How to Make a Custom Leather Sheath // Leatherworking | I Like To Make Stuff
Тәжірибелік нұсқаулар және стиль
In a recent video, we forged a machete and now I need to make a leather sheath to carry it while in the woods. Come see how I used some paper templates and some help from our sponsor, Weaver Leather, to make it happen! Check Weaver out at weaverleathersupply.com/mache...
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This project starts with the machete and how I wanted to carry it. There are many possibilities when carrying such a tool. I know that I'll be walking around the farm property and it's quite dense with small trees and thorn bushes. One option was to place the machete across my chest and make a shoulder holster. Another option was to make a sheath that laid against my lower back in a horizontal position. I decided to make a drop-leg sheath but align it at an angle so that I could have free range of motion with my leg. Because the property is pretty hilly and thick with vegetation, I would be bending and moving in a way that would interfere with a straight-leg holster.
I hung the machete up against my belt in the angled orientation. Noting the position and how far it was from my belt, I transferred these rough measurements to a roll of paper. I traced the machete and because I had to account for the leather that would need to be stitched together, I added about a 1/2" (1.25cm) offset to the outline. The angled belt loop was hand-drawn near the machete handle and I accounted for the extra material that would need to fold over to wrap around my belt.
I didn't have to draw two separate templates, because I could fold the leather over onto itself for one of the sides. Essentially a pocket, the folded edge would act as one of the sides not needing to be stitched. Armed with the master template, I transferred it to the leather hide I had and prepared to cut it out.
Using a sharp blade, I cut the leather along the template markings. Before I glued or stitched the sheath together, I wanted to dye the specific areas certain colors. I used Weaver's leather dyes to add some color to the outside of the sheath, as well as some black color to the belt loop section.
To help the leather achieve a tight fit around the machete, I soaked it in water and clamped it around the blade. I made sure to wrap the blade in a protective layer beforehand so it didn't rust. Now that the sheath had a stiff shape, it was time to move on. Once dried, I could just glue and stitch the sheath together, but I had an idea to add some extra capabilities to this machete holster.
I figured that I would need to carry more than just the machete if I were out bushwhacking. The blade was eventually going to dull and need sharpening, I may hurt myself, and I may want to make a small fire. The sheath's flat face offered space to add some pockets for those items. I found a small sharpening stone and some thin fire-starting rods that would fit perfectly on the sheath. Most first-aide fits or pressure dressings were too big to fit natively on the sheath, so I'll have to carry them separately.
Just like the blade, I wanted to mold the leather pockets around the individual items to give them a snug fit. I wet some scrap leather squares and pressed them over the sharpening stone and fire starters. To clamp the leather in place while it dried, I made some rectangular clamps out of plywood that matched the shapes of the items. This process worked really well and the leather pocket forms were ready to be dyed, glued, and stitched to the face of the sheath.
At this point in the process, the sheath was dyed and the pockets were finished. It was now time to fold the sheath onto itself, glue the two halves together and add a hand stitch. I first outlined the actual machete with a pencil inside the open sheath. This way, I knew where to apply the Barge contact cement so it didn't touch the blade when inserted. Making sure the contact cement was dried, I folded the leather over and the two sides were permanently attached. At this point the two folded edges didn't perfectly match up, buts that's totally fine. I used the stitch groover to add an offset line from the outer edge.
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How to Make a Custom Leather Sheath // Leatherworking | I Like To Make Stuff
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Very nice looks really good and I’m a professional leather worker for a knife company. One little tip though the sheath needs a welt, a leather spacer on the edge, cause really quickly that blade will cut the stitches.
@Iliketomakestuff
4 жыл бұрын
Ah! So another layer of leather along the blade? That makes total sense. I wondered if the stitching being cut would be an issue, but didn't think of that. I was hoping that the glued surfaces would help keep the blade from the stitching for at least a while.
@masonwynder9323
4 жыл бұрын
I Like To Make Stuff it will but the welt would make it so the blade never touches the stitching. Also a tip to help cut down on time is I use the dye to wet form. I get the sheath completely assembled then fill up a container full of dye and dip the sheath in. I then give it just a minute for the dye to sink in then I stick the knife in and with my fingers mold the sheath then it’s totally fine to pull the knife out and then just let it dry.
