[Adam Simmonds]

hi there,

in Peter Johnson's informative picture (thanks Patrick) he states: "Use only vegetable tanned leather! not chromium tanned!"

But - why would this matter when the leather in question is only wrapped around the outside of the wooden core and so won't be coming in contact with the blade?

Is this stipulation for using "only vegetable tanned leather" solely a desire for historical authenticity or are there also more practical reasons for using said leather?

cheers, Adam

[Chad Arnow]

[M. Eversberg II]

[Jared Smith]

The vegtable tanned leather (1.5 to 2 ounce weight calf leather preferred) has several useful characteristics not typical of the couch leather.

If you wet it (recommend 75% isopropal alcohol) you can get it to shrink a couple of percent. This makes it conform tightly to the core of the scabbard. It is also somewhat rigid after it dries, and takes a set. It will not tend to rotate around the core since it is set in its canoe like cross section form.

While it is damp, you can do a wide range of things. Prepare to spend a few hours seeing it through to completion of stiching and forming tasks though.. . It is much tougher and harder to stictch once it dries.

You can antique distress it (wad it up inside a canvass bag and bash it with a hammer.) Form it while wet and stiching around risers (glued cord underneath), and press it over embossed forms (can be made from similarly thin layers of the same leather glued to the core underneath the cover. It is also the right type of leather for incising thin line designs on while wetted. Despite this "abuse" it will accept leather dyes. You can use several hues of brown-reds if if going for the antique route.

[Hans Englund]

I´m going to sew the leather around my scabbard but I think I need some pointers.

1. Which is the best way to measure the amount of leather needed? How is the pattern supposed to look like?

2. How do I start at the bottom? I am going to glue it on and stitch it together but it is a bit hard with the beginning. It makes a pointy end if I fold it and twist it 90 degrees. Is there a way of avoiding this? Hope you know what I mean.

I have some leather working experience but I really want to make this look perfect. I am not going to use a metal endpiece.

[Jason G. Smith]

Hey! Anyone have a high-res version of Peter Johnsson's primer? It's kinda hard to read as-is, and blown-up it ain't much better! Thanks.

[Greyson Brown]

[Jason G. Smith]

The image I have (which I got from this thread) is 581x800 pixels. Nowhere near the res you mentioned. I'll look it up, though. And yeah, I do have my own faves...

[M. Eversberg II]

Instead of making a new thread, I'm going to bump this old one. I've gotten a few requests here and there for the above mentioned PDF, but it requires a CNC machine. Most people don't have this. So, in the interest of passing along more information, I will link the following tutorial:

http://yeoldegaffers.com/project_scabbard.asp

This should be more useful to most people.

M.

[Nathan Beal]

[Hadrian Coffin]

Hello,
I just thought I'd toss out a few tips...

I. For "carving out the hollow for the blade": I used to use balsa wood, and carve out the hollow with a plane, stopping to check as I went. However I quickly found a far easier way, after purchasing an albion campaign line scabbard. Use three pieces of very thin wood, trace the blade shape onto one and cut it out, then cut the shape of the scabbard onto two other pieces. It is like making a sandwich. Finally carve the edges so it isn't "blocky".

II. For making the leather pattern: Simple, wrap masking tape around the core, cut down the middle, peel it off, stick to backside of leather.

III. For swelling/shrinking problems: I had this problem when shipping scabbards (especially between hot, cold, and humid states). The solution I found was to use a stabilized wood (such as plywood) and a glue that will not change in differing climates. The solution isn't exactly period, but it works.

Hope this helps!
Cheers,
Hadrian

[Julien M]

[Jean Thibodeau]

One might even carve out a channel for a sword with a centre ridge and make the " box " even thinner before gluing the part together and end up with almost the same crossection that fully carving out the inside would have produces.

[Austin D.G. Hill]

hope this helps

http://www.yeoldegaffers.com/project_scabbard.asp

[Daniel Wallace]

all the sheaths i've been making are wood without leather and i;ve always found that hollowing out the core fits tighter than bonding 3 pieces of wood together. it's actually pretty easy to do once you get the hand of pushing a wood chisel through the wood.

i basically start from where the bevel would be on the blade and setting the chisel at an angel start to dig into it. and also i would use a wood that is not very porous. (maple - cherry - walunt ) nothing like red oak (it will will feel tougher than the steel when trying to carve it) because your chisel will want to follow the grain patter on the wood.

if your going to cover the sheath with leather poplar is a good wood to start with, it's soft to cut, and considered a hard wood. once you have the 'negative' on the blades geometry layed on the on the cores it's a good idea to carve the walls of the sheath away from the blade a little. i've had experience when glueing the two halfs together with tightbond brand glue that if it oozed out into the core when you place your blade in the sheath it will tarnish the steel, so i always use a minimal amount of glue when putting the halfs together. and couple coats of poly will help seal the 2 pieces together too. as long as you carve out a little at a time the wood will hold the steel on the faces of the blade to have a tight fit.

sand the inner core very smooth - if you use something like maple (which is basically a hard as iron) it has the potential to make scuff marks on the blade. if you wanted to - you could carve out the core enough to add a liner in the sheath - but i've never had good experience with them. cracking and warpage - i've never had trouble with that either possibly because of how much sealer i put on my wood cores.

this is the best pic i have of my a&a sheath i made last year that you can see the bevels in the carving.

[Joss d'Azincourt]

I've read this topic with great interest !! It's an old topic but i'd like to know if the process presented by Mister Johnson is correct for end of 14th century ?
Many thanks !!!

[George Hill]

How are Chapes attached to scabbards? I imagine you fellows are using glue, but I haven't found any references on this question of scabbard construction.

I've been reading and searching the guides, but if this issue is addressed I've managed to miss it. I know many use superglue or wood glue to get the leather onto the core, but none of the guides address chape attachment, and what glues are appropriate.

[Leo Todeschini]

George Hill wrote

[Brian K.]

A properly sized scabbard end will actually provide a great 'friction' fit and if desired only a tiny bit of adhesive is needed to last a long time.

[Mark Moore]

I've often wondered.....Would it be feasible to veeery carefully measure a scabbard core, then veeeery carefully cut and stitch your leather INSIDE-OUT, then slip it on the core? Kinda like putting on a...uhh...condom? Yes? No? Thoughts?...McM