Sheath Ideas Wanted for Bowie Knife.

[The Cumbrian]

I've recently bought a Bowie knife for field archery (I used to use a bushcraft style knife, but after my fingers almost slipped down onto the blade a couple of times due to the lack of crossguard whilst digging arrows out of trees I wanted something a little safer) and I'm looking for sheath ideas.
It came with a serviceable sheath with a retainer that clips over one of the crossguards, but I'm not keen on it.

Has anyone ever made a bushcraft style sheath for a Bowie Knife where the knife is slid deeply into the sheath and is held by friction, rather than a retaining strap? If you have, or have tried it and it didn't work could you let me know please, and any pics would be nice.

Cheers, Michael.

 

[Dave]

.......... sheath for a Bowie Knife where the knife is slid deeply into the sheath and is held by friction.......

Kydex works well.

 

[The Cumbrian]

Cheers Dave, but I'd like a leather sheath.

 

[tombear]

Go full mountain man / primitive on it, fringe and bead/quill work! Is the guard just on the front ? If it is you can still wet form a deep sheath, just needs a slot to take the guard and be hot wax dipped to keep it rigid. Also I've found if you line with short/shaved sheepskin you can control the grip on the blade by the amount of lanolin you put on the wool.

Ok the beads etc are a bit much

Atb

Tom

 

[Hibrion]

I've done all sorts of sheaths for bowies. My personal favourite is a simple belt tuck sheath covering only the blade with a friction sheath, but I've done pouch sheaths and traditionals too.

Can you post a picture of the knife so I can see what you have to work with?

 

[Ogri the trog]

I went the opposite way when trying field archery

I figured that if my pile penetrated more than about 35mm it was lost anyway - or at least would likely break the shaft in trying to retrieve it.

So I made what was essentially a big boys awl - 10mm stainless steel bar, shaped to what was to all intents & purposes and long bodkin and set into a standard wooden file handle that I kept in a leather shooting pouch along with a multitool - if I couldn't dig a broken point out with that lot - then it was probably so bent that it would not be in a fit state to be glued onto another shaft.

It is probably the reason why I've not shot field archery for the past - ummm - eighteen years!

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[Dark Horse Dave]

Well Bobnewboy of this parish uses a Bahco wrecking knife, which sort of makes sense. For the bowie, how about this made by Stew, again of this parish:

 

[The Cumbrian]

I've done all sorts of sheaths for bowies. My personal favourite is a simple belt tuck sheath covering only the blade with a friction sheath, but I've done pouch sheaths and traditionals too.

Can you post a picture of the knife so I can see what you have to work with?

It's one of these:

http://www.heinnie.com/rough-rider-hunter-pakkawood

As you can see making a push fit friction sheath is complicated a bit by the guard.

Cheers, Michael.

 

[Hibrion]

One option is to grind down obe side of the guard to nake the pouch sheath an option. But a well made western sheath will hold that in place perfectly.

 

[Dave]

Cheers Dave, but I'd like a leather sheath.

I added a simple kydex attachment, which I formed in the oven, to my Busse BWM [10" blade] with some fancy chicago screws, aluminium rivets and a basic leather dangler.

 

[Laurentius]

I've recently bought a Bowie knife for field archery (I used to use a bushcraft style knife, but after my fingers almost slipped down onto the blade a couple of times due to the lack of crossguard whilst digging arrows out of trees I wanted something a little safer) and I'm looking for sheath ideas.
It came with a serviceable sheath with a retainer that clips over one of the crossguards, but I'm not keen on it.

Has anyone ever made a bushcraft style sheath for a Bowie Knife where the knife is slid deeply into the sheath and is held by friction, rather than a retaining strap? If you have, or have tried it and it didn't work could you let me know please, and any pics would be nice.

Cheers, Michael.

I really do not know what you mean by a "bushcraft sheath" as sheathes are as individual as the maker. I have not made a large number of sheathes myself but my early examples are not what you might call bushcrafty so much as expedient, but then again depending on your definition of bushcraft perhaps expedidient is bushcraft. To hold a knife by friction you have to make a tight sheath and that is all there is to it really, the sheath fits the knife. No pics sorry one of these days I will get round to it.

 

[juttle]

Could you not make a simple kydex sheath with enough kydex left over the cross guard to effectively hold the knife in place. Then trim the kydex right down to just the bit covering the blade and make a leather sheath to cover the kydex? That way you get the leather that you wanted, which looks and feels way better than kydex anyway, plus the retention qualities of the kydex. You'll also get added protection for the knife as you'll have an 'ear' of leather covered kydex rising up the front of the sheath which conceals the locking part of the kydex sheath.

Just a thought!

 

[crosslandkelly]

Because of the crossguard. I can only think of these type of sheath.

.

 

[Hibrion]

Could you not make a simple kydex sheath with enough kydex left over the cross guard to effectively hold the knife in place. Then trim the kydex right down to just the bit covering the blade and make a leather sheath to cover the kydex? That way you get the leather that you wanted, which looks and feels way better than kydex anyway, plus the retention qualities of the kydex. You'll also get added protection for the knife as you'll have an 'ear' of leather covered kydex rising up the front of the sheath which conceals the locking part of the kydex sheath.



Just a thought!

I've done thoa before with the securex sheaths from cold steel. It works very well, but a properly made leather sheath will be every bit as good.