All About Pocket Knives

STEP 1: "GIT - YER - GEAR!"

The first step is getting everything you'll need for this project together in one place. Here is a short list of the basic stuff you will need.

1) Something to measure with.
2) A pair of sharp scissors.
3) Male & Female velcro.
4) Something to mark your fabric with.
5) Fabric of choice.

Note to Nr. 3 :

High-Speed sewers may wish to use sew on velcro. For the rest of us, velcro with an adhesive backing is the easy way to go.

Tip: Do Not! Use velcro with an adhesive backing & then sew it on for additional hold. The glue from the backing will stick to your needle & "Gunk-Up" your sewing machine. After a few slips, it will be so "Gunked-Up" that your sewing machine won't work right anymore. Your wife will be full of joy and you'll end up having to clean it. Some things you learn the hard way.

Note to Nr. 4 & 5 ::

When making your first few slips, you may wish to choose a lighter colored fabric that you can draw your cutting lines on the back of with a pen or some sewing chalk. Some light colored jeans fabric for example or some artificial leathers have a light colored backing.

(see first few pictures below)

STEP-2) CUTTING OUT YOUR SLIP

1) Now that you have your gear ready, you need to figure out what general size of knife you wish to use your slip for. Especially the length is of importance. Theres a bit of a difference between a small SAK & a Case Slimline Trapper.

2) Slip Length: Add your knife length (+PLUS+) 1/4" - 3/8" for sewing purposes (+PLUS+ 1/4" - 3/8") for safety (+PLUS+) 1-&-1/8" - 1-&-1/4" for the lid-flap.

Tip: I have found that a good standard size length is 13.5 cm ( or ) 5-&-1/4" - 5-&-3/8"

3) Slip Width: Take your knife width times two (+PLUS+) 1/4" - 3/8" times two for sewing purposes (+PLUS+) 1/4" - 3/8" for the or due to the thickness of the knife.

Tip: I have found that 7.5 cm - 8.5 cm ( or ) 2-&-7/8" - 3-&-1/4" is a good width for most standard sized knives.

4) After you know what size you wish to have. You can either draw it out onto the back side of your fabric. Then cut it out. Or..., you can measure and cut it out free handedly.

5) Cutting out the lid-flap.: Your lid-flap should be 1/2 the width of your fabric & approximately 3 cm ( or ) 1" - 1-&-1/4" long. Draw your lid-flap onto the back of your fabric & then cut it out. Or "Wing-It" free handedly.

6) Now your ready to sew your slip together.

STEP-3) SEWING IT TOGETHER

1) Now that you have everything cut out, you can sew your slip together. Or have it sewn together.

Tip: This tip is just for those who plan to use sew-on velcro. Keep in mind to sew on your velcro a bit out of center. Because when the side seam has been sewn, the width of your slip is reduced by the width of fabric that has been sewn together. Make any sense?

2) Fold your slip in half. BUT with the fabric turned inside out.

3) Sewing close to the edge of the fabric ( 1/4" - 3/8" ) , sew across the boftom first and then up the long side of the slip.

4) Now that your sewing is finished, carefully turn your slip rightside out.

STEP-4) FINAL-FITTING THE LID-FLAP

1) Now your ready to work on the final fitting of the lid-flap.

2) After your sewing is finished, your lid-flap will have a small folded over piece of fabric on one side.
(see pictures)

3) Useing your scissors, cut carefully into the corner until you can lay the fabric out completely flat on the table. (see pictures)

4) Now your lid-flap will be too wide on this side of the slip. Carefully trim this fabric away. (see pictures)

5) Cut yourself off a piece of self adhesive velcro as long as your lid-flap width.

6) Remove the backing to expose the adhesive part of the velcro.

7) Place your velcro strip onto the end of your lid-flap & press it firmly in place.

Now I like to trim my lid-flap so that it has nice rounded off corners. (see pictures)

9) For the velcro that goes onto the main part of the slip, you have two choices. You can either leave it as is or you can also round off the corners. Either way, remove the backing to expose the adhesive part of the velcro & press firmly in place.

I hope you have enjoyed this thread. Who knows, maybe we will see a few more slips here & there in the near future.

Take Care & Stay Safe Friends,
Tom

Tom.. Those are KILLER!!!!! Nicely done!!
John

Tom, those slips look nice! Thanks for taking time to post the instructions.

Beautiful AND patriotic!!!

jmh58 wrote: ↑Tue Dec 29, 2020 10:40 pm Tom.. Those are KILLER!!!!! Nicely done!!
John

Thanks John! Appreciate it!

Jtx wrote: ↑Tue Dec 29, 2020 10:49 pm Tom, those slips look nice! Thanks for taking time to post the instructions.

My pleasure Buddy! It sounds really complicated but it's not. You could put it in shorter terms such as: Get some fabric, cut it out, sew it together, adjust lid, add velcro, done!

Doc B wrote: ↑Wed Dec 30, 2020 1:50 am Beautiful AND patriotic!!!

Thanks Jim! And thanks to you and your wife for getting me hocked on slips and for sending me the beautiful fabric! I do appreciate it very much!

And for someone who doesn't sew, I have also learned a bit about sewing. Not much, but a little bit.
Knowing a little bit about something is better than knowing nothing about anything. I like that.

Well done Sir, you have more patience with this kind of thing than I do. Thanks for showing us your process.

Ripster wrote: ↑Wed Dec 30, 2020 11:46 am Well done Sir, you have more patience with this kind of thing than I do. Thanks for showing us your process.