My Custom Leather Work

I got onto a few other little projects in order to give my eyes and mind a break. Whipped up a couple of slides, and three different rifle straps for three different tastes.
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Nice work! thank you for sharing. I am really enjoying watching the progress.
 
I didn’t get near as much done last week as I had planned, but I managed to get a few things done.
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I don’t get many requests for anything black so I don’t think about it very often, but this may be of interest and use to a few of you.

My great uncle taught me the old method for turning leather black.

All that I do is soak a piece of fine steel wool in a cup of white vinegar for three days. Then I just rub the vinegar right into the raw leather, about three coats and let it dry.

I then give it a bath in a baking soda water combo to neutralize the acid in the vinegar. This is an important step. The acid will eat the stitching if it is not neutralized.

I let it dry once more and give it two coats of olive oil. The picture above is the result.

A neat thing about this method is the black penetrates deep in the leather, and does not scuff beyond repair easily.
 
That method produces a very good, deep black also. Really like the appearance of that sheath!
Thanks for sharing your methods. Always fun to see how craftsmen go about their trade!
 
I first contacted @CM McKenzie at the end of February about building me 2 knife sheaths for me. I was looking for something specific, and for those who know me as being detail oriented...I can take things to a new level. We discussed design and build for a while via PM and I got a good feeling about this leather craftsman. I shipped off 2 knives to him with no hesitation. We texted back and forth as build progressed...going over the angle (cross-draw style) of the knife, how much handle to expose, the curve of the leather so it molds to the body...etc. He was on top of it.

@CM McKenzie was a pleasure to work with. Watching what only existed in my head be put into leather was amazing. A couple of weeks later they arrived in the mail and here are a few pictures... Apologies for not having any pictures of the black leather holster made for my bride because she is currently wearing it. Maybe a few pics later of that one later, but mine (with the perfectly matched color) is a real showpiece.

A few things of note...first and foremost is the quality and thickness of the leather. I'm unlikely to ever wear this out by wearing it daily. The contouring of the scabbard to the body is perfect, doesn't dig in the ribs or stick the blade out from the body. Along with this is the way the interior pieces of leather were shaved into proper fitting pieces allowing the leather to curve without being stressed. Knife is secure and interior was custom cut to accommodate my knife. Reinforced stitching around the belt loops and it slides onto my 1 3/4" Galco SB5 with perfect pressure...stays put where I want it.
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I am very grateful to @CM McKenzie for what he did for me. If you are in need of a leather product, I can not recommend anyone else more than him. He's a top notch craftsman and a great guy to talk to as well. Thanks again.
 
BeeMaa said:
I first contacted @CM McKenzie at the end of February about building me 2 knife sheaths for me. I was looking for something specific, and for those who know me as being detail oriented...I can take things to a new level. We discussed design and build for a while via PM and I got a good feeling about this leather craftsman. I shipped off 2 knives to him with no hesitation. We texted back and forth as build progressed...going over the angle (cross-draw style) of the knife, how much handle to expose, the curve of the leather so it molds to the body...etc. He was on top of it.

@CM McKenzie was a pleasure to work with. Watching what only existed in my head be put into leather was amazing. A couple of weeks later they arrived in the mail and here are a few pictures... Apologies for not having any pictures of the black leather holster made for my bride because she is currently wearing it. Maybe a few pics later of that one later, but mine (with the perfectly matched color) is a real showpiece.

A few things of note...first and foremost is the quality and thickness of the leather. I'm unlikely to ever wear this out by wearing it daily. The contouring of the scabbard to the body is perfect, doesn't dig in the ribs or stick the blade out from the body. Along with this is the way the interior pieces of leather were shaved into proper fitting pieces allowing the leather to curve without being stressed. Knife is secure and interior was custom cut to accommodate my knife. Reinforced stitching around the belt loops and it slides onto my 1 3/4" Galco SB5 with perfect pressure...stays put where I want it.
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I am very grateful to @CM McKenzie for what he did for me. If you are in need of a leather product, I can not recommend anyone else more than him. He's a top notch craftsman and a great guy to talk to as well. Thanks again.
Click to expand...
You were a pleasure to do business with.
 
As promised, a picture of the black (old school) died sheath that @CM McKenzie made for my bride. She is completely in love with it. How it fits, how it rides on the belt and just as important as what it doesn't do like annoy her. She says it makes carrying a knife easy, which is what it should be. Tell you the truth, I was lucky to get her pants off of her long enough to take this...LOL.
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