REDTAILHAWK

Do you happen to know anyone in your area that works in an architectural or engineering office? They could probably get it done for you. Or check the phone book under `blueprinting'.

I agree with radar67. The only time I've seen people paint their tools is to be able to tell whose stamp is whose at a leather guild meeting or a gathering of some people that are tooling together.

Thanks Anti19. I should have done this before I put the leather on to be safe, but I just got some wood stain out and touched up some of the chips and scrapes in the wood. I wonder how long it will be before somebody gets up the nerve to sit on it. I may never know how cushy it is or isn't. It was an interesting project to try.

Thanks for your help everyone! Here it is:

Thanks for the step-by-steps, JustKate. The design of the bison skull I was using was from a Southwestern pattern pack I think by Peter Main. The border I borrowed from a saddle I bought over the summer that Ann Stohlman had made. I was thinking about hitting a local fabric shop tomorrow to see what they might have. I'm getting the feeling I've used too thick of leather already. That will probably make the seat not as cushy as what I was shooting for. I also picked up an old rocking chair this summer that was missing its caning. That will probably be my next project. I was thinking because it had predrilled holes it would make for an easy lace-on leather design.

Sounds like a good idea. Won't be sitting on a Harley motor I guess. Here is a photo of the chair. Actually did the seat today. I haven't stuck a finish on the leather yet, I think I will still tack it down with some bronze colored upholstery nails.

Hello, I was curious about a project I am in the middle of. I bought an old oak chair at a garage sale for $20 with the idea of making a leather seat on it instead of the gaudy floral material that is uphostery tacked on there now. I was curious if I should use closed cell foam like the folks here are using for motorcycles seats or what would you suggest for padding? Thanks.

Most gloves I've seen are just a fairly thick suede. With usually a double thickness on the index finger and a little farther up. I imagine elk would be fine weight wise unless it is thin. Deer might be too thin. But it would all depend on what bird you are handling. Deer would be ok for a kestrel or a bird that size. Goshawk or red-tail I think I'd go with the elk or cow in double thickness on the index finger. For the average bird and the leather cost, I think a thick suede cow would be fine.

In Tandy's 2013 catalog they are starting a stainless steel tool series. I haven't seen one yet so I can't say how the quality is or if they are still made by Craftool. I think they retail at $24 each. I assume it is because of the quality reputation Craftool has gotten over the recent years. Tandy is calling it their Pro Tool line. Also have a couple swivel knives in the series too. Sorry this seems like a Tandy commercial. I didn't mean it that way.

Howdy, Cozee, from North of Peoria, I would think about what sort of designs you had in mind first. I started out with a beginners kit back in the early 1970's. It got my feet wet into western floral carving, but that wasn't the carving style I had in mind to get into at the time. It might have been better for me to pick up the few tools I needed at first and build from there. But that is just me. A friend of mine who helped to get me interested in carving leather started off with some vegetable tanned leather, a pocket knife, a hammer, and some filed down nails, and he did descent work for beginning. Welcome to the group.

Thanks, Chancey. Since you are in Finland, you don't happen to collect Rapala fishing lures, do you? I am a big collector of them. Here are a few other photos: I should mention I didn't do the great woodwork on the jewelry boxes, I just made the leather inserts for them. I was into falconry for around twenty years or so. I still keep up my license, but don't have any raptors at the moment. I do have a white-front Amazon parrot though that I've been trying to train.

Thanks, guys. Sounds like we have an Illinois Reunion started. Hey, George B, I've never made a saddle yet, but here is something you might be interested in. A couple months ago, I picked up a saddle on Ebay that Ann Stohlman made in 1965 I think. I've heard it called the Thunderbird. I've heard she made two of these.

Here are some photos of what I've done over the years.

HELLO, IMMIKETOO, LITTLE NORTH OF PEORIA. YOU?

Howdy, I recently joined the group. I am a collector of hobbies. I usually start one hobby which leads me into another. In the early 70's I got into falconry, which led me into leatherwork. Started with a beginners kit from Tandy. A few years later I was working at the local Tandy store. A few years later I was doing the craft shows in the area peddling my leatherwork. A while later I was doing some projects for Earl Warren of `Make It With Leather' magazine. I sort of stepped away from doing leather for a few years a while back, but have gotten back into it a few years ago. I have been collecting a lot of old leather stamps on Ebay the last few years. Leatherwork has been a very big part of my life. I'd like to say a big `Thank You' to all the cows out there I've had the pleasure to pound on.

If you are talking about glueing the leather piece to a piece of cardboard or something to prevent stretching while you are tooling, I always use rubber cement so the cardboard or whatever can be peeled off fairly cleanly afterwards.

[so if i do find a piece of marble i just put it over my working table?] IF IT IS A NICE TABLE AND YOU WANT TO KEEP IT NICE, I WOULD PUT A RUBBER MAT INBETWEEN THE MARBLE AND THE TABLE. BUT NOTHING GOES ON TOP OF THE MARBLE EXCEPT THE LEATHER YOU ARE WORKING ON.

BY THE WAY YOU ARE DESCRIBING THE WATER ABSORBING, IT SOUNDS LIKE TOOLING LEATHER, BUT BY YOUR DESCRIPTION OF THE TOP COAT OF LAYERS, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT IS SOME SORT OF UPHOLSTERY LEATHER. YOU ARE RIGHT, IT SHOULDN'T LOOK LIKE IT IS MADE UP OF DIFFERENT LAYERS. THE ONLY THING THAT SHOULD BE DIFFERENT IS HAVING THE GRAIN SIDE AND FLESH SIDE TEXTURES ON THE TOP AND BOTTOM.

YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEE WHAT SORT OF LEATHER IT IS BY WHAT THE LEATHER DOES WHEN YOU WET IT. WHEN YOU APPLY THE WATER, DOES IT SOAK RIGHT INTO THE LEATHER OR DOES THE WATER MORE OR LESS BEAD UP AND STAY ON THE LEATHER SURFACE?

I DIDN'T SEE A MENTION OF WHAT TYPE OF MALLET YOU ARE USING. IF YOU ARE USING ONE OF THE LIGHTWEIGHT WOOD MALLETS THAT COME IN MOST BEGINNER KITS, IT WOULD TAKE A LOT OF HAMMERING. A HEAVIER MALLET MIGHT BE NEEDED IF THE LEATHER ISN'T THE PROBLEM.

HELLO, WYOMINGSLICK, I CHECKED OUT YOUR BLOG. THANKS FOR MY LEATHER TOOL EDUCATION. I APPRECIATE YOU SHARING ALL OF YOUR INFORMATION. THANKS

HELLO, I PICKED UP SOMETHING SIMILAR FROM AN EBAY AUCTION. IT IS A LOT OLDER ONE THAN IN THE VIDEO. BUT LOOKS LIKE IT WORKS THE SAME. IT WAS CALLED A BURGESS VIBRO-TOOL. IT WAS ACTUALLY SOLD FOR LEATHER CARVING, WOODWORKING, AND METAL WORKING.

Thanks Bruce, that would be great if he did make it. Here are a couple of photos:

Hello, A while back on Ebay I bought the leather carved back for a director's chair. The auction said it was carved for Robert Urich when he was on a TV show called TANNA. I was trying to find out who might have carved it. Thanks.

Thanks King's X. I was very lucky to get a few of them. Especially the Rob Barr Swivel Master that holds the Xacto blades.