Cyberthrasher

Ah, I was hoping it was something like that. I hadn't seen them before, but that was the only thing that made sense to me.

yeah, that actually brings up a mental thought I have quite a bit when doing my "rustic" dye jobs. I always wonder why it's so much harder to do a clean looking rustic job on purpose when there are so many people out there who do it on accident all the time, just not so clean looking. I put a lot of time into making sure there's a good balance of color gradiants in those jobs and making sure that they're all in just the right area so nothing looks out of place. Then there are other ones that are a complete "road worn" appearance which I've put a lot of time in to figure out the best way to give it a used and abused appearance without sacrificing the quality and reliability of the product. Then I turn around and see utter crap thrown together that people go nuts over!!!

Unfortunately, I do see people by that crap on there all the time. But, this guy hasn't sold any. All he's sold is handkerchief's, a few pen holders, and some pencils. Just keep posting your stuff at your price and if it sells, cool. If not, screw it, they'll be back when the crap they buy fails.

Well, "Full Grain" has nothing to do with the rigidity of the leather or the colors or anything. Full grain comes from manufacturing terms. To be EXTREMELY general, there are two types of leather that manufactures will use, full grain and split. The full grain leather is the top grain of the leather, regardless of type/species/color/tanning. It's the outside skin of the animal that would have the hair on it - the grain side. Split leather on the other hand, is the flesh portion of the skin that's been "split" OFF of the grain. A lot of tanneries and leather providers will split the leather for their customers to provide a thinner material for them to work with. A lot of the cheap knock-off and junk manufacturers buy this split waste and sell it as "genuine leather" in their products - because they're not really lying at that point. Now that you know what full grain is - That looks like a drum dyed leather that's been cut and assembled. There are lots of guides online regarding the different types of leather. I just had a look through saddleback's pages and found that they have one as well. It's full of a lot of hype and justification, which is a shame because they seem to make a nice looking bag that should stand on its own. But, in there he does imply that he's using drum dyed leather. One thing to point out about his guide, he mentions that if the color doesn't go all the way through the leather that it's cheap leather and lesser quality - this is NOT true. It's simply a result of the tannery drum dying the leather vs. the crafter hand dying it in their shop.

Ah, I hadn't even thought of that one. Now that you mention it, I do remember that problem happening more back when I didn't know how to case that well.

I was wondering about that Keep in mind, even a lot of the top grade leathers have some scuffs on them. So, getting yourself a glass slicker is a good idea because there's really nothing wrong with the leather, it just needs some prep work to make it sparkle.

Yes and yes. You can do anything in the world by tracing it out and then transferring it to the leather like any other design. You'll want to cut and bevel it, otherwise it will just be an impression in the leather and won't last, and also won't be all that special. The only time I use stamps is when the customer has an extreme budget that doesn't allow for full tooling of letters. In fact, I don't even mention them as a possibility unless I feel the customer is somewhat limited financially. Stamped letters are literally a dime a dozen put out by every "crafter" on Etsy and those who just want to make a quick buck online. If I'm going to make someone something custom, I'd rather it be fully custom.

Basically, I usually Dye, finish then stitch. BUT, the big difference is I don't glue wallets. Takes too much time to get a clean line that won't extend into the card area, at least when you consider that it's really only a temporary hold until you get the thread in there. Instead, I use seam tape. Sticky as hell and holds the edge together until I get it stitched up. If I'm dying the inside, I do apply resolene there as well. At least one or two light coats. It won't be subjected to the same wear as the outside of the wallet, just the friction from cards being pulled out. However, I also don't want to risk any kind of sweat or moisture getting in there and making dye bleed onto somebody's cards. Now, black thread on the other hand. I stitch that up first and dye everything afterward. With white thread, it's usually best to just finish anything you're doing with color before you start stitching. I had one once that was black with white thread. Once I was done, I noticed a few spots on my edge that were a little lighter than I'd like. So I went to put more dye on but got a little overzealous in a couple of spots and had some bleed onto my thread. Had to pull it all and restitch it up. Also, you didn't mention if you were dying before stitching with white thread. Sounds like maybe you are and that's where you're having an issue. I wouldn't think there would be enough dye pigment left on the surface of the leather to discolor the thread that much as it's going through the holes. You might try buffing a little more, especially around the stitching line.

