Rivets

[FJTBONE]

Hi, looking to make knife sheath, PC for rondy.
Are rivets PC and if so where can I get them?
Any info appreciated. Thanks Guys TBONE

 

[rich pierce]

Anything's fine for rondy. Copper rivets would be good for more strictly guided events.

 

Anything's fine for rondy.

And how do you suppose it got that way?

 

[Black Hand]

I would sew it. That way there is no question whether it is appropriate or not. I'm not fond of the way rivets look on a knife sheath anyhow.

 

[Norskie]

You'd want to avoid tubular rivets, as those seem to be post-civil war. Rivets and burrs go back far enough. Those are two piece sets, a rivet and a washer, both in copper. Oldest and hardest to use is the straight copper rivet, carefully tapped into shape with a riveter's hammer.
I prefer to stitch, by the way.

 

[kjmillig]

How about brass tacks bent over in the back? That's how I made my first sheath.

 

Are the PC nazis active again?

 

[rich pierce]

Anything's fine for rondy. Copper rivets would be good for more strictly guided events.

No harm meant and I hope no offense taken. What I mean is rondy folks are welcoming and friendly and helpful and will not generally criticize your kit.

I do not like the term PC Nazi and consider it to be a slur, a mean spirited word, meant to denigrate someone or inflame.

Guy asks what's appropriate, gets some responses, all helpful, then someone tries to make it a class struggle. Why? Somebody has an axe to grind, I guess.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Bending over nails dates to boatbuilding, and is called " Clinching ". When boats were made by nailing lapstrakes together, the nails were clinched. ( all the way back to the Vikings, and maybe even to the Romans and Phoenicians.That kind of construction should satisfy the most particular PC Nazi !

 

[dlemaster]

Rich
Would this be relevant. LOL
[url] http://redwing.hutman.net/~mreed/warriorshtm/evilclown.htm[/url]

Regards, Dave

 

[crockett]

There was an item called harness rivets that are pre-1840 but brass tacks would be the better choice. Go to the Trunk Shoppe and get real, square shanked brass tacks. The Indians peen hammered these in back but then you see a lot of their sheaths with missing tacks- how the mountain men did it is anyone's guess but I doubt they messed much with it- probably just bent or cinched them in back- makes sense. You could also use short bits of heavy- plumber's grade solder since lead was a PC material. Take a short bit and peen hammer the ends.

 

[Va.Manuf.06]

Bending over nails dates to boatbuilding, and is called " Clinching ". When boats were made by nailing lapstrakes together, the nails were clinched. ( all the way back to the Vikings, and maybe even to the Romans and Phoenicians.That kind of construction should satisfy the most particular PC Nazi !

Paul is being humorous of course. :rotf: Clinch nails were used in boat building and are correct for that going WAY back. They were also used for trunk building, box making and, most particularly for flooring installation - clinched floorboards don’t creek. But what is a clinch nail? Most modern people don’t have the foggiest idea. The clinch nail pre-dates the screw and does a good job and is quick to install. Tthey are still made, have standard round, square or even fancy heads and a tapered shank (usually square or rectangular but occasionally round) that can be bent over in a curl by hammering it into a clinch or bash plate ”“ the clinch plate causes the tip to curl over and go back into the material it has just come through (in form the shank now looks like a letter “J”), which tightens and holds the two pieces tightly together. To work properly, the clinch nail has to be properly sized to the thickness of the material used, if too long it bends over doesn’t work properly - if done wrong it is just sloppy carpentry....

Tacks made of brass with shanks that start out thick and taper quickly to a needle sharp point are used similarly in leather working but are almost never used to join two pieces of leather ”“ the small head will pull through even though the (properly) clinched point will not. Tacks like this are used to fix metal hardware to leather. The first example that comes to mind is the tip of a bayonet scabbard. The brass scabbard tip has tack shank sized holes punched in it and a long, thin anvil is placed inside the scabbard to act as an anvil and the tack is driven in and clinched over holding the fish glue coated tip firmly in place. Other examples of hardware that are often tacked to leather are decorative name or escutcheon plates. Leather tacks like this are not easy to find, though”¦

Tbone, if you decide to go the nail route, get small brass brads with larger round heads like those used to attach metal plates to wood and cut them about 1/8 inch longer than the two leather pieces you are using are thick. Then file the shank to a long, sharp point and drive the brad through your leather and into the bash plate ”“ you are done. But remember, before you do this, use a waterproof glue to hold the leather together, that is really what will hold the leather together, the tacks just hold it together by reinforcing the glue. But remember, if the brad is too long, the tips will not bend back into the leather and will stick out and catch on your clothing and will do almost no good holding the leather together. Sorry, another long winded dissertation from a “PC Nazi want to be” who actually thinks that sewing would be better, but... :snore:

 

[Harddog]

Some old knife sheaths were sewn and then a row of lead rivets were placed through the sheath to the inside of the threads to keep the knife from cutting the threads holding the sheath together.

Randy Hedden

 

Are the PC nazis active again?

We much prefer the term "Button Nazi" or even "Stitch Counter".

People tend to confuse the abriviations of the terms "Politically Correct" with "Period Correct" and it causes us much grief. Many of us, while being "Period Correct" are far from "Politically Correct"! It is almost impossible to do both right.

and even some of us "stitch counters" go to rondys, shoot caplock rifles and sleep on airbeds when there is nothing to do at the historic sites! I even have one of those "shake-em-up" flashlights hidden in the med-box.

I have actually never seen anyone confronted over a knife sheath but once, and that was over a safty strap with a big brass snap! (which is definately WRONG in anyones' time frame) Once in 25 years is a pretty good run, so it must not be a real problem with most folks.

If you make them sort of plain no one notices them and they call no attention to themselves.

I usually use a thick welt in my knife sheaths and have little problem with cut stitches. Lately, I have also been using iron and copper staples at the mouth of the sheath. They protect well and usually go unnoticed.

:hatsoff:

 

[paulvallandigham]

One of my club members got jumped by the bean counters at the annual rendezvous at Ft. De Chartres, in S. Illinois, many years ago, and told there was something wrong with something he brough to camp. Don knew the guy was wrong, and deeply resented his arrogance, but Don had not thought to pack his books and reference materials with him, since it was his first trip there. That Fall, at Friendship, Don went and camped in the primitive area, and sure enough, the bean counter was there. Don was ready for him, and called him out at one of the evening gatherings and embarrassed the guy in front of everyone, since that is how he chose to deal with Don earlier. The lessons learned there were brought back to your club, and we educated a lot of members on what they might lose points on if they participated in one of these Seneca Runs with the wrong things in their bags. The first time we held an event with the strict rules invoked, there was much wailing and complaining about the rules being enforced, even thos it was announced in the club newsletter that went out to every one, and in a separate flyer that was sent out to past attendees. My team did not lose any points, because we paid attention to the letter of the rules, and checked each other's gear before we began the event. That was the beginning for me to get rid of a lot of stuff I had been toting around in that bag that I never used. Its amazing how much less that bag will weigh when you get rid of the junk.

When life serves up lemons, make lemonade.

 

[FJTBONE]

Thanks for all the info. I didnt mean to start a any problems by asking about being PC sorry bout that. Im just starting out and want to be somewhat close to acceptable. I think I will just sew it and decorate with tacks. Thanks again guys.
TBONE