Post by twomoons on Jan 4, 2010 20:30:23 GMT -5
I will try and post pictures tomorrow, but I finished a knife sheath this weekend and I thought I would give my opinions on what constituted a good sheath for an outsdoorsmans knife.
I have very little use for the leather sheaths that come with most modestly priced and some high priced knives. Bear in mind that for myself I have no use for a knife with a big brass guard and this ties into my sheath designs. No one cuts more meat under difficult conditions than a butcher and you don't see brass guards on a butcher's knives. Brass guards are for catching your oponants blades when you are fighting, period. That said most of my knives either have no or a minimal guard.
Now on to the leather sheath. I don't want straps, ties or buckles. Straps end up getting cut up if your knife is as sharp as it should be. Ties and buckles are unnecessary if the sheath is properly designed and made. I want a sheatyh that will swallow up at least 50 if not 75% of the handle of the knife. The sheath must be made of good stout leather at least 4OZ. A sheath of this type works best if made from stiff oak tanned leather and it must be either welted properly or be welted with rivits or brass tacks to prevent any chance of cut through. I sew the sheath with artificial sinew (nylon) as it won't shrink, rot or deteriorate, but good cotton thread will do IF you can be trusted to wax or oil the sheath regularly.
When I supply a knife if you don't put the blade in straight it will cut right through a soft leather and you won't even feel it cutting. I block the handle into the sheath so that by friction alone you can carry the sheath upside down and the knife won't fall out, but you can tug and it pops into your hand and most importantly you can re sheath the knife by just pushing it back into the sheath with no other motions. No strap to fasten, no ties to fiddle with.
To finish the sheath I prefer to heat bees wax and soak bees wax into the sheath until it is waterproof inside and out and then wip off all the excess while the whole shebang is hot. Now that sheath will be all natural but will wear and handle a whole lot like kydex.
Now as much as I like traditional material and hate plastical -tactical if you can't or won't take care of leather, oil it when necessary or better yet wax it with old time butchers wax. (1/3 beeswax, 1/3 turpentine, 1/3 lindseed oil) Get a good form fitted kydex sheath and your set for life.
If you must carry a knife with a big brass guard then this same style sheath with a front opening or front and back, and formed around the guard will still work and as a matter of fact I had and BOUNCE has a Rio Grande Camp Knife in just such a rig. The current sheath is copied from an original dated to the 1860's by the thread used in it.
I have very little use for the leather sheaths that come with most modestly priced and some high priced knives. Bear in mind that for myself I have no use for a knife with a big brass guard and this ties into my sheath designs. No one cuts more meat under difficult conditions than a butcher and you don't see brass guards on a butcher's knives. Brass guards are for catching your oponants blades when you are fighting, period. That said most of my knives either have no or a minimal guard.
Now on to the leather sheath. I don't want straps, ties or buckles. Straps end up getting cut up if your knife is as sharp as it should be. Ties and buckles are unnecessary if the sheath is properly designed and made. I want a sheatyh that will swallow up at least 50 if not 75% of the handle of the knife. The sheath must be made of good stout leather at least 4OZ. A sheath of this type works best if made from stiff oak tanned leather and it must be either welted properly or be welted with rivits or brass tacks to prevent any chance of cut through. I sew the sheath with artificial sinew (nylon) as it won't shrink, rot or deteriorate, but good cotton thread will do IF you can be trusted to wax or oil the sheath regularly.
When I supply a knife if you don't put the blade in straight it will cut right through a soft leather and you won't even feel it cutting. I block the handle into the sheath so that by friction alone you can carry the sheath upside down and the knife won't fall out, but you can tug and it pops into your hand and most importantly you can re sheath the knife by just pushing it back into the sheath with no other motions. No strap to fasten, no ties to fiddle with.
To finish the sheath I prefer to heat bees wax and soak bees wax into the sheath until it is waterproof inside and out and then wip off all the excess while the whole shebang is hot. Now that sheath will be all natural but will wear and handle a whole lot like kydex.
Now as much as I like traditional material and hate plastical -tactical if you can't or won't take care of leather, oil it when necessary or better yet wax it with old time butchers wax. (1/3 beeswax, 1/3 turpentine, 1/3 lindseed oil) Get a good form fitted kydex sheath and your set for life.
If you must carry a knife with a big brass guard then this same style sheath with a front opening or front and back, and formed around the guard will still work and as a matter of fact I had and BOUNCE has a Rio Grande Camp Knife in just such a rig. The current sheath is copied from an original dated to the 1860's by the thread used in it.
I will try and show the Rio Grande camp knife & 3 seaths for it. The 2nd Origanal, T/M's copy of it only reversed. And also now I have a copy of the original sheath I'm told they came with when new. And maybe a few others I picked up over the years. Just in case anyone would like to buy a piece of T/M's heart the Rio Grande camp knife & sheaths are for sale LOL.