Rawhide

I am soliciting suggestions from all the experts out there for the top coat finish of this photo album. I have dyed the silohette black and then antique tan applied uniformly. What I need is should I use neat-lac, super sheen, satin sheen, etc... Thanks for your help. Marlon

David, The tool carrier was made from 6/7 oz calf (single shoulder I think). I have kind of out grown it with tools, so I made a workbench sized holder (no leather though, only wood). Thanks for the compliments on my work. Navigating this sight has shown me a bunch of areas I can improve in. This place is great. Marlon

DP, If you intend to buy the Pictorial Carving Finesse/Figure Carving Finesse tracing patterns pack. In this pack, there is a layout for a light table. I find it very handy. I made mine out of medium density fiberboard. It's smooth and I dont have to worry about splinters. Good luck. Marlon

I think it's official. I went into HC yesterday to pick up a couple of things. On my receipt the name was HideCo. I don't know if they will change to this but that's what's there. Also, they have increased stock very well, rearranged the store a bit, and also will be selling exotics very soon. Ron showed me some stingrays and some gator backs and bellies. Hope this info helps anyone. Marlon

Well, it does have a grain, but not like wood. Wood has a distictive pattern, a hide does not. (At least I don't think so). The smooth side of leather is called the grain or hair side, and the rough side is called the flesh side. Some others may chime in to add or correct me. Hope this helps.

Steve, I wouldn't worry about the bump in the line. You're going to have these as well as other nicks as you progress your work. However, you will have several opportunities to smooth these out and you'll never know that they existed. The first opportunity to fix it is with the beveler, you can round up or square off just about anything with this tool. Another opportunity is with the backgrounder. Once all of your tooling is done, this should be the last stamping tool you use and you can fix trouble spots as well. Lastly, you can use your modeling tool to smooth out the inconsistencies in the cut lines. As far as how I use my swivel knife, I never put my hand in an uncomfortable position. You can (and will) turn the work to cut in different directions, but if I stop my knife to turn the work, I take it off of the work, turn it, then start about 1/2 inch back from the end of the last cut (where I already cut), and pull until it begins cutting again. This should minimize your "bumps", but you will still have some. Cheers. Marlon

This book will tell you how to estimate the amount of lace required http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/product...number=61906-00. BUT I warn you to not use too much lace at one time. It is better to splice than to have enough lace for the whole project. The reason is that it will be very hard to keep the lace from twisting on you. the maximum amount of lace you should have should equal your wingspan or distance from one hand to the other with both arms stretched out as far as you can. Hope this helps. Marlon

I forget which book I read, but I'm pretty sure it was by Al Stohlman. When you adhere the lining on, do so with the project already bent into shape. This accounts for the extra material needed, and minimizes wrinkles. I don't know if it will totally eliminate them, but it's worth a shot. After the bonding is complete, you can trim the lining, stitch or lace. Good luck. Marlon

Now that's what I call livin'!! Thanks guys for the warm welcome. I've learned a bunch from this forum. Hopefully I can pass on what I've learned. Marlon

Thanks for the welcome Ken. I also want to thank you for that tutorial on making your own lace. I took that to heart, went right out and bought a lace stripper and a large piece of garment leather and began. It's a litte weird at first, but once you get it going, you get the "feel"of how much tension you need and soforth. Thanks for the tips. Marlon

What places have the best/most fair prices for tools (website or store front)? Depends on the tool What are the higher quality brands? C.S.Osborne, Danny Marlin, Robert Beard, Chuck Smith, Don King, Barry King... only to name a few. I'm sure others will chime in on this one. Should I go new or used? A lot of the time, vintage tools are of much better quality than the newer tools. But again, this depends on the tool. What are some of the better places to pick up used tools? Probably ebay, but you can find some at leather shows I'm sure and here on LWN. The "marketplace" thread just for that. If I look at used tools (ebay/other website or live), what should I look for to ensure I get a quality or at least usable tool? No chips, rust, symmetry of the tool, etc... What should I expect to have to do to restore a used tool to usable levels? Depends on the tool. What should I keep an eye out for when look at tools to make sure I don't pick up something that is going to break on me a month after purchase? Rust, loose parts, etc... Most stamping tools are one piece though Marlon :biggrin:

I'll be there, barring any work issues or what have you. I'd be interested in meeting everyone.

