Scabbard Questions

V

Vess

Joined
Oct 2, 2001
Messages
583
I recently got an "age-unknown, make-unknown" khukuri that was a bit of a fixer upper. The blade is now fine, but I have no clue what to do with the scabbard.

Here's why:

1. Black dye is rubbing off in huge amounts. Is there anything I can do about it? Clear it up with something and then re-dye?

2. The straps (2 of them) on the scabbard are dry and brittle. I can't bend them without breaking them. They feel like some rigid plastic, although on the inside they look like real leather. Anything I can do to make the leather streps more flexible?

That's All! :D

Any Ideas? :confused:
 
Originally posted by Vess
I recently got an "age-unknown, make-unknown" khukuri that was a bit of a fixer upper. The blade is now fine, but I have no clue what to do with the scabbard.

Here's why:

1. Black dye is rubbing off in huge amounts. Is there anything I can do about it? Clear it up with something and then re-dye?

2. The straps (2 of them) on the scabbard are dry and brittle. I can't bend them without breaking them. They feel like some rigid plastic, although on the inside they look like real leather. Anything I can do to make the leather streps more flexible?

That's All! :D

Any Ideas? :confused:
Click to expand...

Vess I would suggest some alcohol and some old sox or underwear and remove all the dye possible.
Be very, very careful with the thin straps.
Then get some Carnuba Cream from Tandys or a leather supply store near you.
Rub the straps and any part that you want flexible with the carnuba cream until they're as soft as you wish.
If the scabbard is to far gone then at this point you will know for sure.
Look over the appearance of the main body of the scabbard to determine what's needed next.
If it has a somewhat grainy texture after removing all the dye it can be redyed using Feibling's Leather Dye. It's an alcohol base and will penetrate better than other types. If the leather appears very smooth and hard then it's the semi tanned leather used by sarkis for khuk scabbards.
It's dayumed near rawhide and doesn't take dye easily. If this is the case and you want it black then about the only thing you can do is to start putting coat after coat of Kiwi polish until you get it about to what you want.
My 18" AK by H.I.scabbard is like this and I used the Kiwi polish with a fairly good success.
The frog on mine of course was new and supple as that leather comes.
I must say the new leather H.I. is using is the best I've seen yet and of very high quality!!!!
 
Shoulda known the NDN could tell you anything you wanted to know 'bout black leather.

Reminds me of when I worked for State Welfare as a social worker. Twelve people in the office, I was the only man. On getting engaged, the other eleven kept asking my preferences in erotic attire so they'd know what to give my fiance... I finally shut all eleven of them up by replying "black leather".

I eventually ended up paying for it, of course, but that answer sure shut the lot of them up for a good long time!
 
i agree with yvsa, all i ever use on leather is copius amounts of kiwi boot polish,be it black or brown scabbard.regards ghorka:)
see my post on the [user khuk modifications post], for tricks on useing aryldite and black boot polish.makes black aryldite.:)
 
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