The Frugal Leather Craftsman

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Thank you for what you've contributed so far! I really appreciate it.

I agree, I really enjoy watching other people work as well, especially really hard work. :p
 
thatsaknife said:
Thank you very much but I confess the pic is a little blurry

Here are the differences as I see them
The front stitching is perfect but the back stitching is all over the place as I cant keep drill level
The burnishing is not good enough
I cant get the edges as good as a pro as I don't own an edging tool
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I'm in the same boat!

I'm subscribed!
 
Looks like the "Basic Tools" thread is going well! :D Need to add some comments and suggestions, not much time right now, but I'll get er done.

Now on to the next thing. I think pattern making, but what do you all think? Whats next on the needed info thing?
 
Pattern making would be good. Anything that involves laying out the pattern for a knife. I struggle with getting the visual image of what I want the finished to product to look like while I am making the cuts. I am really enjoying reading this thread. Very informative.
 
Dwayne, I have a photo tutorial on Butterfly pouch sheath pattern making available…BUT I don't have the computer "savvy" to get it on here. It is the same method that is demonstrated on my DVD "Basic Pouch Sheaths".

I am happy to share it and can forward it via email to anyone including you if I have a request and their email address shown.

My contact information is below in my sig line.

Paul
 
Thank you Mr. Long I sent you an email. I am always wanting to learn from the pros.
 
I have responded per request to JS and Kip. The information should be a forwarded email in your in box.

Paul
 
sheathmaker said:
Dwayne, I have a photo tutorial on Butterfly pouch sheath pattern making available…BUT I don't have the computer "savvy" to get it on here. It is the same method that is demonstrated on my DVD "Basic Pouch Sheaths".

I am happy to share it and can forward it via email to anyone including you if I have a request and their email address shown.

My contact information is below in my sig line.

Paul
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I wouldn't mind seeing that here at all! If any of you guys who have it now want to post it up or if you need a hand just let me know. I'll be happy to help out.
 
sheathmaker said:
Dwayne, I have a photo tutorial on Butterfly pouch sheath pattern making available…BUT I don't have the computer "savvy" to get it on here. It is the same method that is demonstrated on my DVD "Basic Pouch Sheaths".

I am happy to share it and can forward it via email to anyone including you if I have a request and their email address shown.

My contact information is below in my sig line.

Paul
Click to expand...

Thanks for sharing!

I'll e-mail you soon.

:)
 
Getting back on track for the Frugal series, had some technical issues that are now solved but need to fix some botched pictures.

This might take a bit, but I'll get er done.

Just a fyi on this style of pattern making, its what I learned from Mike Bartol and Dave Cole. Their method, meshed together, and added on by myself make the method I use today. I am constantly looking for more efficiency and better techniques so my patterns get "make overs" every once in a while. Heh, I am in the middle of revamping a few old patterns at the moment. I work with a lot of semi-production and production knives so good patterns are a must. They dont have to be expensive, like most of my equipment price is everything.
 
I buy my leather from a little mom and pop shop. They have bins filled with scrap leather that they sell by the pound (by scrap I mean remnants left over from custom items the shop has made). They always have scrap pieces big enough to make sheaths out of. I've gotten some great deals on leather buying scrap by the pound rather than entire hides.

On one trip, they had large remnant pieces of 3/16"-1/4" thick fully dyed black leather. Each piece was a few square feet in total size (some were 3 sq feet in total). I bought all the remnant pieces from that hide and I made quite a few sheaths and motorcycle bags and various other things from that leather.

Find a local leather shop in your area and see if they sell scrap by the pound. It's a fraction of the cost of a full hide. And no cutting charges from buying a partial hide.
 
Killgar that's good advice. I visit my local cobbler about once a month. Mom & Pop are good people and they help me whenever they can. They have a large range of Fiebings and other dyes as well as chems for reptiles and whatnot. They have a huge python hide that they offered me for $50. A very good value, but I don't really like the blah colors. They even happen to sell Cold Steel and Spyderco knives at halfway decent prices. I *really* want to check out their shop in the back, but don't want to get in their way. I can see through the open door that they have at least two sewing machines and tons of hand tools.
 
Dwayne - I did one of these too a while back - just one making a basic pouch sheath - and a video series.

Would love to see what you come up with.

TF
 
Subscribed.

I would be very interested in making a simple sheath with just glue and rivets. I'm very intimidated by all that stitching. :D

Will be following this. Thanks.
 
I would really be! I just started sheath making, I need a the help I can get!
 
Stitching is easy! The thread on making a pouch sheath (in the stickies) should give you more than enough education to pursue hand stitching. Even if you don't do it just like Jason (I don't) it still gives you a great basis to start. You'll learn your own tricks as you go. One thing I still always use is 7 inches of thread per inch of stitch length. Great tip that one. I hate wasting.
 
I'm down, i recently decided to get into making sheaths to add value to my product and love doing all i can by hand. Built some of my own machines using old furnace motors and built my shop with my own hands. I'm always game to learn more.
 
chillnewfie said:
I'm down, i recently decided to get into making sheaths to add value to my product and love doing all i can by hand. Built some of my own machines using old furnace motors and built my shop with my own hands. I'm always game to learn more.
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Right on bud. There is so much help to be had here, just ask away. :)

I totally understand wanting to do it all yourself. On my first knife I ground the blade, made the handle material, made the pin stock myself, built a little forge to heat treat it and made the sheath. Lots of pride in sole authorship.
 
I don't see how there could be a problem. The final product stands on its own merit. The majority of my leather craft tools are hand made and can fit in my back pocket. Purchasing more/high-end equipment is a decision based on convenience. If you can't make a quality leather product using basic tooling, fancy machines(at best) are only going to mask your inadequacies as a craftsman.
 
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