I know it's really too bad. I emailed Bob about a week ago and learned that his father passed. That's why he won't be attending. It's so hard coping with a loss. Not only do you have to deal with grief, but you have more paperwork and business to conduct than when they were alive.

Peter, I don't know anything about how the court paper work goes, but what I do know is the bankruptcy information I received came from a very famous Leathercarver, by way of a TLF manager. Plus I was in the store when the new owners were present and taking inventory. I didn't get to see who it was because they were partially hidden in the back of the store. I asked Ron, the store manager, and he said they were being bought by an investment group. He said they would still be there, just new owners. He didn't mention anything about being wholesale only. Marlon

A short answer to your question. When you wet the leather for the first time, wet the back then wet the front and pay attention to how quickly the leather soaks up the water. I wet it let is soak in, then wet it again (just the front, I only wet the back once). Usually the second coat of water is enough. I can tell because the leather doesn't soak up water as fast. If you really want to do it right, after you wet it, slip the piece in a ziplock overnight. this will let all the fibers swell with water, and you can literally stamp for hours on it. by the way I use a sponge. As far as when to re-wet it, (if you don't use the ziplock method), Re wet when the leather feels warm to the touch. I use the back of my hand to touch it. If it's cool, keep stamping if it's warm, wet it. This does come with experience though.

Yeah, Bob's tools usually have a 3 to 6 month wait, because he makes them all by hand. Now I think it will be a little longer, because Bob's father just passed. However, I think it is very well worth the wait. I just ordered a catalog from them and hope to order soon. Marlon

Well Steve, I have both of these knives. I like them both. I have both small and large stainless knives (I like the large better) The stainless is a very good knife and with the wholesale club you can get it at a decent price. I like the feel of the stacked leather on the other one better than the knurled on the stainless. However, you can never have too many swivel knives. I've got 6 or 7 and plan on buying at least one more. It's much easier to pick up another knife than to change blades all the time. As for frequency, I find myself using the stacked leather one the most. I think I'm going to go with a custom made Robert Beard Swivel knife next. I've heard nothing but praise for them. But if you go that route, plan on a premium price. I think they are around $100-125. Something you may be able to do is have Tandy let you try them out on a scrap piece of leather. They may let you do that to decide which one you like. Regards Marlon

Thanks for the tip, I will definitely have to aquire some of that.

No need to be sorry, We're just conversing. I agree with you in stating that it's not a grand difference, but there is one. I also agree that I can get a smoother cut with a hollow ground steel, and a ceramic blade a lot of the times, but depending on the leather chosen, the ruby can out cut them. Different blades for different situations. I am by no means getting rid of any of my blades, I like them all for their rightful strong suits. By the way, I did strop mine for a very long time when I first stropped it. Now I only need to strop a few times between sections of a carving. Have a good one!

To echo billsotx, get the best tools you can afford. For the swivel knife the Al Stohlman brand knurled swivel knife is a decent one, but it doesn't come with a blade. If you plan on getting into the craft deeply, consider the wholesale club membership (or if you have a business tax i.d. you can get better pricing). As far as books go, I would get "The Leatherwork Manual" first. This is a great book to get you started. Welcome to the craft.

Thanks for the reply whinewine. To comment on the stropping fiction, I beg to differ. One, I feel a difference when I strop my blade. Two, a ruby's main composition is...guess what, aluminum oxide. Ever heard the saying the only thing that can scratch a diamond is another diamond?, Don't you think that aluminum oxide could polish a ruby then? The aluminum oxide that makes up a ruby is called corundum which is naturally clear. Chromium is added to it to make it red. Since it is very hard (9.0 on Mohs scale) it is commonly used as an abrasive, yes even in sand paper. So theoretically you could sharpen it on sand paper (realistically you can't because sand paper is a mixture of elements that reduces its hardness.) Marlon

I don't think it's TLF. I'm in pretty good with Tandy here in Fort Worth, and I'm pretty sure I would have heard about that.

I have heard that they can come off as well. I have stropped it some as greg mentioned, and found it to glide a good bit smoother, so I imagine it could get better with continued stropping. Thanks for the advice. Hog on ice, now that's funny.

Thanks for the compliments guys. Peter, that is one of the ideas of none other than Al Stohlman.

Thanks Greg. I wasn't sure if you should strop it or not. My edge is very clean, no chips or nicks, but it doesn't glide through the leather like I assume it should. Thanks again , I'll try stropping it and see if that helps. Marlon