Sherkhan1962

Here are two quivers, one simple with just fringes and a tatanka - no need to translate this word if you saw Dances with Wolves, and one fully decorated with fur, horse hair, feathers and lizard skin, and an archery arm protector covering entirely the forearm for maximum protection. To draw the pattern for the arm protector was everything but easy, therefore I'll post it later on if it appears that some of you are interested once I am sure I have not lost it (searches to be done in my archives.) Photos are a bit better on my website since I was less limited concerning their size. I made a few others, but most found new owners (sold or offered) before I took any photo.

Thanks Bluesman and Benlilly for your compliments. Bluesman, I am also a fond of blues music, playing guitar myself (but finger picking country style like Doc Watson) and planning to buy a bluegrass banjo. But what is Zydeco music? Never heard of it on this side of the Atlantic Ocean. Benlilly, you make nice bike seats - I just had a look at your website. I have definitely to try carving.

Today I post various belt pouches, already planning to post later on the patterns for whoever would be interested to make some. A belt pouch was a much need for me when I was younger as I had the tendency to forget my wallet everywhere: At home, in bars, at friend's, in restaurants, at work in the locker rooms... Once secured in a belt pouch I cannot lose my wallet anymore... Unless I also forget my pants!, what luckily never happened so far (I never had to leave in such a rush a woman's home because the husband came back earlier than supposed. How serious I am. ) The blue one was made in 1996 and I have worn it every single day since then, even at work in tough conditions (boat building and construction), having little confidence into locker rooms, too many workmates having been stolen. It is by now very dirty and most of the decorations have gone but it remains in good condition promising many more years of service. The yellow was sold. In fact it was swapped for the replacement of the cylinder head gasket of my old Ford with one of my neighbors, a car mechanic whom the wife is also a fond of Native cultures - I always insist to add an s at the end of Culture when talking about Native people. More photos of it and a detailed description can be seen on my website. I made the one with its belt to offer them to a Lakota (Sioux) from North Dakota I was in touch with. The last one is very simple, no decoration but the stitched arabesques on the flap. It is lined with a coated cloth. Fully hand sewn, therefore time consuming although simple. Drop me a line if you are interested by the patterns. Thanks.

You have the chance to create your own design and to prepare your own patterns. I discovered that many people do not have this ability and they can only work with kits and templates prepared by others. It's just like with music: Many can play an instrument reading a score, but very few are able to compose. Thank what or who ever you wish to have been granted this ability and keep going with it, practice and technique learning will do the rest with time, you start well. (I was eventually not surprised to see a beer can thumbnail posted by an Australian! I'm wondering why...)

Very nice 3D pieces. I can only send you flowers in mind to put in. Fred

Hi all, Here is a hunter knife I made nearly twenty years ago with a truck shock absorber leaf for the blade - heated and clamped on a flat surface until it cooled down to remove the curve, Cocobolo wood for the handle, and bronze from the local metal scrap dealer with some bits of stainless steel for the pommel and the guard. It is fully hand made but the use of an angle grinder at the beginning to roughly remove stock before using files. This was the first and only knife I ever made. I made the sheath with leather that I molded the same way I used when working in the disability field in developing countries to make the sockets of the prosthesis (I worked as a technical trainer with NGO's). The leather is sunk in a bucket of water, and once it is totally soaked it is regularly twisted, bent, knead, trampled, tortured , etc. (the inflicted torments to soften the leather is only limited by your imagination - as long as they do not damage it! ), until it becomes elastic, therefore moldable. Usually this procedure is over a period of approximately 18 to 24 hours but it depends on the quality of leather. The leather is then stretched over an exact wooden model of the knife blade and maintained in place with 2 to 3 cm wide rubber bands cut from inner tubes to let it dry. Once nearly dry the rubber bands are removed and the fiber of the leather, which must still be wet at this stage, is tightened back through rubbing it thoroughly with a smooth piece of wood (for instance the handle of a hammer). This rubbing operation removes also the remaining water. Once fully dry the leather that took the shape of the mold is hard and can be covered. If I have time I'll shot a video to be posted on YouTube one of these days. I covered it with snake skin (yellowish and black) that I brought back from the Philippines - I didn't met its first owner, thus I don't know which brand of snake this was, lizard skin (light brown), and even a bit of fish skin (the disk on top of the front part sheath), luckily without the smell. The rest of the sheath is a piece of plastic (rigid while elastic) covered with white lizard, and blue lamb skin for the fringes and other smaller parts. Front and back parts are hand sewn together, but as you can imagine I had to drill holes on a drill press - no chance using an awl for such a thickness unless you are Hulk or Superman . You can see more realizations on my website (www.crafts-design.com) but I'll soon post some of them - with explications about the making-of as a bonus when possible, at least those concerning leather work, on this forum. And I will also post soon an introduction about stitching clamps I make I intend to market - I have first to translate it from French. Fred

