# ? about purchasing or making a knife sheath !!! SHEATH MADE!!!



## sea trout (Oct 31, 2016)

Hello Y'all! 
I like to look around in this section from time to time. I love Y'alls work! It's beautiful and interesting!!!!

So we had a family trip to Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge a few weeks ago and watched some knife makers work while we were there. Awesome!!!
My son has been bugging me about making a knife ever since!!
So I got some stuff out and he made his first knife.
I thought it turned out real cool, And I gave it to my buddy whom I believe is an awesome knife sharpener, and he cleaned it up some and sharpened it for my boy.

? is, and pardon my ignorance if this seems elementary, how do I get a sheath for this?
I see most of y'all have sheaths with your knives. I believe I read that some of y'all make them yourselves!!
Is a sheath something I can make myself without special tools?
The ones in y'alls pictures seems to be stitched...do y'all do that with a punch and then thread it? Do you have a super stronger sewing machine?
Y'alls leather sheaths are gorgeous by the way!!!

So can y'all guide a beginner into making a sheath? 
My wife can run our regular sewing machine that we have at home. I can hand stitch.

Any pointers would be outstanding!!!! Thanks guys!!!


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## Capt Quirk (Oct 31, 2016)

If you are near a big enough place, you can find a hobby lobby. The usually have kits, for the super beginner, or you can buy a piece of leather, an awl, needles and thread, and go to town making it from scratch. It really isn't hard, so have fun with it!


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## sea trout (Oct 31, 2016)

I do have a hobby lobby close by in Athens!!!!
I hope it's still there, where the ol K mart used to be. And I hope that stuff is there, I think I can make a swing by there tomorrow as a matter of fact.
Thanks Capt!!


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## Capt Quirk (Oct 31, 2016)

I have been to that Hobby Lobby. Don't expect to be overwhelmed by too much stuff, they usually barely have the bare minimum of stuff. But, luckily for you, they do have the bare minimum  When you find the leather stuff, in it's 4'x4' section of shelves, look at the ABCs of Leathercraft book. It will show you the basics of how to do leather crafts.

Feel free to ask, if you have any questions.


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## T-N-T (Nov 1, 2016)

Back to the knife.
What was the piece you worked into a knife?


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## Anvil Head (Nov 1, 2016)

You might want to run down to Watkinsville, go to Costa's Dry Cleaners and talk with my little brother John Costa. He can help you get in the right direction. There are several knifemakers in the Athens area and many of them do their own leatherwork. Bud Sinard is a local that specializes in leather work. Any of them will be glad to give you a few tips. 
Be careful what leather you select for sheaths and holsters. Chem tanned will react with steel and other metals causing rust and corrosion. Be sure you get veggie tanned leather for sheath work.
Not going to do leather stitching on wife's machine without causing problems. hand stitch will be better move. Lot more to it than can cover here. 
Tell your son he did good. Bring him up to Trackrock next spring and we'll get someone to walk him through a more advanced knife next time. March 24/25 - watch for announcement early spring.


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## sea trout (Nov 1, 2016)

Thanks guys I stopped at Hobby lobby in Athens today.
Capt Quirk I saw the beginners knife sheath kit and almost walked out the isle with it like 3 or 4 times.....but I couldn't. I thumbed through the ABC's of leather book while I was there and I bought a few basic items and a piece of leather and the book and will try to make our own...it looks too cool to try.

Topher I just cut a heeled horseshoe in half and we packed it tight to forge a blade....I really don't know what I'm doing. 
I'm just trying to help my boy with his obsession ever since he watched some knife makers in Pigeon Forge and one in Gatlinburg a few weeks ago. It looked like these guys had some knife specific tools and some knife specific grinders. 

Anvil Head thanks for the info!
I had no idea of the different leathers. I hope to learn that too.
If y'all have another Trackrock besides march 24 and 25 please let me know. It is something we'd be interested in thanks!!! I know we'll be at Turkey camp the 24th and 25th


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## Capt Quirk (Nov 1, 2016)

I think somebody is going to get hooked


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## Anvil Head (Nov 2, 2016)

Only do two a year end of March and end of Sept. - just the way it is. Lot involved in setting these up plus it's pretty much up to the Campground as to available dates. Make it if you can.


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## Razor Blade (Nov 2, 2016)

If you are in commerce, i am only 20 minutes away. Come see me , i will help to point you in the right direction. Others gave good info also. If i can help let me know. Scott


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## sea trout (Nov 2, 2016)

Thanks Razor Blade!


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## Anvil Head (Nov 7, 2016)

Geez Scottie, I was gonna offer him a lesson or two for a little skinny salt excursion time. I know he goes.


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## Razor Blade (Nov 7, 2016)

Sorry bro , wasnt tryin to cut in on your fishin time.


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## Anvil Head (Nov 8, 2016)

Hey, you know me Scottie.....just like a good trade.

Sea Trout (and others interested) considering, if I can get the logistics worked out, of conducting an additional spring Hammer-in up at Crawford's Campground in Beaver Dam, NC. Possibly 2-3 weeks ahead of TR. Still got a lot to work out, but the facilities are there for a smaller HI that would be more of a demo style than hands on. Owner's all in, just got to kick some rocks around.


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## sea trout (Dec 5, 2016)

It's actually been made a couple weeks now but I'm just now gettin around to postin it.

The knife and sheath went to camp last weekend and field dressed 2 deer!!! My brother used it, and my 17 yr old nephew used it. They both loved it and it worked great. I was there, it cut deer belly and deer trachia like butter!!

Thank y'all for the guidance and direction to make the sheath!!!!
Thank y'all very much for the invites to come work with y'all and learn!!
I hope that works out one day soon. We are a CRAZY busy family and it's hard to find the time to add somthing extra to do. But I want to try. 
My 8 yr old boy has now went crazy over wanting to start blacksmithing. He watches some guys on youtube who are making swords and axes that all these movie and cartoon characters use. My wife n I got him a youth apron for Christmas, (he doesn't know it yet).
I always wanted to get into blacksmithing one day but I've been sayin "one day" for too many years!!!

So I may holler at y'all when the Holidays and deer season is over and maybe my boy and I can come work with y'all.
We can try to go fishin too. I love to go to the coast and fish but there it is again! Its hard to find the time to add a couple days but we can try!!!

Thanks Y'all!! Sorry for the long post!
Merry Christmas!!!


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## Razor Blade (Dec 10, 2016)

Good job


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## Capt Quirk (Dec 10, 2016)

Hey! You really went to town with that! It does look really nice, specially for a first time. Now, for the critiques, the little things that will help you with the next one. The stitches are a little wide, and uneven. This is a pain, doing neat handstitching. If you want to make them neat and even, look for a stitching chisel, sometimes called a pricking iron. It looks sort of like a fork, and is used to make neat little holes that are evenly spaced. 

The edges of the leather are not even. You can use a knife or razor blade to trim them, then sand it down. Start with 60-80 grit, and move it down from 120, to 240, to 800 grit. When you move on to a different leather, you can also burnish the edges, which leaves you with a hard, slick edge.

Keep it up, you are off to a great start on a wonderful, and sometimes frustrating, hobby


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