Inevitably,
we all come to that crossroads in life
where even though something "ain't
broke", we still yearn to "fix
it". This is a classic example.
There really is nothing wrong with the
standard sheath that comes with the
Himalayan Imports AK Bowie. However,
since I had already put a new handle
on the knife itself, why not upgrade
the sheath too? A simple question -
with a simple solution.
You
too can "upgrade" your AK
Bowie by following this Tutorial. In
fact, this tutorial will help you build
a "pancake-style" sheath for
just about any large knife. All you
need is a few supplies, a couple of
simple tools and the time and inclination
to get the job done.
List
of Supplies needed
It's
hard to say what it would cost to do this
project, because it depends largely on
what tools and supplies you already have.
My cost was low because I had all of it.
But your cost may be high because of the
number of tools you need to buy. Suffice
it to say that all the supplies listed
would total around $25-30, and the Tools
required (assuming you only need leather-specific
tools) - anywhere from $20-40.
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Before
starting any sheath project, I make
a paper model to test out the size of
the sheath, the stitching and any straps,
frogs, loops, etc. I get a much better
end-product that takes less time to
make and gives me better quality (because
I'm not second-guessing, or shooting
in the dark).
The
overall idea was simpler than most sheaths
I've made - just a "pancake-style"
sheath (vs. pouch). However, I wanted
to make a snap-less keeper strap (I'm
not a big fan of snaps). The challenge,
then is to make a loop that will attach
to the top of the of the sheath and
be easy to "release" when
ready.
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Once
I have the paper model figured out (takes
a few tries usually, I cut the pieces
out of leather. I like to use an Olfa
Rotary cutter - they cut straight lines
and do it quickly. No problem with the
8 oz. leather I'm using. Any tight curves
can be trimmed up with an Exacto blade.
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You
can see in these pictures that I usually
leave about 1/2"-3/4" around
the spine, and 3/8"-1/2" around
the edge - as extra room for the sheath.
Since this sheath will be wet-molded,
I'll need the extra space.
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You
can also see the extra "flap"
I made at the top of the sheath. More
about this later.
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Here
are the finished major pieces. The belt
loop at top, followed by the "outside"
piece and then the "inside"
piece at bottom. I've gone ahead and marked
them on the rough side since, frankly,
it's very easy to forget which is which
and mess up the whole thing.
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The
first thing I do is glue-up the belt
loop. I didn't want to use an integral
belt loop on this project because I
don't like seeing the rough leather
exposed. So I created a separate belt
loop. In order to be able to stitch
the belt loop, I need to glue-up the
loop side (inside) first.
The
pic on the left shows the smooth side
being prepped for glue up. I use a strong
Contact Cement available at Tandy's
Leather. Also, the smooth side needs
to be "roughed up" a little
or it won't form a strong bond. I use
the exacto blade for this. Contact cement
works best when you goop it on thick
and let it sit for 30 minutes or so.
When you come back, it will look "dried
out" - that's ok. Just press the
two pieces together and the bond will
be quite strong.
The
pic on the right shows the loop being
prepped to be glued back to itself.
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I
haven't shown this step yet, but before
gluing up the belt loop, it's best to
go ahead and groove it. You can get
an adjustable groover at Tandy's (shown
in the top left of the pic). Cheap and
works great.
Here
you can see the flip side of the loop
showing the grooves. These add a nice
trim to the leather and aid in stitching
as well.
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Lastly,
a picture showing the belt loop glued
to itself and the "inside" half
of the sheath.
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Now
it's time to secure the belt loop with
stitches to the sheath. The best way
I've found to do this is to use a 5/64"
drill bit in the press and just drill
the holes out. I've experimented with
many other methods and this one is the
quickest and most accurate I've found.
I use the overstitcher tool to put small
"dents" in the grooves that
are all equally spaced. Then I go back
over them with the drill press. A 1/16"
bit is big enough, but makes double
stitching a pain, so I use 5/64"
instead. It works great and does not
weaken the leather (nor does the grooving).
If my lighting is low (or my eyes tired)
I'll go over the "dents" made
by the overstitcher with a marker to
help me see.
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Now
it's time for stitching. I use the double-needle
method. One piece of brown waxed string
(heavy duty), with a needle at each
end. Pick a starting point and start
going around. If you're feeling lazy
(which I apparently was) then just use
one needle and go around and back again.
Finish it up by tying a not with the
two leftover strands (which should be
right next to each other by the time
you're finished.
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Here
you can see where I finished and tied
a double-knot. A nice touch is to take
a bone folder (white plastic in the pic)
and smooth the stiches flat to the inside
surface. This will cut down on wear-n-tear
on the sheath and keep you knife from
being marred.
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The
next step is to put glue around the
edges of both sheath halves, let it
sit for 30 minutes and press it together.
For a regular flat-ground knife - this
is where you would put the welt in.
Personally, I feel it's overkill on
some sheaths, makes wet-molding more
difficult (functionally and aesthetically),
and leaves a funny bump in the perimeter
of your sheath. So I left it out. If
any sheath of mine ever fails because
of something like this, I will gladly
restitch it. So far, so good!
In
the second pic, you can see that I've
cleaned up the edges at the belt grinder
with a small wheel (see Shop
Tour to see the KMG small wheel
attachment). If you don't have a belt
sander, just be a little more careful
when you cut it out to have smooth,
long lines. My personal preference is
to just glue-up the pieces and clean
up the edge afterward - I don't mess
with trying to get them to match ahead
of time.
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Now
I go back to the groover to set the stitch
lines for the edges of the main sheath
body. As long as you are careful at every
bend/corner, you'll do good, and it will
look great. Wonderful tool.
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Back
to the drill press to set the holes
for stitching. As you can see, it's
a great way to set a nice even row of
stitching. Just go carefully until you
get the hang of it.
I
like to drill from the front to the
back of the sheath - looks better and
if I have any drill-oopsies, it's not
front-and-center. No oopsies on this
one.
(This
can also be done with a hand drill)
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After
I've drilled all the holes, I like to
go back over the groove with the bone-folder.
On the left you can see me using it
on its edge to realign the groove. On
the right, I'm using it to smooth out
the little bumps made from the drill
bit entering the leather. I do this
front and back, all grooves.
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Once
everything is smooth, I start stitching.
Again, it's a double-needle stitch.
I measure out a piece of string that
is 4 times as long as the perimeter
of the stitching. Waxed thread is cheap.
Redoing a line of stitching because
you ran out (or having to make unsightly
knots) is not cheap nor easy.
I
thread one needle through the first
hole (start at one end or the other)
and pull it until it is in the middle
of the thread. Then (as shown on the
right) I thread one through and pull
it snug.
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Then
I put the other one through the same
hole. If you have different sized needles
(which I do here) then use the larger
one first. Pull them both tight and
start over again.
If
you want to cheat (which is what I do)
then take the larger needle and go ahead
10 stiches and "catch up"
with the other one. The important thing
to watch for, is to make sure you are
pulling it snug between each threading
and that the stitch lays flat.
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I
go all the way around the sheath until
about 2 inches from the end. The reason
for this is the special keeper loop
I'm making (as seen in the pic on the
right).
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The
Keeper Loop - continued on Page
2
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