I am working on two knives for xmas gifts for my children and have completed 6 knives. Workin on my first leather sheath- after purchasing leather, thread, dye needles etc.. Didn't have money for any leather stamps at $8.00 each. So I picked up 3 ft of steel rod from local hardware. While trying to decide stamp type I was looking at knife and thought it might be cool to have the sheath border match the file work on the knife blade. So I am working on creating my first stamp tool. Should I heat treat stamp?? Thinking it doesn't need to be just for leather but would make stamp more rust resistant. Will just bring to non magnet and quench, then throw in oven for 1 temper since I don't know metal type. Also I would think making camouflage and basket weave stamps can't be that hard (filing practice if nothing else).
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Any one making their own leather stamps?
- Thread starter rkwalker
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Master Sandy Morrissey has made dozens of leather stamps using stainless steel bolts. If I am not mistaken, his "faux snake scale" stamp is "home-made".
He also made the famous "MM" signature stamp that can be found of the back side of sheaths he makes.
Talented gentleman for sure.
He also made the famous "MM" signature stamp that can be found of the back side of sheaths he makes.
Talented gentleman for sure.
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ive made some out of old bullet casings for a vine pattern...works real good! have shaped the back od nail heads too and used it in a stippiling pattern and looks good too...all depends on how ambitious you are! 
I'll second that, and yes his faux snakeskin stamp is Sandy-made and I am lucky because he made a gift of one to me.Just use some files and or a Dremel and have some fun.Sandy doesn't use many stamps and I have quit using many of mine and started making some of my own.Give it a shot.Dave
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith
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Custom stamps are not too hard to make. Remember that you are making a negative. Carve the pattern ,exactly as you want it to look on the leather, in a piece of wood the same size as the stamp will be. Use this as a pattern to make the actual stamp. Remove a little metal at a time placing it against the wooden template to check the progress, until it starts fitting down in the wood design. Try a test stamp,remove a little more,etc. when all is right, start polishing the stamp with tripoli and bristle wheels( a buffing wheel may work,depending on how simple the pattern is). Once it is smooth,you can harden the stamp,or use it as it is.It takes a little practice to think and carve in relief, so the wooden positive pattern is a really good idea.The tools needed will be a jewelers saw, needle files, a Dremel tool with several sizes of ball burrs ( try 1/32,1/16,1/8),and a half dozen 1/2" hard bristle wheels for polishing.Simple stamps ,like background tools are the easiest to start with.Rope patterns and borders take a little more work.They are often readily available quite cheap on the Internet.Check Ebay.A look at Tandy's site (or other leather stamp site) will show you the shape needed for different borders. In rope and weave,the stamp only needs to be one link/section.
( ie: to make SSSSSSSSSSS you only need one "S")
Good luck, Stacy
BTW, Steel rod from the hardware store is probably mild steel and won't harden much,but it will not hurt to try. Like you said, Non-mag,water quench, spring-temper at 500-550F.Draw the striking end ( the part you hit with a mallet)with a torch to a full blue color or softer.
( ie: to make SSSSSSSSSSS you only need one "S")
Good luck, Stacy
BTW, Steel rod from the hardware store is probably mild steel and won't harden much,but it will not hurt to try. Like you said, Non-mag,water quench, spring-temper at 500-550F.Draw the striking end ( the part you hit with a mallet)with a torch to a full blue color or softer.
Poppa Sandy convinced me to make my own. No end to the designs you can accomplish with a little ingenuity. Like stated above, think in the negative. A dremel and some diamond burrs will get most anything to work. Watch out for sharp edges as they will cut leather where you don't want it cut. Wouldn't worry about heat treating, cased leather isn't all that hard (unless you found something unique) or are working with one of brother Mark's nuked scraps).
Keep them clean, wipe them dry and you shouldn't have any problem with rust. Sandy uses SS bolts as Robert mentioned, but I've used just about everything with good results.
Depth of background cut can be a bit of a bugger to get right. Just test on scrap leather until it looks right to you.
Poppa got me started "tooling" with a challenge. If you want to see what he talked me into, check out my gallery at www.georgiaknifemakersguild.com
Keep them clean, wipe them dry and you shouldn't have any problem with rust. Sandy uses SS bolts as Robert mentioned, but I've used just about everything with good results.
Depth of background cut can be a bit of a bugger to get right. Just test on scrap leather until it looks right to you.
Poppa got me started "tooling" with a challenge. If you want to see what he talked me into, check out my gallery at www.georgiaknifemakersguild.com
Some great advise thanks everyone. Bladsmith the comment about doing a negative was very timely I had my file work drawn on the metal and was going to start carving (that would have been weird looking). Like the idea of the SS bolts also. Will now start looking for a few simple patterns.