Knife Sheath

[vthompson]

I recently purchased an Ontario Knife Company SP-8 knife. I do not like the sheath that came with it and I was wondering if anyone knew of a place that I could buy some leather so that I could try to make my own sheath, or, can someone possibly make me a pretty simple sheath that would suit my needs. It doesn't have to be fancy, I just mainly want a pull out sheath.
The sheath that came with it has 3 snaps down the side and 1 around the handle. You have to put it in and take it out from the side. You can see it at http://www.ontarioknives.com.
Go to the catalog marker and click on it, then click on SPEC KNIVES, then scroll down to the SP-8.

[crashdive123]

I buy mine at a local Tandy store. Not sure what is around you, but here is a list of leather stores in West Virginia by county. http://www.superpages.com/yellowpage...r+Stores/S-WV/

[Ken]

I buy mine at a local Tandy store. Not sure what is around you, but here is a list of leather stores in West Virginia by county. http://www.superpages.com/yellowpage...r+Stores/S-WV/

Tandy Leather? A division of Radio Shack? (Or is it the other way around?) They still have those stores around? There was one in Warwick, R.I. years ago. Bought a few kits from there in the early '80s. That place has been closed for 25 years. Didn't think the company even existed anymore.

[crashdive123]

We've got two or three Tandy Leather stores in the area. The one that I use --- if you've got questions, and they aren't busy he will sit and work with people for quite some time. The owner really enjoys his work.

[Ken]

We've got two or three Tandy Leather stores in the area. The one that I use --- if you've got questions, and they aren't busy he will sit and work with people for quite some time. The owner really enjoys his work.

I'll look for one the next time I get down your way.

[vthompson]

Crashdive123, Thank you for the link on leather stores in West Virginia. I really do appreciate it.

[laughing beetle]

Wow!! I didn't know Tandy was a chain... there is one in Syracuse, Ny.

[CombatQuarters]

I recently purchased an Ontario Knife Company SP-8 knife. I do not like the sheath that came with it and I was wondering if anyone knew of a place that I could buy some leather so that I could try to make my own sheath, or, can someone possibly make me a pretty simple sheath that would suit my needs. It doesn't have to be fancy, I just mainly want a pull out sheath.
The sheath that came with it has 3 snaps down the side and 1 around the handle. You have to put it in and take it out from the side. You can see it at http://www.ontarioknives.com.
Go to the catalog marker and click on it, then click on SPEC KNIVES, then scroll down to the SP-8.

Hey vthompson, why not get some Kydex and make a heat formed sheath for it? I've made several sheaths from this material, it works great and you can make them at home in the oven.

Just a suggestion.

[Ole WV Coot]

If you find one close, let me know. The one in Charleston closed and what's listed ain't close enough for a trip. I make my own because I don't like snaps and I make funny shaped blades.

[Rick]

Why not contact Ontario Knife? They are pretty good at working with the customer. Someone posted on here last year that Ontario special made a sheath for them so they could carry two knives. Just a thought.

[smoke]

You might also try Leather Unlimited. They have pretty good pricing to hear is a link
http://leatherunltd.com/lu/catalog.html

[vthompson]

I did write Ontario Knife Company a letter, but they have not got back to me yet.

[Road Scholar]

Hi there, vThompson.

First off, I'd say the Tandy leather catalog is the easy way to get leather. Next, I'd like to ask what experience you've got with leather.

You might be able to pick up an old pair of high-top boots at the thrift store for cheap and then cut the leather pieces out and then soak them in hot water but not boiling to make then extremely pliable. You should be able to stretch them so they dry flat. Do it just like an animal skin. Make a hoop and lace the edges of it and loop around the hoop all around and then let it dry.

To shape leather to a contour, after it's dry, wet it with isopropil (rubbing) alcohol and then mould it and dry in that shape.

