Sheath number 5

Following on from my last post, I thought such a handsome knife really deserves a sheath ... so this is the story. 

Although fairly simple in its design, I tried hard to focus on the crafting technique so that it would look as good as possible.  The body of the sheath is formed from a single piece of leather, folded over along the spine and stitched with saddle stitch all the way along where the edges meet.  At the top, the leather is folded over to form a generously proportioned belt loop where a second strip of leather is stitched on to form a securing strap around the handle.

The securing strap closes with a press stud and the observant reader will see there is a small insert of thinner leather glued to the inside surface, over the back of the stud.  This is to prevent causing damage to the wood when pressing the stud closed.

Note the top edge of the front surface, where the leather meets the knife handle.  The edge of the leather is curved to the same shape as the front of the handle so the two meet together comfortably.  Also note how I continued the saddle stitching along this curved top edge as well for decorative effect. 

To neaten off the edges of the leather I used a find sandpaper all along the stitched edge.  See how the first stitch at the tip of the sheath curles around the spine, again just for cosmetic effect, and all the stitching is recessed into a groove cut into the surface of the leather about 4mm in from the edge.

Enjoy the photos!