Bear paw lesson

[ClayB]

Earlier this year I experimented with trying to create a realistic looking bear paw using extreme embossing techniques. The project turned out better than I had hoped for. The pattern I used came from a drawing out of a book called "Bear, The Ultimate Artist's Reference" by Doug Lindstrand. Mr Lindstrand's books have been a really good source of pattern ideas for me. They include really good closeup photos of wildlife along with detailed drawings and field notes. He has authored several books on different wildlife species, and several more that contain chapters on many different species.

When I finished up my first bear paw, it didn't work on the project I made it for, so I decided to make it into a keyfob and entered it into the spring show in Michigan City where it ended up taking a best of catagory ribbon. It seems that some of the judges couldn't decide if the claws were real, made of plastic, or actually leather. When I was in Sheridan, I showed my latest paw to Jan and Alice Schoonover and Alice asked the same questions about the claws. Jan Schoonover has taught me most of what I know about extreme embossing and coloring leather, so when his wife couldn't tell if the claws were real or actual leather, I took that as a real compliment.

I have come up with a lesson on how I created these bear paws, and Johanna has made them available here on Leatherworker.net. You can see them by clicking here If you have any questions, let me know and I'll do my best to answer them.

[Rawhide]

Clay that's an excellent tutorial. Thanks for the effort.

I can see why folks were confused, that thing looks real man!

Marlon

[Regis]

Not only is your work outstanding but, the way you put together the photo's & instructions, is jus awesome....

Thank you,

Regis

[yaklady]

Wow! Clay, you're really good at putting those tutorials together!

I want to thank you for the bear paw you gave me at Sheridan. I show it to whoever I can, and every one of them asks if the claws are real. It is such a wonderful piece of art work! I'll have to try my hand at making some, now that I can see how they're done.

Kathy

[charley]

I *also* got to see Clay's bear claw at Sheridan -- the pictures don't do it justice!

I thought the claws were *inset* until I got a closer look (ok, until Clay told me otherwise). They look really awesome because of the rough hair contrast with the smooth glossy claws. Clay really did a great job with the coloring and finish!

Wow! Clay, you're really good at putting those tutorials together!

<snip>

Kathy

Yes! Keep the tutorials coming!

Maybe Clay could start producing parts from endangered animals and dinosaurs, passing them off as real? ;-))

I think Clay could go really far with this idea ....

--charley

[hiloboy]

I think that is so cool!! thanks so much for sharing your talents and taking the time to make a tutorial..the more i see and read about embossing the more i think i may give it a try.. your tutorials on embossing are great.. may i ask were can i get a hair tool like the one you are useing in this tutorial that uses xacto blades?.. and how many blades does it use?

[hiloboy]

sorry i posted the same thing twice... pressed the wrong button; maybe i need a tutorial don't know how to erase the second post!!!

[ClayB]

I am glad that you all like the tutorial. Makes it worthwhile doing them. I do hope that some of get the urge to try this out.

As for the multi blade knife, I dont think they are available from any of the regular leather craft suppliers anymore. I know that Jan Schoonover has someone modify a Tandy swivel knife to hold a set of exacto knife blades. He doesn't have email (that I know of) but I will PM you his phone number if anyone wants it. I think that he sells them for around $55. Bob Beard told me that when he and Robb Barr used to do a lot of feathers, they would make these hairing knives out of a piece of wooden dowel. All you do is drill a hole in one end, stack up 4 exacto knife blades and epoxy them into the hole. Then you hold it like a pencil. Cost for doing it this way was only a few dollars. If that's not clear enough, let me know and I'll do my best to clarify.

Clay

[CitizenKate]

That really is a cool project, Clay. Not your ordinary key fob! Thanks for posting that.

Kate

[hiloboy]

thanks, Clay for the info on the hair tool.. i'm going to try to make one with a dowel and see how that works first.. thanks again..how do you make or were do you buy the filler dust for your embossings?

