Johanna

From the "ABCs of Leatherwork", Tandy Leather Factory book stock #1904

Hello, Patrice! Your leatherwork is much better than my French! Don't worry, if you don't know how to say what you want in English, post in French, and someone will translate for us. Just keep on sharing and having fun! What kind of LARP do you enjoy? I have worked with Civil War reenactors and SCA folks, and always admired the dedication for getting things period correct. I like going to the events, too- interesting people to talk to, and lots to learn. Glad you found us, and welcome aboard! Johanna

I arrived at my Tandy store one morning to unlock the door and open the store for business, and the front windows of the store were smeared with blood. Not ketchup, blood from a pig farm, I guess. That's what the officers told me. I was confronted by two activists, both wearing leather shoes. The woman began to scream at me that I was going to hell for killing animals to sell leather and the man attempted to keep me out of the store. After a few tense words, I went into the shoe store next door, and Mark, the owner, dialed the police and then escorted me into my store, ignoring the two lunatics with their pamphlets and accusations. The police arrived and told the two they were trespassing, and not to return to the shopping center. The police had records of other "incidents" with these two, and didn't show their customary patience. I filed charges for vandalism and terroristic threats, called my boss in New York to report the events, and spent the morning washing the windows. The next morning I went in early, and there were two more PETA people waiting for me. I tried to reason with them- in a strip chopping center, with Taco Bell, Subway, Krystals and Arbys, why were they focused on the leather store? Leather is a byproduct of the meat industry. No cow or deer is killed for their hide- people are omnivores, and they need to EAT. One of them explained they were against people wearing fur. "Look around! Do you see a lot of fur in here?" A couple of rabbits, a raccoon, a coyote, a hair on cowhide...no minks of foxes in that Tandy. I quickly concluded these people were no more rational than the blood smearers, and I asked them to leave the shop. My regulars, having seen the commotion from the day before in the paper, started arriving for coffee. Mike and Larry escorted the two to their car (leather seats) and we didn't have to call the police again. They didn't come back. Larry had a bumper sticker on his truck "I support PETA: People Eating Tasty Animals", so you know his thoughts on the matter, but I'm sure that it was Mike who persuaded them to find someone else to bother and not come back He trained K-9s for the Macon Police Dept. and was on the SWAT team. He has a way of speaking softly, but with authority. A few months later a lady came in with a lovely fur coat covered in red paint. She had been walking to her car when they stepped out of the shadows, doused her with the paint and called her an "animal killer". There was no saving the coat, sadly, and the paint-throwers were not caught or identified. I followed trucks in Georgia that dropped dead chickens on the road, and I knew a chicken farmer who kept an alligator pond for sick or dead chickens. I know the chickens don't live the life of Joan Rivers' dog. But people who use terrorism and harassment to make their point, like Muslim extremists and abortion clinic bombers, have missed the point of their "humanitarian" efforts. Instead of pontificating at someone eating a steak, feed a hungry child. Rather than preaching to suburbanites, start a spay & neuter program in the neighborhood. Talk is cheap. Find solutions. Johanna :soapbox: getting down now...

