Making a knife sheath out of beaver tail (Update)

Making a knife sheath out of beaver tail (Update) Mar 28, 2011 9:08:01 GMT -5

Quote

Post by trapnhunt on Mar 28, 2011 9:08:01 GMT -5

Has anyone here ever make a knife sheath out of a tanned beaver tail?
I have a few tanned flat tails and need a sheath for this knife and was thinking of making one with a sinew lining. I've made sheaths before like that before but never used a beaver tail. I'm just wondering how this leather would hold up throughout the years.

I'll take photos of the process and final product. Here is a thumbnail sketch of what the process is...
When I make them, I line the sheath with bulk sinew that I have so it doesnt come in direct contact with the leather. I mainly use a sinew lining to protect the leather from being cut but it also helps reduce the acid in the leather to come in contact with the blade. When I make it, I soak the sinew for close to 24hrs in order to make it soft and easy to mold to the knife. I coat the blade with a "No Salt" cooking spray to avoid rust while in the drying process, I clamp the wet sinew down to that, and put it over a heat vent to dry. Once it's dried out, I remove the clamps and glue the leather to the sinew and clamp it down again until dried. Once the glue is set, I trim the sinew around the blade, I punch small holes through the edge of the leather & sinew and use a cross stitch to lace it up. Then and only then will I cut rest of the excess sinew and sew the rest of the leather to form.

Materials