/diy/ - Do It Yourself

>>333827
Definitely start with a practice piece. Just from fabric, so you can get a good idea on how to get the proper shape.

If you sew with a machine, that'll be fine for the fabric, but I wouldn't use that on the leather. MIGHT be okay for thin, garment-grade leather, but I'd play it safe and stitch it by hand.

I wish I could offer more help, other than "find a pattern", but it's a pretty specific project.

Sewing is a pain in the ass. This is why I generally stick to saddle-stitching and thicker leather. Pic related.

>>278493
Well, pretty much everything I've learned was from online sources and trial-and-error.

My edges are done as follows:

>Cut out design with ~1/4" extra material on all sides.
>Glue pieces with hide glue (ie: common tacky glue).
>Clamp (clothespins) while drying.
>Stitch.

Now that the basic shape has been achieved (make sure all markings are in pencil on the outside, so you can see where inside edges are after its all sewn together but you can still wash them off), we move on to the actual edge treatment.

>Grind down final shape on bench grinder.
>Dampen the edge.
>Find grain direction, and smooth out edges with polished object (glass orb).
>Keep doing this until it looks good.
>This really takes awhile.
>A really long while.
>It's going to piss you off.
>Once it's good, let it dry.
>Apply choice of leather dye and fixative (fixative is a treatment after the dye to prevent it from bleeding out. I use Tandy's Carnauba Cream).
>Treat all exposed leather, once dry, with Mink Oil.
>Pay extra attention to the edges.

For hardening leather, you can also dip it in molten wax. Or use a brush to apply melted beeswax, then use a heatgun to make the leather wick it up into the surface.
Waxing is how leather bottles are made.

Pic is an older sheath I made. Fucked that up royally, but it still works. The pouch is made from a leather jacket from a Salvation Army. Picked it up for the sole reason that the leather matched my good and expensive leather jacket from Schott NYC. Good to have for patch material.