Once cemented, I wet the leather with a small paint brush and stamp in a pattern along the edge of where the stitching will go.
And then punch the stitching holes.
Using the same white cord and double needle method, I join the two sides and the welt.
It's hard on the hands and a pliers is needed to pull the needle through but the end result looks pretty good.
With the stitching complete, I trim off the excess leather.
8 Oz. leather is pretty stiff but once wetted, It can be formed and molded like clay to the shape of the knife.
A little time at the end of a blow dryer, locks the shape into the leather.
The next step is to give it a bit of color. I mixed, brown and Ox Blood and a little alcohol to get the reddish brown I was looking for.
Once all the alcohol is evaporated, I need to replace all the oils lost during the forming and dyeing process. I use warm neatsfoot oil and a cotton daubber. The oil also darkens the leather a bit more.
After sitting for a few hours wrapped in a paper towel, I warm the sheath with a blow dryer and apply a rub down of mink oil to further condition the water proof the leather. It turned out pretty good considering it's humble beginnings and will hopefully protect the knife better than it protected the cow that once wore it.
On the off chance that the future owner of this knife does not want to take her into the field and put her to work, I will design and build a display stand so it can sit all pretty like. The Damascus blade should not be stored in the sheath for long periods of time not to mention what a shame it would be to hide that blade from view.