Make a Knife Sheath

When you keep a knife on your person, the blade should remain in a sheath when not in use. Instead of purchasing a sheath from a distributor, design and create a personalized leather knife sheath to wear on your belt. Handcrafting a knife sheath provides you control over the pattern, materials, and quality of the the product.

Steps

Preparing for the Project

  1. Find and prepare your workspace. Before you begin on this project, set yourself up in a great workspace. Locate a space with lots of natural light or strong artificial lighting. Make sure your workspace has a large flat surface and enough room from all of the necessary materials and tools for this project.[1]
  2. Gather your materials. To create a knife sheath, you will need to collect the following materials:
    • 8 or 9 ounce leather
    • Graph paper
    • Cardstock or cardboard
    • Masking tape
    • Leather dye
    • Waxed thread
    • Neatsfoot oil
  3. Gather your tools. To create a knife sheath, you will need to collect the following toos:
    • Pencil
    • Ruler
    • Scissors
    • Thin bladed utility knife
    • Compass
    • Awl (a sharp pointed tool used to puncture leather)[2]
    • Overstitch wheel (a wheel with sharp points used to mark even stitching holes)[3]
    • Drill and 1/16 inch bit
    • Wood rasp (a file used to shape and eliminate wood)[4]
    • Belt sander
    • Two needles
    • Spray bottle filled with water
    • Contact cement glue
    • Dauber (a stick with a cotton ball attached to one end that is used to apply dye)
    • 220 grit sandpaper
    • fine sandpaper
    • Clean rags

Designing, Tracing, and Cutting a Sheath Pattern

  1. Divide a piece of graph paper. Create your custom sheath pattern for your knife on a piece of graph paper. Use a ruler to locate the center of the paper. Draw a line down the center of the page from top to bottom to divide the paper in half. This line represents the sheath’s fold.[5]
  2. Position and trace your knife. Place the knife on the prepared graph paper to the left of the centerline. Position the top of the knife blade approximately ⅛” from the centerline—the sharp side will face away from the centerline.
    • Use a pencil to trace the sharp side of the knife. Begin at the centerline approximately ⅛” down from the tip of the blade. Following the blade’s curve, draw a line up and around the sharp side of the knife. Continue the line ⅔ of the way up the handle. Do not trace directly along the handle. Since the handle is thicker than the blade, extra material is required in order to enclose it.[5]
    • Measure and draw the welt. The welt is an additional piece of leather placed inside of the sheath. It runs along the sharp side of the blade to prevent the knife from cutting through the sheath. Create a second curved line that is 9/16” to ⅝” away from the first curved line.[5]
    • Design a sleek top line to connect the pattern’s curved outer-line to its straight centerline. Locate and mark a point on the centerline that is approximately 1 inch above the top of the curved outer-line. Connect this point with the top of the second curved line—this connecting line should gradually rises from the lower horizontal line up towards the top horizontal line.[5]
    • Create the belt loop. Shift the centerline to the left ¼ inch and extend it up from the top of the handle 4 ½ inches. Connect the original centerline to the shifted centerline with a slight curve. Draw a ¾ inch straight horizontal line from the shifted centerline to the left. Connect the sheath’s second curved line with the belt loop’s top horizontal line at a 45° angle.[6]
  3. Cut out the pattern. Fold the paper along the original centerline. Unfold the paper and cut out the left side of the pattern—make sure to stop at the centerline. Refold the pattern and carefully cut along edges of the sheath pattern—the right side of the sheath pattern will not include the belt loop pattern.[7]
  4. Transfer the sheath pattern onto leather. When creating a knife sheath, it is ideal to use 8 to 9 ounce leather.
    • Lay the leather on your work surface so that the soft side is facing up.
    • Determine if you will wear your sheath on the right or the left. If you are right handed, you may wish to wear your belt sheath on the right. Flip the pattern over so that the belt loop is on the right side of the pattern. If you are left handed, you may wish to wear your belt sheath on the left. Flip the pattern so that the belt loop is on the left side of the pattern.[8]
    • Place your pattern onto the leather and secure the pattern in place with masking tape.
    • Use a pencil to trace the pattern onto the leather—trace directly over the masking tape.
    • Use a sharp thin bladed utility knife to cut out the pattern.[8]
  5. Create a welt pattern from the original sheath pattern. The area between the two curved lines on the original pattern represents the welt.
    • To create a welt pattern, cut along the inner curved line of the original pattern. Continue cutting ¼ inch beyond the centerline.
    • Place the welt on the leather and secure it in place with masking tape.
    • Trace the welt pattern onto the leather with a pencil and cut it out with the utility knife.[9]
  6. Punch a hole and create a slit at the bottom of the sheath. In order for the welt to fit properly, it is necessary to slit the bottom of the sheath along the centerline. Punch a hole in the leather along the centerline 9/16” to ⅝” from the bottom. Use your utility knife to slit the leather along the centerline from the base of the circle to the bottom of the sheath.[10]