Leather Molding Workshop Roses & Masks Materials needed: Pencil or stylus Utility knife. Exacto knife Straight edge Paper & cardboard 3 to 5 oz. Vegetable tanned leather Face form Large Pot Water Drying cloth ( T-shirt, diaper, etc.) OPTIONAL: Aluminum foil, pinking shears, dye stamping tools, candy thermometer, hot plate hair dryer TECHNIQUE Leather choice Leather should be 3 to 5 oz. weight, with the 3 oz. being used for flowers, leaves or anything that you want to have a light, delicate appearance. For masks or wearable items, nothing heavier than 5 oz. This will give you the strength and durability that you need, but still be thin enough to work easily. Pay close attention to the flesh side of the leather that you use. You want the nap to be as close and tight as you can find, without 1ong rags left by fleshing. If you need to, the leather can be sanded lightly to clean it up. You don't want to burnish the flesh side because this will restrict water absorption. Leather preparation . You can heat the water in your pan to about 120°. This will cause the leather to burn slightly,which will harden the project more when it dries. (This is what the hotplate and candy thermometer are for). Place the cut out project into the water: Depending upon how dry the leather is, it may take some time to get to the proper water content. Usually, I put it in until it quits bubbling and squealing. Test the leather by squeezing it while it moistens. It should have a uniform consistency. If you feel stiff areas, squeeze and work these spots while they are under water and they wi1l soften up. IF you are using hot water, have a second pan of cool water nearby to avoid being scalded! Once the leather reaches the proper consistency, that of modeling clay, take it out of the water and place it on a drying cloth. Fold the leather and press on it to remove excess water. The drying cloth should be something absorbant but tightly woven (old t-shirt or diaper) A cloth with a large weave or texture (like towels) should not be used because this will leave a textured print in the wet leather, unless this is the effect you want. When drying leather, wrapping the project loosely with rubber bands may help hold it in shape, but may leave a line on finished leather. A hairdryer may be used to shorten drying time; but be careful not to use too much heat for too long a period of time, or the leather may dry out and crack. PATTERNS Roses Both large and small patterns are cut out the same, basically 3 circles spaced 120 degrees apart around a smaller circle; For my large pattern, I used a slicker and a nickel, for the smaller I used a film can cap and an 8100 rivet setter. For the leaves I used a free hand elliptical ovoid and a nickel. For the Calla lily I used a free hand elliptical ovoid, but on one side I added an ovoid roughly half the length of that side and half as wide. FLOWERS Open Rose For open rose, you need two pieces cut to match the larger pattern. Wet them both then place one on top of the other, both grain side up, with the center of the top circles lying over the slits between the circles of the bottom piece. Pull bottom petals up through the slits in the top piece, then holding the top petals between the fingers of one hand and the bottom petals in the other, pull both hands away from each other. This causes the petals to lock into the slits, eliminating the need for gluing and/or sewing. All of the petals should develop slight creases and both parts should come to sort of a point. To form inner petals, crease all three along the center, then, working counter-clockwise, wrap them around each other so that they interlock. Placing a finger into the cylinder that forms will help hold, form and shape them. Pull outer petals up and wrap them around the inner ones the same way. Pull and stretch the leather as you need to to shape the flower. Make a circle of your thumb and index finger and put just the base of the flower into it, to hold it while you finish. Roll each petal outward and pinch the edge near the center of the point to shape the petal. Each petal can be shaped and molded as you want until you get the effect desired. Place finished flower upside down to dry. This will help hold the flower's shape as it dries. After completely dry, then dye, stain, or finish as you want. Rosebuds These are made from a single piece of leather, usually a smaller pattern. With grain side down, pierce the center of the base piece with an awl. Slip a wire with a loop on one end through the hole to use as a stem. Slightly curl each leaf upward from the flesh side. Then working clockwise, tightly curl each petal around the one next to it. Once the curl has started to form, you can get it tighter by placing the flower on the table and placing your hand on it. While exerting slight downward pressure, roll the flower under your hand . After the bud is rolled tightly, roll each petal away from the center and mold and pinch the edges to shape. Set aside to dry. After dry completely, dye, stain, or finish as you want. Calla Lillys Narrow side of piece could be skived on flesh side, if desired, before casing the leather. This would give a thinner outside petal along the body of finished flower. Start with flesh side down, then fold larger side of piece into the center. Fold narrower side over this to form cone. Roll back the edges and smooth out the throat of the flower. Pinch and pull tip, then smooth and touch up shape. Set aside to dry. Leaves For jagged edge leaves, they should be cut out using pinking shears to make it easier and more even. With grain side up, fold each leaf along center line, then roll, squeeze, and pinch to get the shape that you want. 3.) When you lay them aside to dry, use a finger to push straight down on the junction. This will flatten this area out and allow the base of the flower to fit better on the leaves. 4.) After dry completely, dye, stain, or finish as you want. MASKS Basic mask Use paper to make a basic mask pattern that will match the pattern to your eyes and to the contours of your own face. This doesn't need to have any of the design considerations of the finished mask, this is only to get your contours and sizes right. Once happy with fit of basic mask, trace pattern onto flesh side of leather with the side of the mask pattern that was against your face turned up. For the eye holes, put marks in the comers of each eye and one at the midpoint top and bottom of the pattern's eyehole. Using a straight edge, connect the comer dots across the eyehole. Cut out the mask, then cut along the line running across the eyehole. Cut curving line from the outside comer to the mark at the top midpoint then the comer to the bottom midpoint of each eye. CUT ONLY TO THE MIDPOINT MARKS! Wet leather then place it over the form. (If the form is going to be used more than once, it could be filled with plaster to give it more strength for molding.) Make sure that the center of the mask matches the line along the bridge of the form's nose. Mold and contour the mask to the form. Fold back the the eyepieces and use them to form eyelashes. These can be rolled, twisted, or fringed. If tooling is desired, do it now while the leather is still wet and on the form. Leather should be thin enough and wet enough that the tools should only need pressed in and shouldn't require tapping with a mallet. Leave on form and set aside to dry. After drying is done completely, dye, stain, or finish as you want. Beaked Masks These are different than regular masks because the mass of leather that you need to form the beak means that the eye holes have to be further apart and slanted. This is because when the beak is formed, the leather needed to get the height of the beak has to come from somewhere. If allowance isn't made, the eyes will end up on the side of the bridge of the nose. Draw out the beaked mask pattern then use the basic mask pattern to place the eye holes. This is done (on the flesh side) by marking center lines down the bridge of the nose on both patterns. Turn the basic mask pattern until the center line on it runs from the comer of the beak to where it intersects with the center line on the beak mask pattern. (You may have to visualize an extension of the basic mask center line). Trace around too eyehole in the basic mask to transfer it to the beak mask pattern. Repeat procedure for the eye on the other side. Beaks are formed by folding leather along the bridge of the nose and lifting it until the eye holes in the leather match the eyes on the form. Contour and form it around cheeks and nose. If beak is so large that it won't stand up under its own weight, it will need supported while it dries. This is done with aluminum foil. First, get a wad of foil and shape it roughly to the outline of the beak. Put it under the leather, then squeeze and contour it until it has the shape that you want for the beak. More can be added, if necessary, but the wad doesn't need to be solid. It needs to only be strong enough to support the weight of the leather. If tooling is desired, do it now while still wet and on form, leather should be thin. enough and wet enough that the tools only need pressed in and shouldn't require tapping with a mallet. Leave on form and set aside to dry. Dye, stain or finish as desired. John L. Henry Jr. Macon, Ga 1999

