Sheath number 2

Ok, so they are out of chronological order, but all criticism shall be expressly ignored!  This is the story of sheath number 2 that I made for knife number 5 (see previous post on this blog.)

I used a similar approach to sheath number 1, but the design is a little different.  The main body of the sheath and the belt loop are much the same, but the securing clip is different.  The size and shape of the knife guard is such that the clip can fold over it to keep it in place.  The whole sheath is made from a single piece of leather, so did not require pieces to be stitched together.

The first step after cutting out the leather was to cut the recessed groove around the perimeter and then punch the holes for the stitching.  Next I had to attach the press stud.  This was tricky because I was not sure of the exact position for the male side on the body of the sheath and there was no second chance if I got it wrong.  Then I did all the stitching around the edge and to form the belt loop.  The stitching pony came into play again for this part and performed admirably.

The last step was to apply the decorative design on the securing clip.  For this I chose one of the design punches that came with the kit.  For the design to take hold permanently, it is best to soak that area of the leather in water first.  This makes the leather soft and supple, but it also allows it to stretch easily.  Unfortunately the securing clip did stretch a little during this step so it is not quite as tight as I was hoping, but it still works fine.

For only my second attempt at leather working, I think the result is quite satisfactory.

Enjoy the photos!  I also included a video showing how I do the Saddle Stitching with the sheath secured in the pony.

Sheath number 3

Having finished knife number 7 - the one with the silver swirls down the back of the handle - I decided that it also needed a sheath.  Observant readers will realise that I never told you about sheath number 2, but already this is number 3!  Correct.  I shall rectify that later, but for now, this is how it developed.

I decided to try a design without a belt loop or a securing strap with a press stud.  This means that the blade would have to fit very snugly into the sheath to prevent it from slipping out at random.  So tolerances would have to be tight and some wet moulding would also be required.  New territory all round.

Started with a paper template, roughly the shape of a shield. Traced that onto the leather with a separate curved strip for the welt.  (The welt is a strip of leather inserted between the 2 sides of the sheath along the edge where the sharp side of the blade will rest.  This not only provides a spacer but, importantly, it prevents the blade from cutting through the stitches.)  I cut them out using a sharp blade, then used the special tool to cut a groove all around the perimeter, about 4mm in from the edge.  Using another special tool, somewhat resembling a dinner fork, I punched the holes for the stitching in the cut groove.

Next came the glue to stick the sides together, with the welt in position and left it overnight for the glue to dry.  This was tricky because I had to ensure it was folded accurately in half so that the pre-punched holes were aligned.  I would not get a second chance if I got it wrong ... but it worked out just fine.

Then I used the stitching pony (see previous blog post) to hold the leather while doing the stitching.  I used Saddle Stitch again, probably most suitable for this application.  The stitches fitted comfortably into the recessed groove, giving a generally flat surface to the sheath.  Finally, I used sandpaper to smooth off the edges of the leather all around where it had been cut.

So far, so good.  As anticipated, the sheath was just too tight to insert the knife, which is what I wanted.  I wrapped the whole knife in several layers of cling film plastic to protect it from moisture, while the sheath soaked in warm water for a few minutes.  This softened the leather enough to be stretched and moulded around the knife.  So I pushed the blade into the sheath and gently massaged it to take the shape of the blade.  The sheath was deliberately longer than the blade, so that it would cover the bolsters at the end of the handle with just enough to curl around under the bolsters.  This would provide some 'clip' effect once dry.  I left it overnight before removing the knife and then still left it until the following day for the leather to completely dry.

As expected, the leather became stiffer once dry and the sheath was perfectly formed to hold the knife securely.  Very happy with the result!  If I may say so myself, I think it looks rather professional.

Enjoy the photos!

New Marking Tool

When making a knife, specifically when shaping the bevel on the blade, it is important to ensure both sides are symmetrical.  I achieve this with the Bevel Jig (see earlier post in this blog) to ensure a smooth grind of equal angle on both sides.  However, in order to gauge whether the amount of material removed from the left and right remains evenly balanced, most bladesmiths score a double line down the centre of the blade before grinding.  This provides a guideline for how far to grind the bevel without having to measure it as you go.  The photo below shows an example of the parallel lines before grinding.

Originally, I crafted a simple device as shown in the photo below, which was basically a masonry nail, ground to a chisel point and mounted through an adjustable bolt onto a block of wood.

It worked ok, but was very difficult to adjust and was usually not accurate enough.  So ... I made a new, better one!

I had an old Vernier calliper at home, which worked, but was a bit worn and scruffy and besides, I recently received a new, better quality one as a gift.  So, I came up with a way to repurpose the old Vernier in the design of the new tool.  First, all the unnecessary features had to be ground off and the long spine of the calliper was cut shorter, to a bit more than 100mm (4”).  After a thorough overhaul and clean-up, the device was running smoothly once more.  Then came the shaping of the new attachments, for which I used 6mm (0.25”) aluminium and a thicker block for the base, 12mm (0.48").

The head of the Vernier is secured with epoxy glue upside down to the base block.  The aluminium plate secured to the rear side of the Vernier is used to hold the cutting tip, which is a bar of High Speed Steel – very hard steel that is typically used for cutting tips in a metalworking lathe.  The position of the tip can be adjusted, although the need to do this is highly unlikely.  The idea is that the cutting tip can be raised and lowered by sliding the Vernier to a precise distance above the surface, accurate to 0.05mm (2 thousandths of an inch).  The little securing screw prevents it from slipping inadvertently during use.

"Front" of the tool, with cutting tip raised to 2.15cm (0.85"):

"Rear" of the tool:

Cutting tip:

Tool lowered to its zero position.  The cutting tip is flush with the surface of the cutting mat.  It appears to be floating because the grid pattern is printed on the underside of the glass mat.

Now, when marking a blade prior to grinding the bevel, the blade is placed flat on the surface of the cutting mat, the height of the cutting tip is set at half the thickness of the steel minus about 0.5mm (0.02"), and a line is scored all the way along where the bevel is to be ground.  Then the blade is flipped to the other side and a second line is scored parallel to the first.  The distance between the 2 lines will be somewhere around 1mm (0.04"), depending on the type of blade and thickness of the material.

The photo below shows the orientation of the marking tool beside a completed knife to illustrate how the lines would be scored (I did not have any unfinished blades at the time of taking the photo).

Now to put it to work!