Shacknasty

Those look great and a good way to recycle. Thanks for the pics! Now I know what yer talkin' about.

They will let just about anybody hang around here, huh? Good to see ya Joker, I was gonna ask if ya knew about this place...

Photos of the stamps and the impressed leather would be great!

I dig the square shape. What did the customer think? I have a feeling he was pleased with the tooling and the design. Got any pics of it mounted on the bike that you can post? Edging and burnishing all the parts can add to the old and well-used appearance.

A cone Shovelhead with an S&S air cleaner. I like! Good job on the tooling and finish. Lacing looks great and so does the bottom.

PoBoy, you is funny! That's my second seat you silly wabbit! This is my first.

Good work! Those should keep some tools warm and dry. Have you tried Burnishing the edges? It really gives a finished look especially to the straps. Looks like yer getting a bunch done. Got some orders or going to a bike show?

The vinegar solution I was referring to is called vinegaroon on the forum. I dissolved steel wool in vinegar and dunked the tooled leather in it and it immediately transformed to a black that permeates through the leather. It is not just on the surface, if you cut it is black all the way through. The first time I used it was as a kid. I found it in a book by Lester Griswold but I had forgotten all about it. Saw the tutorial in the Dye section of the forum and jumped right in. It works a charm. Don't skip the neutralizing bath in H2O and baking soda. Give it a try...

Here's a seat I made to fit my 1982 Ironhead Sportster. I like the cobra shape I've seen used before so I gave it a shot. I welded up a seat pan. Did some tooling. Tossed it in the vinegar. Did a little lacing and pop riveted it to the pan with a 1" layer of memory foam. Can't wait to do the next one. Thanks for the vinegar recipe. I am so glad to have found a way to get a rich strong black that won't flake, crack or wear off on jeans. The old ways are often the best.

Why don't you do it yerself? For less than what you would pay someone, you could purchase an awl, a couple of needles and some linen thread. Then you could make as many wallets as you want. A piece of canvas or denim, some elbow grease and yer in bidness!

I was looking at the silver pieces around the ray skin on the holster and either end of the belt.

Looks like a real fine rig. Good placement of the ray markings. If I may inquire, how is the silver lacing achieved?

Your first seat? Very nice! Is it for a customer or is it gonna adorn yer sled? I like sittin' on something I made for my bike and knowing that nobody else has another... Did you do the artwork?

That's exactly the info I was looking for. Thanks TO! I am gonna experiment with the black tea as a prep method and see how much it affects the color.

Great forum filled with a lot of valuable information. I hope to contribute in some way. I have seen a lot of well-executed leatherwork by some obviously talented people and find the level of quality to be inspiring. My question is fairly simple. Should the vinegaroon be applied to the leather when it is dry? It made a rich black on my test pieces, but I wanted to hear from the experts. I remember using this method as a kid on some small leather pieces. I think I found the info in a book by Lester Griswold.