When you installed Office 2003 it probably tried to make Outlook your default email client. Outlook Express is the built in email client for XP. (The names make things confusing, don't they?) You can change that in the Control Panel, Add/ Remove section, left side "change access and defaults". Your WAB (Windows Adress Book) should be here: C >Doc & Settings> User> Application Data> Microsoft> Address Book> UserName> WAB You may need to open OE, click "file" and "import" it back to where it should be Holler if you have more questions! Johanna

No two hides are the same. You can take sister cows, send their hides to the same tannery, and the two hides will have differences. No hide is the same thickness throughout, either. That's why leather "weight" is often expressed in ranges, i.e. 8/9 oz. or 4/5 oz. The center of the whole hide is where the animal's spine was. The area by the rump is thicker than the shoulders. Hides are often sold as sides. If you cut straps, this is the most economical way to purchase leather. Double shoulders might be long enough for belts, or not, depending on the animal, but they are the "cleanest" looking parts of the hide. If you plan to carve the leather, you can save money buy buying leather with imperfections that you can work around, or cover up with tooling. Belly areas are soft and mushy compared to the shoulders and may not be suitable for a function that will place the leather under stress. To keep this conversation straight, here is a chart: A, F & G are good for small projects, practice pieces, etc. A,B,D &F is a "side" B & C is a "double shoulder" B & D is where you would get your straps from I borrowed this from George Hurst's Hidecrafter Catalog because I'm too tired to type it out right now. When buying leather, consider what you plan to do with it. Every time a hide is cut, the price per square foot increases. If you can use the whole side, it's less expensive in the long run (because there is no such thing as "scrap"!) Buy from a vendor you have a rapport with- if the seller knows what you are doing, he can select a hide best suited for your needs. I would save a long side for a person who plans to make straps (belts) and I would save a pretty double shoulder for someone I know wants a piece with no blemishes, for example. Tandy catalogs used to refer to the "occasional range markings that add authenticity to your project" which is a nice way of saying, "Hey, this cow tangled in barbed wire or got caught on a roller at the tannery" but in truth brands and some markings can be interesting. Just make sure that any flaw in the leather is not expected to bear weight or be subject to stress. Any time you punch a hole in leather (even for sewing) you weaken it, too, so the smallest holes you can use are desireable. Often you will see purse straps sewn on in a triangular pattern- this is a way to distribute the "load" evenly and not rip out the stitches. Some people make the mistake of punching holes to close to the edge- after practice, you can eyeball it, but keep in account how much force will be exerted on those holes, and does the leather toward the edge have enough room to not be weak? I hope I answered some of your questions, Regis, didn't mean to get off track. Johanna

