! Superb pieces once again.
:bow:

I really like #3!! :hatsoff:

Hard to decide which one I like best.
All are exceptional. :hatsoff:

Chuck your work always amazes and impresses me! I have no patience for the beading work! I have tried it and it so labor intensive and even when I accomplished it, well lets just say it didn't look too good! :bow: I don't think I had it figured out about the lazy stitch ( I think that is the correct name), I either was pulling it too tight or not tight enough. But it wanted to roll up! Anyway I done just enough to appreciate all the work that goes into something like that!

I have a question about this original sheath!

What is the cut out in the sheath for was it too lock it into a sash?

LaBonte said:

Click to expand...

My apologies for being slow to respond but I had a long drawn out battle with the flu and am just now back on my feet - plus CRS sets in and I forget sometimes where I posted! :hmm:

wow those look really nice... I really like the aged look on rawhide but im having trouble getting it to look all yellow and old like you managed... how did u do it??

Click to expand...

Rosko - I dampen the rawhide throughly and let it set until the extra water is gone and it is at the right "temper" to work. I then generally use a good spirit based leather dye like Fiebings on the back (flesh) side - let it soak in a bit, wipe off the excess, then sew it up. Once sewn up and while still damp I apply a coat or two to the face - apply wipe off, etc until I get the color I want. Dependent on the end look I use colors like saddle tan or light to dark brown (my work space is limited so I generally just buy dark brown then thin with rubbing alcohol to the shade I want.)
Another method is to use walnut or other natural plant dyes or a water based dye like RIT (I use the liquid version) and soak the rawhide in the mix until I get the shade I want.
No matter what though dying rawhide is kind of hit or miss - hard to repeat a color exactly from piece to piece.


Cliff - that's a common problem for beginners with the lazy or to use the Politically Correct term lane stitch. This occurs especially when the leather is soft. When I tanned my own brain tan or if I can custom order it I leave it a bit stiffer than normal.
But these days I no longer tan (way too much pain afterwards for this old wore out bod)and often trade for hides I can't always get it 'right' so I first spritz it well with rubbing alcohol and let dry. I then tape the back side with cheap masking tape - this helps stiffen it enough so that it doesn't warp so easily while beading.
The notch as you noted is a variation on the long oval/rectangular belt slot like on number two - the belt or sash goes over the body of the sheath and then through the slot/cutout. The advantage to this style is you don't have to remove your belt or sash to remove the sheath - the downside being it doesn't stay attached, so when that call of nature comes or whatever and you need to remove your belt you have to remember the sheath.
Also beadwork is like any other craft the more you do the better you get - but even after 50 plus years when I don;t do it for a while it takes some time to get things right and I have often have to re-do sections as I go along - just the nature of the beast - for me these days beading is a kind of meditation that I can do just about anywhere and at anytime without a lot of noise, muss, or fuss.

Hey Chuck - thom here - glad yer still tooling along..
muddy yet ?
Just finished that trade gun..
whoops and hollers .. marble thru a pipe kinda thing..
Gotta start again on the Leonard Reedy for the 400th time :rotf: :rotf:
Yer work just is top-shelf..
will try to call - watch yer topknot...
Thom (Limpin'frog)