Just had a great request idea that makes a lot of sense to me... A member that's interested asked if I could ship just the cut leather sheath parts so they can sew and put it together themselves... Duh! bushcraft forum Thanks @HK_User I'll even send some copper rivets if you like... So I'm not going to automatically make these sheaths until folks tell me they want me to put it together the way I do it (copper rivets).... Got some of my Saturday back :0) Save me the time and rivets and you save yourself $20 off the price... How's that sound !?! Here's a pic of the small and large... 8-9 oz veg tanned...
I like jute and I have a harness sewing bench. Electrical wiring harness flat nylon lacing cord works well too and last longer but lacks the "Buckskin" look of jute. For years I did it free hand and I can say the clamping action of the harness bench makes it a lot easier. OTOH you can purchase a smaller clamp device that works well for small items. I have a Randall Vietnam era sheath that I removed the rivets and replaced them with stainless machine screws, washers and nuts. No more green copper gunk and I could care less if it is no longer as sold. It's mine till I die and someone else can worry about the authenticity and value. Try the stainless you may like it and never more the corroded copper gunk. Of course YMMV as does your climate.
@HK_User Got some Barbours flax 5 and 7 cord... I can send with the pieces if you want to try... I like flax... lasts a good long time..... Also have some waxed poly I can send as well...
Beautifully work and some great ideas for the crafty ones to complete their own! Now me being the uncrafty sort, I really appreciate your skill.
Got It, Very nice. Now my part starts, figure to hand punch holes for the flax, then use some old family leather tools to produce a Border Design, then coat the inside with Mink Oil, next is to dye the leather some shade of brown to match the handle. Then the lacing and a finale coat of leather varnish. It'l be a while since it needs to fit in with other work. Thanks Bear.
As always, beautiful work @Bear While I would love to learn knife making, I just have too many things going on right now as it is.
@HK_User Glad you got it and that you are happy with it.... You'll like the flax... make sure to wax it, if you do that sort of thing... I like to hand wax with beeswax... flax is tough stuff, resists rot and lasts a very long long time... Would like to see the work in progress or at least the finished product... ;0) Thanks again... Thanks @kckndrgn Kits are a great way to get into it with little time invested.... folder kits nowadays are pretty much screw together... some fitting and sanding... fixed kits are pretty much epoxy and sand... of course final edge is up to your preference... still it's a good way to start and nowadays, a lot of folks are doing that... knife making supply houses are offering some pretty amazing kits.... Thanks again for the kind words... Bear
@Byte here you go... in the mail tomorrow... @HK_User no copper rivets on this sheath... nickel silver cutlery rivets... each one cut to size and turned to fit and smooth out the edges a bit more... @Byte one of the inside rivets rubs the koa handle a bit... should work itself out when you treat the leather and it swells a bit and as the leather conforms to the handle... just wanted to let you know... found it out today when I finished the sheath and did the first fit... Hope you enjoy it... took the extra time with the nickel silver so the rivets would match the stainless fittings on the handle ;0) Bear
! For me? Ahhhhhh shucks man! That is truly superb work right there. Can't wait to wrap my paws around that Koa handle. The light side near the pommel is quite a striking feature! And the bright hardware all matching looks great. But as you requested, this will be a working blade. It's going to get used. Not to do any logging but pretty much everything short of that! Think I'll head over to Tandy this weekend to pick out a color for the sheath. Something light to medium me thinks to compliment the gradient in the Koa's coloring. I'll get payment in the mail right away! Thanks so much, Bear!
Decided that I want to work on a few other things and that these will be the last of these finished blades for the foreseeable future... sooooo.... I'll offer up the two longer brown micarta blades with the colored liners along with the two matching fire steels... in post #118... along with the leather sheath kit in post #121 (yeah you get to sew or rivet your own... I'll include flax or nylon... or rivets :0) for $70 each set... shipped to USA... Thanks for all the kind words and great response... on to other things ;0) Bear
My apologies... this reads like both sets, leathers and all the firesteels for $70... what I meant to say way $70 for each set... Sorry if I messed anyone up... Bully
All gone!... Thanks everyone... the last few blanks will be available as kits for folks to put together and finish themselves... pm me if interested.... Thanks again.... stay tuned for other projects.... Hmmmm.... like maybe spear heads Bear
