Keeper strap questions

[grogimus]

I like pouch sheaths quite a lot but I'm looking to make a blade only sheath with a keeper strap and belt loop. I've done one before but I may have gone a bit overboard with it.

5-6 layers seems a bit overkill. Instead of using the back piece as the belt loop piece I added another entire piece so the rivet holding the strap wouldn't be anywhere near the blade. I like the idea of the strap being riveted rather than sewn so it can rotate out of the way if wanted but I'm not entirely sold on the idea either and I wanted to see how other people prefer to mount theirs. In hindsight it would've made more sense to just gouge out a bit for the rivet to be recessed and use a thin patch glued over the rivet to protect the blade.

Also I've seen the straps attached in quite a few different locations from low on the back of the sheath to up on the belt loop. Is there a standard or preferred location to attach the strap?

Finally- snap or stud? I've used line 24 snaps from Tandy before and they seemed to last well but if the stud is a sturdier option I'm all ears.

I don't line my sheaths in case that matters with any of these questions. When I made the above sheath and mounted the female end of the snap to the sheath body I gouged a divot into the mounting location and cemented a skived down patch piece of leather over the hardware to keep the blade from contacting metal- I assume that's the general practice but I'm not actually sure.

I ordered another of Paul Long's DVDs which will probably answer all of these questions but the wheels are spinning and I'm trying to get a good idea of how the next sheath will be laid out.

Thanks for any tips or advice.

 

[claude scott]

I like pouch sheaths quite a lot but I'm looking to make a blade only sheath with a keeper strap and belt loop. I've done one before but I may have gone a bit overboard with it.
Yes get Paul's DVDs best help you can get

5-6 layers seems a bit overkill. Instead of using the back piece as the belt loop piece I added another entire piece so the rivet holding the strap wouldn't be anywhere near the blade. I like the idea of the strap being riveted rather than sewn so it can rotate out of the way if wanted but I'm not entirely sold on the idea either and I wanted to see how other people prefer to mount theirs. In hindsight it would've made more sense to just gouge out a bit for the rivet to be recessed and use a thin patch glued over the rivet to protect the blade.

Also I've seen the straps attached in quite a few different locations from low on the back of the sheath to up on the belt loop. Is there a standard or preferred location to attach the strap?

Finally- snap or stud? I've used line 24 snaps from Tandy before and they seemed to last well but if the stud is a sturdier option I'm all ears.

I don't line my sheaths in case that matters with any of these questions. When I made the above sheath and mounted the female end of the snap to the sheath body I gouged a divot into the mounting location and cemented a skived down patch piece of leather over the hardware to keep the blade from contacting metal- I assume that's the general practice but I'm not actually sure.

I ordered another of Paul Long's DVDs which will probably answer all of these questions but the wheels are spinning and I'm trying to get a good idea of how the next sheath will be laid out.

Thanks for any tips or advice.

 

[leatherman]

Looks nice!

Here is how I resolved my keeper strap construction. I dont have a spine pic but my skived folded belt loop goes 2" down so it effectively covers the rivet back. Like you, I do prefer the riveted strap so it can pivot out of the way. I went through so many other options and none work as well for my intended use.

As for the snap on the front, I always line the inside, most often I use a 2/3 ounce veggie tanned piece 2 to 3 inches deep, no need to line the entire front. I've done the patch method but its got its issues in that it might release inside the sheath. Now that said I have a sheath that I made over ten years ago that is patched and its holding very well. So the jury is out still.

 

[ANovinc]

That's a nice way to do both the strap and the belt loop, Dwayne. I'll have to try that sometime.

 

[leatherman]

Thanks man I give full credit to Sandy Morissey and Dave Cole for teaching me all that technical stuff!

 

[grogimus]

Thank you very much for the info! I watched Paul's 3rd DVD a couple times and it answered a lot of my questions plus had a bunch of other great info. (Especially the tip about thinning the Barge!)

I don't have a splitter or thin enough veg tan or deerskin for lining at the moment but I may give that a shot at some point. Dwayne, when you line the front down a couple of inches do you just sew the top and sides? One extra short line of stitches wouldn't make my hands cry too bad hopefully.

I think I might just punch a hole for the strap on the belt loop portion for the one I'm working on at the moment and see how I like that.

Thanks again for the help.

 

[leatherman]

Yes, I stitch a line across the top of the sheath to set the liner.

No splitter in my shop either, I am just not in that pay grade. I looked at one and like to swallowed my gum, darn things are flippin expensive. I do have one of those pull through types though, it needs constant attention or it tends to skip and bump