This leather hatchet holster is so old that one of its two belt loops got brittle and tore off. I'll make it two new loops; the main part of the holster is still in reasonably good condition.
The fasteners that were used to attach the belt loops introduce a slight complication -- from the outside, they look like they might be peened rivets, but they're not. They're split rivets -- a sortuva two-pronged, outward-clinching 'staple'. When one is removed, it leaves behind two holes. I'm not entirely sure yet how I'm going to deal with that,
- - -
I managed to figure out the original belt loop material dimensions (3/4" x 4"), and cut two new belt loop blanks from salvaged leather. Here's a view of what I now have to work with:
Two belt loop blanks, and a hatchet sheath with twice as many holes as I need in it.
I'll have to do this with 1/8" hollow rivets and small backup washers -- I can see no other way.
- - -
Here's a view of the first two rivets in place and fully peened.
There I used two of the small backup washers.
And here's the head end of the rivets inside the sheath.
Note the complication; the close proximity of the rivets, and the size of one the holes in the sheath led me to have to mix backup washer sizes, and clip one rivet head and washer.
All things considered, that's not a bad outcome. Now I just have to do much the same at three more places, and I'll have a renewed holster.
- - -
As it turned out, the three remaining joins managed to turn into something of an ordeal. Having to work partly inside of the sheath made for added difficulties.
Anyway, it's done. Here's a view of the two completed belt loops.
It turned out that I was mistaken about the loop blanks being equal in length -- I had to make a longer one for the second loop, else the hatchet's hang on a belt would be askew.
- - -
By The Way
Here's a view of the hatchet that the holster belongs to.
I've cleaned up and sharpened the hatchet -- 'figured I may as well do the whole job while I was at the holster.
And renewing the belt loops gave me an idea for a further enhancement to this hatchet. That will be forthcoming shortly.
- - -
A Hatchet Hanger
A suitably formed length of steel flat gave me a hanger that the belt loops can slip over. The door the hatchet is hanging on leads out to the patio where there's a fire pit. Whenever a firewood hatchet is called for, there'll be one right there at the ready.
# # #
# # #