@adamglendye
4 жыл бұрын
Wow Mason! Awesome advice and tips.
@InstrucTube
4 жыл бұрын
@@Iliketomakestuff Another point you might consider in the future (as I'm not sure how easy it would be to retrofit these on that sheathe) would be having a piece of leather come over the top of the pockets and snap down, just to secure the items inside a bit better. If you were to take a spill then it's likely that at least one of those magnesium rods would fall out, and possibly everything. Just a thought, and since you have that really neat snap press it'd be pretty easy to do from here out.
@pr0faker
4 жыл бұрын
@@Iliketomakestuff for the inside part of the stitching you should have used that groover tool to lay the thread into the leather. Thats what its made for :) now you have a bunch of stitching sticking out from the pockets on the outside that can get cut from the knife. The welt is also very standard for sheaths and is very easy to do. adding a flap with snaps would keep the sharpening stone and firesticks in without it ever falling out.
I know that Weaver is a sponsor, and that's AWESOME, they get a ton of my money every year, but it's worth mentioning that you don't need a machine like the little wonder to set snaps. You can get a mandrel and setter (also from Weaver) for 10 bucks or so that you can set with a mallet. I just don't want anyone getting discouraged that they need a huge amount of upstart in tooling to do a project like this. I do have a heavy duty snapsetter (not the little wonder, though and I won't mention it here). Useful for large runs of stuff but for onesie-twosies I still usually set by hand. Also, to echo others, you need a welt :-) Those stitches will slice right open with one wayward journey into the scabbard. You did a great job on this. The only thing else I'd mention is that when you use the rotary punch and drive through, twist the tool. It will sever the fibers so you don't get unclean holes. Not so much of an issue with snaps, but if you get in the habit of doing it for everything, when it needs to be done the muscle memory will already be there.
@chrisskinner6375
4 жыл бұрын
he does say that you can do the snaps by hand with hand tools right before he shows us the little wonder
@NGinuity
4 жыл бұрын
@@chrisskinner6375 you're right, he does and I missed it. I didn't intend for that to be a knock on Bob, by the way, i just think it was glossed over.
@animematt99
4 жыл бұрын
Guy probably got $1000 worth of stuff. It is discouraging. I want to start stuff, but I see guys casually talk about how you can do it too. Yet they have a $800 thickness planer, $500 table saw, etc. All that were given to them.
@NGinuity
4 жыл бұрын
@@animematt99 Well, that is something they do but I can't really say I feel discouraged by them being given things. If you think about it, they're still putting in work (a lot of it) to get that tool from a sponsor and there are expectations/constraints when using them. I completely understand how hard it is to have a web presence and be a content creator. Seriously, I've failed at it twice now because I could not put in the amount of time it required. It's literally nothing Norm Abram didn't do on The New Yankee Workshop. Like I said earlier, I didn't intend this to be a knock on Bob, just a footnote regarding it. I typically don't let seeing expensive tools discourage me from a project. If anything, I've learned to adapt things I see to tools I have, that's all.
HEY BOB!!!!! you put in the number one most common critical failure point in the sheath, and that thing will fall apart with regular use. On the main body fold and glue step you need to insert a strip of leather (called a welt, the welt protects the stitching from being cut by the sharp cutting edge of the knife) on the stitch line in the margin area against the cutting edge otherwise putting in and taking out the knife you'll be cutting the stitching loose. the welt is a must.
@MLunenborg
4 жыл бұрын
Great tip! Hope he sees this! It didnt occur to me, ever after watching numerous videos on leathermaking, that it should have been something I had noticed..
@Iliketomakestuff
4 жыл бұрын
Yeah, someone else mentioned that, great to know! Thanks! Luckily, this won't be a part of my EDC, so it'll last a while at least :)
@mr_e_mc2
4 жыл бұрын
@@MLunenborg Yeah there are soooooooooooo many tutorials out there that miss the welt, so I am sure boob ran into that pitfall researching the design.
pro tip: when gluing the front pockets, shave a bit off the top of the leather so its rough, it will stick better
@Iliketomakestuff
4 жыл бұрын
Ah, great tip, thanks!
@thewizdad
4 жыл бұрын
Great job! 👍I’d definitely add a snap cover over the stone and fire starters
I am a amateur blacksmith and this video was a great help in figuring out materials. Being in SoCal means that not a lot of places sell leather or leather tools and places that do overprice.