Preparing and Attaching the Belt Loop

  1. Draw the stitch lines on the belt loop in the shape of a square. A stitch line allows you to keep your stitches straight. To create the stitch lines you will need a pencil and a ruler.
    • Use a ruler to draw a straight horizontal line 1 ¾ inch from the top of the belt loop—begin and end the line ¼ inch from each side. This will be the bottom stitch line.
    • Place your pencil on the right end of the horizontal line. Moving your pencil towards the top of the belt loop, draw a 1 ½ inch straight vertical line. Repeat on the left side.
    • Connect to the vertical lines with a straight horizontal line.[11]
  2. Mark the stitches with an awl and an overstitch wheel. To ensure even stitches, it is beneficial to mark the stitches before puncturing the leather.
    • Run a damp rag over the stitch line to wet the leather slightly.
    • Use an awl, a sharp pointed tool, to mark the first stitch in the lower left corner of the stitch line.[2]
    • Place one spoke of an overstitch wheel, a wheel with sharp points used to mark even stitching holes, in the hole you created with the awl.[3] Rotate the overstitch wheel along the stitch line to create a series of evenly spaced dots along the stitch lines.[11]
  3. Puncture the stitch holes with a drill bit or an awl. Lay the sheath on a piece of wood—the wood prevents the drill or awl from puncturing your work surface. Individually puncture each hole with a drill bit or an awl by inserting the tool through the leather and into the wood.
    • When using a drill, create the holes with a 1/16 inch drill bit.[12]
  4. Mark and roughen up the attachment site. The belt loop attaches directly to the soft side of the leather. You will attach the belt loop with glue and stitches. In order for glue to adhere to the leather, you must roughen up the leather at the points of attachment.
    • Hold the belt 2 inches from the top of the leather strap and fold the belt loop ½ inch above its base towards the soft side of the leather.
    • Use a pencil to trace the top 2 inches of the leather strap to indicate where the belt loop will attach to the sheath.
    • Roughen up the attachment site with sandpaper, a utility knife, or a wood rasp. Using your tool of choice, carefully score the top 2 inches of the belt loop and the area inside the pencil markings on the sheath.[13]
  5. Apply glue to attachment sites. Coat the attachment sites with a fine layer of contact cement glue. Put the sheath aside and allow the glue to cure. When it feels dry to the touch, you are ready to proceed. Dampen the leather at the fold of the belt loop with a spray bottle. Fold the belt loop and align the attachment sites. Press down on the attachment site firmly.[14]
  6. Puncture the stitch holes with a drill bit or an awl. Lay the unfolded sheath on top of a piece of wood. Use a drill or an awl to individually re-puncture the belt loop’s existing stitch holes. Make sure the drill or awl goes through both layers of leather and into the wood.[14]
  7. Hand stitch the belt loop onto the sheath. To attach the belt loop to the sheath, you will need waxed thread and two needles.
    • Cut a length of waxed thread that is 5 times longer than the stitch line. Thread one needle on each end of the thread. To prevent the thread from slipping out, pull one inch of thread through the eye and bend it.
    • Insert one needle (needle A) into the stitch hole in the top left corner. Pull the needle through the hole until you an even amount of thread on each side of the sheath. The other needle (needle B) will remain on the opposite side.
    • Insert needle A through the next stitch hole (move to right) and pull it through. Needle A is now on the same side as needle B. Insert needle B into the same hole and pull it through. Needles A and B are now on opposite sides. Pull tightly on the thread to create a tight stitch. Repeat this process, until you return to the first stitch hole.[15]
    • Create 1 more forward stitch. Individually insert the needles into opposite sides of the first stitch hole and pull through.
    • Create 2 backwards stitches. Reverse the direction of the stitches. Individually insert the needles into opposite sides of the last stitch, followed by the second to last stitch hole.
    • Insert the needle on the inside of the sheath (the flesh side) through the third stitch hole. Needles A and B are both on the outside of the sheath. Trim the ends close to the leather. Use a lighter to melt the threads in the the second and third to last stitch holes.[15]

