Destrier

I like it. Looking at possibly doing a dragon for a custom piece for someone, I'm not looking forward to all those little details!

Thanks guys! I have a few projects on the go right now, should be posting pics in a few days.

Nice, I like it - looking forward to the finished product!

That is a very peculiar knife. I like the design - did you pick Charon or did the client ask for it?

The cuff is approximately 9.5" by 3.5", the buckles are 5/8", the leather was cut from an unlabeled piece and I'm still getting a feel for the different weights but I believe it's in the 4 oz range.

Thanks guys

Well, it's officially my first custom order. I've got another one underway (a back strap for a sword) and another one ordered (a Kindle cover) so people must like it... I still see a lot of flaws, but hopefully the next one will be better. In this case the design was drawn up by the customer. 'Ego Voluntas' means 'I Will' in Latin.

I have to admit, I saw the words "medieval aquaman" and had to scratch my head. I couldn't picture it but you pulled it off. Very nicely done.

At the moment I'm a little swamped with other projects, however I know someone that does really good work, Crusader Monk - this is his web site http://www.crusadermonk.com/

Hey dktne, welcome to the forum. I'm curious, is it a whole new scabbard you're looking for or a different suspension system? If I can't help you myself, I know a few excellent custom scabbard makers that I'm sure could get you what you need. Zoe

Also would like to know these things!

I'd love to see a close-up of the carving on the scabbard - what's the design?

Very nice.

Well yes, technically he is handy but he's also a little short on time - I think I'd end up waiting about three years for him to make one for me. Thanks for those links, guys - I can see I've got some reading material for the foreseeable future!

Hmm, the noise level is definitely worth considering. At first I hadn't given it much thought since most of my work is done during the day when my husband isn't even home, but there are times when the noise could be an issue (like when he's watching a hockey game). An intro to airbrushing course would be great, I'll do a little more hunting around to see what's available but so far all I've found is one at the previously mentioned art store and they're pretty infamous for pushing THEIR products and not appreciating you bringing something else from home. They do stock the parts for Paasche models but the only complete airbrush sets they sell are in the $3-500 range.

David - we do have a shop compressor, but I'm pretty sure my husband would throw a fit if I took it out of his garage and put it in my office and it's kind of on its last legs. Part of keeping our marriage happy is keeping my workspace and his separate! That's good to know though that it doesn't have to be a 'special' air compressor. Thanks for the links, Cyberthrasher - I did a little looking around and there's a local art store that also carries Paasche parts so I'll probably go with that one.

I would like to get an airbrush, but I don't know a lot (or, well, anything) about airbrushing and I don't want to buy something that won't end up suiting my needs. Is it better to buy an all in one 'airbrush kit' complete with compressor, or is it better to buy things separate? What I'd like to do with it is apply all-over dyes and finishes as well as experiment with different techniques, like doing a gradient colour (example fading from red to black) - what kind of brushes do I need? Is it possible to get a decent machine (including compressor) for around $100-150, max $200? This is one that I'm possibly looking at - http://www.ebay.ca/itm/2-3-5-Gravity-Dual-Action-AIRBRUSH-KIT-Tank-Air-Compressor-Hobby-Cake-Tattoo-/200894367286?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2ec63cc636 - does anyone have experience with this brand?

That was a great explanation Tina, thank you! Now two of you have mentioned airbrushing... I have some questions about that as well but I suppose I should start a new thread rather than completely derailing this one.

Sorry, I'm not entirely clear on the use of the masking fluid - that would be for something you don't want to have any colour at all (including antiquing), right? Like the border areas on that fantastic chamfron? While I can see that coming in handy, at the moment I'm more looking for something that I can antique over and get those darker lines in the carving, like in the braiding, coat of arms, and filigree on the chamfron. Or did you use the masking fluid on those parts too, Tina?