Thread: Playing with leather

Thanks mate.I drew the design on paper first then traced it on to baking paper.After wetting the leather place the baking paper on the leather and copy over the pattern with something small n blunt like a biro,or @Ftx325 teaspoon technique would work.When finished the design should be imprinted in the leather.
Mistakes on paper are a lot easier to fix than ones on leather!

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Originally Posted by Ftx325

That's very cool hunter Al.7mm08 . I been looking out for some cheap basic tooling equipment since our conversation too... you might have some competition soon haha.

I was looking through the grandfathers tools.Looks like he made a few himself from bolts.If you have a bench grinder n a few files might be something to try?

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Originally Posted by hunter Al.7mm08

I was looking through the grandfathers tools.Looks like he made a few himself from bolts.If you have a bench grinder n a few files might be something to try?

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That's a cunning idea... might have to give that a go. Still wouldn't mind a swivel knife though.
It's surprising what you can do with a small blunt instrument though.
Missus bought a Suzuki 4wd and wanted a keyring so knocked this out in an hour start to finish...just free-handed the car logo with teaspoon handle tip.

Originally Posted by Gapped axe

I would be very keen to take you up on the offer of a sheaf if this was still ppssible. They look absolutely aweasome.

Is that request for me or @hunter Al.7mm08 ?

This is the sheath for my go-to hunting knife which is only ever used for butchering in the field. It is a Knives of Alaska Alpha Wolf in cryogenically treated D2 steel. Excellent little knife.
This is what my basic sheaths look like before adding sleeve and belt loop. This one doesn't have sleeve or loop as it just goes in my belt pouch. The blade is around 3inches or so long and the sheath is only around an inch and a half wide....note I have removed the Chicago screw half way down to show the 5mm hole it would be in. The top screw still in supports the opening and stitching and there would be 2 holes down the side below handle molding for a sleeve if I was going to fit one...the second missing screw is just more support for the stitching.

This sheath does not open like the bk7 one does as the knife handle is the wrong shape for this to work. This is what you would describe as a friction hold sheath. It's still molded to the lower section of handle and most of the first finger grip on the handle which still holds very firm... again two hands are required to remove knife but doesn't lock over knife like bk7 but it ain't gunna fall out as the shaping alone holds it but is just flexible enough to move when knife put in or out.

You can see how the sheath again matches the contours of the handle but from the top you can see it's just an open hole. Again all edges are burnished to finish for that smooth polished wood look. If you look closely in first and second photos you can see the dip in the sheath outer skin where the inside edge of the protection strip extends to to protect blade/stitching.
So that is the basic starting point for my sheaths then sleeves etc are added so if for some reason belt loops or sleeves are damaged they are easily replaced without having to make a hole new sheath. Also if you want an over the knife safety strap with popper etc then these can be built into the sleeve rather than having any metal from the back of the popper or rivets or stitching in/on the sheath itself which also protects the blade.
Phew... Does that novel make any sense to anyone?

Oops forgot the picture of the opening...

There she is ...it must be getting late.... been out bush all day chasing large furry animals and starting to feel my age..lol

Originally Posted by Ftx325

That's a cunning idea... might have to give that a go. Still wouldn't mind a swivel knife though.
It's surprising what you can do with a small blunt instrument though.
Missus bought a Suzuki 4wd and wanted a keyring so knocked this out in an hour start to finish...just free-handed the car logo with teaspoon handle tip.Attachment 147141

Nice!.you might have to pattent that "teaspoon" technique

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I think your design has certain advantages @Ftx325 .A bit like buying the base model ute and then adding options to customize it the way you want.
Ps.Did you catch up with any of those large furry animals?

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Originally Posted by hunter Al.7mm08

I think your design has certain advantages @Ftx325 .A bit like buying the base model ute and then adding options to customize it the way you want.
Ps.Did you catch up with any of those large furry animals?

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Spooked a fallow we were stalking when slipped and tripped on a wet tree root....to concentrated on deer and not watching my footing - doh .
Mind you freezer full at mo anyway so probably a good thing. Missus got her first goat with Howa 7.62 x 39 so she happy camper.... wasn't worth buying a bigger freezer for that though...smelly old bugger I reckon it died of a heart attack...just happened to be when she shot at it...

That last knife is very similar to my D2 hunting one. Bro made me 3: skinner, drop point and my general hunting one

I have a speing fair coming up on Labour Weekend where I NORMALL PUT SOMOE CRAFTS OUT. ONLY TO HAPPY TO DISPLAY YOUR PRODUCTS IF YOU LIKE. Im dying of mmm,cancer ya yay yay, but have a huge following out here. Google BosArt Tarawera, might give some answers. Very much still hunting and active. Watched your piggies and a couple of Fallow whilst keeping up to date with the farm yesterday

Originally Posted by Gapped axe

That last knife is very similar to my D2 hunting one. Bro made me 3: skinner, drop point and my general hunting one

I have 4 Knives of Alaska now in my collection. The Alpha Wolf in the photo , the Bush Camp with 5.5 inch blade , a small hatchet with 2 or so inch blade and gut hook on the back - very handy little knife that one , and a small 2 inch bladed round nosed skinner where the cutting edge wraps around the nose of the blade and extends halfway up the back of the blade. very handy skinner as you can sweep the blade back and forth and cut in both directions . All the same treated D2 steel. I have also bought one of them for my daughter for her hunting knife , Elk hunter i think that was called . I have been very impressed with them and would happily recommend them to anyone .

Originally Posted by Gapped axe

I have a speing fair coming up on Labour Weekend where I NORMALL PUT SOMOE CRAFTS OUT. ONLY TO HAPPY TO DISPLAY YOUR PRODUCTS IF YOU LIKE. Im dying of mmm,cancer ya yay yay, but have a huge following out here. Google BosArt Tarawera, might give some answers. Very much still hunting and active. Watched your piggies and a couple of Fallow whilst keeping up to date with the farm yesterday

Mate , just had a quick peek at your website (don't tell the boss, should be working) and you are a true master craftsman. I appreciate the offer of displaying some of my bits and pieces but they do not deserve to be anywhere near your masterpieces!! That would be some kind of blasphemy...
Also as mentioned I make the sheath literally around the specific knife rather than just a sheath to put a knife in , so all I have are the ones our own hunting knives live in which are in constant use and all others are with the owners of the knives I made them for.
I am very sorry to hear about your health.... you sound like the kinda guy who thinks of others long before you think of yourself going by your biography on your site and are the last person who deserves to be suffering from such an illness. I wish you all the best in your battles to come. All any of us can do is try to make the best of every day we are given with friends and family , they are all a gift , every single one of them , and to many of us take them for granted until it's to late . My hats off to you sir......

Thank you for those words. My display set up normally is on top of a couple of Fallow skins on a table. I normally theme it up a bit with pig jaws and the odd antler or two. Your pouch would just be sitting on the table covering my knife but I would like your permission to display it and also to gauge if there is any interest.

Originally Posted by Gapped axe

Thank you for those words. My display set up normally is on top of a couple of Fallow skins on a table. I normally theme it up a bit with pig jaws and the odd antler or two. Your pouch would just be sitting on the table covering my knife but I would like your permission to display it and also to gauge if there is any interest.

If you would like me to make you one and you feel the finished product is worthy of display I have no problem with that . Fire through the pic of your knife and we can chat about what you want done...