That, or just use it and abuse it. Think about it - it's not "aged" because it hasn't been used. Put it through 20 years of "use" like scenarios and you'll have a jacket with the look you want. If it's real leather, nothing you do along these lines should ever weaken the leather. Putting it in the washing machine may ruin it for you though.

I have some lying around. I use the Resolene bottles for thinned Resolene. I just don't mix up that much of a color at once. Usually if I have to mix a color, it's for a small area that will be hand brushed. There's only been a couple of instances where I need larger amounts in order to airbrush the color, which in that case, it's still not enough to justify a full 4oz bottle. That's where the small dip cups have come in perfectly for me. I do tend to mix more paint then dye, which I'll usually mix directly in the dip cup so I don't lose any on the pallet.

I case my items before starting and wrap it in plastic then place it in the fridge. Smaller stuff can go in a ziplock. As I'm working, I unwrap the portion that I'm working on, leaving the rest sealed so it doesn't lost moisture. Once I'm done with a session, I lightly spritz the back with a spray bottle and wrap it back up to go in the fridge. My work and home schedule leaves me with only a couple of hours to take care of leather, so I've had to find a consistent way of preserving my work without a lot of effort.

usually 3 - 4 light coats depending on the intended purpose. I'll use more if I'm going to antique. For a card holder 3 should be plenty. I keep a pre-mixed bottle of 50/50 on hand, then put a little bit in a small jar to use for black items since there's always going to be a little bit of transfer onto your applicator that may get mixed in when you reload. Let dry for at least 2 hours between coats. Apply with either an airbrush or a sponge that's MOIST - no water dripping out at all when you squeeze it. Use really light pressure and avoid bubbles. If you do get bubbles, be sure to work them out. I'll add that on my card holders and other small items, I can usually get by with a blue shop paper towel instead of a sponge. They don't hold very much fluid, which makes for a really nice light application with ease. But, for larger items, it makes you end up having to reload more and work the same area too much causing more issues. Something to practice with though. Both of these card wallets were covered with Resolene using that method, as were the trading cards below that. http://hellhoundkust....com/whats-new/

Also, try not cutting as deep. If you're using a standard angle beveler, you'll get results like that if you try cutting really deep because the beveler has to move a lot more material.

Yeah, I wish there was more to it. But, it's really just deliberate practice of the lines and learning how to control the tools. Think up every possible scenario and practice those lines. Little tiny curves, straight lines, lines of beauty - then bevel them, model them, etc.....

Satin sheen is water based. When you buff it with a wet cloth, you're removing the finish and getting at the dye. I recommend the Resolene. It's water based, but it's acrylic and WILL NOT reactivate with water. It's so shiny for you because you're probably not cutting it 50/50 with water. They fail to put that on the bottle, but you should ALWAYS cut it 50/50 and apply in multiple light coats.

Probably not. It's more likely that it will just make a bunch of smaller scratches. Depending on what you mean by "scuffed", you may be better served by wetting it and slicking it down. That will work out a lot of surface imperfections. A glass burnisher will be best for this, but you can get by with a bone folder or something similar as well.

What kind of use will it see? Depending on how "light", I'll usually use 3 - 4 for indoor items. If it's going to be outside and used heavily, I might go up to 6 or 7 if it's a heavily used item. BUT, this is with really light coats. You really have to play it by eye. If it's starting to look like you have a clear coat on it (really shiny and plasticy), then it's too much. For your use, I'd start with 4-5 light coats. I'm stating 4-5 because it's your first time using it and there's a good chance that your version of light won't be the same as mine. Also, if the dog scratches a lot, it WILL go through the finish - no way around that. The better the coating, the longer it will last before that happens. Also, practice using the resolene a few times before taking it to your finished project. It can be tricky to get the hang of.

