Scabbard color for the gladius

[Theodosius the Great]

Avete,

I was wondering if it's possible to paint the black leather covering on the Deepeeka scabbards.

Has anyone done this ?

If so, what kind of paint is advisable to use ?

I think I'd like to paint mine red.

Thank you for any advice you can offer.

[Peroni]

Paints will generally peel and scrape off leather.

I gave up on mine, and just took the black leather off (carefully) and recovered it in vegetable tanned leather which can be dyed any colour.

Regards

[Theodosius the Great]

Adrian,

Are you saying that when you took off the leather that you inverted it, dyed it with a new color and reused it ?

[Magnus]

Theodosius, I did the same thing with my deepeeka pompeii. Yanked the brass fittings off (Carefully!) then bought some 1 ounce veggy tanned leather, dyed it red, and glued it on to the scabbard. Try and keep the old piece of leather so you have a template to cut out the new stuff with.

Works like a charm though.

[Theodosius the Great]

Hi Magnus,

Did you stitch the leather on the back side ?

Or is it glued ?

Because I can see on the back of my scabbard that the leather is stitched.

[Matt Lukes]

I replaced the leather on mine too- just glued on with contact cement. Of course you could stitch the seam, but I'd suggest gluing as well- the locket and chape fit quite snugly, and if the leather isn't bonded to the wood, it'll just bunch up.

Matt

[Theodosius the Great]

Paints will generally peel and scrape off leather.

When I mentioned paint, I meant that I would paint the leather without removing the brass pieces.

I replaced the leather on mine too- just glued on with contact cement. Of course you could stitch the seam, but I'd suggest gluing as well- the locket and chape fit quite snugly, and if the leather isn't bonded to the wood, it'll just bunch up.

Thanks for the input, Matt. I think I'll try it out .

[Peroni]

Salve,

I, like Matt, replaced the leather and re-stitched it at the back.

The brass fittings needed slight adjustment on mine as the leather was slightly thicker than the stuff I removed.

Regards,

[Magnus]

Ditto to what everyone said here....I'd use an epoxy or contact cement this time around, as I used a wood glue when I did mine. If you're going to be oiling your leather with neatsfoot oil, it may loosen the bond a bit, so try one of the other glues.

I didn't sew mine...I took one look at it and was like "no way!". So what I did to get a "perfect" seem along the back, was to fold the edges of the leather over, and tuck it underneath (putting glue all over the place). Glue one side...then wrap the remaining leather around the scabbard, figure out how much you need to underlap when you fold the edge, and clamp or wrap something around the scabbard leather until it's dry.

That's if you don't want to sew it...but use a fair amount of glue, as the leather will soak quite a bit up.

[Theodosius the Great]

Is Rawhide Goatskin okay to use ?
I ordered 1 ounce but can still cancel it.

[Matt Lukes]

I don't think you want to use rawhide- you want real tanned leather, and goatskin leather is what I used.

I definitely recommend using contact cement over any kind of glue that must be allowed to harden- you need to keep the leather stretched tightly as you apply it to the wooden scabbard and that can be very difficult to maintain until regular glue or even 5-minute epoxy sets. With contact cement you just stretch and press down a little bit at a time until the whole thing is wrapped. Because, as Matt said, leather is quite porous and will absorb glue, you need to use two coats of contact cement- I generally use two coats on anything that's remotely porous myself.

You can make an invisible (or mostly anyway) by initially measuring the leather to be a little more than you need so there is an overlap at the end- then after you've pressed-down the last of the leather before the seam, you can cut it again so it's juuust a little longer than you need and carefully remove a little at a time until the two ends meet perfectly. The contact cement should hold them together sufficiently so that the seam is tight. If you want to add a little strength to it (which really wouldn't be necessary) you can stitch them at this point, but it'll be really only esthetic. Oh, and the best place for the seam isn't in the center of the back, but rather along the rearward edge of the scabbard- it won't be seen much and it'll be along a natural line of the piece.

Matt

[rusty myers]

leatherweld, from Tandyleather or any big kleather supplier, looks like white glue, but has incredible bonding when used leather to leather. I am almost certain it is non-period, but if you are tired of the horsehoove glue failing, try it, works very well.

[Theodosius the Great]

Hi Matt,

I went to Tandy Leather but all they had at 1 ounce was goatskin - no tanned leather :? . Does it look terrible when you dye it ?

I haven't dyed leather before... I ordered some dye, but is there anything else I need like oil ?

Hi Rusty,

I think I'll go ahead and try that leatherweld since you say it's non-period. Thanks .

[Matt Lukes]

Leather is simply tanned animal skin- cow, goat or whatever; rawhide is untanned skin (like what they make dog chew bones out of) and I doubt you could ever find in 1oz weight, so you probably ordered leather- Tandy is where I got mine. I hope you actually ordered dye and not leather stain (big difference). Neatsfoot oil is good for protecting leather if you intend to have your scabbard out in the elements at all.

I'd still recommend contact cement over leatherweld or any other glue that requires setup time.

Matt

[Theodosius the Great]

Hi Matt,

This is what I ordered. I went to "Rawhide" and it's the first one listed :

Rawhide Goatskin #9061-00

At only 1 oz., this skin is perfect for making lamp shades, drum heads, lace, straps and various buckskinning gear. Average 5 sq. ft. and 1 oz. Priced by the skin. Sold by the skin.

Here's the direct link :

[url:lkbv2kg7]http://www.tandyleather.com/products.asp?dept=28[/url]