Hey all, So the time has come that I need to take on sheath making to go along with my knife making. Can you more experience people school me a bit on what I am going to have to buy to start down the path? Besides the leather itself, what tools and shop supplies will I need to turn out something functional and in a reasonable time frame? Also, can you suggest any specific online learning resources that might be better than others? Lastly, who do you all deal with for your supplies? Thanks!
Bob, This is where I started: http://www.beebeknives.com/html/make_a_sheath_tutorial.html Tools and techniques are there. Best of luck! Dan
Tandy leather for supplies I find the three prong hole marking punch works better than the wheel type. It makes a better groove for the thread to sit in. Also get the single one for tight corners. Make holes in the leather with a drill press, ten times easier than awl. Tandy sells a beginner kit that is not bad for starting out. For punches select a couple border ones and background to start with. Real nice to have is an edging tool and skiver as well as a burnishing tool. Stain can be bought in a eight pack of assorted colours.
I don't make knives, but I do leatherwork and have been working on my sheath technique over the past year. It sound like you are looking for basic, quick to build and functional. Correct? Can you post a picture of (or link to) the style of knife you need a sheath for? There are alternate construction methods that could be simpler to build but still provide the look and functionality you desire. A look at the knife style you make would help determine this.
Hey Bobby, hit me up at with a PM or at graycustomknives@gmail dot com. I might have some spare stuff to help you out. I came into a large amount of tooling and such a while back and may be be able to help out.
I also have a few extra tools for leatherwork that are basically doubles from a couple of people I bought out of the leather working hobby.
The line of tools not in picture is about six foot long all from a wanted ad I put up on eBrandon and kijiji. Found people wanted to sell but hated the idea of dealing with the ridiculous emails. Mind you I am the same since putting up an ad for free stuff and first email was refusing to pay more than $20, second was a lecture on how I had no right to sell something when poor people needed a handout and a dozen asking how much even though the ad said free three times.
