NAYs Custom Leather on Etsy
I am a great fan of Etsy.com - the sheer amount of talented craftsmen selling their work there keeps amazing me. Of course there is a lot of crap/strange stuff as well, but not as much as one could fear. The prices on the items sold on Etsy are normally very reasonable - especially if compared to eBay, retail stores and craft fairs.
Though there are a few resellers of mass produced items slipping through the net, the majority of the sellers on Etsy adhere by the rule that only handmade or vintage/antique items must be sold on the site. This gives Etsy a strong feeling of community, making it a very safe site to buy from; being ripped off is very rare and the items are usually as described.
I have bought a few thing on Etsy. My recent purchase, which arrived today, is a custom tooled leather sheath for my 25'th Anniversary Leatherman Wave - from NAYs Custom Leather; http://www.etsy.com/shop/Nayscustoml...ef=seller_info
I'll snap some photos as soon as I have finished treating the sheath with leather grease, but for refrence; it is one like this (if not this exact one):
http://img1.etsystatic.com/002/0/705...33592_lm4o.jpg
It is no secret that I love Leatherman tools - but as much as I love the tools, I loathe their new leather sheaths equally, especially the ones available for the new Wave. I had been looking for a custom sheath for my Wave for quite a while, when I found NAYs Custom Leather on Etsy. Liking what I saw, I decided to take he plunge and order one - which I have not regretted.
The workmanship of the sheath is top notch - and this comes from someone who used to make a lot of leather gear for the Danish medieval re-enactment scene (before my left shoulder started acting up). Everything about this sheath, from the stitching to the tooling, just screams custom - and this for USD 30 + USD 15 shipping to Denmark! This is imho. a very reasonable price for a custom piece.
The design is very classic American/western - this holster would fit nicely on the belt, next to a large bowie knife or a long barreled revolver :) It is clear that David Nay (Utah, USA), the craftsman behind this sheath, is (by his own words) deeply rooted in classic western saddle making tradition.
I like the classic western look - but if you do not, un-tooled versions of the sheath are also available.
The leather chosen for the sheath is heavy duty saddle leather. Making it slightly heavy, if compared to the standard Leatherman leather sheath - but also extremely sturdy in comparison. I usually wear out a Leatherman production sheath in 8-18 months, depending on use (I carry my tools every day). This sheath, I expect, will last me significantly longer, the stitching may wear, but it can be replaced.
The fit of the sheath is very tight, but with a generous application of leather grease and some use, I expect it to loosen up to a perfect fit. The problem with the production sheaths from Leatherman, is that they are a perfect fit from the start, but after a while they will have loosened up too much, causing the tool to rattle around in the sheath, this is especially true with the newer black box-style leather sheaths.
I ordered and paid for the sheath on September 25. It shipped the same day - and arrived today. Eight days from Utah to Denmark; not bad imho.
Communication with David has been very pleasant - he is a very dedicated and service minded guy. I will definitly be buying from him again.
Photos soon...
