9

FORGE

worked for me, but yours will be different. (Engrave:
6% at 200 mm/s. Cut: 10% at 8 mm/s.) If your leather
doesn’t sit perfectly flat, weighing it down outside the
cut area will give better results.

IT’S A STITCH-UP
Measure the length of your seam and multiply by
six. This will give you a comfortable length of thread
to work with. Thread a needle onto each end of the
thread. Start at one end of the sheath, and pass one
of the needles through the first hole on each side. Pull
through so that the same length of thread remains on
each side. Using the same needle, pass through the
second pair of holes. Take the other needle and pass
that, in the opposite direction, through the second set
of holes. Pull both sides taut, then repeat this pattern
all the way to the end of the seam. This technique is
called saddle stitch, and results in two sets of stitching
through each pair of holes. When you get to the end,
to avoid having ugly knots, stitch backwards for two or
three holes and then pull tight and cut off the ends. You
might find pliers helpful for back-stitching, as things
can get a little tight at this point.
Use the same stitching technique for the belt loop,
then insert your knife gently into the sheath. If all has
gone according to plan, it should be a tight sliding
fit, and extremely difficult to push it in too far. Enjoy
making and using your sheath.

Right

In saddle stitch, you have a needle on each end and start in

the middle of the thread, essentially double-stitching each

hole (once from each side)

YOU’LL NEED

A piece of 2 mm-

thick leather

30 cm × 11 cm (eBay)

Strong leather-

work thread

(eBay)

Tapestry needles

(eBay/craft shop)

Pliers

Access to a

laser cutter

• Sheaths usually taper gradually for most of their length and end with a curve.


• The sharp edge of the knife blade should stay ~1^ cm from the sheath’s outside edge.


• Stitch holes should be ~5 mm from the outside edge and ~4 mm from each other.


• Stitch holes should be ~1^ mm in diameter. This makes for easy stitching, without the
  need for pliers.


• The knife handle should protrude from the sheath by ~4–5^ cm, so you have something
  to grip onto to remove it.


• Adding a belt loop gives you a ‘hands-free’ way to carry the knife in the sheath.


• Example files at: hsmag.cc/qMHorj.

SHEATH DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

Stitch holes 1 mm diameter, 4 mm apart, 5 mm from edge

Belt loop

goes here

Belt loop

Below

The extra leather rectangle is for a belt loop. Ideally, you’d do a

‘fold-over’ loop, but the leather wasn’t long enough for this knife