Hello Rob, Nice flowers, which would certainly also please my girl friend if she was not at work at the moment. Go ahead! And all the best for your stay in Afghanistan. I had a stop-over in Kabul in december 1980. I remember the tarmac packed with Russian soldiers when the plane landed, called for help a few months before by the Afghan Govt. I've seen worse since then (Somalian border in 1991-92). I'm not a soldier - I am an ex humanitarian volunteer - but I had there my baptism by fire when our escorted convoy fell into a Somali ambush, which could have turned me instantly into a soldier if I ever had a gun at hand (an unexpected discovery about myself that frightened me afterwards I have to say), therefore I am among the very few people who know what it really means to be in this type of situation and I can easily empathize with you, what I wanted to express. You'll certainly be glad to find back the peace of Oregon, with a peaceful activity like leatherwork. Fred from France

Hi everybody! I am Fred, from the Brittany (Bretagne) Province in France, part in the old days of the Arthur and Merlin's legendary Britain once settled on both sides of the Channel. Up to recently I worked as a skilled Marine Joiner and from time to time in the construction field as a joiner and fitter, both trades in which I have been trained many years ago. I have also been trained in metalwork in a vocational school when I was 16, spent (to spend is indeed the appropriate verb!) one year in a School of Fine Arts, was in 2001 on the edge to study Educational Sciences, for which I validated past work experiences to compensate the two first years of studies, after the University Entrance Exam prepared during evening courses at the age of 38, and self trained myself in leatherwork, which I discovered with a Chilian in Italy in the early 80's, and computer graphics (among other activities). My life brought me also in many places around the world, some being unfortunately not accessible anymore (e.g. Timbuctu and Quetta), first to discover it through personnal travels, then to work as a Technical Trainer with different French and British Non Governmental Organizations, mostly in the disability field using appropriate technology (what includes molded leather for prosthetic devices), and in France in a Social Rehabilitation Center. I even gave a hand for a few days to Habitat for Humanity in Eagle Butte on the Cheyenne River Sioux (Lakota) Reservation in South Dakota at fall 1996 on a housing project. Since my last humanitarian involvement (back from Bhutan in 2001) I shared my time between boat building, mostly in Lorient or around on the Atlantic shore, and the renovation, nearly finished by now, of my countryside house where I have settled my workshop. Two years ago I have established a self-employed business, making fine crafts, fate (or perhaps Wakan Tanka - the Great Spirit) having granted me with various talents and enough imagination to express my creativity. But I have to reckon today that for most people the way they perceive the value of work has been totally distorted and perverted along the past thirty years, leading them to compare items made now by thousands or even millions in Asia by workers paid peanuts and items made by the piece in Western countries where the wage has obviously to match the cost of living. In short, it's far to be successful, especially with this so-called economic crisis, and I actually refocus my activities, being at the stage of the market study for stitching clamps and stitching ponies and other devices for crafters and professionals. I will soon post on LW a full description with photos of the prototypes made so far and I hope to communicate with professional leatherworkers and to be granted of their expertise if this can improve final products that match their expectations. In the meantime you can visit my website to look at some of the items I made in various fields: www.crafts-design.com and some photos I also post soon on LW. I am also interested in the making of traditionnal drums, therefore I'll be glad to discuss about this topic with anyone, Native Americans or others knowing how to. And because we are still in January, Greetings to all for this New Year! Fred