Silver mounted Scabbard

[LRB]

  Have not been very active in shop work for awhile, but took on a job for a 8 3/4" blade, silver mounted Kyle Willyard knife. Love his work. Hope the scabbard does it justice. All hand made sterling silver mounts, vinegaroon blackened leather, sewn with linen thread center seam , leather medium hardened. Still have to make a belt loop frog for it. Hope you enjoy a look.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

What a beautiful combination!  Lucky owner.

[msellers]

If you care to share a tutorial on making a mounted sheath like that.  I know I would be most interested in seeing how it is done. Taylor is right, one lucky owner of the knife and the sheath. Masterful work, sir.
Mike

[Marcruger]

Gorgeous.

[James Rogers]

Perfection Wick!

[LRB]

  I would not mind taking time explaining how to do it, but a photo or video tutorial would take more effort than I would care to do.  Look up "paleoplanet how to make a center seam sheath". You simply  modify the instructions a tad to suit. I can write up instructions on the metal work, and give a site that shows how some of it is done. I'll be glad to answer any questions you may have on details and such. It is really not a highly difficult project, as long as you take time and care in the execution of the work. It is not for the impatient, and you would want to start with brass or sheet steel before risking silver though.

[Tim Crosby]

 Dang Wick, you may not be very active but you ain't missed a step, Beautiful as always.

   Tim

[msellers]

  I would not mind taking time explaining how to do it, but a photo or video tutorial would take more effort than I would care to do.  Look up "paleoplanet how to make a center seam sheath". You simply  modify the instructions a tad to suit. I can write up instructions on the metal work, and give a site that shows how some of it is done. I'll be glad to answer any questions you may have on details and such. It is really not a highly difficult project, as long as you take time and care in the execution of the work. It is not for the impatient, and you would want to start with brass or sheet steel before risking silver though.

Thanks, that would be great. I have made a couple center seam sheaths, but none as well as yours. I am greatly appreciative of anything you would give.
Mike

[LRB]

  Leather more than 6/7 oz is difficult to make center seam sheaths with. For me anyway. Once stitched, trim the excess leather beyond the stitching to about 3/32" from the stitches, and as evenly as you can. Make your stitches at no less than 7 per inch. Any farther apart in stitching can cause the seam to want to snake. I use 6 ply linen hot waxed in melted beeswax. I cheat and use a 7 per inch marking guide and drill my stitch holes with a 5/64" bit. All this together prepares the seam for flattening. At this point it would help you to see the photos on making the CS sheaths. The sheath is wetted,  the seam hammered a bit, then pulled over a form or the blade, then pressed between hard blocks in a vise or C clamps to flatten the seam until dry.

[EricEwing]

Awesome! So nice.
Great to see your work again Wick!
For anyone who wants to learn the steps to make a great center seam sheath Wick has an existing tutorial out there just google Paleoplanet center seam sheath.

[msellers]

I went to see his tutorial, as it has been awhile since I started trying to learn center seams. Come to find out it was his on paleoplanet that I used. Now to learn the mountings part, always liked how they looked. However, also have been intimidated by how to do it, and haven't tried my hand at it yet.
Mike

[tallbear]

Great work as always Wick!!!!!!

Mitch

[BOB HILL]

Classy work, as usual, Wick. Thanks for posting.
Bob

[Brokennock]

Beautiful work.

[hawkeye]

that's a gorgeous made sheath, can tell you that.

[John SMOthermon]

Excellent work as always Sir.

