Custom Made Biker Boot/spur Straps

[stitchwizzard]

The latest,

These were CAD designed and laser cut from Wicket & Craig English briddle leather.

The customer wanted a winged design in Burgandy with no tooling, so this is what my friends with the laser machine came up with.

I really enjoy making the custom ones even though these required no tooling or stitching, my customer absolutely loved them!

My friends at Black River Laser in Ohio did an outstanding job on these.

Thanks for looking!

Stitch

[benlilly1]

Very snazzy!

[chancey77]

Deep sigh.....lasers....sigh.....

[WayOutWatty]

Deep sigh.....lasers....sigh.....

I know dude! LASERS! WTF? They're like sewing machines or clickers.. Or like guys that buy fiebings dye instead of mixing their own. Not as bad as the guys that don't make their own tools though.. What is the world coming to? It's getting harder and harder for me to find a squaw indian that even *knows* how to chew a hide until it's soft anymore; before you know it I'll have to buy leather that was tanned commercially!

Really dude? If you've got nothing better to do than get high and mighty over over a guy using a technique that you don't use you should spend more time at the bench.

And for laser use in particular: I don't have $20+k to spend on one, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate it for being cool and different - and I sure as hell can't match what they can do. Neither can you - that's cool enough to be relevant to me..

[Cyberthrasher]

Cool, then that means I can print out a picture on my inkjet and call it a painting

Nobody said anything bad. It sounds like it was an unfortunate case of "what the customer wanted". But, hand working our leather is what sets our stuff apart from Walmart or any of the other mass produced products that can be purchased. Yeah, Chancey has every right to be upset to see leatherworking go this direction. When you've done something by hand your entire life, just like your father and his father, you're allowed to be upset when people start using machines to produce stuff. This is why we all have a hard time selling our stuff for what it's actually worth because the machines have made all the mass produced stuff so cheap that most people expect to pay less.

Stitchwizard, I don't mean any of this as a put down to you at all. I'm just stating the facts and pointing out how this effects every one of us who has ever picked up a setup of leather tools. It is very unfortunate that your customer didn't want any tooling whatsoever.

[WayOutWatty]

Cool, then that means I can print out a picture on my inkjet and call it a painting

Nobody said anything bad. It sounds like it was an unfortunate case of "what the customer wanted". But, hand working our leather is what sets our stuff apart from Walmart or any of the other mass produced products that can be purchased. Yeah, Chancey has every right to be upset to see leatherworking go this direction. When you've done something by hand your entire life, just like your father and his father, you're allowed to be upset when people start using machines to produce stuff. This is why we all have a hard time selling our stuff for what it's actually worth because the machines have made all the mass produced stuff so cheap that most people expect to pay less.

Stitchwizard, I don't mean any of this as a put down to you at all. I'm just stating the facts and pointing out how this effects every one of us who has ever picked up a setup of leather tools. It is very unfortunate that your customer didn't want any tooling whatsoever.

Sorry man, I don't agree. I work by hand. I'm not offended of put out by this machine work at all. That 40 watt laser isn't producing a product that unfairly competes with anything I can do. I can't run a 36" line that's straight without a straight edge - that laser is a tool just like a ruler is. As somebody with a little bit of background in the machine trade and as someone that's spent a large portion of his military career dealing with precision optics, I can guarantee you that there is a whole lot more to the process than printing out a picture on an inkjet.

Stitchwizzard posted a project in here just like everyone else in the forum - because it was a method that somebody considers unorthodox we decided to trash what he's doing. That is exactly the kind of elitist "I'm an artist" BS that turns people off on becoming involved in any kind of craftsmanship. For all you know this guy tools better than you do. He may very well tool better than I do, but because he posted something that was created using a tool that you don't own you're getting all butt hurt. Prove me wrong, show me how much of your business he took.. Last I checked, you couldn't buy anything at walmart that was made out of Wickett and Craig english bridle.

