cross draw sheaths

[Salolan]

Well, they are finally finished. The stitching didn't come out quite like I had hoped. I wanted white thread to really set off the stitching, but both types I had went more translucent when pulled tight.

Here they are. As always, critiques and comments are always welcome.

Thanks for looking,
Chris

 

[Horsewright]

Nice work Chris! Really like your knives too. What is the center handle material? I have a couple of questions for you. Have you found that the slot tabs limit where you can wear the sheath? Looks like they may not fit inbetween the belt loops and so you end up splitting the loops, which works but is limiting, so curious on how they are carrying. Why didn't you finish the border stamp across the top of the sheath with the F bar M? Was that just an oops or was that part of the design? I do a lot of brands too. Get ya some 1/4" graph paper. Draw your brand out on this. It will allow you to keep all the parts more uniform. Once you have it good just use your stylus to trace it onto your cased leather. I'd suggest a bare center space for the brand. Running the stamping right up to the brand makes it hard to make out. I can't tell whats on the other sheath. Personally I dislike dyeing the stamping. You spent a long time stamping these sheaths, particularly since you did the back side as well. And from what I can see you did a pretty darn good job of it too. But thats my point dyeing it dark hides all your good work and makes it hard to see. At least for me. A suggestion too on your stitching to give you fewer splices and back stitches which will clean it up particualrly on the backside. With the sheath orientated as in the second pic, start at the top right and come down to the bottom. Thats one line of stitching. I think I'm counting 4 backstitches, try it with two, bet ya don't see any difference in strength and it will clean up your stitching appearance. Then start at the top of the right tab, all the way down, along the bottom of the sheath up the left side, around the left tab and finish at the bottom. 2 lines of stitching to do the whole sheath. Will make it much cleaner, as will fewer back stitches. Gotcha a few hairs coming off your thread in a couple places on the back side. Show em a match and they'll go away. Nice job on these puppies! Should I give ya a call? I'd lost your number but found it out in the truck of all places.

 

[Salolan]

Thank you Dave, these worked me over a bit but overall I'm pleased with how they've turned out.

The middle material is stacked birch bark. The user really liked the birch bark look and to help keep the knife profile smaller I wanted to do a guardless full tang. I've used birch bark before on partial tang knives but never had I tried it as a scale material for a full tang knife.
The slot tabs on these does not seem to be restrictive, they are being worn between the belt loops over the left front pocket. User photo to follow...
I left that center stamp out intentionally thinking I would have to crowd them in. However, I can really see that from the photo it kind of seems blank there, more so than I ever noticed with the actual sheath. I had thought of leaving a blank area for the brand(and in fact I had with the first attempt that ended up getting scrapped) but decided since I was burning it in it would be easier to keep everything lined up with the basket weave if I just did it solid. The user has since scratched out the brands to make them more visible and they really look pretty good. The brand on the 2nd sheath is a 2G with the 2 being top left diagonal. The dye job was per user's request. These were my first projects with that particular stamp. It is less than half the size of my other basket stamp, which I think I will really like for the smaller stamped areas. On the stitching I did it in 2 stitches just as you said, save on the first stitch I started at the bottom and worked to the top. 10-4 on half as many back stitches and the hairs.
I did not wet form these either, for fear of losing some of the stamp pattern. They are both pretty tight currently but I informed the user that they would loosen up some and if it became an issue of becoming too loose I would wet form them for him. Hind sight being 20/20 I wish I would have made the rear pin a thong tube for these. I see thongs on quite a few knives of this style, yours included.
Isn't that where we all keep the important information? I don't think there is any dire need to call now, though I wouldn't think about turning down a conversation about knives should one arise. Thanks again.
Here is the user's photo. He had posted it before I was able to make it home the day I made delivery. I'm not sure, but I think he likes it.

 

[Horsewright]

Ah very cool. They are smaller than they seemed in the other pics so they do indeed seem to fit well. Good deal. I like how it sits on the belt, keeps it high and tight. Yeah those thongs help drawing when a knife sits deep in a sheath particularly if a guy needs it quick. I get a lot of calls and orders the day after a wreck and those thongs are at the top of the list as is the cross draw. When they loosen up give me a shout. I've got a good way of tightening them up with out wet molding them and then you get to keep the stamping prime. That birchbark is just cool.

 

[Loosearrow]

Very nice sheath. I like it. Nice knife as well. How durable is the birch bark? I suppose you glue the slices together. What do you use to seal the handle when you are done?

 

[Salolan]

I'm on the fence as to whether I would like the actual thong. Yes, it will help you retrieve the knife from the sheath, but also has the potential of helping a branch or other object remove it as well. I just wish I had added the tube so the end user could make this call on their own.

