Knife Protectors CHEAP!

We went over to a friend's house for a little dinner party the other night; you know, one of those pot-luck kind of things with a theme so everyone brought something either prepared or to prepare. I had done the latter and had left the knives I generally bring to such affairs sitting ready to go on my kitchen counter – I bring my own knives because I hate using other people's invariably dull knives. When I asked the hostess if I could use one of her knives she said, "Of course but they are kind of dull. I just can't keep them sharp." So she pointed me to the drawer where she kept her knives and I saw WHY she couldn't keep her knives sharp (see photographic recreation) - she had some well respected knife brands too. There is no reason to keep your knives in a drawer with their blades unprotected! This Instructable will show you a CHEAP! way to protect those precious knife edges.

Materials

Some cardboard - I used the box of an iron I had recently purchased but shoe boxes, cracker boxes, boxes of beer, anything that's not overly thick - or thin - will work.

Equipment

Pencil, pen or other marking device

Straight edge of some sort

Scissors

Paper glue – UHU (no affiliation) is my preferred brand.

1. Measure the width of your knife at the widest point.
2. Measure the length of your knife at the longest point.
3. This will tell you what size piece of cardboard you need.
   1. Take the width of your knife and add 1 inch; multiply this number by 2 and add 1 inch.
      1. Example
         1. If your knife is 1.5 inches wide
            1. width of knife plus 1 (1.5 + 1 = 2.5);
            2. 2.5 * 2 = 5;
            3. 5 + 1 = 6
   2. Then take the length of your knife and add 1 to 1.5 inches.
      1. Example
         1. If your knife is 10 inches long
            1. length of knife plus 1 (10 + 1 – 11)
   3. For a 1.5 inch wide knife that is 10 inches long you need a piece of cardboard 11 x 6 inches
4. It is advantageous to find a piece of cardboard that has a production seam situated in a place where it could be used as the bottom seam of the sheath
   1. In this case an 11 inch or longer piece that has at least 3 inches below a production crease and at lease 4 inches above it.

1. Mark the cardboard with your knife's required measurements.
2. Draw the lines where the cardboard needs to be folded
3. Cut out and crease the folds where needed
4. If the handle of your knife isn't perpendicular to the blade mark and cut the shape where the handle meets the blade on one edge of the cardboard.
5. Cut this shape so the entire blade will be covered by the cardboard when the knife is inserted.
6. Mark a straight line about 1/2 inch below the knife edge and fold the cardboard along this line.
   1. If this is the production crease on the box you used no need to mark, just fold.
7. Use the notch you just cut to mark the folded piece and cut out to match.
8. For added reinforcement along the bottom of the cover I cut about 1/4 inch above and below one of the other production creases in the box I used and glued this piece to the bottom inside fold of the cover (when the knife is inserted it is under the sharp edge of the knife).

OK! All the cardboard has been cut and marked or creased where it will need to be folded, we're ready to finish this up.

1. Starting with the two end flaps, fold one to the inside of the sheath; leave the other one alone.
2. Next fold down the top flap, apply glue to the corner of the end flap where the top flap overlaps and press together to secure the glue.
3. Apply a liberal amount of glue to the top flap then close the sheath and press together to secure.
4. Apply glue to the end flap fold over the open end and press to secure.
5. Trim any left over bits
6. Add some graphics to tell users where to hold the sheath and you are done.

DISCLAIMER

It is not likely this sheath will fail at least not any time in the near future but why tempt fate, NEVER hold the bottom or end of the sheath when inserting or removing a knife.