Every method has a place - I don't know about you, but I can't tool lettering in 1/16th script. If that's something that a customer wants, where else are they going to get it?

Just because a method exists that isn't yours doesn't mean that it's garbage..

[stitchwizzard]

Cool, then that means I can print out a picture on my inkjet and call it a painting

Nobody said anything bad. It sounds like it was an unfortunate case of "what the customer wanted". But, hand working our leather is what sets our stuff apart from Walmart or any of the other mass produced products that can be purchased. Yeah, Chancey has every right to be upset to see leatherworking go this direction. When you've done something by hand your entire life, just like your father and his father, you're allowed to be upset when people start using machines to produce stuff. This is why we all have a hard time selling our stuff for what it's actually worth because the machines have made all the mass produced stuff so cheap that most people expect to pay less.

Stitchwizard, I don't mean any of this as a put down to you at all. I'm just stating the facts and pointing out how this effects every one of us who has ever picked up a setup of leather tools. It is very unfortunate that your customer didn't want any tooling whatsoever.

Hmmm... I see your point. Sure wish that I were still able to do hand tooling. But, I made the choice to not lay down and quit. All of my tooling is farmed out to old masters like yourself whom I pay damn good money to tool leather for me. I bet they are grateful for me increasing my sales.

So the fact that I have old school tooled leather for many years dosen't count even though I cannot do hand tooling anymore due to my disability? I was really excited to try this new technology as it enhances what I can now offer. And... This job was not "cheap" by any

stretch of the imagination. I feel like the first people that wore glasses to overcome their disability and were chastized by people with perfect vision for interfering with natures way. I see the future maybe a little clearer now and will continue to use this technology to increase my sale of custom made items.

The way this has "effected" me, is to offer an enhanced product for my customer with precision and quality that I could never do even with my many years of experience. Adding old school hand work with this technology will be my method of choice from now on. Offering my customers more for their hard earned money. They will be the ones that ultimately decide if they like it or not. And that's what it's all about really. I charge a pretty good price for my work and have alot of repeat business.

Wayout watty seemed to hit it right on the head. I've heard this same argument from "Purists" with every advancement in technology to come down the pike in my years. However, I do appreciate your comments and thought process. We used to call it "sorting the Wheat from the Chaff". Let's agree to disagree.

Try not to confuse advancement with detriment, I never made a "mass produced" item in my life, don't plan to either. Just quality custom work as always, only better. But I see where you are coming from... and I see where I am going.

Peace!

Stitch

[chancey77]

OMG all I did was sigh.........hahahahahaha

Hey if that is what a customer wants then great!!!! Give it to them!

[chancey77]

Sorry man, I don't agree. I work by hand. I'm not offended of put out by this machine work at all. That 40 watt laser isn't producing a product that unfairly competes with anything I can do. I can't run a 36" line that's straight without a straight edge - that laser is a tool just like a ruler is. As somebody with a little bit of background in the machine trade and as someone that's spent a large portion of his military career dealing with precision optics, I can guarantee you that there is a whole lot more to the process than printing out a picture on an inkjet.

Stitchwizzard posted a project in here just like everyone else in the forum - because it was a method that somebody considers unorthodox we decided to trash what he's doing. That is exactly the kind of elitist "I'm an artist" BS that turns people off on becoming involved in any kind of craftsmanship. For all you know this guy tools better than you do. He may very well tool better than I do, but because he posted something that was created using a tool that you don't own you're getting all butt hurt. Prove me wrong, show me how much of your business he took.. Last I checked, you couldn't buy anything at walmart that was made out of Wickett and Craig english bridle.

Every method has a place - I don't know about you, but I can't tool lettering in 1/16th script. If that's something that a customer wants, where else are they going to get it?

Just because a method exists that isn't yours doesn't mean that it's garbage..

I didn't trash em' and i think you went a little overboard....all i did was sigh:) hahahahahaha

[PL01]

I didn't trash em' and i think you went a little overboard....all i did was sigh:) hahahahahaha

Ya sighed with a Finnish accent