Many hunters know that it is much more difficult to remove a knife than to remove it. Therefore, most of them are very responsible in choosing the sheath. However, some beginners do not know how to choose the right knife case.
Brief historical background
The history of scabbard production began in the 13th century. At that time, they were popular not only among men, but also among women. Already in those days, a universal knife with equal success was used both for cooking and for hunting. In addition, he was considered an integral attribute of the equipment of valiant warriors.
Leather knife covers were especially popular in that era. The inner side of such sheath was called mezdra, and the outer side was considered the front. To enhance water-repellent properties, the surface of the dressed skin was covered with a special protective layer consisting of oil and fats. Before making a knife case, our distant ancestors chose a piece of calfskin, the thickness of which was only two millimeters. During archaeological excavations, scientists were able to find scabbards made of cowhide, goat and sheep skin.
What to look for when buying?
When choosing a knife cover, you need to pay special attention to the material from which it is made. After all, the life of the sheath depends on its quality. You should not discount how convenient the copy you like is. Ideally, the knife should be easily removable from the case. The mouth of the scabbard should not be too narrow, not too wide.
When buying a knife case, you should pay attention to what and how it is attached. It should not have complicated locks and fasteners. High-quality scabbard is made not only of leather, but also of wood, covered with this very skin. In the selection process, it is recommended to consider the type of knife that will be stored in them. Leather cases are ideal for small ones, and wooden ones for large hunting knives.
How to make a sheath for medium and large hunting knives?
Unfortunately, not all stores can find a suitable case. Those who failed to do this should not be upset. After all, you can make a knife case with your own hands. To do this, you need to stock up in advance with a piece of thick felt, a leather belt, layered plywood, epoxy resin with a hardener, dacron threads, emery and a file.
Two sheets should be cut from layered plywood, the shape of which is identical to the blade of a knife. The size of the resulting blanks should slightly exceed the size of the blade itself. The surface of both plates must be treated with hardener epoxy . Top should be glued in advance cut felt. After the glue has completely dried, excess felt can be cut off. Then you need to take both blanks and attach them to each other so that the felt part is inside. Next, a loop of leather belt is glued with epoxy. Sheath plates are treated with epoxy and immediately tightly wrapped with dacron threads. After waiting for the glue to catch the threads and plywood, you can apply a fresh layer of resin and wind another layer of thread. To achieve greater strength, it is recommended that at least four such layers be made.
After the resin has completely hardened, you can start grinding the scabbard. You can give them the desired shape with a file and sandpaper. To make the finished product aesthetically pleasing, it should be dyed or taped.
How to make a PVC knife case for yourself?
To produce such a sheath, it is necessary to stock up with a sharp knife, an industrial hairdryer and a piece of PVC pipe, which is widely used in plumbing. The latter can be purchased at any hardware store. The manufacture of such a sheath will take no more than half an hour.
First of all, you need to cut a piece of pipe of the desired length. Having made a longitudinal incision on the pipe, it must be softened with an industrial hair dryer. After that, pliable plastic can be folded in the form of a sheath. The excess is cut off with a sharp knife.
After that, it is necessary to put a knife in the case and re-heat the plastic in the area of the handle. In softened material, you can easily make a convenient recess under the handle. To fasten the sheath, it is necessary to make several holes for screw connections or rivets along the seam line. At the final stage, you need to do the fastening for the belt. It is advisable to cut it from a piece of genuine leather. The eyelet for the belt is attached to the sheath with rivets.