Knife sheath
Making a custom knife sheath
Every knife needs a sheath that protects the knife, its user and the surroundings. All my knives, except for kitchen knives, come with a sheath, which I take the same care as the knife itself.
If you have a knife without a sheath, you should get one. If you want, I can make it for you and your knife.
My sheaths are made of cowhide or wood. I prefer natural materials to plastics.
The first step in making a knife sheath is prioritizing. There are many types of knife sheaths, each with its own advantages. It depends on the user what is important to him.
This is followed by the production of a paper model. The sheath must allow easy removal and storage of the knife, must protect the knife, prevent it from falling out unintentionally and, if necessary, allow the knife to be carried.
The sheath should copy the shape of the knife as closely as possible, but at the same time not hinder manipulation with it.
Appearance is also important. The sheath should complement and match the style of the knife.
The model of the sheath is transferred to the leather and all the parts are cut out. If the case is going to be embossed, now is the right time to do it.
After embossing, the leather is dyed using the chosen technique. The individual parts are glued together and sewn.
If the knife sheath is to be shaped, the leather is wetted and shaped to the knife.
This is followed by cleaning the edges, finishing the paint and fitting the metal parts.
Finally, the final surface treatment of the leather is done, the sheath is polished and it’s done.
Why you need a knife sheath?
Knife protection
The knife sheath protects it from damage, both the blade and the handle. The more the knife is hidden in the sheath, the more effective the protection.
The knife sheath must ensure that the knife does not fall out. In general, the better the knife is protected and secured in the case, the more difficult it is to take it out of the sheath and put it back.
There are three ways to secure the knife against falling out, firstly by using a buckle, secondly by friction, or by snapping the protruding part of the knife behind some obstacle. The second two methods are demanding on production accuracy.
User protection
To meet this requirement, it is enough if the knife blade and its tip are protected by the sheath. The knife sheath must be designed so that the knife cannot fall out on its own.
Allows carriyng
If we want to carry the knife on the body or on a backpack, we need to have a hinge on the case. Smaller knives are often worn on a lanyard around the neck, regular-sized knives on a belt.
Depending on the type of hinge, the knife on the belt is either in a vertical position, or obliquely, or horizontally. The knife on the belt either hangs freely or is firmly fixed in a certain position. The hinge can be removable.
Large knives and machetes can be carried on a shoulder strap or on the back.
If we only carry the knife in our luggage or in our pocket, we don’t need a hinge at all. The knife case will then be smaller and lighter.
Storage of other items
The sheath can be equipped with loops and pockets for storing small objects as desired, for example coins, a fire steel and the like.
Appearance
If the way the knife looks is important to you, you will definitely want a beautiful sheath that matches the knife. From the point of view of aesthetics, the shape of the sheath, dyeing, decoration and stitching play a role. The possibilities are endless, it just depends on the taste.
A big advantage of leather as a sheath material is that it looks good even after some time of use. The patina of the leather is fine. Careful processing is a condition, however. Seams must be straight and regular, edges well cleaned, decoration sharp.
Types of knife sheaths
Flip-up holster to be worn on the belt in a vertical position. The knife is secured by a saddle pin and latch across the back of the knife. Decorated with geometric embossing. Colored edges.
According to the way of securing
- Closed case – the knife is closed in the case like in a box
- Friction lock – to remove the knife, the friction of the knife against the sheath material must be overcome
- Strap locking – the knife holds the strap through a guard or handle secured by a pin, press or magnet
- Securing with a click – there is a protrusion in the case that usually provides protection
According to the degree of protection
- Closed sheath – the inserted knife is not visible at all
- Quiver sheath – only the handle end protrudes from the sheath
- Open quiver case – similar to quivers, but the handle is covered on only three sides
- Bowie sheath – the handle is lined on the inside with the material of the case, on the outside it is free and secured with a strap over the handle or a guard
- With a free handle – the handle is completely free, belt loop is in place of the blade
According to the way of wearing
- Sheath only to protect the knife without carrying loop
- Belt sheath – vertical or angled wear
- Belt sheath – horizontal wear
- Sheath for wearing on the neck
According to the way of removing
- Retractable sheath – the knife is removed from the sheath by pulling
- Hinged sheath – the knife is removed by tilting it towards the blade back
- Sheath for insertion – the knife is inserted as if in a box
Sheath materials
Knife sheaths are made of leather, less often of wood and of plastics (Kydex). For aesthetic reasons and to increase resistance, they can be supplemented with metal elements.
The individual parts of the sheath are connected in the case of leather sheaths by sewing, sometimes supplemented with rivets, Kydex is connected by riveting. In terms of durability and appearance, sewing with a saddle stitch and quality thread is unsurpassed.
How to choose a knife sheath?
When deciding which knife sheath to choose, it is helpful to answer the following questions:
- Will I carry the knife often? If so, what position suits me best?
- Will I be removing and reholstering the knife often?
- How perfect must be the protection against the accidental falling out of the knife?
- Jakou roli hraje rychlost vyjmutí nože?
- Will the knife be frequently exposed to moisture, dust, etc.?
- Does the case allow you to carry other things as well?
- How important is the appearance of the case to me?
If you don’t know how to choose a suitable sheath, I’d be happy to share my opinion with you.