Knife sheath

[paulvallandigham]

Does anyone know a knife sheath maker who puts the seam on the side of the blade, and not along the edge? Many years ago, I visited a gunshop in Brookfield, Illinois, where they displayed some custom made knives, with horn handles, that had a sheath with the seam along the side of the blade instead of the usual edge seam. I always thought that might be a better way to avoid cutting the seams without having to put brass rivets in the sheath at the opening. I would like to know the process used to make these and make them fit the blade.

 

[Old Ironsights]

Were the sheathes hard or soft?

Seems like all one would need to do is wet, stretch over a form, stitch, restretch, then boil it with the form inside. IIRC hardened/boiled leather of this type should hold form even if it got wet again. (like boiled leather armour).

Not real knowledge, just reassembly of acquired knowledge bits, so don't take it as gospel.

 

[Claude Mathis]

Does anyone know a knife sheath maker who puts the seam on the side of the blade, and not along the edge?

This is usually done for double-edged daggers. You don't see it much with single-edged, wide blades.

 

[LRB]

I do them fairly often. The sheath is fitted and sewn as a normal sheath, but with no welt. It is then wet and the seam is rolled over to the center with the blade or a form inside, and pressed really flat between two heavy hard boards in a vise. The sheath is fitted as to allow for the leather to be slightly expanded by the pressing. This is not a good pcture of one, but you get the idea.

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[paulvallandigham]

Thanks you for the picture and description, Wicke. I have made some sheaths over the years, and remade one or two on occasion, so I thought the process might be something like this. I didn't know if you left extra leather beyond the welt to grag in a vice, or how you got that straight seam down the middle. Now it makes sense. Thanks again.

The knife I first saw this on was a long bladed hunting knife, probably 7 ot 8 inches, with a hilt and deer antler handle. But the sheathe fascinated me the most. I have since bought a commercial knife made in Finland, called a Puuka, that has this center seam sheath made for it, and a special synthetic material for the handle that does not get slippery when it is coated in blood. The blade is only about 4 inches, and maybe 1/2 inch wide, and it makes a fine knife for gutting and skinning deer. The puuka has no hilt, but does have a brass endcap, and I don't worry about my hand moving on that handle when it gets bloody. I do curl my little finger behind that endcap just as added insurance when I am stabbing or cutting with the knife. This kind of seam, and the added material would make a good choice for a sheath for a knife carried across the back, with a loop provided to go over the belt just below the hilt. The knife and sheath would be under the belt as a way of keeping it positioned and held firmly against the body, so I could feel the knife if it moved in the sheath.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Thanks you for the picture and description, Wicke. I have made some sheaths over the years, and remade one or two on occasion, so I thought the process might be something like this. I didn't know if you left extra leather beyond the welt to grag in a vice, or how you got that straight seam down the middle. Now it makes sense. Thanks again.

The knife I first saw this on was a long bladed hunting knife, probably 7 ot 8 inches, with a hilt and deer antler handle. But the sheathe fascinated me the most. I have since bought a commercial knife made in Finland, called a Puuka, that has this center seam sheath made for it, and a special synthetic material for the handle that does not get slippery when it is coated in blood. The blade is only about 4 inches, and maybe 1/2 inch wide, and it makes a fine knife for gutting and skinning deer. The puuka has no hilt, but does have a brass endcap, and I don't worry about my hand moving on that handle when it gets bloody. I do curl my little finger behind that endcap just as added insurance when I am stabbing or cutting with the knife. This kind of seam, and the added material would make a good choice for a sheath for a knife carried across the back, with a loop provided to go over the belt just below the hilt. The knife and sheath would be under the belt as a way of keeping it positioned and held firmly against the body, so I could feel the knife if it moved in the sheath.

 

[LRB]

Paul here are a few more details. After the seam is sewn, I trim the extra leather beyond the seam back to about 1/16" above the seam, then wet the sheath with denatured alchohol, rubbing alcohol, or even acetone. Then roll the seam to center, and beat it with a smooth faced hammer to get it started. The boards I use are 3/4" maple, faced with smooth paper based micarta. A plain board will leave the wood grain marks in the leather. I half round one end of these boards so they will not leave a crease where the grip area starts. I leave the sheath in the vise over night. Most often the sheath will be sort of glued to the boards after drying. This can be prevented by waxing the boards or covering with plastic food wrap. I usually do not bother, and if you are going to stain the sheath afterwards, the wax may interfere with the stain. I usually just oil them afterwards, or leave them as are.

 

[Norskie]

A properly constructed sheath will has a leather welt installed to protect the stitching. No need for rivets at all.

 

[paulvallandigham]

You are correct, but I found getting the thickness of that leather welt correct, so that the blade is still held tightly without the need for a keeper, is a royal PITA! I like to build and use knives that have a good spine, perhaps as thick as 1/8 inch, but that taper down to the edge so that I can maintain a razor edge on the blade. When I first made a sheath, I did not have access to various thickness of leather, and now know I would have more success using wallet leather, or or even glove leather for the welt. Thanks.

 

[Okwaho]

A properly constructed sheath will has a leather welt installed to protect the stitching. No need for rivets at all.

I respectfully beg to disagree. While 18th and early 19th century sheaths are very rare,I have seen a few which may fall into that category.These have been constructed without welts and when I build a sheath for a rifleman's belt knife I don't use welts{nor do I use guards on such knives}.I simply fold the sheath, form fit it to the knife very much as Wick does but here I differ.After sewing the sheath I punch several very small holes starting with the throat and ending with the point.These holes are punched just inside the sew line{saddle/double needle stitching}then make very small lead pins,insert them in all but the top hole at the throat and gently tap.There are a few sheaths extant wherein lead pins alone are used to fasten the sheath with no sewing.The soft lead fills up the holes protecting the thread from the knife blade.One could use wood pins but I prefer lead.I use the last hole,the one at the throat, for a thong and toggle to go around a sash to keep from losing the knife and sheath.I also use old butcher knives with flat tangs and conform them as to correct comfiguration and set them in antler handles.I bevel the antler ends at the base of the blade for a better looking knife.These are white man's knives since I doubt many Indians used antler handles except as an emergency replacement.I do,however, have an old fairly long narrow bladed knife with a round tang and a handle made of sail cloth wrapped around the handle with traces of vermillion.This particular knife came from the central section of North Carolina and I date it in the last half of the 18th century.
Tom Patton