Inserting the Welt

  1. Trace the welt line onto the each side of the sheath. Lay the sheath on a flat work space with the flesh side facing up. Align the welt along the right side of the sheath and trace the inner line with a pencil. Repeat on the left side of the sheath.[16]
  2. Apply contact cement to each side of the sheath and each side of the welt. Coat the area of the sheath between the edge and the pencil marks you just created with a thin, even layer of contact cement. Coat each side of the welt with a thin, even layer of contact cement as well. Set the pieces aside and allow the glue to cure. When it feels dry to the touch, you are ready to proceed.[16]
  3. Attach the welt to one side. Place the top edge of the welt along the top edge of the sheath. Working from top to bottom, carefully position the welt along the edge of the sheath. When you reach the bottom, force the welt, which was intentionally cut long, through the slot.[17]
  4. Dampen, fold, and press the sheath together. Precision is the key to folding the sheath and aligning the edges.
    • Dampen the leather. When leather is dry, it is difficult to mold and its risk of splitting increases. Use a spray bottle to dampen the edges of the sheath. Also, wet the sheath’s centerline. Wipe away excess water with a damp rag.
    • Fold the sheath along the centerline. Align the top corners of the sheath together. Clamp down on the edges with your fingers to press the corners together.
    • After aligning a small section of the sheath’s edges, press down firmly with your fingers to secure it in place. Repeat until you reach the bottom.[18]
  5. Trim the welt. Cutting the welt to the correct size will provide a straight, clean look to the fold along the centerline. Retrieve a pair of sharp scissor or a utility knife. Cut the welt so that it is flush with the sheath.[19]

Sewing the Sheath and Forming the Leather

  1. Mark the stitch line with a compass. The stitch line will run down the center of the welt. This will help ensure that the welt remains in place. Set your compass to ¼ inch. Begin at the top of the sheath. Place the compass along the edge of the sheath and the pencil on the leather. Slide the compass down the edge. Continue around the bottom curve until you reach the centerline.[20]
  2. Mark the stitch holes with an awl and an overstitch wheel. A straight, even stitch line will give your sheath a professional finish. Run a damp rag over the stitch line to wet the leather slightly. Use an awl to mark the first stitch at the top of the stitch line. Place one of spokes of the overstitch wheel into the first hole you created with the awl. Rotate the overstitch wheel along the stitch line.[21]
  3. Puncture the stitch holes with an awl or drill. To make marks left behind by the over-stitching wheel more visible, widen and deepen each mark with an awl.[22] Place the sheath on top of a piece of wood. Use a 1/16 inch drill bit to individually puncture the stitch holes. Make sure the drill or awl goes through both layers of leather and into the wood.[23]
  4. Stitch the main seam. The main seam is long and thick—the needle must travel through three layers of leather. Cut your thread extra long and have a pair of needle nose pliers on hand to pull the needles through the holes.
    • Cut a length of waxed thread 6 to 7 times longer than the stitch line. Thread each end of the waxed thread through separate needles.
    • Insert one needle (needle A) into the stitch hole at the top of the sheath. Pull the needle through the hole until you there is an even amount of thread on each side of the sheath. The other needle (needle B) will remain on the opposite side.
    • Insert needle A through the next stitch hole and pull it through. Needle A is now on the same side as needle B. Insert needle B into the same hole and pull it through. Needles A and B are now on opposite sides. Pull on the thread to create a tight stitch. Repeat this process, until you reach the last stitch hole.[15]
    • Backstitch. Reverse the direction of the stitches. Individually insert the needles into opposite sides of the last stitch, followed by the second and then third to last stitch holes. Insert one needle through the fourth stitch hole so that both needles are on the same side of the sheath.
    • Trim the ends close to the leather.
    • Use a lighter to melt the threads in the the second and third to last stitch holes.[15]
  5. Form the Leather. To ensure that your knife fits securely in the sheath, you must shape, or form, the leather to your knife.
    • Dampen the leather. In order to form the leather to the shape of your knife, it must be damp. Use a spray bottle to wet both sides of the sheath. Allow the water to soak into the leather. Continue to wet the leather until it is easy to mold. Wipe away any excess water with a damp cloth.[24]
    • Form the leather around your knife. Insert your knife into the damp sheath—make sure the tip of the blade reaches the bottom. Use your fingers to press the leather around the blade and handle. Pull the knife out and reinsert it 5 to 6 times to ensure that it is fitting properly. Once the leather is formed, remove the knife and hang up your sheath to dry.[25]

