MonicaJacobson

I found this website on the forum: http://www.rbn.kz/gallery.php?gallery=leather&page=2 - I think I've seen the owner post shoes? And then I ran across Mike's (katsass) ostrich leg inlay holster. And lastly, I can't find who made this, but I saved this picture to my favorites a few months back and thought it was the coolest thing ever.

Huh, I don't know why I didn't see this earlier. Very cool first attempt! I love the artwork.

Wow, so much better than my first project. Your edges aren't even too bad! I would suggest you watch a few tooling videos on youtube. There are tons and tons of them, and they give you good information on casing leather, and using a beveling tool around your design to make it stand out from the rest of the leather, etc. Cool photography, too!

That does look extremely nice. Now, I think your Horween leather is waaaaay better than my (dare I say) stoned oil tandy stuff. At least, the back side is much cleaner, as you shall see. So, I was talking to my woodworker husband last night, and he recommended that before I buy something, I should try enduro-var. He had it, and he claims it's probably exactly the same as "Edge Kote". I tried two kinds of leather, one thick, one thin: On that first one, I sanded the piece on the right, put enduro-var, and then polished it. It does darken it, and it is shiny, but it also leaves light crackles, like lacquer. The left piece is the raw leather. Second one: On the left is the piece I sanded first, then put enduro-var on. The middle piece I didn't sand first, but sanded after I sealed it with enduro-var. That one seems to have worked the best. The right piece is just with gum trag. Then I experimented with the tote... The enduro-var is on the left, gum trag on the right. The gum trag is lighter, and matte, but looks more cohesive. The enduro-var is harder, darker, and shinier, but has a few light, lacquerey notes. the top is enduro-var, and the bottom gum trag. So I don't know. I think I'm going to try the same experiment with plain, good quality, lacquer. I can't decide if it's the finish that's the problem, or just poorer quality leather. Ha ha, yes, I know I'm just trying to avoid buying Edge Paint - I'd buy it in a second if they had it at Springfield, as I have stuff to order there, but I'm not very excited about making a special trip to Tandy at the moment. I'll probably cave.

Sweet! Thank you guys!

Huh, very cool! I'll try that. I haven't really done much edge tooling. Honestly, my husband does all my web support. I never learned how, and he's so conveniently to hand. Ahem. However, he said that you pay ZenPhoto, and if you contact them about it, they should be able to fix that up for you. I hand stitch everything. For one thing, it's cheaper, though probably not in the end. I'm at the Hobsession stage you mentioned, and am pleased when I make a small profit over my expenses. For another, I really like handstitching. Machine stitching might be fast, but I doubt anyone could say it's particularly relaxing.

Ha, I feel vindicated! I like your bridles, and there's a holster on your website that has a very interesting tooling on the edge. It's the Texas Jockstrap holster, and it looks like a wolf or bear claw edging? I don't think I've seen it before. If I might make a webpage suggestion, you should make it so that you can click on one picture, and then view the whole gallery from that one picture by clicking next. Thank you for the kind words! I'm trying to get better and still making a lot of mistakes, but this forum has been an amazing resource, and the people very helpful. The stuff I make is easier than you think. I've been using only chrome tanned lately, and that is much more forgiving than dying veg tanned. However, I'll be back to dying on my next one, so we'll see how that goes.

Thank you for the in depth explanation! Still, I think I'm going to have to fold some paper later to see what happens with those corners properly.

LOL, the person I made it for wanted pink.... so my light red was a bit of a blunder. Thanks anyway. Honestly, I prefer basic black or brown. It looks clean and nice, and really makes you focus on the inlay. If I can square it with my over-active thrifty conscience, I'm going to obtain some of that ostrich myself.

Yes, that hummingbird is awesome. Especially the border!

I do like the biker wallet. It looks like a quality wallet, and the tooling and paint work look great.

Cool holsters and sheaths, and cool guns, too! I know it's lame because they're not as hard, but I really like the untooled holster best.

Very nice! I really like that box...

Sweet! I like yours much better, especially as you avoided the super thick edges I ended up with. Also, that ostrich skin is super cool. Right up there with alligator. I couldn't figure out what it was. It would make really cool knife sheath inlay. Did you get it from Springfield leather?

Nice, and thank you for posting the tutorial. I was wondering how you did the t-slot part. You must be waaay better than I am at punching holes without the leather sliding around. Veg tanned is so much easier to work with because it doesn't stretch and move.

Thank you, Rosie, and Bill. Bill, I would like to get my chrome tanned edges better, and I am planning to start dying them a slightly darker color so they don't draw so much attention to themselves. Of course, you have to do that before you do Gum Trag, and I keep forgetting until I'm in the middle. Someone else on the forum mentioned Allen Edmonds heel and sole edge dressing for chrome tanned edges, and I think I'm going to give it a try. I've been leary of edge coats like Tan Kote because I understood that it could peel off. If that's not the case, I might try that, too.

Well, I took out a bunch of seams (I cheated and didn't completely unsew it), skived it down and slightly rounded the edges (per above advice), and it looks about as good as this particular one is going to look, probably, unless I buy the heat burnisher Olivier told me to buy. Thanks for all the help! Ha, now I'm thinking it's too feminine looking. Might try again with the whole masculine thing.

Thank you! I used another thin strip of the same leather. Honestly, I think it was too wide, and I think i made the straps themselves too wide as well. I'm not really sure what people usually use. Maybe two strips of leather glued together and then rounded over? I'm not sure. I also made the inside strips a little short, and didn't extend the stitching as far towards the bag as I suspect I should have.

Cool, thanks for the tips! I'll definitely try out some of the Dura.

Olivier, I thought only veg tanned could be dyed. I assumed that chrome tanned wouldn't take dye or something, because I've never heard anyone mention dying their chrome tanned edges. Maybe it just falls under the title "burnishing", and I had no idea!

That looks amazing!

I've never made any of these, so my feedback is of little worth, but I think they both look nice. I can't see the edges well, and there might be some roughness there, but otherwise, they look great.

Ha! Thanks WScott - in retrospect, if one were to make a perfectly masculine tote, ore mote, one should use veg tanned, and make two slender briefcase-like handles in the middle that attach to the sides with metal hardware. In which case, maybe it would be called a Totecase, or Tiefcase. Hmm... definitely lacks the ring.

Very nice purse!

Rosie, that is an excellent idea. I think I'm going to skive the corners, resew them, and round them as you suggest. That's a great idea. In fact, I really need to go back and watch more of Nigel's videos. I think I've only watched one or two. Thanks!