I think it's best to make a knife sheath with rawhide in case you fall on the knife in its sheath and that rawhide is very hard and will protect you. The easiest way to get rawhide is simply go down to the grocery store and get a big dog chew made of rawhide and soak that in hot water and untie the knotted ends and then dry like above. A knife sheath made of rawhide is very durable and hard like a very rigid plastic one. You can soften rawhide by pounding the dry hide with a hammer where you want to soften it, for a bend for example. Make a strip of leather or rawhide to shield the stitching from the knife's cutting edge. Basically, fold the material over and shape it to be sewn and then put a 1/4" strip of so in the sewed edge so the edge can't cut your sewing. don't use brass rivets. It's just more to dull your edge.

You can cover the outside with your salvaged boot leather, old pocketbook leather, etc to make it decorative. Another simple source of leather that closely resembles buckskin is to go to a department store's automotive section and get a chamois cloth which is made from sheep skin. It doesn't dry hard and is split to a uniforn thinness and so it's cheap, accessable, and easy to work with.

I like sheaths that the kife drops into and it goes about halfway up the handle. Knives with a big guard make this difficult so I usually go for a simple knife with a very small guard or none. The guard seems to me to be mostly a holdover from the days of swordmaking but we don't usually duel with rapiers or sabers any more. It also keeps you from pushing your hand down over the blade and cutting your own tendons if you tried to stab someone and the thrust hit a bone and you were pushing hard enough to slip your grip. That's a possibility but I don't plan on stabbing anyone so I ignore that too and use a knife with no guard, making a sheath like I mentioned easier.
--
Harry, the Road Scholar

[DOGMAN]

Dang- Harry the Road Scholar. that was one of the most informative posts I've read on here in quite sometime. thanks and welcome to the forum

[vthompson]

Road Scholar, thank you for your post and instructions. I really do appreciate you taking the time to give me instructions like you did.
But, I found a leathersmith and he is making me a sheath for my knife. I am going to keep your post though for future use because I don't know anything about working with leather. I have never had a need to, but I figure it is something that I should learn.

[Beans]

If you make a knife sheath out of rawhide, you will need to seal the outside with a waterproof substance.

In a heavy rain, or anything that would cause the rawhide to be immersed in water will soften the rawhide and make it worthless until it dries again.

You can also make a knife sheath out of a peice of PPV pipe by *heating the PPC pipe until it is warm enought to become moldable. Place the PPC pipe between to flat surfaces and press downward until you can slide your knife blade in the sheath and hold that position until the PPC pipe cools.

You can press the end closed beyound the point or just leave it open. When making objects for use in wet areas I always leave a drain hole in the lowest portion of the sheath or holster.

This type of sheath is great for packing your knifes in an area where if the blade cuts through a sheath, like inside a pack, it may cause you or your equipment damage

* you can heat the PPC piping in an oven or with a hand held heat source. I have an electric heat gun that works just fine.

[vthompson]

Beans, thank's for the info. I never would have thought of that. I will get some of that pipe, and play with it until I get the hang of it.

[Rick]

Great posts, guys. I really like the muti-use approaches.

[Road Scholar]

I used to have a large survival group on yahoo but I killed the group because I found it was too time consumming and I wasn't finding the time to do such projects as we're talking about here because I spent all my time fending off the trolls. Perhaps forums like this is a better answer since I only have to put in the time I can afford.
--
Harry, the Road Scholar

[wildography]

If you make a knife sheath out of rawhide, you will need to seal the outside with a waterproof substance.

In a heavy rain, or anything that would cause the rawhide to be immersed in water will soften the rawhide and make it worthless until it dries again.

You can also make a knife sheath out of a peice of PPV pipe buy *heating the PPC pipe until it is warm enought to become moldable. Place the PPC pipe between to flat surfaces and press downward until you can slide your knife blade in the sheath and hold that position until the PPC pipe cools.

You can press the end closed beyound the point or just leave it open. When making objects for use in wet areas I always leave a drain hole in the lowest portion of the sheath or holster.

This type of sheath is great for packing your knifes in an area where if the blade cuts through a sheath, like inside a pack, it may cause you or your equipment damage

* you can heat the PPC piping in an oven or with a hand held heat source. I have an electric heat gun that works just fine.

awesome idea! I haven't heard of that before... gives me some ideas for maybe using pvc for some other things...