Making Additional Touches

  1. Dye the leather. After cutting out the sheath from the leather, you have the option to dye the knife holder.
    • Prepare your workspace. Cover your work space with 2 to 3 layers of newspaper. Lay the sheath on top of the newspaper—make sure the soft side of the leather is facing up. Put on a pair of disposable rubber gloves.[26]
    • Apply an even coat of dye to the soft side. Pour your dye into a small disposable cup. Dip a dauber—a stick with a ball of fluff on the end—into the dye. Carefully tap off any excess dye before applying a thin, even coat of dye to the leather. Re-saturate the dauber as needed. [26]
    • As the dye dries, use a dry rag to polish the leather. This will remove any excess dye and residue.[15]
  2. Apply an even coat of dye to the flesh side. Flip the sheath over so that the rough flesh side is facing up. When applying the dye to the flesh side, take care to leave a 9/16” to ⅝” strip of undyed leather around the edge of the sheath. You will attach the welt to this area with glue.[26] As the dye dries, polish the leather with a dry rag.[27]
  3. Sand and dye the edges. After hand stitching the sheath together, you have the option to sand and dye the edges.
    • Use a spray bottle to mist the edges of the sheath with water. Wipe down the edge with a damp cloth.[28]
    • Shape the edges with a belt sander or wood rasp. Then use a belt sander to even out the three layers of leather with a belt sander and an 80 grit belt. Once the layers are even, use a 220 grit belt to smooth the edge.[28] Touch up any rough spots with a piece of fine sandpaper.[29]
    • Dye the edge to match the sheath. Cover your work space with 2 to 3 layers of newspaper and put on a pair of disposable rubber gloves.[26]Pour your dye into a small disposable cup. Dip a dauber into the dye. Apply a thin, even coat of dye to the leather with the dauber.[30] Re-saturate the dauber as needed. While the dye dries, remove any excess dye and residue with a dry rag.[15]
  4. Buff the leather and treat it with oil. To increase the lifetime of your sheath, polish and waterproof the leather. Shine up your leather sheath by rubbing it with a dry, clean cloth. Pour neatsfoot oil into a shallow basin. The oil seals the leather and protects it from water damage. Submerge your leather sheath into the oil and then hang it up to dry.[31]

Tips

  • Transfer the pattern onto cardstock or poster board. Transferring the pattern onto a piece of thicker paper will provide you with stiffer lines to trace. Trace the pattern onto a piece of thicker material, such as cardstock or poster board. Cut out the pattern with a pair of thick scissors.
  • After cutting out your pattern, you may wish to clean up any rough edges with sandpaper. You may use a belt grinder with 220 grit sandpaper or sand the edges by hand with fine sandpaper. Wet the edges before sanding.[32]
  • Do not moisten your leather to the point that it becomes mushy.
  • If you are using a tan or brown dye, consider applying a second coat.
  • If you do not have a belt sander, you may use a wood rasp and sandpaper. Begin by evening out the layers with a wood rasp. Once the layers are flush, use 220 grit sandpaper to smooth the edge.[28]

