Deer leather sheath

[archeryrob]

I want to make a sheath for it from stuff I have killed. I have deer hides I am going to oil tan and I know deer is kind of weak. I thought about lining it with a raw hide and I have deer rawhide and if Need be I'll kill a groundhog and raw hide it out for it. I just find more enjoyment from making everything myself.

I can't find anything on here that still have pictures and nothing online similar to what I thought of doing. I figured someone on here would know exactly what I should do or have a better plan from their past experiences.

I have a piece of veg tanned cow hide, but I just do not wish to use it or buy the punch tools for it. I'd love to hear some suggestions, thank you.

[Sam McMichael]

Since you specified that your preference is to make it from leather you collected yourself, I would recommend the deer. I don't know anything about groundhog rawhide, but if it is tougher than the deer, that's the way to go. A sharp knife going in and out of a sheath seems to call for a tough sheath.

[archeryrob]

Ground hog is tough like squirrel hide is.

[OkKeith]

Use a strip of the cowhide and stich in a welt to protect the stitching along the seam. The rest of the sheath can be collected materials. The buckskin won't be as stiff a leather. You will most likely have to wet form any rawhide for a liner and glue it in.

Post  a photo when you finish... would love to see how it turns out!

OkKeith

[archeryrob]

I skipped the deer hide for now and just went with the scrap of Vegetable tanned cow hide I had. It's not to the scale a true leather worker would turn out, but I am happy with it for the modest leather working tools and knowledge I have.



I wrote the entire process below. If some one that is good at sheath making would tell me what to do different next time, I would appreciate it.
https://archeryrob.wordpress.com/2018/05/23/sheath-for-the-small-skinner-knife/

[OkKeith]

Looks great to me!

I would have a hard time with that style of sheath. With it riding that high on my belt and that low cut... I would poke myself in the "love handles" every time I tried to put it back in.

Great job on the How To as well. Now we need a photo of you using it on a critter.

OkKeith

[archeryrob]

Yea, I'm in the process of reducing my love handles now. It fits but is not comfortable to wear. I might get it strapped to my backpack either upside down or upright on the shoulder strap as its small enough for that.

[kenneth butler]

The way i solved the soft deer hide problem, for a big Bowie,is to make a conventional sheath out of thick leather. You have done that. Then covered the sheath with deer hide. It is glued to the leather with contact cement. At the seam between the front and back I put a piece of deer hide that  is cut into fringe. Big Bowie in heavy leather sheath with a welt for safety covered with fringed buckskin for the frontier look. >>>----> Ken