[Robby]

Beautiful work LRB!!!!
Robby

[LRB]

I went to see his tutorial, as it has been awhile since I started trying to learn center seams. Come to find out it was his on paleoplanet that I used. Now to learn the mountings part, always liked how they looked. However, also have been intimidated by how to do it, and haven't tried my hand at it yet.
Mike

   I make the throats from 22ga metals, whether silver, brass, or steel. On large sword scabbards, I have used 20ga, but it is not really necessary. When I can I simply wrap an over sized piece of metal around the leather with the blade, or a sized form inside of it. I start by making one edge square and true straight. This piece is over size, and will end up with excess at top and bottom which is trimmed and or shaped after it is fitted and joined. The trued edge is set straight on the center of the leather seam, covering the right back half of the sheath, and with a thin wood plate to protect the metal, then C clamped. The front side of the leather throat needs no protection at this time because the finished throat will cover any markings in the leather. The metal is hand bent as far as possible around the front, then being careful to keep the metal edge on the back straight with the seam, you can remove the C clamps, and finish that bend in the vise with protection of the jaws. Then you hand bend on around the right front sheath edge and over the straight metal edge on the seam. If all is going well with fit, you force the over flap down over on the straight edge and mark top and bottom with little to no excess and scribe a line to saw or cut with a Dremel. Better to have a tiny excess than be under size, but then you File the cut until the over flap fits to the straight metal edge as neatly and true as you can. The edges of both need to be at least eyeball square. then carefully file the edges off a wee tiny bit on the under side to allow silver braze to bead in and add strength. Since all edges are raw, further cleaning is optional unless you suspect oil or dirt on the edges.  The over flap metal is then pushed below the edge of the other side, and bent until the  natural spring of two hold together evenly and positively. I use Brownell's Silvaloy 355 silver solder/braze, and their borax flux. This comes in a 1/32" sized wire. I part the joint just enough to get flux on both edges then ad a little inside. I snip off a piece of solder the length of the seam, lay on the seam from the inside with a little extra flux, balance the throat on a thin steel rod, seam down, and use a common propane torch to heat the joint. I heat until I am confident I have a good flow. Then let cool and check the outside of the seam for good seam with no visible pin holes. Then move on to trimming and shaping to what I want. I will continue with the rest later. I hope this is helpful, but if their are questions feel free to ask.

[LRB]

Many thanks to all for the compliments, and happy new year to all.

[msellers]

Thank you for explaining your process, is an easy to follow description. Have a Happy New Year as well.
Mike

[LRB]

  To continue. As far as the shaping goes, look at originals, or other works that will fit in the times. You would have a shell now to shape how you want. I start with trimming the top of the throat to set square as possible with blade guard. When fitting and trimming, smooth off fresh cut edges so they don't rake off leather when sliding over. Most throats are a tapered shape and throats are fitted from the bottom. Later when a top cap is on, some leather has to be removed so it can fit from the top. To trim and shape, saw, cut with a Dremel abrasive wheel, grind, whatever it takes, but don't rush. To make frontal fancy finial shapes, I first very lightly scribe a center line down the front, by pinching the throat between two true edged blocks of wood or whatever. Then measure and mark center top and bottom, and then scribe. I will then fold a piece of notebook paper to get a center crease and draw and cut out what I want, check it on the throat center, and if I am satisfied, I glue it down. Then it is a matter of cutting and filing away the rest and any I don't want left, up to touching the paper. Once to that point, mark the center position of your belt hook, or frog button. Continued below

[LRB]

Belt hooks are pretty easy. 3/8" bar metal works for most. Saw an L out of the block of your chosen metal. The foot of the L is of course the base for the hook. Mark and drill a 1/8" hole in the center of the base and through the throat. This will be for a support pin. It can be of brass or steel. Shape and finish the hook however you want it to be. Sand clean both surfaces to be joined, Then clean and  install the pin in the hook and into the throat with flux on both contacts. You will trim the pin later. Then set the throat on your vise or vise jaws as to be a heat sink. snip off a few small pieces of the 355 silver braze and place around the hook base. You will likely need to prop the hook so it will stay squared and even while being brazed. For this, you will need more than a common torch. I use regular propane, but with a MAPP gas torch head. Apply heat, and concentrate on the base. Enough heat will travel to the throat body without further effort. Let cool then trim that support pin flush however you can. Saw, file. Now you can attach the top plate. Assuming you have squared the throat top as you want, Drag the throat top over 220 grit sand paper laying upon a good flat surface, to further true and clean for solder. Any of the common solders will work. I would recommend STAY BRITE, or similar solders. I have been using Brownells High Temp HI Force 44. Flows at 650°. Super strong, but probably not necessary. Anyway Cut out a top plate oversized. Dead flat one side, clean up the other, solder onto the throat. Best to lay plate on a piece of flat rock material such as synthetic window ledge granite or similar. Tin the plate well, then set the throat on the plate and flux and heat until it flows. Then grind, file, the excess metal being careful to not over heat and melt the solder. These plates commonly over hang some all the way around. Then very lightly scribe a center line down the length of the cap. Scribe the cross section of the thickest section of the blade onto the cap. Center the proposed slot fore and aft. Drill all you can down the center line then start filing, and fitting the blade until you are satisfied. With the cap in place you will have to trim some leather to make the throat fit over the top. To be continued.

