New Guy In Colorado...looking For Advice On Getting Started Please!

[sbpark]

Hey everyone! Just wanted to say hi, introduce myself, and hopefully get some advice on how to get started tooling and carving leather. Very excited to have found this forum!

I live in Colorado, love the mountains and also love music. I play bluegrass banjo and guitar and lean more toward an old school rock/country/Americana style with the guitar. Big into Luther Perkins, Buck Owens, George Jones, Johnny Cash, Willie, Merle, etc.

Been reading up a bit and watching a bunch of tutorial videos on tooling leather and want to dive into the hobby. I have pretty specific goals of eventually being able to make my own carved/tooled leather guitar, banjo and mandolin straps, initially for myself, then as I get better for friends, family, etc., and eventually as a side project where I may even be able to sell a few here and there. So I really want to just stick to making straps and not anything else. In the beginning I'd prefer to just made single thickness straps, concentrating more on the tooling, and as I get better at tooling, start getting into different backing, sewing, etc. But for now it's more about the tooling skills!

I've always been somewhat artistic, always into drawing, and took years of oil painting lessons and classes, drafting classes way back in high school, etc. The only problem is I'm very overwhelmed on what type of basic tools I need to get started. For example, I now I need an maul or mallet, just have no idea which one, which weight, etc. that would be best suited for my intentions stated above. Also have no idea what type, size blade, etc. swivel knife I should start with. I have no problem spending money if a tool or knife is quality, but also don't have a crazy unlimited budget. I also understand that skimping on certain tools to save a dollar or two up front may come back to bite you later on, but with this hobby I have no idea what's good and what isn't.

What items shouldn't I skimp on? I'm guessing I shouldn't skimp on the swivel knife, and looked at the SK-3's, but the choices are overwhelming and have no clue where to start! Also, regarding stamping tools, looking all over the web, on eBay, Amazon, Tandy's site, etc, seems like there are great prices on 20 piece tool sets, but unsure of the quality of these sets. Are they sufficient, or are they total junk and should be avoided? Is there a basic set that most people agree that's good quality and is a good all around set for amateurs that will also be adequate as I progress without having to spend an arm and a leg on vintage tools?

I apologize for the long first post, but really would appreciate any advice in how to get started. As I mentioned above, I'm more into starting this hobby with the intent of making instrument straps, so lots of name and initial stamping, carving and tooling of stuff like oak leaves, wheat stalks, flowers, basket weave patterns, etc. Very traditional, classic stuff. So any recommendations of what equipment would be best suited for that would be wonderful! Thanks to all in advance!

Edited February 26, 2015 by sbpark

[Bob Blea]

Welcome to the forum! It sounds like you've been doing some research here and you know at least a little about the direction you want to go. To get started tooling you probably don't need anything too expensive to start out. At the basic level all you will need to get started is a swivel knife, beveler(s), some kind of background tool and a shader and veiner, and maybe a camouflage tool or two. As you do more you will find other tools you want to get. Tandy does make a starter kit but everything I've heard about the qualify of the stamping tools is that they are pretty bad. The swivel knife can be made to work but you will need to sharpen it. If you know this is something you want to pursue and you want to start off with a little better knife, look at Barry King's swivel knife. It's good and it's not expensive. Same definitely goes for his stamps (bevelers, veiners, etc.) as they will do everything you will probably need for a lifetime in this hobby. As an alternative, if you watch eBay you can find vintage craftool stamps (ones without a prefix letter) that are good if you look long enough, and they might not cost much, though often they are being sold as part of large lots any maybe you don't want to purchase that many tools.

I'm also going to recommend a couple of books. The Leathercraft Manual by Al Stohlman and Craft Tool Tech Tips also by Al Stohlman. Both are available electronically through Tandy's Leathercraft Library website. These are great references for basic skills in leather crafting and the tech tips book provides a wealth of information on using the basic tools. In fact, after looking at Craft Tool Tech Tips you might have a better idea for what kinds of tools you need.

Good luck, hope this helps!

[sbpark]

Thank you very much for your reply! Regarding the swivel knife, and the type of tooling I am looking to do, what size would you recommend? Looking like the Barry King comes in 1/4", 1/8" and 1/2", thick, thin and angled blades.

