Vintage Leather Knife Sheath Pics

nate-dogg · #1 05-20-2019, 03:55 PM

Inspired by crazyphil, turnerriver, and several other Forum members, I thought I would start a thread that's dedicated to knife leather. I attempted this thread on another forum and there was no interest. Hopefully the people on this forum will share some photos of some nice old knife leather!

George Lawrence Sheath made for Randall Model #12-11". The stamp 15XF stands for 15 inch long, left hand, Floral carved. Thanks for looking and I hope to see some pictures of other people's beautiful knife leather!

xring33 · #2 05-20-2019, 04:14 PM

Lawrence made excellent pistol holsters also

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

nate-dogg · #3 05-20-2019, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xring33

Lawrence made excellent pistol holsters also

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Yes they made many, many more holsters than sheaths.

crazyphil · #4 05-20-2019, 04:26 PM

Beautiful carving on that Lawrence sheath. I believe it's called the
Sheridan style? It kinda reminded me of this Lawrence holster I
used to own, but in a moment of temporary insanity I sold it.

Good idea for a thread. It might do better in the
Gun Leather forum. Perhaps turnerriver will change it if he agrees.

nate-dogg · #5 05-20-2019, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crazyphil

Good idea for a thread. It might do better in the
Gun Leather forum. Perhaps turnerriver will change it if he agrees.

I agree that it would get more views and probably more responses in the Gun Leather forum, but I was hoping to stay focused on Knife Leather as opposed to Gun Leather. There are so many Gun Leather threads out there already.

xring33 · #6 05-20-2019, 04:50 PM

ok....keeping with the knife leather this plain Jane sheath came with my Browning knife.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

crazyphil · #7 05-20-2019, 04:59 PM

Nothing here anywhere near as nice as your Lawrence, but they do carry
the knives. Top row left to right and bottom row right to left as follows:
Oxblood sheath for Bear lockback
Black nylon NRA
Black nylon with Gerber
Black basket weave with Camillus
Black leather with Buck
Dark brown with Marbles
Lt. brown with Schrade
Chestnut with Case
Lt. brown with Puma

2nd from left is a Slim Jim holster from Oklahoma Leather on a cartridge
belt also from O.L. My Ruger .44 magnum, Stetson, and a good example
of how not to make a knife sheath (by Phil).

3rd from left is a fairly decent looking basket weave sheath from Big Sky
with a stag handle Bowie. The revolver is my Model 19. The holster is a
Heiser that I sold when in another moment of temporary insanity. The
Resistol was a 27th birthday gift from my wife and daughter. I'm 84 now
so you might say it's been around for a while (and looks it).

nate-dogg · #8 05-20-2019, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crazyphil

Top row left to right and bottom row right to left as follows:
Oxblood sheath for Bear lockback
Black nylon NRA
Black nylon with Gerber
Black basket weave with Camillus
Black leather with Buck
Dark brown with Marbles
Lt. brown with Schrade
Chestnut with Case
Lt. brown with Puma

Of those I particularly like the Oxblood for Bear lockback, Black basket weave for Camillus, and Black leather for Buck.

nate-dogg · #9 05-20-2019, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xring33

ok....keeping with the knife leather this plain Jane sheath came with my Browning knife.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I like the look of that. Is there any Maker's Mark on it?

turnerriver · #10 05-20-2019, 05:29 PM

Great idea, quality maker marked knife sheaths are hard to find although most of the old makers offered them.
I found this Heiser sheath at the Tulsa gun show some years ago and I had to evince interest in the nondescript knife that was in it before I was able to buy it. That isn’t the knife that was in it.

I bought an early Buck model 120 knife and went on a search for other models. These two Lawrence sheaths came along after the knives.

I’ve got a couple of others I’ll dig out and photograph.
Regards,
turnerriver

nate-dogg · #11 05-20-2019, 05:31 PM

Here's a 1989 Buck 110.

nate-dogg · #12 05-20-2019, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by turnerriver

Great idea, quality maker marked knife sheaths are hard to find although most of the old makers offered them.
I found this Heiser sheath at the Tulsa gun show some years ago and I had to evince interest in the nondescript knife that was in it before I was able to buy it. That isn’t the knife that was in it.

I bought an early Buck model 120 knife and went on a search for other models. These two Lawrence sheaths came along after the knives.

I’ve got a couple of others I’ll dig out and photograph.
Regards,
turnerriver

Wow! Those are all very beautiful! Keep the pictures coming!

nate-dogg · #13 05-20-2019, 05:39 PM

Not a knife, but knife related.

Old TexMex · #14 05-20-2019, 05:44 PM

Nothing special here, but all serviceable

Rustyt1953 · #15 05-20-2019, 05:51 PM

Forgive my butting in and straying as I'm not much of a knife guy but I admire beautiful leather work.
During my career I have seen, used and sold many quality guitar straps such as these.

Good thread.

Chubbo · #16 05-20-2019, 06:15 PM

Here are pictures of my only vintage leather knife sheath, Knife, that it fits, and the display stand made to display them. I know that they are vintage, as I made them, myself. The knife in 1970, the sheath, and the stand couple of years later, I hope that they. they qualify for this thread.

Chubbo

JayFramer · #17 05-20-2019, 06:35 PM

Here’s a simple open top holster for my Buck knife:

Onomea · #18 05-20-2019, 08:20 PM

I’ve told the story of this vintage sheath before, but the short version is my parents made this sheath for my father’s Cattaraugus 225Q, the knife he carried as Marine in the Pacific Theater, shortly after WWII. It was falling apart when I inherited both it and the Cattaraugus in 1995, upon my father’s passing, but last year I hired a craftsman to restore it for me. (In truth, he made it into a far better sheath than it was originally.)