Very cool! Custom machete and sheath. Tip: When forming the wet leather, placing a couple of layers of closed cell foam between the wood and the leather will force the leather to form closer to the shape of the blade, giving a really nice clean form fit.
Did you say the “Little Wonder” also does crystals? “Hi I’m Bob at ‘I Like to Make Stuff’ and today we’re going to beadazzle a machete sheath.”
@Iliketomakestuff
4 жыл бұрын
It certainly does :)
Don't know if it is has been said, but you should add another layer of leather in between those two when gluing since the cutting edge of the blade is running against the stitches. Don't know if what I said makes sense, hope it does. Awesome quality videos and content as usual Bob and team. Luv ya.
Ah, perfect, I love this! I've been waiting for you to start blacksmithing for a while (ever since you once responded to a comment of mine confirming you would love to try it some time) and now you've not just made a nice blade, but also a nice piece to put it in! Hope we'll get to see you _sharpen_ your blacksmithing skills in the future! :)
Love your content, tip though when using fire starters like those magnesium rods, I recommend using the back of the blade to preserve your edge and the sheer volume of magnesium you have.
@Tater_Lord
4 жыл бұрын
Was about to cooment this all it needs is a hard edge to strike against he could very esialy file a nice edge on the back of the blade for this very purpose
I'm on a limited income and don't have the cash to spend on things like this for my own projects, but as an aspiring novelist, a lot of your videos help me to help my characters in their projects. My current work-in-progress is an apocalyptic survival novel, and many of the characters have to figure things out as they go, so videos like this one and the machete video are great. Thanks, Bob and the ILTMS team!
Cool to try new materials. I think leather is kind of a satisfying material to work with
Considering you have zero experience that actually came out really great for a first project.
I’m sure your gonna get some crappy comments about this project, ignore them. It’s awesome, looks super cool, good job guys 👍
@thunderstruck1078
4 жыл бұрын
Why are you so sure he's gonna get some crappy comments?
@KSKS37
4 жыл бұрын
Thunderstruck no specifics here bud, a knife sheath insights opinion, that’s all.
@deancouture7096
4 жыл бұрын
Because it was worse than filller video that he last put out
pro tip: When stitching, groove your stitch line for recessed stitches. Looks great on top, and on the inside prevents the blade from catching and cutting them.
I just did my first leathercraft project this last weekend! It was SOOOO much fun and I can't wait to do more.
Idea of adding pockets for polish stone and sparkers were excellent
I love how you are willing to tackle any new project or skill!
Love it.
Love it
AWESOME!!!!
Thanks for the video.
As a knife and sheath maker, I'd like to offer a couple suggestions: 1. Use a welt for knife sheaths, so you don't accidentally cut your stitches. 2. either cut a groove on the inside side of the sheath for any stitching that will be against the blade, like those pockets, or you can cover the inside with micro suede or thinner leather. The glue and stitching isn't really good to be rubbing against the metal during drawing and sheathing. Overall, good job on your first sheath!
Sweet looks awesome!
As a person who enjoys being outside in nature Camping, Bushcrafting Ect. I would say you did awesome perfect stuff on it such as fire starter and sharpening stone!
Just one word - Awesome 😎
Loved this "episode" as it was something very different from what i usually see on handcraft youtube channels !! Keep it up ♥️👌
Came out really nice!
Nice project!
Nicely done, Bob!
i've been looking into leathermaking stuff all week. I'm in!
@Iliketomakestuff
4 жыл бұрын
It's SO much fun and really gratifying, you should definitely check it out!!
I've been thinking about making Luke Skywalker's belt from his Return of the Jedi costume, and this video only got me more interested in leather working. Awesome job on your sheath!
@tingcraft3920
4 жыл бұрын
Leatherworking is an amazing craft that you definitely should try! If you have a Tandy store near you they can help you with any projects you have. You don’t need much knowledge to get started, honestly all you need to know is the double saddle stitch and you’ll be well on your way
Formed leather always looks so good!
