Having gone to the pains of making a knife that is uniquely your own, it is fitting that you house it in a sheath of your own making. While you could make a sheath from any one of a number of materials, leather is probably the best. It can be obtained from numerous sources and is easy to work. If you don’t have any spare leather lying around, try your local boot maker. A suitable piece should only cot a few dollars.
To start with, you will require two pieces of leather – one as long as the whole knife, the other as long as the blade. You will also need a piece of thin brass or aluminium. This should be as long as the blade, twice as wide, and about the thickness of a page of paper. Such material is sold as ‘shim’ brass or aluminium. In the case of aluminium, you will find the right thickness sealing the tops of tins of powdered milk, though this may be slightly under size. You can get copper shim from craft shops, where it is sold for copper art.
Firstly, fold the metal around the blade. The two ends of the sheet should meet in the middle of one side of the blade. It doesn’t matter if the ends of the sheet overlap. This metal case will be sewn into the sheath, and prevent the knife from cutting the leather.
Mark out the leather so that you have a sheath shape, but somewhat larger than the width of the blade. Cut the leather out, using a sharp blade and a backing board of ply or other scrap wood. This is to give a flat cutting surface.
If you have an empty biro, or a nail with a rounded point, mark a line parallel to the edges. This is to give a guide for stitching. Press fairly hard so you have a decent line to work to.
You will require linen thread, an awl and a pair of needles. Proper leather workers needles are cheap. They have rounded points and are far superior to the ordinary ones for sewing leather.
Mark out the leather so you have a series of marks about 3mm apart on the line made with the biro. Moisten the leather with water, along the area where you intend sewing. A small sponge in a saucer of water is handy.
Push several holes through the leather with the awl. (Make sure both pieces of leather are properly in line). Pass one needle through the first hole, and centre the thread. Pass each needle through the next hole, so that they cross over. Pierce several more holes and repeat. The stitches should form a series of 8’s. This is called double stitching, and is the best way of stitching leather by hand.
You can purchase small snap connector kits at hobby shops, for several dollars. Alternatively, you could ask a tent or boot maker to fit the clips to the securing strap on the sheath.
The last point is a bit of basic blade maintenance. Always keep a light film of oil on the blade to prevent rusting. Make sure that all traces of blood, fish scales etc. are removed from the blade before oiling. Offal contains acid which will attack the steel.
We would suggest that you don’t throw the knife at hard surfaces. Throwing knives are somewhat different, and this knife could break if it hits off-square. Also chopping is better done with an axe, so save the blade for cutting.
