How to Make Knife Sheaths
Chances are, if you're into knifes, then you obtain your collection from a variety of locations and have a vast selection to choose from. Some of the knives you have may be in great condition, but the protective sheath has seen its last day, or you don't have a sheath for that knife at all. It's important to protect these assets. The following steps guide you through the process of making a deep sheath, which covers the knife handle and fits the knife form snugly.
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Things You'll Need
- Tooling leather
- Thread
- Marker
- Awl or icepick
- Plastic wrap
- Beeswax
- Paraffin wax
Instructions
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1
Obtain the leather for your sheath.Tooling leather is the easiest to work with. Make sure the leather is stout. Use leather tanned with oak bark rather than commercial chrome tanner. Back leather is the most durable, while belly leather has more chances for stretching.
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2
Purchase a thread that is durable and reliable. Linen thread matches with traditional sheaths, but can rot over time when exposed to the elements. An alternative thread that is more durable in outdoor exposure is artificial sinew. Real sinew is the most historically accurate thread choice.
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Design your knife sheath around the knife you want to fit it to. Lay the knife at a right angle against the edge of the back of your leather piece, making sure the leather edge comes as far up the handle as you desire.
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Trace around the knife on the leather with a pen, then use the marker to draw a seam allowance (at least a quarter of an inch) on the outside of the knife tracing -- that is, the be the back of the knife. Roll the knife over along the blade, keeping the blade on the tracing, and trace the other side of your knife. Add the seam allowance to match the backside of the knife in this direction. Add space for a strap hole here if you choose.
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Cut the leather on the indicated lines. It should be one piece of leather, conjoined in the middle where the knife blade will be. Soak the leather in warm water to attain pliability for sewing. If you plan to tool the leather, you need to have it as soft as possible, so soak it until there are no more bubbles and also let it sit overnight wrapped in a damp towel.
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Sew the seam together. You can choose from several methods. Do a saddle stitch by punching holes in the seam (using an awl, drill press or icepick) and cutting the thread/sinew at least four times the length of the seam. Using two needles on either end of a piece of thread/sinew, thread it through the first hole and center it. Then pass each end of the thread/sinew through each hole, drawing it tight between passes. Tie off the end when you finish the seam.
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Mold the sheath. Wrap your knife in plastic wrap, which protects it from the wet leather and provides spacing within the sheath. Soak the sheath in warm water again for a few minutes to get it pliable again. Slowly work the sheath over the knife with the back of the knife centered along the seam. When the knife is completely in the sheath, mold the sheath to it using your fingers or the handle of a piece of silverware. Allow the molded sheath to dry for a couple of days with the knife still in it.
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Melt a wax mixture of about half beeswax and half paraffin wax. Remove the knife from the sheath. Dip the sheath in the melted wax for a very brief amount of time when the wax is warm (too hot will shrivel the leather and the leather won't soak it up if it is too cool). The wax will darken the leather as it is absorbed, so remove the sheath as soon as the darkening is even. If you find lumps, bubbles or uneven darkening in the sheath after it dries, use a hairdryer to warm the wax and wipe the wax to fix the error.
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Tips & Warnings
If your knife handle has a finger guard, insert a spacer between the guard and the wet sheath before molding the sheath to the knife. Take extra precautions when melting the wax mixture. Do it slowly, on a low heat, and have something available to smother it immediately if it catches fire.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit "Expensive Knife" - shiyali: STOCKXPERT
