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The oak leaf pattern is from a Tandy Craftaid #6560. The coloring on the oak leaf was an accident resulting from too much neatsfoot oil applied to the backside. It was originally much lighter and brighter!

Very cool and quite strange. Tell us how you made them. Are they for a festival or celebration of some sort?

Here are a few projects I did in my “spare” time. All Tandy kits. Yes, I know the holster needs a block to keep the gun up. It’s a kit-one size (sort of) fits all. That scratch across the holster was not visible until I put some highliter on. I guess I'll need to use a magnifying glass to inspect my leather. Comments are welcome.

It doesn't seem like anyone here has tried it. I, for one, am "dying to know" if you have any results to report!

Lexol will definitely darken. All leather will darken over time and exposure. I've found a good balance between water RESISTANCE and non-darkening to be Saddle-Lac from Fiebings. If you want real waterproofing, go to a shoe treatment. For the edges, you will always get some darkening because you are compressing the fibers. This can be reduced by just using water as a lubricant and burnishing slowly to not create as much heat.

Green bison, yes! I saw one the other night standing next to the pink elephant! Seroiusly, I have noticed an usual tint to the BB, which is why I don't use it much. There are also reports of problems with Java Brown, though I haven't experienced any . Did you dampen the leather befor you dyed it? This helps absorbtion. Eco-Flo seems to take forever to completely dry. This is probably what happened.

My first thought would be do whatever you like as long as it looks cool. Everyone has there own style and special techniques. Post a picture or two in the "Critique" section to get some good input.

OUCH! Shop around for shipping, who knows. Good tools are very important and bevelers are the most critical.

Some people (like me) will re-bevel after all other tooling to enhance the bevelling in some areas. Take a look at Barry King Tools.

You are getting there. Knife work is much improved. The decorative cuts on the flower look great. I'm not sure what your plan is with the beveling, especially along the stem. Are you using a matting tool? The checks look pretty coarse for a regular beveler. Keep working on "walking" the bevel and shader tools to reduce tool marks. Post a pic when you are done.

Be sure to do a test piece using the same leather as your project if possible. The samples are probable faded.

Have you tried using a small modeling tool to bevel? I would guess you are doing figure carving? I just use a scratch awl to background tight areas.

Great Holster! Oak leaves are so much fun.

not recommended for tooled leather for that reason.

Do a test piece. The few things I have oiled really darkened. I oiled them from the backside, after dye.

Tandy has a bunch of free patterns you can download. Oh, that's the link above. LOL. Signing out now.

Our lovely daughter needed a purse to carry all of her stuff, the grandson’s more stuff, plus his I-pad. OK, Dad, said she, but I want a BRIGHT Floral pattern. Bright and floral is in my wheelhouse, but I wasn’t so sure about the size. I found the purse pattern at the local Tandy store. The carving patterns are adapted from Peter Main’s “Stohlman Step-by Step.” I used mostly Eco-Flo dyes with a little acrylic here and there. The straps, bottom, and side gussets were dyed with Feibing’s. Finish is Satin Shene. My talented wife contributed the cloth lining, with pockets and pouch. I recycled the hardware (other than the clasp) from a purse I found at Goodwill for $5! Everything (except the lining) is hand sewn or laced. My hands still hurt! This is the biggest project that I have tackled. I really enjoyed the creative aspects, but the assembly was a killer. Comments are welcome.

Good stamping! Read up and practice "walkiing" the beveler and making the decorative cuts flow.

Nice stamping.

Depending on the cost, I would start all over and use Fiebing COBBLER Dye and stick with a finish from Fiebing. You might reach out to Fiebing's via their website.

Three coats of Super Shene by brush; let dry thoroughly between coats. This will resist stains and antique paste, not dyes.

The bevelling and shading look pretty good for your first project. It is hard to get much definition with thin leather. The knife work, especially the decorative cuts, are somewhat "rigid." Practice figure 8's, S's, ovals, etc to develop your technique and be sure to strop your knife frequently.

I wish I could sew like that. My hands hurt just looking at the neat work. I like the color. How did you do that?

Neat-Lac is not compatible with any acrylic paint or dye such as Cova color. You would have to use a spirit dye if you are going to finish with Neat-Lac. I've never tried to put acrylic OVER Neat-Lac. Suggest a test piece. I would guess it would lift right off since there wouldn't be anything to hold to. If you want to use acrylic (paint), finish with Saddle-Lac or Super Shene spray. I just posted my process under "What Happened?" in this section. I'm sure others use different processes. The key is to be patient and let everything dry (except the antique gel) before moving on. If you are unsure, do some test pieces. I keep my test pieces for future reference and write the process I used on the back. Fiebing's and Tandy both have Compatibility Charts available.

When you say "old style" do you mean the Tandy Antique Stain, pre-Eco Flo? I am still using some remnants-much better than the new stuff. I don't think the Eco Flo dyes or stains ever dry completely! I do quite a bit of work using colors, stains, resists, etc. My tedious process with Eco Flo: 1. Dye all your work, let dry overnight at least. 2. For a resist, apply 2 coats of Super Shene SPRAY. Let dry between coats. You use the spray to prevent the dye lifting off with a sponge applicator. Dry again overnight. 3. use a damp sponge to test a corner for colorfastness(?). If OK, sponge on a light coat of Super Shene liquid. Super is a much better resist than Satin Shene. Again, let dry overnight. 4. Another coat of SS; guess what-dry overnight. 5. Now I can apply the antique treatment,etc. Dry overnight, you know the drill by now. I usually finish with a spray coat of Super, then a sponge coat of Satin Shene. You really have to be patient using this Eco stuff. I am invested pretty heavily in it , but I am pretty sure I will go back to spirit dyes when I run out.