Stitching a Knife Sheath

The seam holds the sheath together. It also has to stay away from the blade edge. The welt does that second job, as a buffer between the knife's edge and the stitching.¹ A groove helps too, because the thread sits flush or below the surface.²

Mark the stitch line

Pick one of the two ways below. They aren't the same, and the sources use them in different builds, so choose whichever suits the tools you own.

• Option one: a groove. Cut a shallow groove along the edge of the seam with a gouge or groover.²
• Option two: a scratched line. Mark a line round the edge about 1/4 inch from the edge of the leather.¹
• Weaver calls a groove line of approximately 1/8 inch (a hair under 3 mm) ideal.³
• If there's a welt, use it to place the groove. Wet the leather first. The line should land midway across the welt.⁴

A groove has a bonus. The thread is protected and sits flush with or below the surface of the leather.²

Space the holes

• Mark the stitches in the groove with a rowel (a small spiked wheel). Six holes per inch is fine, says one tutorial.²
• One book uses a spacer set to mark out the holes for drilling.¹

Punch the holes

You've got a few ways to do it.

• A drill press with a 1/16-inch bit, or an awl.¹
• A fid or ice pick. A fid makes a small slit, not a hole.²
• A stitching chisel. Hold it vertical so it doesn't slip out of the leather.³
• Use a single-prong chisel at the corners.³

Whatever you pick:

• Punch through all the layers: front, welt and back.¹
• Make sure the holes line up on both sides, or the stitching won't sit right.²
• Match the holes to the needle and thread. The needles should need a push, not fall through.⁴
• Try the tool on scraps first.⁴

Thread and needles

A saddle stitch puts two threads through one row of holes, as running stitches that alternate.⁵ In practice that means one long thread with a needle on each end, and both needles pass through the same hole from opposite sides, one after the other.⁴

How much thread?

• Four or five times the length of the sheath, for one book.¹
• Six times the length of the seam, for one tutorial. Its author says five would probably do, but running short is a nuisance.⁴

Sew the seam

• If the sheath has a stitched-on belt loop, sew it first. It's much easier before the main seam.²
• Start a few holes from the top. One book starts 3 holes down.¹
• Reinforce the top. A backstitch there strengthens the upper corner, which takes the most abuse.¹
• Every two or three holes, tighten by pulling on the thread.¹
• Pull the stitches tight.⁴

One book grabs the needle with pliers, because it's tough to work the needle through with your fingers. It's easy to break needles that way, so keep spares.¹

Finish the thread

• Go back through a few stitches and tie a knot. Then melt the end of the thread with a match.¹
• Tap the stitches down with a mallet.⁴
• Burnish the seam with the wooden end of a fid, to even out the stitches and push them down into the sheath.²
• Don't end your stitches on the front of the sheath. One author says they made that mistake.⁴

Keeping thread off the edge

The welt sits between the knife's edge and the stitching.¹ Its fitting is covered on the welt page.

After stitching, dry, trim and finish. That's in Finishing and Drying a Knife Sheath.