Things You’ll Need

  • 8 or 9 ounce leather
  • Graph paper
  • Cardstock or cardboard
  • Masking tape
  • Leather dye
  • Waxed thread
  • Neatsfoot oil
  • Pencil
  • Ruler
  • Scissors
  • Thin bladed utility knife
  • Compass
  • Awl (a sharp pointed tool used to puncture leather)[2]
  • Overstitch wheel (a wheel with sharp points used to mark even stitching holes)[3]
  • Drill and 1/16 inch bit
  • Wood rasp (a file used to shape and eliminate wood)[4]
  • Belt sander
  • Two needles
  • Spray bottle filled with water
  • Contact cement glue
  • Dauber (a stick with a cotton ball attached to one end that is used to apply dye)
  • 220 grit sandpaper
  • fine sandpaper
  • Clean rags

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.bobvila.com/articles/2023-the-ideal-workshop-layout/#.VmN0tWSrS2w
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/awl
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 http://brucejohnsonleather.com/leather-tools-sale/stitch-markers-overstitchers-and-pricking-wheels
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 https://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/store/know/AU-Info.html
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 http://beebeknives.com/html/make_a_sheath_tutorial_-_details_0.html
  6. ↑ http://beebeknives.com/html/make_a_sheath_tutorial_-_details_1.html
  7. ↑ http://beebeknives.com/html/make_a_sheath_tutorial_-_details_2.html
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 http://beebeknives.com/html/make_a_sheath_tutorial_-_details_3.html
  9. ↑ http://beebeknives.com/html/make_a_sheath_tutorial_-_details_5.html
  10. ↑ http://beebeknives.com/html/make_a_sheath_tutorial_-_details_7.html
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 http://beebeknives.com/html/make_a_sheath_tutorial_-_details_10.html
  12. ↑ http://beebeknives.com/html/make_a_sheath_tutorial_-_details_11.html
  13. ↑ http://beebeknives.com/html/make_a_sheath_tutorial_-_details_14.html
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 http://beebeknives.com/html/make_a_sheath_tutorial_-_details_16.html
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 http://www4.gvsu.edu/triert/cache/articles/gl2/sheath1.htm
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 http://beebeknives.com/html/make_a_sheath_tutorial_-_details_18.html
  17. ↑ http://beebeknives.com/html/make_a_sheath_tutorial_-_details_19.html
  18. ↑ http://beebeknives.com/html/make_a_sheath_tutorial_-_details_20.html
  19. ↑ http://beebeknives.com/html/make_a_sheath_tutorial_-_details_21.html
  20. ↑ http://beebeknives.com/html/make_a_sheath_tutorial_-_details_25.html
  21. ↑ http://beebeknives.com/html/make_a_sheath_tutorial_-_details_26.html
  22. ↑ http://beebeknives.com/html/make_a_sheath_tutorial_-_details_27.html
  23. ↑ http://beebeknives.com/html/make_a_sheath_tutorial_-_details_28.html
  24. ↑ http://beebeknives.com/html/make_a_sheath_tutorial_-_details_31.html
  25. ↑ http://beebeknives.com/html/make_a_sheath_tutorial_-_details_32.html
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 26.3 http://www.orionn49.com/how_to_make_a_wet_formed_sheath.htm
  27. ↑ rag.http://www4.gvsu.edu/triert/cache/articles/gl2/sheath1.htm
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 http://beebeknives.com/html/make_a_sheath_tutorial_-_details_22.html
  29. ↑ http://beebeknives.com/html/make_a_sheath_tutorial_-_details_23.html
  30. ↑ http://beebeknives.com/html/make_a_sheath_tutorial_-_details_24.html
  31. ↑ http://beebeknives.com/html/make_a_sheath_tutorial_-_details_33.html
  32. ↑ http://beebeknives.com/html/make_a_sheath_tutorial_-_details_6.html

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