Cabela's is one of the world's leading suppliers for outdoor enthusiasts. Womens Belts Mens Belts Holsters We can't touch these prices...we can offer a customer a custom item, or better quality, but not at these prices. Johanna

Your wish is my command. Look at the bottom of the leatherworker board forum. Johanna

I have a workshop for dog armor somewhere...we used to make the gear that the dogs wore when hunting wild boars in Georgia. Judging by the nicks in the leather when we did repairs, I would not want to tangle with a wild pig! Are you looking for decorative or functional armor, Hoyden? I need to rummage around (and find a scanner big enough for the patterns!) This is kind of like a stroll down Memory Lane looking at all these old classes and workshops. One thing about doing custom leather is that you never know which project is going to be next, huh? Cheers from snowy Ohio! Johanna

Awesome job, Dale. I like the realistic eyes and the flow of the manes, as well as the defined faces. You are an artist and a craftsman. Thanks for sharing! Johanna

I was guided through a Georgia slaughterhouse by the boss, and he was especially proud that the only part of the animal that wasn't used was the "Moo". If people didn't eat meat, leather would be cost-prohibitive, because no one would raise cows for just their hides. Johanna

I tell the kids, "Look at the pretty blankets!" Johanna

Hey, David...I'd rather you do it here on leatherworker.net! More people will certainly see it, that's for sure! The magazine has less readers than this website. And I'll even volunteer to do a lot of the grunt work for you! In fact, I would be thrilled! Johanna

A friend complained that it was too hard to use a compass or wing dividers to make accurate circles or arcs on carving leather. I have always used drinking glasses, plates, coins, cans, or any object that already is a circle and about the size I want. I suppose you could make a circle on a computer, adjust it for size and trace it, too. When I explained my shortcut to my friend, I realized how easy it was to overlook the obvious. I learned from an old man who had been doing leatherwork for 30 some years. He wasn't going to get a compass out, he would slap a saucer on the wet leather and use a stylus to trace a perfect circle. Same result, half the time spent, less margin for error. Wing dividers are great for planning where the next spot or rivet should go in the pattern, or evenly punching the holes in the belt, but they weren't made to do circles, and they don't do them very well. There is an oval cookie tin downstairs that Jon Alger used to keep beads and button in, and that was the oval on many a 8 X10 book, bible or photo album cover, and there is a smaller candy tin with needles in it that went on quite a few smaller books, and big hipster wallets. There's a bunch of rectangle and square tins with all sorts of odds and ends. Sometimes what you need is right there in the shop, just look around. Johanna

The Pitt Pounders are near and dear to my heart. I had never heard of a leather guild until one day, while shopping at the old Tandy near Monroeville, Michelle introduced me to the president, Chris Kearns. I got to know some of the other members when I worked at the Tandy in later years, and when I went to Georgia, I tried to organize the Georgia Leathercrafters' Guild on the same principles of friendship and sharing that I remembered from the Pittsburgh guild. The Pitt Pounders co-hosted the IFoLG 2006 show in Butler last October, and now a new president has taken the reins, Kevin Cohn. I have no doubt the PPLG will continue on with the same traditions of courtesy, education and just plain fun. You can read Draper's witty monthly newsletters on their website PittPounders.org in the archive, and see pictures of the international show last fall. They accept members from all over the country, and meet once a month, for a meeting or a party or both (sometimes it's hard to tell!) All of the information is on their website. Johanna

Thonging chisels have their uses- like doing the holes for a buckstitched belt. Punching out laced saddlebags. Mexican braiding and appliqué work done with lace. In fact, I was thinking about this, and I mostly use chisels where lace is involved, not for sewing with thread. For lacing or hand sewing with thread, where two pieces must be joined together, I fasten everything tightly (twist ties, glue, tacks, whatever) and punch the holes with a tiny sharp awl. I always make both holes at the same time- I do not try to match two pieces of leather with holes punched separately, ever. I try to make the holes an bit smaller than the lace or thread. Then I pick up two needles and sew it. I keep my needles, both Life-Eyes and glovers needles, sharp by stropping them, and never use harness needles-too big and blunt. I never let go of the needle(s), same as lacing. That's the way I was taught, right or wrong, it's what I know how to do. I admire people who can sew 12 stitches an inch with an awl in the palm of their hand, but I'm not one of them. (Gesa thinks that's child's play!) I backstitch to finish off, and I pound both thread and lace with the back of my mallet when I'm done. I was told that "set" the stitches. Sometimes it seems like it does, sometimes I feel like I'm observing an old man's superstition. For hand sewing thread with thick (above 8/9 oz.) I don't use an awl. I do use a single or double punch, smaller than a chisel. I don't think Tandy sells them, I think my set is wood carving tools, but I could be wrong. For you old timers out there, disregard: Tandy sells a "thonging chisel" and that is a one- two-four-eight toothed heavy handled tool you whack with your mallet. Some people know them as "gang punches". Same thing. You have to sharpen and strop these things or you will hurt your elbow. They aren't sold sharp, and without an edge, you work too hard to drive them through 8/9 oz. leather. A few minutes on a stone and occasional stropping will pay off. Rotary punches are pretty useless because they limit how far into the work you can go. If you need to make round holes for rivets and snaps Tandy sells an inexpensive Mini Punch set. When the screw on tubes get dull, just get new ones. When you can justify it, invest in a better quality set that you can sharpen yourself, if you want to. If you want to sew pretty, buy the best awls you can afford. Johanna

