Leather for drawknife case
#7
I finally got around to rehabbing a couple drawknives I have.  Now I need to make some cases for them.  I recall reading on here that you need to be careful what kind of leather you use or rust will be a problem.  But I can't find it when I search, and I want to check my memory.  Is it that you need to use vegetable tanned leather?

Also, any suggestion on what weight to use?  Typically I'd just walk into a store and get an idea by holding the leather, but that isn't really an option right now.

Mark

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#8
Mark, I'm no pro when it comes to leather, but I'll take a crack at answering your question.

You want vegetable tanned leather for your sheath. Oil tanning leaves mineral salts in the leather that may damage iron/steel with contact over time. As for thickness, I'd recommend something in the 7 to 9 pound range (7#=7/64", 8#=1/8" and 9#=9/64"). Anything thicker becomes difficult to bend and work with.

My $.02.

Hank
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#9
You should look for veggie tan. Be aware long term storage of tools in leather requires occasionally wiping the tool down with some kind of oil or rust preventing agent. Any kind of leather can hold moisture due to its natural composition.
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#10
Thank you both 
Smile

Mark

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#11
(05-01-2020, 01:31 PM)Hank Knight Wrote: ...something in the 7 to 9 pound range

*Ounce.
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#12
(04-30-2020, 08:43 PM)msweig Wrote: I finally got around to rehabbing a couple drawknives I have.  Now I need to make some cases for them.  I recall reading on here that you need to be careful what kind of leather you use or rust will be a problem.  But I can't find it when I search, and I want to check my memory.  Is it that you need to use vegetable tanned leather?

Also, any suggestion on what weight to use?  Typically I'd just walk into a store and get an idea by holding the leather, but that isn't really an option right now.

Mark

My uncle was forrest ranger in Idaho when I was a kid in the 1950s. In their spare time they would sharpen the shovels and they made canvas covers and sewed silk ties from the old parachutes. They worked very well.
I am not sure what the canvass weight was but there was a lot of it around after the war perhaps supply informed that decision but the shovels were very sharp and the covers were durable and sturdy.
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