Edited February 27, 2015 by sbpark

[Bob Blea]

Barrel thickness really is a matter of personal preference but I think starting off with a bigger barrel is the better way to go. It probably depends on the size of your hands as much as anything, but a large barrel makes it easier to cut long straight lines or gently flowing curves. A narrow barrel makes it very easy to cut tight curves but harder to cut straight lines because it's more responsive. Regarding the blades, I'm not a big fan of angled blades because if you start with one of them you miss out on learning good technique with a straight blade and that might hold you back later, but there are many on the forum that would disagree with this statement and angle blades work well for them. I actually have a Leather Wranglers 3/8" barrel with a 1/4" straight blade that I use for my carving but I also have a 5/8" barrel Barry King with a 1/2" blade that I use for my decorative cuts and borders. The BK knife is making me wish I had a bigger LW SK-3 barrel, and I might buy one some day.

If you are near a Tandy store (there are a couple in the Denver area and one in Colorado Springs) you could try the knives there and get a feel for what size and blade type feels better.

[hobbihorse]

Hi SBPark. I'm still a newbie myself. Been tooling since July 2013. I started with a deluxe beginner Tandy kit that was a gift, and poured thru their enclosed booklet and DVD to get started on the enclosed projects. As I gained some experience and knew I wanted to continue with the craft, I began purchasing vintage "Craftool USA" tools on ebay and etsy. The vintage craftools make nice impressions. Also, Tandy makes a premium line of craftools (in addition to their regular line) that are nice and not very expensive. I have other brands that are great as well, however Tandy works good for me since I live fairly close to their Union City store and go to their leather classes on Saturday mornings.

Best of luck with your new hobby! You came to a great website for questions. I have gained so much info since joining, and really appreciate the comradery.

Hobbihorse

[Tommykay98]

Hi,

I'm very new to this myself. My first tool set was from Hobby Lobby and it was cheesy. Then I purchased a Barry King knife, one he recommended to me after I emailed him with some questions. He was very helpful and responded on a Sunday. Needless to say I was impressed. I then started buying vintage Craft tool stamps on eBay with great success. As far as leather to practice on it was suggested here to find a local saddle maker. Well I could only find one in my state, Louisiana, and he was great. We met on a highway exit where he gassed up and gave me about six pieces of nice leather. He even showed me some drawing tips. Real nice guy. Good luck to you!

Oh, and I returned the set to Hobby Lobby and will put that towards more stamps or a book. Also, Weaver does put out some nice looking kits to get started. Check'em out.

You also asked about a maul or hammer. I'm stuck on this myself. Don't know which way to go. I have a bad shoulder and I think a tapered one is best for me. My thinking is it can keep my shoulder/elbow lower. (?)

Then I need to decide round or hammer style. I'm tempted to go cheap, with eBay to try it out but I love the look and apparent quality of the Barry King and Bear mauls.

Edited March 25, 2015 by Tommykay98

[CowboyBob]

Welcome to the board.There's a show coming up in Sheridan & they have some carving workshops you might want to attend.Barry King is there along w/Bob Beard & a lot of other suppliers.

http://www.leathercraftersjournal.com/sheridan2015.html

[billybopp]

Welcome aboard sbpark.

All good advice above, but don't forget that there are other tools that you'll need as well, many of which you may already have around the house. I'll second barry king tools. They are good and will last a lifetime.

You'll need a surface to tool on. A big slab of granite or marble works great, and can often be found cheap if not free from the scrap pile of a local countertop place. I found mine on a trash pile at a house that was being renovated, and covered the bottom with a big piece of felt so that it won't scratch my table.

You'll need hole punches for strap ends and belt buckles if you are using them.

You'll need a cutting board or poundo board for punching holes, etc.

You'll need a knife, long straight edge and probably cutting surface for cutting leather. A utility knife with the best blades you can find works well and isn't expensive. The same goes for an x-acto knife. I use a 4ft aluminum straight edge with a cork backing to help guide my cuts. The cork backing helps prevent the straight edge from sliding around. I also use a huge self-healing cutting mat that's really nice.

You'll want honing and sharpening supplies for your cutting tools to keep them in good shape. Even the nice sharp disposable blades can be improved with a little honing and stropping.

A square of some sort can be very helpful in laying out designs and cuts.

You'll need edger/bevelers, and burnishing tools and supplies. Check out this post for a great tutorial on finishing edges http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=18101

You'll need dyes, thinners, antique dyes, and finishes along with their respective supplies such as daubers, rags and brushes, and disposable gloves.

A good place to start with guitar straps is with a pre-made template. They are a great help and confidence builder. Some good ones can be found at http://www.blackriverlaser.com/

There are a lot of other items that can be helpful that you can often find lying around the house, such as bottle and jar lids for helping make rounded cuts. Bottles and jars are good to have around for thinned dyes, etc too.

Here are a few pictures of straps that I've made using a blackriverlaser template.

Hope that helps!

Bill

Edited March 25, 2015 by billybopp