How to soften veg tan leather to form it easier?

[Jerry V Lape]

How do you do this?  I have to fit a knife into a veg tan leather sheath and the stiff leather really is unyielding.  Can I soften it temporarily with water or alcohol to work it around the knife and handle snugly yet easy enough to take the knife in and out of the sheath?  I have never worked with leather this stiff and thick so some guidance would be useful. 

[EricEwing]

How do you do this?  I have to fit a knife into a veg tan leather sheath and the stiff leather really is unyielding.  Can I soften it temporarily with water or alcohol to work it around the knife and handle snugly yet easy enough to take the knife in and out of the sheath?  I have never worked with leather this stiff and thick so some guidance would be useful. 

this should work

[LRB]

 Hi Jerry. Yes, you can use either. I like 50% rubbing alcohol. Even if you form it tight, it will break in with use, but if you have concerns of it being tighter than you might want, wrap the blade and grip with duct tape. Build it up a little, not too much though, then wax coat over that. That will also help protect the blade while it dries, and make it easier to get back out.  Let it dry thoroughly before you remove the knife. After thoroughly dry, oil the leather. Neats foot, or plain ol mineral oil.

[WadePatton]

Yes, but i would never use mineral oil.  NFO is animal, mineral oil is petro. NFO blend is a mix of the two, seek out "pure NFO".

[LRB]

Mineral oil is fine for leather. It is as pure and harmless as Vaseline, if not more so. I have used it for years. Use food grade when possible. Even Chuck Burrows has OKed it.

[Jerry V Lape]

While we are discussing the oil to use, have you ever used olive oil?  Reason I ask is a baseball glove I bought in 1951 which as dumb kids we rubbed down with olive oi to help form a "pocket" and make the glove more flexible. Glove's leather is still as flexible and looks almost new these many years later.  Smells like pizza!   

[Gun Butcher]

Olive oil works great on leather but always use the extra virgin olive oil.

Ron

[WadePatton]

Mineral oil is fine for leather. It is as pure and harmless as Vaseline, if not more so. I have used it for years. Use food grade when possible. Even Chuck Burrows has OKed it.

certainly.

but i won't use it so long as animal products are available (for use on animal products). So i can't endorse what i don't/won't use.    

[LRB]

  I will NOT endorse nor recommend the following, however, In the mid eighties I was given an old dried out 6 gun holster with a few cracks in it here and there. Having nothing else on hand, and nothing to lose, I soaked it in 30W non-detergent motor oil, vaselined it's interior, and used for over 20 years before making a new one. It is still strong, supple, and usable. I only retired it because I prefer a closed bottom on holsters, and made myself one.

[snapper]

I have made quite a few in the past 20 years.  Use rubbing alcohol.  When it dries it will be stiff. Pull the knife out on occasion and wipe it off.

I then heat the leather in the oven to 170F.  Take a pan with bees wax and neats foot oil, equal parts.  Heat this mixture until liquid.  Use a brush and liberally apply the mixture to the leather, inside and out.  Will take a few coats and re heats in the oven.  Leather will be water resistant.

fleener

[longcruise]

I soak mine thoroughly in water then wrap the knife in Sara wrap and form it around the k ife.  Since its done before seeing, it gets clamped until it dries then sewed.  NFO or snow seal when its done. No effort to soften it when Finished.

[wet willy]

I'll second that water/wrap scheme. Leather softens with water, becomes pliable, retains shape when dry. Personal experience w/alcohol is it evaporates quickly leaving a stiff finish. Veg tanned will never be as soft as deerhide or pigskin, always somewhat stiff. Some say tumbling in a dryer (no heat) with something hard may soften it, perhaps a large rock?

[T.C.Albert]

For molding leather around a knife, simple warm water is the best answer for me...with saran wrap around the blade as mentioned etc...you dont really want to permanently soften the leather for a sheath or holster...having it rather hard again when you are all done would be best for a knife case.
Just my two cents worth...
tc

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I agree with Mr. Albert.  A knife sheath or a holster functions best when it is hardened.  Tor a knife sheath, this helps prevent the tip of the blade from piecing the case, and for a holster, I like the way the pistol snaps in and out without losing it's shape...holds the arm securely.  For a holster, this may not be HC but it's what I like.