- Joined
- Jul 4, 2017
- Messages
- 1,715
I thought about posting this to Sheaths & Such, but all the work there is so advanced compared with this that I decided perhaps this forum is the better place, especially since the intended use is for traditional folders.
Anyway... Many years ago I made some simple pocket slips from leather scraps. One is sized for a 4" stockman and the other for my Buck 703. I've been needing some slips for smaller knives such as my swayback gent and medium stockmans. So, I went to the Michaels craft store and bought an 8.5x11" piece of soft brown leather, got out my Speedy Stitcher, and went to work. The pictures pretty much show how it's done. The stitch is very simple: push the needle through the first hole and pull out a length of thread to form the free end. Push through the next hole, form a loop, and pull the free end through the loop. Pull the loop tight and repeat. To finish off the stitch I brought both ends of the thread to the back side, tied a surgeon's knot, then melted the ends of the thread with a match. I found that putting the leather on top of a folded towel made it easier to push the needle through and eliminated any chance of stabbing myself. EDIT: With some experience I found that the soft towel combined with the soft leather resulted in my stitches "wandering around" a bit (i.e. not being straight). I switched to using a couple of layers of mat board (such as is used for framing pictures) and that has worked out much better.
(Notes: Michaels carries this leather in several colors and in both smooth and suede. The Speedy Stitcher comes with a large needle and course thread; smaller needles and thread such as I used here are available for order.)
Here's my first effort. My stitching isn't very straight but it gets the job done. I made a second one that is slightly longer for my medium stockmans, and I plan to do a third for a couple of mini trappers, and a fourth for a small mulit-tool.
Anyway... Many years ago I made some simple pocket slips from leather scraps. One is sized for a 4" stockman and the other for my Buck 703. I've been needing some slips for smaller knives such as my swayback gent and medium stockmans. So, I went to the Michaels craft store and bought an 8.5x11" piece of soft brown leather, got out my Speedy Stitcher, and went to work. The pictures pretty much show how it's done. The stitch is very simple: push the needle through the first hole and pull out a length of thread to form the free end. Push through the next hole, form a loop, and pull the free end through the loop. Pull the loop tight and repeat. To finish off the stitch I brought both ends of the thread to the back side, tied a surgeon's knot, then melted the ends of the thread with a match. I found that putting the leather on top of a folded towel made it easier to push the needle through and eliminated any chance of stabbing myself. EDIT: With some experience I found that the soft towel combined with the soft leather resulted in my stitches "wandering around" a bit (i.e. not being straight). I switched to using a couple of layers of mat board (such as is used for framing pictures) and that has worked out much better.
(Notes: Michaels carries this leather in several colors and in both smooth and suede. The Speedy Stitcher comes with a large needle and course thread; smaller needles and thread such as I used here are available for order.)
Here's my first effort. My stitching isn't very straight but it gets the job done. I made a second one that is slightly longer for my medium stockmans, and I plan to do a third for a couple of mini trappers, and a fourth for a small mulit-tool.
Last edited:
