Now that we have the sheath glued and trimmed, we need to
make holes for our rivets.
Using a ruler, I make very light marks at 1/2 intervals.
Sometimes I use fewer rivets and space them at 3/4 inch intervals.
I'll use a small leather punch to make the holes.
I want to make my holes about 1/4 from the edge so they
will go through the middle of the 1/2" wide welt.
I put a rubber "Poundo" board over my granite slab when punching holes.
Now I use a edge beveling tool to put a little bevel on the edges.
I use a grooved plastic tool to round and smooth the edges.
I use a piece of smooth mammoth ivory to burnish the
thicker edges.
Bone or even plastic will also work fine for burnishing.
Now we are ready to stain the leather. In this case, I will use a tan antique stain from Tandy Leather.
I simply wipe it on with a damp sponge.
Rubber gloves are highly recommended as this stuff will stain your hands just as
well as it stains leather.
We need to let the stain sit for about 5-10 minutes.
Just enough time to grab a cup of coffee and a couple of sausage biscuits.
After 5-10 minutes, rub the antique stain lightly with a damp sponge until you get the look you want.
I am going to use these little metal rivets instead of sewing this sheath.
They come in two parts that press together with a couple of taps from a hammer.
Now we have to make holes and install our snaps for the retaining strap.
Again I use my punch against the Poundo board on top of my
granite slab.
The Poundo board not only protects the punch tip but helps make cleaner holes.
I set the snap with a setting tool.
I determine where the other half of the snap will go.
After installing the snaps, I need to trim a little of the excess length from the retaining strap.
And I touch up the freshly cut end with a little stain.
All finished!
I will rub the sheath down with some Super Sheen to waterproof it and give it a
little shine.
Thanks for looking.
Look for more tutorials in the near future.
Mike