Make fabric cover
- Cut a piece of fabric to serve as a cover for the blade. It should be wide enough to cover both sides of the blade with an overlap that will be the seam. The fabric should be durable, like denim or sailcloth. By convention, the expected color is gray.
- Pin the fabric inside out over the length of the blade. Mark where the seam will go. The seam should be oriented down one flat of the blade.
- Remove the fabric from the blade and sew the seam from the cross
end to a point 3"-4" from the tip. (I sew a second seam outside
the first for extra support.)
- Fold the fabric over the tip and pin it so that the tip is covered without a seam actually on the tip. (I use three seams running from the long seam to the two edges and the middle, forming a Y bisected by a third line.)
- Sew these seams as you did the long seam.
- Trim excess fabric from the seams, leaving about 1/4" of fabric so the seam won't unravel.
- Turn the fabric tube inside out leaving the seams on the inside.
- Slide the fabric tube over the blade. Secure the tube to the cross with duct tape.
- Wrap a couple of layers of duct tape around the ricasso
to hold the fabric in place.
Note: Center of Balance: 19-1/4" from butt