Slow down on the Resolene. Don't trust the bottle you MUST apply it in a 50/50 mix with water, otherwise you will hate it and probably throw your work out. use multiple LIGHT coats of the 50/50, applied with a slightly moist (not dripping) sponge. Once you put on a coat, leave it for at LEAST 2 hours, if not 3 to 4.

I prefer my leather to be moisturized with oil when I dye. Let the water dry out of it and then apply a LIGHT coat of neatsfoot oil. Let sit for about 5 minutes and then dye, then let sit for an hour or so. If it looks like there are some seriously light spots, rub another light coat of oil over it to help even things out. Then let it sit overnight. Black can be a pain, so just stick with it if it's not evening up for you.

I had some of that pasted stuff before. Personally, I'd never use it. One, the sample I had was horrible to tool. Most importantly though, every bit of moisture brought out one of the chemicals used to tan it - URINE!!!! I'm assuming it was a bad representative scrap piece, but it was enough to make me stay clear of it forever. I figure I'm better off buying good leather with a clean flesh side that hasn't been pasted down. I'll take care of cleaning that up on my own.

basically the terms are interchangeable. Usually anyway. The term "carving" seems to stem more from people relating it to woodworking. But, a more appropriate distinction would be "tooling" and "stamping", where tooling is an all out modification of the leather using knives and bevelers as well as different "stamps" to obtain various effects. But, "stamping" is usually just that. No knife work or modeling or anything, just the use of pre-made stamps either used independently or configured in a pattern. Personally, I do enjoy some stamped patterns, but I feel there are a lot of people who ONLY stamp designs who might be better served by picking up that swivel knife. My thought is that maybe they didn't put enough practice into handling the knife from the beginning, so it was always "too hard". But, back to your original question on "carving". You're not removing any leather. You're simply deforming it to fit your needs. The swivel knife creates a relief along with the line, allowing you to maneuver the leather into the desired position. It's a weird way of stating it, but it's somewhat accurate.

I've heard that problem a lot. I've never used it myself, mostly because of all the reports I hear on it. I use Kangaroo for everything, but I do have a couple rolls of calf from Springfield that seem pretty strong too. Just haven't used them yet.

any one in particular you're looking at there? I just looked through their leather jackets and couldn't find anything that said it was veg-tan. Most of the stuff they show there is chrome tanned leather.

Anything can be softened up. But, some of the thicker leathers, if you get them that soft, you've basically caused the fibers to break down. Motorcycle leathers are traditionally NOT made from Veg-Tan!! They are made from Chrome Tanned leather. Veg Tan leather is susceptible to water damage and must be heavily sealed. The Chrome tanned leather can withstand water exposure without a lot of extra work. Now, looking through your last post, it may be a latigo leather that you're looking for to match those qualities, but it's still going to be stiff and require a lot of breaking in.

I'm jumping in at the end of this conversation and it sounds like you got most of your needs covered. Just one thing I wanted to point out though. You talk about buffing your work. Keep in mind that the need to buff is when using DYE, not paint. Dye penetrates the leather, but leaves a little bit of residual pigment on top. That's what needs to be buffed off. Paint just sits on top of the leather and doesn't penetrate or change the color. If you do get some off by buffing, you're actually going to remove the color. Also, I've never worked with cova colors, but when thinning paint, you want it to be thin enough that you're not covering the texture of the leather (this will also help it soak in a hair, for what it's worth), but thick enough that you're not putting on hundreds of coats. Just build it up in light coats and let it cure between until you're happy with the color. Then seal it up with Resolene, which is formulated for water and UV resistance.