immiketoo

Well, Twin has some good advice, mine is that we all make mistakes from time to time

Dang, I thought it was magic all this time. Good posts mikes.

That's beautiful! I just finished reading that book and I'm hoping to put it to use soon!

LOL@ accidental stabbings! I feel your pain... well my pain actually but you get the point. Pun intended.

Just make sure you use a good moisture filter in line with your compressor.

I like that analogy! When I make my permanent work space, I will properly adorn my workbench. I promise :D

I can't tool everything! Maybe I could ... I did oil it profusely, so maybe I'm going for rustic and utilitarian

Randy, I use an airbrush system for dyeing most of my things. It's way more consistent and much easier to obtain the look you want. Air brushes are relatively cheap and there are many great products on the market. Check out Chicago Airbrush Supply on line. They have EVERYTHING and they ship quickly. As for leather, I recently decided I have had my fill of Tandy leather and I chose Herman Oak. I can't even begin to tall you how much of a difference good leather makes while working on a project. Some people use Tandy for things when they need to get something in a hurry, but since you aren't close to a store, you could always stock up on the good stuff and be happy!

Bill, I usually comment when I have an opinion, but as I am relatively new, I don't feel comfortable commenting on many people's work other than I like it or don't, and I don;t want to say I don't like it without some experience to back up what I mean or why I think that. Guys like you or Katsass or Ferg have way more perspective, so sometimes I don;t say anything out of respect. That being said, I have noticed a few of my posts get no comments. I appreciate your effort here! Mike

Thanks Tina, I've already done all of the reading and on-line stuff. Bobby's book is about floral design, and I think having an in-person conversation with one of the masters would be of great help! It's hard to condense a lifetime of experience into 50 or so pages, but The book did a great job of explaining his process.

It's not my sole income. I'm glad because I'd starve. However, I spend a lot of time at my bench when I work on a project. Considering I'm learning, I expect the time it takes will go down with more experience.

Pics would help...

I got tired of my handled tools taking up all the space in my stamp block, so I made this to organize everything. This took 5 minutes and I still have room to add a place for my hammers!

I just finished Bobby's (hidepounder) book and I found that it is easy to read and understand what is written, however it will take years before I have the kind of understanding of design and leather work that he does. Bobby, your book is an inspiration and I cant wait to utilize your method to create my mom's purse! After looking at the photo section, I realized I barely have a childs grasp of floral pattern tooling. Leather is both rewarding and frustrating at the same time. Where can I get actual instruction in carving and design? Are there schools? Clinics? You mentioned leather shows in your book and I see one in Oregon, but I can't go this year. Are there others? I NEED to learn! Anyway, I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to design their own patterns for tooling projects. I am insatiable when it comes to leatherwork! Mike

Those are cool. Are they really old or did you make them?

cALL THE STATE POLICE And ask them if they can help you. I'll bet they can show you a few pictures.

I have been a professional donut eater for the last 18 years, but I have also worked as a bicycle mechanic, at a large gun shop, a teacher and a martial arts instructor. I am currently a patrol sergeant and I am in charge of my department's firearms training program. I can't wait to retire and make leatherwork my full time business. Mike

Aaaarrrrgggghhhhh!

Phil, you are hilarious! My mom would NOT appreciate the skull on her purse AT ALL! I should hide one in the floral pattern somewhere just for kicks and see how long it takes her to notice it!

What do they smell like?

Nicely done!

Thanks Northmount. I'll take a look. This is a daunting project for sure.

That's awesome! "Hey, it doesn't quite fit, but no worries. I'll just make another tomahawk!" Let us know what happens!

You are a brave woman. I would have HAD to have the hawk present for the build. I guess that's the mark of a beginner

So I want to make my mom a tooled purse for Christmas and I have no idea where to start. Does anyone have a series of patterns I could look at/choose from? Design ideas? I've thought about going to look at cloth purses, but I am really at a loss. She likes a bigger purse and I think I want to do a cloth liner. Please send me in the right direction! Mike