Bob Blea

Welcome! I looked at the conchos on your web site. They look great. Bob

Thanks, I really like some of those. I might try doing one of the birds tonight, just to see how much I can mess it up... Bob

There is an adhesive called Blue Tack that is intended to putting up posters and such on walls, but it will pull off easily and not leave any residue or damage the painted surface. Bostick makes Blue Tack but other companies make similar products and you can usually find it at the hardware store. A small ball of it would probably hold your hardware in place. Hope this helps, Bob

I use a undershot beveler on places where the leave turns back, or sometimes at the tips of the leaves. A petal lifter would do too. Bob

Wow, thanks Helmut. This site will take me a few years to absorb..... Bob

Tandy Leather has many online videos and electronic books available on the basics of leathercraft, including some information on saddle making. You can find them at leathercraftlibrary.com. If you are not near a leather supplier or saddle maker, these on line resources could be very helpful. Bob

This morning I antiqued a notepad with a floral design on it. Once I seal it I'll start lacing. The picture isn't too good because I only took it with my iPod. Bob

Chan Geer sells several different carving packs that include patterns and photos of finished items for reference. He also has several carving DVD's available. Bob

I've been using scraps lately to get better at decorative cuts and finger carving. If it has any open space it's good for a few cuts. I like the idea of using them for skiving practice when done. I could use lots of practice on that. Bob

Thank you Keith! I have been trying to understand why I'm not getting wide cuts when making finish cuts, and you just explained it so I understood perfectly. I just spent the past half hour practicing cuts and already my results are far better than they used to be. I've gone from making decorative scratches on leather to decorative cuts. Bob

My technique for getting that color is actually very simple and it doesn't fit well with many of the techniques that people use for the really good sheridan style carvings. I just use Eco-Flo Gel Antique (Tan in this case). I do oil the leather with Neatsfoot oil and let it soak in overnight, then I apply the gel antique. There is no resist involved. I did this before I knew about the techniques typically used by professionals. When I do this the leather is effectively dyed by the antique but I still get the contrast in the backgrounded areas and shaded areas. I apply the antique gel and then vigorously rub it off, sometimes reapplying until the coat looks even. You don't get the high contrast that the Sheridan professionals get, but I do like the colors I end up with. That said, I am experimenting with using resists to get different effects with Eco-Flo gel antiques, just to see what I can do. I know there are many leatherworkers on this forum that really don't like Eco-Flo products, but the way I am using them I am getting a result that I like, and I have sold some so I think others like the effect too. Hope this helps, let me know if you still have questions or if what I said was confusing. Bob

Thank you WinterBear. It did take a while to carve and bevel it. I just looked at it all as really good practice. When I look at some of the finger carving work I see here and how clean it looks. it didn't seem very intricate. Bob

That looks FANTASTIC! Something else to aspire to.... Bob

It turned out really well, Nice work. Bob

Well, I finished this up last week and delivered it to the customer, and he was thrilled. Here is the front cover. It was all dyed black with Feibings USMC Black. The bar grounded areas only look lighter than the rest of it because of how the sunlight is reflecting off them. The dark area at the bottom is actually a shadow that I didn't notice in the picture until downloading onto the computer. Thanks for taking a look and let me know what you think. Bob

I have that same design of basket weave from Barry King and it is my favorite. I have been thrilled with everything I've got from him. Bob

That looks great! I like the lacing all around and the silver really shows it off well. Bob

Nice looking work, and I love the hardware on the closure strap. Bob

Dwight, is there something that doesn't leave all the shine? I make carved notepads and other small items that are handled all the time but aren't going to need to be weather proof. I want to seal them well but find when I use acrylic based seals the items end up shiny. I would like to keep the more natural look of the leather. Thanks in advance, Bob

Those leaves are just incredible. Your work is really inspiring. Bob

I'm with you guys. I'm still just trying to learn how to carve and what makes a good design. I would like to learn to draw my own patterns but I'm a loooong way from having that sort of understanding. Right now I'm happy if I can slightly adjust an existing pattern to make it fit on something and have it still look good. I'm a fan of the Northwest style of carving, and aside from the recent patterns and articles published by Jesse Smith, there aren't a lot of patterns out there. So, I'm trying to learn what makes a good design, but you're right, it's another field of artwork completely separate from carving leather. Bob

I'd never heard of this product so I just looked it up on the Feibings website. I found Feibings Mink Oil liquid and it looks like it has Neatsfoot oil in it but it also has stuff to waterproof the leather, so I think it would block antiques or dyes if they are water based. I but Neatsfoot oil on after carving and before antiques or dyes, and the idea is to restore some of the natural oils the leather has lost in working the material. I think the mink oil would mess up your finishing steps that come later. You could try it on a small scrap piece to see how much trouble it will be. I think the mink oil might be a good final finish. You might try asking in the finishing forum to see if anyone there has experiece with it. The Sheridan Style book is a great resource. I really learned a lot from it and still refer to it. Let me know how the mink oil works out. Bob

Hi Watersnake, I get the Leather Crafters and Saddlers Journal and they often have articles with carving patters. Usually their patterns consist of specific parts of the saddle (a fender for example) but I think they have covered all the various parts of the saddle at one time or another. They are a great resource for different styles of carving patters. You might be able to find a collection of back issues on eBay. Also, the journal sells copies of back issues. They may be able to recommend issues they have in stock that cover saddle or saddle bag carving patterns. The Journal can be reached at this link: http://www.leathercraftersjournal.com/ Hope this helps, Bob

Hi Amadea, I think what you're doing looks really cool! You should definitely do more of it, and I look forward to seeing the belt. As for weaking the leather, yes the cuts with the knife will weaken the grain side of the leather some. Your final finish might help with this, but I'm not an expert on finishes yet. I would think that something like Neat-Lac applied as a final coat would protect your artwork pretty well. Keep it up! Bob

My 2 cents worth..... Aside from the better quality (and Barry King's tools are excellent, I love them!) another difference is that the Sheridan style tools are a little different than what you can get with Tandy. Bevelers have a steeper angle to them that makes them easier to use in tight areas. The veiners I use are much thinner than what is available from Tandy, again lending them to use in tight or compact tooling. My bargrounders have much smaller holes than the old Tany ones my wife has, and I'm not even sure what kind of bargrounder is available from Tandy right now. Also, there are a couple of tools like the leaf liner and the center shader that Tandy doesn't currently make. You can certainly make good floral designs with the Tandy tools, but to do true Sheridan style it's hard to do without the specialized ones. I would be lost without my Barry King bevelers. I have heard rumors that Tandy is going to release Sheridan style tools, but they haven't shown up in my nearby store yet. Hope this helps, Bob