Knifemakers - now I GOT poured pewter!

[Greg Walden]

Here's the result of my earlier post about "got poured pewter..." this is my first knife!

9" blade forged/ground from an old file - I don't know what kind of steel it is, but it holds an edge well and it's sharper than it looks :winking: It has a rectangular tang pinned with two brass pins I made from 1/8" stock.

The pewter bolster was easier than I anticipated. I filed the bolster area down and drilled several holes into the antler (sorry about the bad "before" photo; new camera and I didn't get the macro right). I pressed modelling clay into the antler ridges and then pressed wrapped up manila folder card into the clay to form the mold for the bolster, and wrapped some masking tape around it. I preheated the area with a hair dryer per the advice in the other thread.

I melted the pewter in my hot pot and poured using the Lyman ladle I use for running ball. I will find and use a bigger ladle next time, because this thing took a big old chunk of pewter and the Lyman ladle wouldn't hold enough to do it fast in one pour, so I got some small air pockets. After quite a bit of filing and I put a satin finish on the pewter with 220 sandpaper, and it's done.

Now, how about a sheath for this thing? I've done quite a bit of hand-worked leather, but only for Civil War era. My persona is a contract hunter for the Virginia militia at Logan's Fort (Kentucky) in 1777; what would I have had for a sheath? I'm thinking a simple wraparound long enough to go partway up the handle, no belt loop (just shove it in the sash). My hunter would probably not have made the knife himself but might well have made the sheath - what would he have used? Veg tanned cowhide OK? Buckskin - I've never worked with buckskin, is that heavy enough for a knife sheath?

Thanks to all for the pewter advice!

Greg

 

[rich pierce]

Looks great. Don't be afraid to make the blade look pretty new at the edge, because it would heve been sharpened constantly. I have made some knives from files and I hope you tempered it well. They hold a great edge but can be brittle if not tempered past straw, well into purple on the back and through the tang area. I had my first one snap at the junction of the handle and blade and it about made me cry.

Buckskin would be too soft for a sheath. If the guy made it himself, rawhide would work. Otherwise any piece of heavy cowhide leather would do. I'd favor a wide wraparound sheath for tucking into the sash as you mentioned. Stitched, not laced with a thong. Then stained with grease.

 

[Greg Walden]

Rich,

Thanks for the comments. I must confess I didn't make the blade; it was made for me by a friend at the blacksmith's shop in Caesar's Creek Village, Ohio. I reckon he tempered it; he was the blacksmith and I just used what he made for me! Thanks for the tips on the sheath!

Regards,
Greg

 

[crockett]

Looks great. From the size of the shirt, the knife looks like a size that will get a lot of practical use.

 

[musketman]

The pewter buffed out real nice too, no lines of scratches... :thumbsup:

 

Buckskin is far too light and soft for knife sheaths, though I have seen beaded buckskin skretched over a rawhide sheath. Rolled over into the top of the sheath, it helps to keep the knife in the sheath. Great for dress up, but probably would wear quickly with heavy use.

Just :m2c:

 

[loishd]

Very nice job on the knife!

Now as for a buckskin sheath I will have to disagree with the others. I have used buckskin to make several sheaths. Only there is a couple of points you have to be aware of. First is that buckskin stretches a great deal, so to make it nice looking you will want to make in a slight smaller in the pattern. Secondly buckskin is not a stiff material so you will need to make a liner which I do out of rawhide (very large dog bones soaked in water and unrolled work great). Form the wet rawhide around the greased knife blade or make a form from wood paint stir sticks and dowel rod to form the rawhide. This is a very PC way of making a sheath of course braintan would have been used. Also to make the sheath look more proper using commercial tanned buckskin sew with the ruff side out.
If you have any other questions contact me via PM and I'll try to help answer.
:m2c:
Good Luck. :results:

 

[Stumpkiller]

I've used buckskin for a sheath, too. My patch knife is in a buckskin sheath. I formed a full-length sheath, folded it over a piece of thicker leather strap (that's what I use to attach it to the horn strap) and then the upper portion I folded back down over the strap.

To "take the play" out of the buckskin, I soaked it in beeswax and roasted it (with a heat gun). The wax permiates the leather, and the procees of "boiling" leather was used in the past to make armor.

This gives me a triple thickness of leather at the neck. Even so, I an VERY cautious when sheathing the knife. I wouldn't dare do this with a larger knife or a belt knife where it might have the leverage to twist within the sheath.