My first attempt at a Sgian Dubh

[GrainReaper]

Ok, here is my basic sheath sketch/template

image.jpg

The top is just going to be tooled ribs to help keep things from sliding down hopefully, the center field I'm planning on a basket weave pattern.

The top is flared out to compensate for extra leather to form around the hilt of the knife

That's the theory at any rate..

I'm wondering if I shouldn't leave the top unribbed because forming it to the knife will distort the leather and won't look anything like ribs

What say you?

[MNlad]

I would agree on the ribs being distorted if you are forming the top of the sheath around the hilt. The extra leather around the hilt should be enough to stop it from sliding down into your hose. One trick I used on a sgian with a flat handle and smooth sheath that kept slipping around was to glue a very thin ½ inch strip of suede leather around the top of the sheath. It gave just enough resistance to hold everything in place.

[LPF]

That is a really unique way to re-purpose an old file, nice work. Another project for me to try.

[GrainReaper]

That is a really unique way to re-purpose an old file, nice work. Another project for me to try.

Yes, I say you need to give it a go, it was a fun and rewarding project, I am ready to get this sheath underway, I cut the leather tonight, tomorrow I'm planning on attempting the tooling if I can get the time to scoot over to pick up the leather die to do the weave pattern.

If not maybe later in the week.

Nice thing about projects, they get done when they get done..

[GrainReaper]

After this project I'm seeing a DIY sporran in my future.

[ring0]

Add a welt between the two sheath halves. The welt is a strip of leather that goes around the edge of the sheath to keep the blade from cutting the thread or lacing. Punch holes in both sheath halves and the welt before stitching everything together.

Without a welt, the knife edge will likely cut through the threads. The scary part is that the threads might not be the only thing that's unintentionally cut.

[GrainReaper]

very good advice on the welt, I was going to do one, but with the thickness of my leather I was concerned with blade tension. perhaps I should just do it

[ring0]

Getting the right amount of retention is one of the keys to sheath design: too little retention and your knife might slip out resulting in an accident or loss of knife; too much retention and your sheath will come out of your hose every time you draw your sgian.

Sheath knives typically don't rely much on sheath tension on the blade for retention.

Your hose and garter might give you the right amount of retention while you're wearing your sgian. You can adjust garter tightness to get the retention you want.

Another option is to make the sheath come up higher onto the handle so that sheath tightness around the handle provides retention. You can adjust sheath tightness around the handle to get retention right. You probably don't want the sheath showing above your hose top, but if the sheath is only a little bit below the top of your hose resheathing will be easier than if the sheath is farther down in your sock. A sheath that comes up onto the handle will also have a wider opening, making resheathing easier and safer for legs and hose. This type of sheath will keep the sgian in the sheath even if you aren't wearing it, but the leather around the handle will make the bulge under your hose bigger.

[MNlad]

The welt doesn't have to be very thick. On the sheaths I've made, I've skived the welt to half the thickness of the sides, tapering to next to nothing at the tip. (The blade should stop in the sheath just before the tip contacts the leather.) All the welt has to do is keep the blade out of contact with the stitching.

[GrainReaper]

Ring0 and MNlad, that was some excellent info from both of you... that I think I will be incorporating into the sheath!