Protecting my knives in toolbox

[John Giem]

Blade Protection in Toolbox

John I. Giem
jgiem@cocmcast.net
January 31, 2022

Problem: I have a toolbox dedicated to my chip carving. It contains my layout tools, knives, sharpening supplies, pencils, etc. Consequently, it doesn’t have much excess room for large containers for holding and protecting my chip carving knives.

Solution: This photo shows a simple and inexpensive solution for protecting the knife blades using wooden scabbards or sheaths.

Using scrap hardwood, cut a block about 3/8” x 3/4″ x 2 1/4″ and then cut a saw kerf into it for insertion and protecting the knife blade. When cutting the kerf, stop about 3/4” from the end of the blank. This provides strength to prevent the kerf splitting all the way through.  The saw kerf width depends upon the saw blade used to cut it. A thin kerf, like from a scroll saw, may be narrow enough to grasp and hold onto the knife blade. In the photo, you can see several other solutions for keeping the scabbard on the blade. They include, make the kerf curved, use a binder clip or even a rubber band. (Binder clips are sold in office supply stores and are used to hold bundles of papers.) When using the binder clip, position the scabbard so that the knife edge is toward the open side of the slot to minimize the risk of damaging the cutting edge. The final configuration of the kerf and it’s holding ability depends on the thickness of the knife blade, the characteristics of the wood and the saw utilized when cutting the kerf. A crooked kerf may not look very good, but it will help the scabbard to stay in place.

 

[Laura Maddox]

When I started getting carving knives, I wanted a low profile protection for the blades. I found this on Amazon. It worked so well, I bought a second set. For shorter blades, I just trimmed a little off the open end and it didn’t stick out so far. 4 Piece USA Leather Chisel Tip Tool Protectors (1/4″ 1/2″ 3/4″ 1″)

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