PirtleMade sheaths are made from the finest leather available. I primarily use leather that is drum-dyed and hot stuffed by the tannery. Hot stuffing involves impregnating the leather material with a proprietary blend of oils and conditioners to ensure a long life.
I make sheaths that are crafted direct from the tanned hide, then either finished or go through a wet molding process depending on the style. Wet molded sheaths are coated in additional oils after they dry to replace any that were washed away by the wet molding process before final finishing.
The final finish I use is liquid Acrylic and impregnates the leather through a minimum of 30% of it’s thickness before drying and is applied inside and outside of the sheath. When it dries the final result is a hard and flexible barrier that is very durable and water resistant. The only long term maintenance that is needed is an occasional wipe down with a soft cloth. If you have scuffs you would like to use you can polish the sheath with neutral or color matched shoe polish.
All of my sheaths have will have a fairly tight fit upon arrival. This is to allow for break-in to your specific knife and allows you to customize tension to your preference. Once the sheath is broke in to your liking it should not exhibit any significant additional stretching for the life of the product.
Since all leather shrinks a little after it has been wet, wet molded sheaths tend to be a little tighter initially.
Due to slight variations in knives and user preference, I do not break in sheaths before shipping. To properly break in your sheath I recommend inserting the knife you intend to carry and leaving it in the sheath for 1-2 nights. This will relax the leather and should allow for the perfect combination of tension and release. I have had some customers that like a little less tension, if after the first 1-2 nights it is not to your liking you can add a single layer of masking tape to one side of the knife and repeat the process.
If at any point you have questions please don’t hesitate to ask.
Thanks for your patronage!
