What's the difference between a sheath and a scabbard?
The main differentiator that I've discovered is this: scabbards have a wooden core wrapped with leather/fabric while a sheath does not have the wooden core.
I've wanted to make a scabbard for a while, but I've been intimidated by the videos I've seen.
All the makers seem to be blacksmiths or people with fully stocked wood working shops!
I went as cheap and simple as possible, an achieved a decent result.
Materials
1/8" basswood sheet from Hobby Lobby
Gorilla wood glue
1/4" wood chisel
Sandpaper
An assortment of clamps
Wing divider
Jeweler's saw or some sort of sharp cutting tool
Goatskin leather from Hobby Lobby
Piece of 5 oz leather scrap
Barge leather cement
Needles
Waxed thread
Awl
Knife my son made in blacksmithing class
Step 1: Clamp the wood and trace the outline of the knife.
Use wing dividers to create a 1/4" (or so) seam allowance.
Flip the knife and do the same thing at the other end of the strip.
I kept doing the second 1/2 of the woo core backwards, so I ended up not chiseling the second piece.
Step 2: Chisel or sand down the wood
I used a chisel to make a slot for the knife to fit into.
This sort of wood rips easily, so I did lots of tapping.
Sanding works just as well with a dremel, but I couldn't find my ear protector, and the dog hates the whine of the dremel.
Sand down the wood further with a patch of sandpaper to smooth this out.
Step 3. Cut out the pieces
I don't have access to a bandsaw, which has kept me from attempting scabbards.
Something this small, thin, and soft works well with a thicker jeweler's saw blade.
I also used various box cutters and smaller knives to cut out the curves or when the wood became too long for the saw.
The saw blade will probably end up breaking.
Step 4: Wet and Glue and Clamp
Wrap your knife blade in plastic wrap if you use the blade for the wet forming part.
Soak the wood. This cheap wood absorbs water quickly and shows warp almost immediately!
I glued and clamped while the wood was wet. I don't know if that's typically a good idea, but I did it.
Make sure the glue stays on the edges and doesn't get all over the center and on your blade.
Step 5: Add Leather
Goatskin (1-2oz) worked great for this project.
I soaked it for about a minute and then wrapped it tightly around the wood core.
Keep in mind this adds moisture to the wood, so watch for warp. Some people will waterproof the wood first.
I smoothed the edges with the handle of one of my leather tools. The irregular shape of the core caused me lots of problems.
Once finished, clamp the leather at the back and let it dry. You can also glue the leather to the wood. I didn't think of that until the end.
Step 6: Sew
Before I did any sewing, I dyed the leather. That probably should have been last (or first).
I used an awl to poke holes and sewed up the back with waxed thread.
It's very messy. My mom calls this look "rustic," and I'll take it as intentional!
I also added glue at the bottom.
Step 7: Final Touches
I wanted to make brass fittings, but I also didn't like the look.
Using Barge cement, I added a thick band of leather at the top with my son's initials in carved runes.