LEATHER SHEATHS AS EMBELLISHED ART
Most good articles start with a story, one that focuses on a unique experience. This one concerns a recent find at a huge flea market in Denver, Colorado. Once a prime location for discovering many treasures, the Denver flea market has changed from a true antique collector’s fair to a drop-off place for items in storage lockers. Hence, finding authentic treasures has become a challenge.
Even so, I espied a fixed blade on a table along with myriad other items. It was not the knife that drew my attention but the leather sheath housing the large, stag-pommeled hunter. It was the finest example of leather tooling I have ever seen. Using a floral design favored by many custom leatherworkers, it was a dark, luxurious brown, rich with patina. With the huge stag pommel, a massive blade featuring a stacked leather handle, and brass, white and
