MonicaJacobson

Thanks, I'll take a look at your blog again. I'm really not that great at my leather carving yet. I stopped practicing until recently, so I'm still at a fairly early level with it. Proper casing is the most important thing, and after that, sufficient knife-depth, which means a properly sharp swivel knife. I've been meaning to pick up a few Barry King backgrounders. I think they would help a lot.

@MY63 - Nice, I've seen that bird image several times, and wondered how it would look carved into leather. It works surprisingly well. The red cylinder case is sweet. I've been wanting to do something like that, but have chickened out for various reasons. What kind of leather did you use on the refit of the gladstone bag? Did you mean the leather foxes I've done or the tagua nut ones? If you mean tagua, I never got beyond beginner carving, and I used a dremel. My lack of skill with perspective got in the way. @Chris - thanks! I did crease that one piece of horse - I keep meaning to send you a bunch of creasing questions, since you have the actual tool. About lining the catch piece - I don't think you can. Until you bend the piece, it won't even go into the clasp. I don't think you could add lining to it and have it fit. I did wonder about that, though.

Btw - I got stuck looking through your site. I really like the work you've done, especially the gladstone bag. Did you ever finish that? It was looking pretty sweet.

Ha, thanks, Michael. No worries, I have a list of deserving people that have some of my earlier stuff that is really bad - I replace the bad stuff, one prototype at a time. They don't mind the little nitpicky things. Unlike some crazy people... (you know who you are), I don't take scissors to my mistakes.

@grmnsplx (whaat is that, anyway?) - thanks, I'll probably do something like it again sometime, but I'm bored of all the pockets right now. Essex is nice - it's soft, a little stretchy, and almost feels spongy, but it's a nice leather to work with. It isn't frail like some cheaper/softer leathers. @Tugadude - lol, I really felt dumb, it's true. It's not like I finished it and saw what I did - I saw it as soon as I had glued it and trimmed the edges flush. But I couldn't see it until then, and by that point, it was far too late. I figured I might as well keep going and finish it, and maybe keep it for myself - my current wallet is awful - it's from 3 years ago, soon after I started leatherworking.

Show off, kind of... not at all. This one was a flop - oh, it's a nice wallet, but it's has three too many devastating mistakes. First, this was my first time using ostrich shin inlay, and i didn't think to glue it down on something else before I glued it to the exterior of the wallet, so I couldn't get it smooth enough. Then, I cut the exterior larger so I could trim it down flush, but that required that I get everything aligned properly, which I did not manage to do. Thus, very crooked inlay. I guess I'll have to re-think my procedure. Oh well. Kidskin interior, Horween essex exterior, handsewn with tiger thread, 8spi.

Cool.

I'm still trying to figure out edges myself, and have yet to test edges for durability, but the consensus, as far as I have read, is that applying any kind of edge-slicking soap, gum trag, or anything like that before applying edge paint will make it so the edge paint cannot adhere properly to the edge. Basically, if you're going to use edge paint, don't use saddle soap or wax first. Dispense with the soap entirely and wax and burnish after the edge paint has cured.

Wow, that is super fancy.

It looks nice, Thor - nice idea about inlaying letters with stingray.

Wow, really cool. I think tboyce has it right, envious is the word.

Nice work!

No guarantees - I haven't been to tandy in 18 months. :-D But they might have an idea of something similar.

I have no idea. I feel like I've seen that kind of leather before at Tandy, though... dunno. The closest things I could find were the shrunken goat from Maverick (http://www.maverickleathercompany.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Seasoned-Brown-Shrunken-Goat.jpg). It's probably embossed. It also looks a little like this: http://www.maverickleathercompany.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Embossed-Brandy-Dublin.jpg It's not the same thing, though, sorry.

Bob, that's a lovely wallet. Thanks for sharing pictures.

That looks beautiful.

Nice, my favorite is the shotgun shell holder.

Wow, amazing work.

Really beautiful, Hunio.

Sent you a PM, Ferg.

Looks good!

Sweet mocs, ditto rscow.

Yes, skiving is terrible with that leather. I should say that if you try cutting baseball glove leather with a knife that is anywhere less than razor sharp, you would be frustrated. However, there's no way I would be doing that. Anymore.

Thanks! I was looking at their website last week, wondering how anyone could possibly make a bag out of lizard, if the quality was what I had experienced (I did not get mine from them). I had similar trouble with stitching - the tiny pebbled plates push the stitches out of alignment.

Nice! If I might ask, where did you get your lizard skin? I wasn't very pleased with the one lot I bought. It was brittle, and if you sewed it too tight, it tended to rip the leather. What was your experience with it? Also, my husband got me a cheaper version of the fileteuse for christmas, so I'm hoping I might be able to imitate your creasing some time soon. Still waiting on the creasing tip, and I might have to buy another, smaller one, but already the iron has made a huge difference on the edge paint when I tried it this afternoon.