This thread has the full story, with before and after photos: http://smith-wessonforum.com/firearm...ther%92s+knife It’s an interesting thread, with various members contributing their own knife stories.

SG-688 · #19 05-20-2019, 08:30 PM

This Bruce Nelson pouch for an Al Mar SERE belongs to my old IPSC practice partner.

crazyphil · #20 05-21-2019, 04:38 AM

Can't remember for sure, but I had this old Solingen blade as long as I
can remember, and I think the sheath was just with it.

The handle on the Solingen was cracked & broken, so 30 or 40 years
ago I took the old handle off and made the one shown here out of a
pick handle.

When my old Dad examined it he said "it aint much for looks, but its
Hell for strong."

Famous knife maker Chris Reeve's shop was a short walk from where
I live, and he sharpened it. I haven't tried, but pretty sure I could shave
with it.

The floral carved holster is a Hunter model 1100. Cowtown cartridge
belt. Ruger New Model Super Blackhawk .44 Magnum. And as always
my Open Road Stetson.

BAM-BAM · #21 05-21-2019, 08:32 AM

Most new knives come with pretty cheap leather sheaths IMO.... or kydex which can be ok for a every day working knife.

I've gotten several really nice replacement heavy leather sheaths from Savage Sheaths in Saxis Va.

A good knife, even if not fancy, deserves a good sheath!!!!!!!

crazyphil · #22 05-21-2019, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rustyt1953

Forgive my butting in and straying as I'm not much of a knife guy but I admire beautiful leather work.
During my career I have seen, used and sold many quality guitar straps such as these.

Good thread.

I loaned my guitar to my great-granddaughter so she could
take guitar lessons. That was about 4 or 5 years ago. She
kept the guitar, but gave me the strap back.

-db- · #23 05-21-2019, 09:09 AM

Marble's Woodcraft in a custom American Classic Gunleather sheath:

BubbaBlades · #24 05-21-2019, 09:49 AM

This Randall Kit knife and the sheath were made by Don Zaccagnino Sr.

Don was a well respected custom knifemaker in the 60s and 70s (and a heck of a nice guy).

turnerriver · #25 05-21-2019, 10:02 AM

Here are some more I dug out.
Lawrence sheaths

A Heiser sheath

The only S.D. Myres sheath I’ve found, so far.

Regards,
turnerriver

nate-dogg · #26 05-21-2019, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by -db-

Marble's Woodcraft in a custom American Classic Gunleather sheath:

That is a very nice sheath!

nate-dogg · #27 05-21-2019, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by turnerriver

Here are some more I dug out.
Lawrence sheaths

A Heiser sheath

The only S.D. Myres sheath I’ve found, so far.

Regards,
turnerriver

Incredible collection you have!

nate-dogg · #28 05-21-2019, 08:37 PM

Here are a couple Maurice Johnson sheaths. Johnson made these smooth button rough back sheaths from 1964 to 1991.

Warren Sear · #29 05-21-2019, 09:32 PM

Here is a sheath I made for a knife I got in a trade. I gave it an "antique" finish (or, I tried, anyway

)...

Onomea · #30 05-21-2019, 09:41 PM

Here’s a simple vintage sheath along side a Bob Schrap flap cover sheath I had made for the same knife:

The knife, which I bought in Sedona in 1992, reportedly was made in Wyoming around 1900. Here’s the back of the sheaths:

And here’s a Schrap sheath for my no name skinning knife (reportedly purchased at Abercrombie and Fitch, NyC, in 1959):

[/url]

Bob Schrap is still at it, as of a few years ago, anyway, and makes absolutely beautiful custom sheaths. (Hey, they’ll be vintage if we wait long enough!)

nate-dogg · #31 05-21-2019, 10:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Warren Sear

Here is a sheath I made for a knife I got in a trade. I gave it an "antique" finish (or, I tried, anyway

)...

Nice work!

nate-dogg · #32 05-21-2019, 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Onomea

And here’s a Schrap sheath for my no name skinning knife (reportedly purchased at Abercrombie and Fitch, NyC, in 1959):

[/url]

Bob Schrap is still at it, as of a few years ago, anyway, and makes absolutely beautiful custom sheaths. (Hey, they’ll be vintage if we wait long enough!)

I really like the color and design of that pouch sheath for the Skinner!

Chubbo · #33 05-22-2019, 07:30 PM

In my first post, I stated that I had only one vintage knife sheath. While looking through pictures of my 'Stuff', I found others, and there should be many more. I think that I have developed 'Sometimer's' disease.

Here are pictures of one I made for a Green River butcher knife, used for a patch knife, when I started shooting muzzle loaders many years ago. Also a picture of an old Marble hunting knife, with the sheath that came with it.

Chubbo

stu1ritter · #34 05-23-2019, 09:24 AM

In the late 80's there was a Japanese sword maker Kuzan Oda living in Colorado who was making some fixed blade knives. I bought one from him. He also made the sheath.

Stu

crazyphil · #35 06-24-2019, 02:50 AM

This knife was advertised as a Bowie style replica of what a Union soldier
might have worn as his fighting knife. The sheath came with the knife.

jimgoldth · #36 06-24-2019, 08:32 AM

I do not have many vintage sheaths but here is a custom made one for a different knife but my fancy toy does somewhat fit but not really well.

I recently found this old real leather sheath for a knife I put together about 50 years ago. Not a great fit but it works.

Another of my Indian Ridge Traders Blade and kit that I put together in the early 1970s. Old Schrade sheath works but is a bit loose.