Well, you can tell I'm cleaning up, huh? Here is a workshop handout we used to do for SCA folks on hardened leather. Johanna Hardened Leather Hardened leather was used for armor from classical antiquity through the end of the Elizabethan era. Its popu1arity can be trace to its strength, weight, and relative ease of manufacture. For this method of hardening you will need a good sized double boiler, a large supply of wax (paraffin works very well), candle wax hardener, candle wax dye (both are available at a good hobby shop), and, of course, a supply of leather. The minimum thickness of leather you should use is about 8 oz. (1/8") to 11 oz. (3/16"). Sole leather, which is about 10-14 oz. (1/4") thick, is very efficient and has great stopping power. Very heavy leather (such as bulls throat) is superlative. For small plates, the simple immersion method is best; I will deal with hardening larger plates later on in the article. Always use a double boiler to melt wax. The boiler I use is a large kettle that I no longer love, which rests on three legs inside a larger kettle which is filled halfway with water. Put in your wax: after it melts, add about half again as much hardener as the manufacturer recommends. Since you are going to be inside this leather, you want it very rigid. If you want to dye the leather, add the dye at this point. Make certain that you have enough wax to complete the job at one sitting. If you run out halfway through you will have a wretched time mixing a new batch that matches the original. Always use a test piece of leather, and let it dry completely before you decide you like it. If you don't use dye, the leather will usually turn a very rich, dark brown, which I personally prefer to dyed leather. Now, the actual mechanics of the hardening. Take about five or ten plates and drop them into the wax. About fifteen seconds after you immerse the plates, you will see a stream of air bubbles rising from the leather. Wait until these bubbles have completely stopped rising, and remove the leather. This will take anywhere from two to ten minutes, depending on your leather. Place the plates smooth (grain) side up, on waxed paper or foil. Don't use newspaper, the plates willl stick to it. Once you have the process down, you can produce an unbelievable number of plates in an evening. For any plate too large to fit into your boiler you will have to take a few risks and do the hardening in your oven. I can hear your castle's cook screaming already. Melt a good quantity of wax in your double boiler, as you would for small plates. Use a brush to coat the plates completely with wax. The wax should be about 1/4 of an inch thick. Put the plates onto an old cookie sheet, and then pour on more liquid wax. Set your oven to bake at about 150 degrees. Don't use broil; you'll ruin an expensive piece of Ieather and create a stench that must be smelled to be believed. Place your leather into the oven and watch it carefully. "Baste" the leather with liquid wax at least once a minute. If necessary be sloppy, just never let the leather dry. When your leather is quite saturated with wax, remove it and start shaping. The sane way is to put on work gloves, hold the leather in your hands. and shape it. This method only produces and approximate fit. A second method (practiced by our local shire's Armorsmiths and Masochists Guild) calls for putting on a heavy garment, finding someone who doesn't like you very much. and having him strap the plate onto you, molding it to an exact fit. This method is only moderately painful. (Make sure that you really don't like the clothing very much. No matter what you do, you will always have a ghost image of your harness.) Addendum I. Do all of your cutting, and punch any rivet holes before hardening the leather. This is armor: it was intended to be hard to cut. 2. If the harness becomes deformed by being crammed into a car trunk for several hours, you can usually repair it by laying it on a dark cloth in the sun for about half an hour. It will become just barely pliable enough and from there can be fitted back onto your person. 3. Don't attach straps to your harness until after you have hardened it. Wax will get into the thin leather and make it just stiff enough to be maddeningly uncomfortable. 4. Couir Boulli is an ideal medium for other craftsmen. The Metropolitan Museum has many cups, cases, and chests made from hardened leather. S. Couir Boulli is ideal for articulated armor. This style uses square or rectangular plates riveted or sewn to a leather or canvas tunic, in a brickwork pattern. This armor is most effective if you use very thick plates and cut the edges to a good right angle. The plates will lock, and become very rigid when struck. John L. Henry, Jr. 1997 Macon Georgia for the SCA of Warner-Robbins