Thank you Loosearrow. I've not seen any reason to question the durability of the birch bark, so long as the layers are bolstered to keep them from separating(hence the walnut bolsters). Yes, I soaked the bark and clamped the stack as tight as I could on an all thread. I tightened the stack twice a day for about a week. I then squared the stack up with the grinder and super glued the outside to help it hold together when I cut the scales. After shaping the handle I gave it 2 coats of linseed oil followed by about 10 coats of Tru Oil. I see you are from Kansas as well? Mind my asking what part? About an hour south of the KC metro myself.

Chris

 

[Horsewright]

Ya know Chris ya'd think so but I know of only one instance of that actually happening. That guy was a pick up man at a rodeo. He had to rope one of the bulls and he got the thong caught in his dallys. Being busy with the bull he didn't realize it and lost his knife. On top of that he's only surmising that, he's not absoutely sure thats what happened. He and his daughters spent quite a bit of time right around the chutes where this happened, later and they never did find the knife. I built him a new knife cause I will replace it if you loose one of my knives out of one of my sheaths (only done it a couple of times). He talked me into letting him pay half since he couldn't swear that that is what happened to his knfie. I've sold a bunch of knives to some of those brushpopping guys down south and its never been an issue. Personally I have thousands of miles in some really rough, brushy country. Just not an issue. Now my thongs don't have a loop in them, they just finish in two tails, so that might be part of it. Kitchen knives and Bowies are about the only knife I don't put one on and even there I'm tempted (thats where I put one of those smiley face thingys only I don't know how). I literally buy a special oil tan by the side, just for thongs.

 

[Justin Presson]

Very nice job Chris. Your stuff just keeps getting better. Both knives and sheaths are great!

 

[Salolan]

Thanks Justin.

 

[ColdDeadHand]

Very clean work. With 2 knives like that I'd be tempted to make a left-handed version and dual-wield them...you know. Just to say I did.

 

[Salolan]

Lol Well, I did tool both sides of the sheaths, so one could be flipped if needed.

Chris

 

[ColdDeadHand]

Mainly directing this @Horsewright here because it seems you have a lot of experience with crossdraw sheaths, but obviously you probably all know more than me.

I've been trying to make myself a pattern for a crossdraw and I think I ran into a boo boo. I like to have a steep angle, closer to horizontal than vertical, but it seems like if you make the angle too steep then you're working against the natural contour of the hip, your knife is not going to round out and stretch around the human pelvis.

Is there a "perfect angle" or any guideline about what range of angles works for a crossdraw?

Thanks.

 

[Horsewright]

Yes that is true. I've made a few... One of the things I've found is a 7" overall length is about as big as will really work there. Get much longer and you are catching the sheath on everything and you do run the risk of coming trhough the front of the sheath with a pancake style. The leather eventually curves to the body, the knife not so much. In fact there is one of my knife models (The Bandito), that I won't make a pancake sheath for. Too many have gone through the front of the sheath. Something about the geometry that is beyond my ken. Should work but doesn't. Quien Sabe? Sounds like you might be more interested in a more true horizontal sheath. Still crossdraw but none of the problems of taking a curved set to the body. I have two versions depending on the size and shape of the knife. I have a third version floating around in the dark recesses of my head right now too. Maybe something like these might help ya out. Now one of the advantages of this sheath is that I see people run it around to their side depending on what they are doing. Not really possible with a pancake type.

 

[Salolan]

Well apparently I get to redo one of these sheaths, I forgot to make it dog proof....lol.

The dog got his sheath and his belt. Sounds as if I might get my first belt project as well!

Chris

 

[leatherman]

Chew Toy!!! I've been the "victim" of such attacks, including a 200 dollar pair of steel toe biker boots. I still have those as a reminder to stow my flippin gear!

 

[harronek]

Well apparently I get to redo one of these sheaths, I forgot to make it dog proof....lol.

The dog got his sheath and his belt. Sounds as if I might get my first belt project as well!

Chris

I think the Dog and the Rifle that's in your photo should get together and have a talk .

Ken

 

[Omega Leather Works]

A little more chewing and that pooch would have learned a valuable lesson! Bummer but it sounds good for business.

 

[Salolan]

I think the Dog and the Rifle that's in your photo should get together and have a talk .

Ken

That little talk happened before I knew anything about the incident. He must really like my knife/sheath, because he trains cattle dogs and gets really good money out of them.

Chris

 

[Horsewright]

Wow Chris hate it when that happens. Bout looks like that one of mine that got run over by the lawnmower! Serious question for ya. Now that you get a do over, anything different you'd do on this sheath? Like the truck gun. Mod 92?

 

[Justin Presson]

That sucks man.