immiketoo

Floral tooling is the most tedious aside from perhaps celtic work. Don't stop now!

I have the big red, and its pretty nice and you can find it here or by contacting them. https://chuck-smith-leather-tools.myshopify.com Also, maybe check out the new sharpener by Gordon Andrus. Its fantastic. you can find it here: http://sagecreeksaddles.com/red-ox-brand-tools/ Alternatively, I made myself a wedge out of leather at the angle I want and just use high grit sand papers to sharpen, using the wedge to help me keep the angle. After a while, I don't need the wedge anymore and can do it by hand. Its a lot cheaper and works if you put the time in.

When it comes to tools, there as many variables as there are leather workers. Usually, saddle makers have the largest sized stamping tools available in the range of tools due simply to the size of saddles. This is not always the case, and seems to be less so today than say, 50 years ago. This is likely because back then, Craftool were the main supplier of tools and custom makers were not as prevalent. The Craftool camouflage 455 is more than an inch wide, so its HUGE compared to most of the other camo tools made even by Tandy back then. Now days, I don't know anyone who makes a camo that big, but old craftool had an entire range of larger sized tools which are still available on eBay or from private sellers. They are also great value for money as the most expensive of them is 15 bucks, whereas pro tools usually start around 30 dollars and go up. Now, guys like Barry King and Wayne Jueschke make several sizes of all their tools in order to meet the demands of modern leatherworkers while Craftool is lagging behind a little bit. Earlier, I mentioned pro tools. I consider makers like Bob Beard, Barry King, Clay Miller and Wayne (And others) pro tool makers. They are far superior to modern Tandy offerings (Not so much with the old craftool as they are quite good) in terms of materials, crispness of impression and variety of designs, ESPECIALLY in the geometric tools area. Tool purchasing can be a HUGE investment if you're not careful, and I speak from experience. I like quality tools, and the results I get from them, however I have 10 or 20 times the tools I need. I bought a lot in the beginning because I didn't know what kind of tooling I'd prefer and I dabbled in everything. So I have a full Sheridan set from Barry King, a reasonably full set of figure carving tools from Bob Beard and a few tools from Wayne because they're amazing. All of that being said, if I knew then what I knew now, I'd have quite a few more old pre-letter craftool tools and a lot less of the others. Not because they're no good, but because my style of carving has developed to the point where I can manipulate fewer tools in a wider variety of ways to achieve the same effects as a lot of the tools in my racks that now go unused for the most part. Now, more to the point. If you know what you want to do and you've identified a need for larger tools, and you've looked at the makers I've listed and can't find what you need, then it might be time for some full on custom tools. Backgrounders are tricky though because the larger the tool face, the more difficult it becomes to strike the tool and get a good impression. So then you need a heavier maul or you need to really watch the heck out of it with your smaller one. My guess is that you'll find what you need already in existence if you look at only those makers listed above. Good luck!

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Sometimes, its the stamp itself. Especially if you rotate it without noticing. They are not all equal. Mark one side of the tool so you always use the same face.

These? https://www.sailrite.com/Snap-Fastener-Cloth-to-Surface-Silver-Button-3-8-Screw-Stud

Welcome.

I have noticed this as well. Things I wouldn't think twice about lifting, now require help or disassembly. I call it wisdom, though Daaaaaannng.

Lol...I came from Chicago where in winter 5% was considered high! Poor cat couldn’t walk without static discharges. I swear she would glow at night! Now, as mentioned above, it can be 100% and not rain here with the salt air and the basin I live in. Sometimes there are droplets if water hanging from the ceiling! I went from one extreme to the other. On the plus side, my wood handles and guitars are much happier. Down side is mold. Lots and lots of mold.

I’m using barge or the equivalent. The cobblers hammer sets the glue and fibers tightly together and makes edging easier. I agree about the time outlay on edge coat. As this was really my first time, the time expenditure is much higher than my traditional edge which took less than a minute or two total. Where I disagree is about the durability of the Italian edge paints. If applied properly, they are more durable in the field and will stand up to years if not decades of use. High end Italian bag makers have been using similar products for decades with great success. Perhaps you are referring to edge-kote? That stuff is truly horrendous, which is why I was a staunch traditional edge guy like you until recently. However, the real benefit is when using dissimilar leathers, say veg tan outer and chrome tan liner. Then you can have a nice finished edge where traditional methods wouldn’t work. Then again, I doubt I’ve made 40 of anything other than holsters, so there’s a decided gap in output between us.

We fight high humidity all year round on the island, but its way worse in the winter. We run a dehumidifier constantly from October to May. Probably pull 5 gallons a day.

Thats actually a good idea about the hair dryer. Might have to give that a try sometime.

I wouldn't use a sponge to add more moisture once you've started carving, as it tends to go too deep and spread the swivel knife cuts.

Mission accomplished!

Mr. Moosepaddles, I purchased a custom stamp for that center piece and I used antique for the dark color on both the stamp and the dots.

Oversized then trim is the only way to go. Nothing beats a freshly cut edge to make your burnishing process easier.

Looking forward to it!

Absolutely. The Fenice has been impervious to RTC and Tan Kote so far

That's odd. This stuff seems pretty impervious once its dry. Then again, I don't dip dye anything.

I always finish with Bee Natural RTC. Then I may apply Tan Kote for the luster.

I always put a finish on my edges, once they are complete. I usually apply it with the final coat of finish for whatever item I am building. Ive even put it over the edge paint with success. A lot of folks have said to use heat with the edge paint, but I don't see the need for it really. Then again, everyone has their own way of doing business

Practice on some practice hair areas too. And use soapy water to clean your brush.

I deserved that. Sorry.

I don't have a lot of experience with the edge paint, but I would guess it will be the more resilient of the two. Its stood up well in my destruction testing. I really like the look of the traditional edge, but the edge paint is growing on me. I just wish it wasn't so much work. Process: glue and hammer edge for good bond. Bevel with your choice of beveler. Edge coat companies say leave it square but I don't like that look. Apply coat one. Let it dry and then sand it smooth. You will see leather through the paint at this stage. Apply coat two. Let dry. Look for indentations and bumps. Sand smooth. Repeat until the surface is perfect and apply final coat. How many depends on your prep work but for me its no less than three, sometimes four depending on how aggressively I sand. You are correct.

you may have to work harder un the deep recesses, but several thick coats should make it come up fairly easy.