Mark, I believe the leather I used for the inner sheath is vegetable-tanned.  I also understand that this is the kind of leather that will heat harden.  The inner scabbard has to be reasonably stiff.  I will ask one of my friends who is a big game hunter to save me a big piece of Elk or Moose hide (Deer is too thin) and I'll try to make a scabbard using raw hide and see how it turn out.   
 
Katana, I will try and document the process of Ethiopian scabbard making step by step should anyone be interested.
		 
		
		
		
		
		
		
		
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