Talltales08 Report post Posted November 11, 2012 Like most of you, I've seen some pretty awesome leather products on the net. A few of the things that I'm interested in making is leather armor, bracers and corsets. I'm a slave to intricate detail and would want to incorporate that to future projects once I get the basics down. The question is: Do you do the tool work first then water harden/mold or after you have the leather in the shape you want? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TwinOaks Report post Posted November 11, 2012 The short answer is Yes. Some tooling can be done while the leather is un-molded. However, if you're going to use the cuir boulli techniques, it could easily 'erase' the tooling. Re-wetting a tooled piece can cause the depth of the tooling to decrease as the leather fibers swell from water. Simple things like carving lines or curves could be done before molding, but intricate details risk being wiped out. If you have a piece that's going to be bent, then that will almost certainly distort the tooling. It's all going to depend on how detailed the tooling will be. My experience in this is based on molding holsters and sheaths, so it isn't quite the same, but the principles are pretty close. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Talltales08 Report post Posted November 11, 2012 I was thinking along those lines...it'll take awhile but I'll figure it out in time..thanks Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
