Brass tacking sheath

[bigmac]

I am attempting my first knife sheath using the crazy crow Parfleche Knife Sheath pattern. when tacking is there a proper side to have the tack heads on? Example A

[/URL][/img]
or Example B

[/URL][/img]
Thanks for your input!

 

[BillinOregon]

La Bonte will have an answer you can take to the bank. Yoo hoo, Chuck!

And by the way, nice sheath.

 

[bigmac]

the example sheath is not mine, just for referance. I hope mine turns out half as nice.

 

[ZUG]

I guess it depends if you wear the sheath on the right or the left side??? I think you would want the brass tack heads to face out to be seen by others.

 

[omarick1948]

Think "Cross-Draw Holster". Most of these I have seen fella's use are worn in a cross draw fashion and of course. with the tack heads facing outward.

 

[bigmac]

we'll i just tacked it like how i liked. cross draw from the back. not as pretty as the example but its serviceable.

[/URL][/img]

[/URL][/img]

 

[Artificer]

I am attempting my first knife sheath using the crazy crow Parfleche Knife Sheath pattern. when tacking is there a proper side to have the tack heads on? Example A

[/URL][/img]

I remember asking myself the same question on the first tack sheath I made in 1973.

I do not know if there is historic precedence for this, but I always thought if you were right handed and would wear the knife in a cross draw fashion on the left side of the front of your body or the side of your left hip - that having the curved section of the sheath facing inward on the front of the body or frontward on your left hip was the way the sheath should be worn. This would mean the sheath would be decorated like this first example of yours. The idea is that if you were going through brush, it would have a tendency to slide off the curved side of the scabbard rather than have a flat edge that might catch on the brush. It would also mean when you grip the knife, the edge would be in the natural positon being downward. Of course if one is left handed, then the sheath should be made and tacked like your second example.

I have made more sheaths like this style with the leather folded over and tacked or sewn together along the knife edge (and using a welt when hand sewn) than center seam sheaths. I always thought having the curved side of the sheath facing inward or forward, for the cross draw, was the way to make them for right hand people. Maybe I figured that out from the way swords are worn with the curved side facing forward so as not to catch on brush, etc?

Anyway, for your first tack knife sheath, you did OK and enjoy using something you made yourself.

Gus

 

[LaBonte]

I guess it depends if you wear the sheath on the right or the left side??? I think you would want the brass tack heads to face out to be seen by others.

What Zug said - based on the A.J. Miller prints most of the mountain men and later white man users wore their knife center back - with the handle positioned for easy access by the strong hand. I've worn mine most of the time that way for over 50 years - it's comfortable, the knife stays safe, and is out of the way but easy to draw.

 

[bigmac]

well i tried to darken up the leather and straighten out a few of the tacks. looks a wee bit better.

[/URL][/img]

 

[crockett]

If you study the Miller Paintings, your sheath would look closer to those painted by cutting down the edge between the rows of tacks, eliminating the slot and leaving just a single layer or row of tacks.

On "which side". I have the tack heads on the "wrong" side. In other words if you are right handed and had the sheath on your right side- as is normal today- and slide the sheath around to the middle of the small of your back, and then tilted the handle to your right for easy grabbing, the knife's edge would then be on top. If you flip the sheath over, then the edge is on bottom and you don't have to twist your wrist as much to grab the handle. Hope I explained that clearly. So, example "B" is how I do it.