Nice work
I've done a few scrabs last summer ( first leather work in twenty plus years, I like your selection of the leather tools, Folks should watch this. Now I have a year in Blacksmith but lots to learn about the trade ,Yes leather and Blacksmit goes together like a good marriege Thanks
I'm in the process of making myself a straight backed knife, and with little sisters and little cousins, having a bare blade around the house would be a Very Bad Idea, so I'm going to make myself a sheath once the blade is done. Your video really helped me get straight in my head what kind of steps in what order I'll need to do when it comes to that, so thank you so much!
I was getting worried you weren't going to do any stitching or embellishments. I'm not disappointed!
This is an awesome project
WOW, the end result is great. I want to make one for my dad!
You did a great job. Love it
Love the videos Bob and the gang, please keep it up!
Looking really good man. Have an amazing Thursday, Andreas 🇸🇪
Looks amazing!!
@Iliketomakestuff
4 жыл бұрын
Thanks so much!
great build. if you do another, please please please don't forget to add the welt for the length of stitching that the blade would come in contact with the stitching. i promise you, it'll be worth it.
An impressive first result. It turned out really well.
Great work guys. Turned out awesome!
Amazing! Thank You!!!
Awesome work!!!
@Iliketomakestuff
4 жыл бұрын
Thanks Florian!
its amazing
That looks really good
Looks awesome. Thanks for going through all the steps, very helpful.
Great job bro
I don't know why, but I love to see leather work, It's just... So satisfying. It looks awesome by the way.
soo Awesome Bob!!! :)
Pretty damn cool
Such an awesome project! Looks amazing
This is simply awesome, I thoroughly enjoyed watching it!
How did I never notice that Bob's left handed? I always wear my sword on the left, which is why this intrigued me...
@I3urton
4 жыл бұрын
Wait a second, he's left handed?! I watched his videos for a LONG time and never noticed, either!
@CatBorgor
4 жыл бұрын
Fabius d. M. same
@Iliketomakestuff
4 жыл бұрын
I am :)
@acoffeewithsatan
4 жыл бұрын
@@Iliketomakestuff ah, so this also means I ain't the only left-handed person that plays the guitar the right-handed way, around here! ;)
@jlarts
4 жыл бұрын
@@acoffeewithsatan The amount of choice for left-handed guitars is still criminally poor, kudos to you for being able to switch, I would get my fingers in a twist if I tried to play left-handed
Nice work. And cool cinematography around 12:30
Before your next sheath, look into adding a welt. That way your blade doesn't cut your stitching. you may want to go ahead and add a rivet to the top of your stitches on this one for some protection. Looks good!
@Iliketomakestuff
4 жыл бұрын
Ah, I was wondering if that'd be an issue. Thanks for the tip!
@30CalCoreLokt
4 жыл бұрын
@@Iliketomakestuff no problem! Love your channel, keep up the good work.
Oooo leatherwork, now this I like
Looking good! This is reminding me that I haven't actually made a leather sheath yet. I should do that! Thank you!
@Iliketomakestuff
4 жыл бұрын
You should! It was a lot of fun and I'm LOVING working with leather.
This looked like fun. I think I'm going to try some leather working
That's actually really good for your first time making a sheath. Keep practicing and with time you'll be able to make more intricate stuff.
This made me want to take up leatherworking again. It leads to some really cool results. Now I just need a project to get started on...
I've made several of these in the past and a point to consider on the angled approach, I have found that angling the direction of the is a really good approach if the length of the sheath goes bellow the top of your knee, about an inch to 2 in above the knee. But is better to be straight up and down if length is above the knee so it does not flop around a lot. this approach makes it so you can kneel down without the sheath digging into the ground or the back of your leg. the angle perfect for longer blades.
The sharpie as a distance jig at the beginning! Thanks for that, never occured to me.
Very good job love the videos
12:37 Bob is glitching the matrix.
@yummy1398
4 жыл бұрын
He might need medical help lol.
I nice little ILTMS logo would look really cool etched onto it :)
Looks great. Like with everything, practice makes perfect and we live and learn.
Nice vid.
Nice job, Bob. That turned out great.
@Iliketomakestuff
4 жыл бұрын
Thanks Steve!
Dude That looks Epic!
Liking the leather videos. It's nice to see these from someone who is still learning himself.
@Iliketomakestuff
4 жыл бұрын
Thanks! It's a ton of fun to work with leather!
Very cool! Future project ideas: - integrate a leather something into a wood project - make a leather suitcase, old school style - harvest your own leather.