Edited May 27, 2008 by hiloboy

[ClayB]

thanks, Clay for the info on the hair tool.. i'm going to try to make one with a dowel and see how that works first.. thanks again..how do you make or were do you buy the filler dust for your embossings?

Hidecrafter used to carry the leather dust, but I am not sure if they still do or not. I just looked quickly through Tandy's catalog and I dont see it in there either. I know that you can get it from Jan Schoonover, that's where I got my last order from. He gets it from a tannery in Texas I think, but I dont know which one. I think it's the dust they get when they sand down the back of hides to make them even. I you want some, let me know and I will find some for you. I was told once that you can make it yourself by using a coffee grinder. I tried it with a cheap electric one and the blades in it lasted about 30 seconds. Maybe an old hand crank one would work better, I dont know. I also dont know how fine that dust would be. The stuff I get from Jan is really fine powder and works the best out of any I have ever gotten.

[Rawhide]

Hidecrafter used to carry the leather dust, but I am not sure if they still do or not. I just looked quickly through Tandy's catalog and I dont see it in there either. I know that you can get it from Jan Schoonover, that's where I got my last order from. He gets it from a tannery in Texas I think, but I dont know which one. I think it's the dust they get when they sand down the back of hides to make them even. I you want some, let me know and I will find some for you. I was told once that you can make it yourself by using a coffee grinder. I tried it with a cheap electric one and the blades in it lasted about 30 seconds. Maybe an old hand crank one would work better, I dont know. I also dont know how fine that dust would be. The stuff I get from Jan is really fine powder and works the best out of any I have ever gotten.

The dust is still available at hidecrafters.

Marlon

[yaklady]

Our Tandy's manager made some leather dust using a sander. I forget how many days he said it took to get a bag full. It certainly wasn't worth the time. Like Marlon said, Hide Crafters still carries it. At the show, it was about $5 a one pound bag.

Another way you can make a multi-blade knife is to use a large x-acto knife handle. You can stack the blades like Clay said, and have to "trim" the outside edges a bit, but they will fit. Hide Crafters used to sell a knife like that. Their stacked blades were glued together somehow, and you may have to glue them as well. Roz Kaohn sells a knife like the one Clay explained, using a handle like the ones you would have a fountain pen tip in. Just use your imagination, you'll come up with something good.

Kathy

[Myriam]

Cool tutorial, Clay. I was wondering how you got that hair looking so neat. Thanks for sharing!

[carr52]

Earlier this year I experimented with trying to create a realistic looking bear paw using extreme embossing techniques. The project turned out better than I had hoped for. The pattern I used came from a drawing out of a book called "Bear, The Ultimate Artist's Reference" by Doug Lindstrand. Mr Lindstrand's books have been a really good source of pattern ideas for me. They include really good closeup photos of wildlife along with detailed drawings and field notes. He has authored several books on different wildlife species, and several more that contain chapters on many different species.

When I finished up my first bear paw, it didn't work on the project I made it for, so I decided to make it into a keyfob and entered it into the spring show in Michigan City where it ended up taking a best of catagory ribbon. It seems that some of the judges couldn't decide if the claws were real, made of plastic, or actually leather. When I was in Sheridan, I showed my latest paw to Jan and Alice Schoonover and Alice asked the same questions about the claws. Jan Schoonover has taught me most of what I know about extreme embossing and coloring leather, so when his wife couldn't tell if the claws were real or actual leather, I took that as a real compliment.

I have come up with a lesson on how I created these bear paws, and Johanna has made them available here on Leatherworker.net. You can see them by clicking here If you have any questions, let me know and I'll do my best to answer them.

OUTSTANDING is all I can say. Just OUTSTANDING. I love it.

Tom

[trastu]

hard work is very nice.

[Aurelie]

just "whoa"

really nice job!!

[Rattlerman]

My belt sander is very handy for leather dust.

[gunter]

damn awesome!