How to Make a Wooden Knife Sheath

Most any hunter will carry a Bowie or skinning knife to dress the carcass of the animal. Such knives are also handy as an all purpose tool when you're out in the woods. Such knives typically come with a leather sheath, which will suffice in most cases. However a leather sheath can degrade after hard use and most second hand knives don't come with them. A prized knife might be dressed up a bit by using a wooden sheath. Different types of wood and stain can give them a unique look and will last quite a bit longer. Also, any hunter will prize the fact that a knife won't rattle in a well made wooden sheath when the owner moves. Because such sheathes have to be custom made for each individual knife, it's best to try making one yourself.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Foam brush Tung oil Dremel tool Pencil Jigsaw Wood glue Drill with bits Wood vice Screw-in rivets Router with wide-short bit Knife 2 pieces of wood 1/4 inch screws 5 by 1 inch leather strip Sandpaper

1. Begin by placing each piece of wood against one side of the knife blade and stenciling the outline into them. Make sure that the pieces of wood can be pressed together and the outlines match. Any type of wood can be used. It depends on what color you want the sheath to be. If you don't work with wood very much, practice with simple pine 1 by 4s until you're more confident in your abilities.

2. Place each piece of wood into your wood vice and bore the outlines of the knife lightly into the wood using your Dremel tool with narrow coarse bit. From there make a larger outline around the first one a full half inch bigger in all directions. This is the line where the excess wood will be cut away later. For the time being through, use your router on a low setting with a wide and short bit to carve out the interior of each piece of wood. Take your time doing this; each piece of wood should fit as snugly against the blade as possible when they are joined. For that reason make sure to take note of the thickness of the knife and the rate of slope toward the cutting edge. Remember you will only have to cut half as deep into each piece of wood.

3. Sand the interior pockets you've cut smooth and then paint them with a light coating of tung oil with a foam brush. The wood should suck this up in the course of an hour. Use your jigsaw to cut out the larger outlines you drew so that you know have two unfinished haves of the sheath.

4. Place a thin line of wood glue around the interior perimeter of one half and then press it firmly against its partner. Wipe off any excess that oozes out. Try fitting your knife into the opening of the sheath to make sure if fits appropriately. Use your Dremel tool and sandpaper to smooth and curve the surfaces of the exterior until it's shaped as you like it. Drive screw-in rivets, the kind that have decorative caps over the heads, into the perimeter of the sheath. One at the tip, two low on each side and two high on each side should be sufficient.

5. Paint the sheath with tung oil to give it a shining finish and then let it dry. Fit the sheath with a belt loop by folding a strip of leather in half and placing it against the back of the sheath along the top. Drive two 1/4-inch screws side by side into the folded ends of the strip and into the back of the sheath. This should leave you with a belt loop capable of accommodating a belt of any size and completes the sheath.

Who Can Help Sponsored

• Tired of Being Tired? Fight Fatigue and Try FRS for FREE!