This turned out so good and you were very methodic in showing all the steps. I think it's time to get me some leather tools and some leather!
@Iliketomakestuff
4 жыл бұрын
Glad to hear that, you totally should!!
@tingcraft3920
4 жыл бұрын
You definitely should! The world needs more leathersmiths, and artisans in general!
@HaasGrotesk
4 жыл бұрын
@@tingcraft3920 I've actually acquired some leather tools I think I need and now I'm looking for "Crazy Horse leather" but it's so hard to find here in Sweden. I think I'm going to start "easy" with a card holder and then hopefully make a knife sheath :D
Hi Bob as always nice video good channel, Im 14 years old and im watching your channel for 1,5 years now. You uploaded the video exactly 4 h too late because i had alredy finished my knife sheath :)
Man one video and you’re making me wanna quit my job and be a leather worker. Looks awesome
@LeglessWonder
4 жыл бұрын
Dont go down the leather rabbit hole here on YT. Or do, I ain't your daddy. But it'll really make that urge stronger. I've also made that mistake with metal
Pretty good design. I might have moved the belt loop system farther away and extend it a bit from the machete handle (think downhill) to create a better balance fulcrum and reduce the eventual sag/twist where the present location will present. But I didn't build it so, well done.
Hey man that is a beautiful piece. Good job. I’m so impressed by your ability to nail stuff on the first attempt.
This was awesome. Great duo of project videos. 👍🏻
That came out looking really nice!! Goes perfect with the machete
I love the sheath, but if you want a suggestion for the machete, make a sharp or a sharp 90 degree edge in the back of the blade for striking the fire starters. It’ll help keep you edge nice and sharp!
Beautiful man! I have a whole new appreciation for leather working!
Dude! Your man points just went way up! Watch out Bear Grylls, there's a new Bob Clagett in town! I have never been very interested in leather, but watching you use it has definitely got me looking closer at it. Leather is such a beautiful medium and there are so many possibilities! Thanks for sharing!
@Iliketomakestuff
4 жыл бұрын
Ha! It's funny because I never really knew how/why I would use leather in project, I was just interested. Now that I've gotten to use it a little, I'm fighting the urge to make 100 leather projects in a row :) It's so much fun and very quick to make something with.
@northshorepx
4 жыл бұрын
@@Iliketomakestuff Hey bob, I loved the video. I just thought, perhaps you can use some scraps as handles for drawers or something like that if you want to incorporate some leather into other projects.
Very awesome project. Love the camera work too!
This is a super handy skill set, dude. Very cool to watch.
I don't know how you couldn't be happy with that! That's looks like a pro made it, good job Bob!!
Add two rows of stitching for the firesticks and that should keep them in place tighter. very nice video
Awesome leather working there! I just saw this video before watching the machete video, just a tip regarding the knife is not to use the cutting edge to strike the ferro rod, you can file down the spine to a nice flat edge and use those corners on the spine to strike the ferro rod instead. Another tip would be to change the handle a little, adding more grooves to fit your finger placement on the grip or adding a boot-shape flare at the butt will help immensely with preventing the machete from flying out of your hand and possibly injuring yourself.
Turned out really awesome Bob! 😃👍🏻👊🏻 .... Leather is definitely something I've been thinking of trying.
@Iliketomakestuff
4 жыл бұрын
Thanks! You should, it's a lot of fun!
One minor detail on the belt loop part. When forming loops or flaps, if you give it a slight curve when placing the interior leather, it will help reduce the wrinkling that formed. But looks great still!
Can confirm, this goes great with lunch
LOL'd at, "Half a milk shake!!"
I once made a leather sheath for my machete too, about a year ago. But I sowed mine shut freehand. It's not pretty, but it works and I'm proud of it
Turned out better than the machete did, lol.
@tingcraft3920
4 жыл бұрын
Ya it’s a lot easier to get nice looking results in leatherwork than smithing
You should make Chewbacca's Bandolier and Han Solo's Belt holster! A bit of leather and metal working!
I'd recommend bevelling your edges before you burnish them,, helps stop them 'mushrooming' and gives a really nice rounded edge
Cutting small sticks with the machete in slow motion always looks epic ;D great, detailed video, leather work is on my skills list. Thanks Bob!