[LRB]

  The bottom mount, drag, chape, or whatever. Wow. The site that shows this has been disabled. OK. to start, you need to make a steel form. The drag is a two piece item. I use 3/8" hot rolled steel, but 1/4" will do. You shape the bar steel to the exact profile size of the leather sheath bottom/point area, making it a few inches longer than you want. That gives some extra for you to hold in a vise if needed. You then round of the sharp edges, making them pretty rounded, but leaving a flat in the middle all the way around. Make these edges as true to each other side to side in roundness as you can, and roll the point area over also, making sure it doesn't make a knife edge. No need to polish, but don't leave them ragged. From the sheet metal you chose to use, mark the leather sheath profile on it. Then add about a 1/4" to this marking, and cut two of these out. Cut them longer than wanted so you can trim them back if wanted. One will be one side, the other, the other side. Put it all in the vise. Use a block of smooth wood on the side of the piece  that will be visible when finished, the form is resting against the other vise jaw with that extra 1/4" equally all the way around it, and a little more than one half of the metal tip showing above being clear to hammer on. These halves have to be kept centered on the form with the vise tightened well down. Now, you need a piece/block of hard wood like maple. You do not hammer the metal directly, but hammer the hardwood to shape the metal to the steel form. A hammer the hammer operation. The wood will not mar and mess up the surface of the piece as a iron hammer would do. Start the shaping at the point. If possible both point sides at the same operation, then turn it all over and work the other edge. Go back and forth until the piece is fitted well to the form. You may need to anneal the metal a few times as you go along. Once shaped, lay the sheath in it and see how well it fits. OK these two halves are way over sized, so I choose the back half and start trimming on my belt grinder and table deck sander until the piece fits half way up the sheath side. The sheaths will have a taper in thickness according to the blades distal taper so the metal halves taper in thickness just as the blade does. With the back side fitted halfway up the seams, the front side is done the same. Down nearing the point, it is well to fit the halves without crowding the sheath in that zone. As long as a taper is evident, it is enough and allows room for adjusting if needed.  To be continued.

[LRB]

 Time to braze the two halves together if you are satisfied with the fit. On a dead flat hard surface and 220 grit paper, sand the edges of both halves by rubbing back and forth over the paper. When you are sure they are true, and they fit together with little to no over hang or under hang, borax flux these edges. Using the really fine dead soft steel wire, twist tie the two halves together in multiple places. Gets tricky down near the point. The wire will slip and fight placement, but don't give up. Do the best you can. You open your vise just enough to make a cradle and braze one side at a time. I cut small pieces of the 355 and lay down the seam as best I can. YES, you will braze the steel wire to the drag, but it grinds or files off pretty easy. Many metal scabbards have a finial in the point of the drag. This is done with a rod of the chosen metal, and filing or grinding the point off, then capping it with a ball or sculpted finial attached to the tiny plate. The original site that was removed showed that in detail. I think I did it once, but I don't recall the details. Maybe someone else might know. The two halves of the drag have always formed enough to close the point for me. They do worry me every time though. It just doesn't look like it is going to close without a gap, but they always do. SO FAR! Tomorrow I will explain how to make a few different frog buttons. The silver ones are really special in their construction.

[FDR]

Could you explain " leather medium hardened" ,  what process do you use to harden the leather?

Thanks,

Fred