Jeff Mosby demonstrates the art of basketweaving: MosbyGuitars.com Check out the rest of his site when you get a chance. The man does beautiful leatherwork and also inlays for instrumants. Awesome artist! Johanna

Someone asked me to find out where to get unusually sized and colored zippers- she is looking for a variety, from lightweight to heavy-duty. She doesn't want to use the zippers you cut to length, she wants to buy lots of matching zippers. Where do you get your zippers, and who carries the most variety? Thanks! Johanna

Some of this advice conflicts with the Keltons' advice in the other thread, so take it for what it is worth. This was written by a fellow in Georgia who made beautiful skins, and sold them to leatherworkers, who preferred them to commercially tanned ones. He gave me permission to post his info, but asked that I not publish his name. (If you have no reason to eat and/or skin the snake, leave it be.) So You Killed a Snake... Now that your nerves are settled down, why not make something with his skin? Be careful if you killed a poisonous snake. The venom sacs will still be active, so do not allow the fangs to touch your skin, or try to squirt the glands clean. Cut off the head and discard it. Tanning the Skin First, skin the snake. Start by cutting off the head. Use sharp scissors to cut up the center of the snake’s belly. Then turn him inside out (think peeling a banana!) Unless you plan to eat the meat, dispose of the head and body flesh. Salt the skin with non iodized salt only. Store the skin in a plastic container for no more than 24 hours. Rinse the skin in warm water. Check carefully for remaining flesh, and remove any with a table knife. Notice, at no point is this skin in the freezer. Don’t put snakes or their skins in the freezer. It upsets spouses, and it ruins the hide. You need RepTan or some other commercially available snakeskin tanning solution. Contrary to popular myth, anti-freeze is not going to work. Use gloves and appropriate protection, because the chemicals are harsh. Hang skin with clothespin to dry after following the manufacturer’s instructions. Depending on the skin, this could be two days or two weeks. Scale the dry snakeskin under warm running water. Expect a rough texture at first, until the scales come off. This job is completed when the skin is soft and supple. If you plan to dye or enhance the color of the skin, this is the time. Using the Skin Under good lighting, inspect your snake hide. Check for imperfections or problems with the fit of your project. Hold it up to a light to identify any flaws, weak spots or potential problems. Lay your project out to minimize waste. Be observant to the unique patterns and color variations of the skin to get the maximum effect on your project. Inlay work is done by cutting the base (cow) leather with a sharp swivel knife. Bevel for a better depth effect. Affix snakeskin with a glue or cement that will not bleed through. Use a modeling tool or stone to work out any bubbles or crookedness. Whether stitched or appliquéd, the holes need punched together. Do not try to punch two pieces of leather and then “match them up”. Always drive the punch through both at the same time. If making a belt, position the scales to “slide like the snake did” or eventually the friction of going through the loops of the pants will damage the snake hide. To seal the snake skin, Leather Balm with Atom Wax or Carnuba Cream should be applied, allowed to dry and buffed. Then Neat Lac should then be applied, buffed, allowed to dry, and buffed again. Inspect the hide and decide whether conditioner should be applied (Dr. Jackson’s Hide Rejuvenator is an excellent choice), then buff again, wait a day, and guess what? Buff it some more. Buff with the grain (head to tail is the direction you should be going) using scrap sheepswool. Snakeskin is very strong if the tension on it is even. It is important to glue it tight, allowing no air bubbles between it and the backing leather. Edges that are not flush or laced are vulnerable. Check the project for stress points and reduce unnecessary folds and bends that may weaken the snake hide. Over the life of the finished project, inspect and condition the skin as needed. Snakeskin can be quite striking (I know, bad pun!) and quite a conversation starter. Enjoy!

Introductory Carving Class Part One Tools Swivel Knife - Used to cut the outline of the pattern into the leather and for decorative and accent cuts. Blade Styles 1.) Straight Blade - Used for general duty work. Has 2 cutting points ready 2.} Angle Blade. Usually used for fine detail and figure carving or filigree work. 3.) Hollow Ground Blade - A type of straight blade, the difference being in the way the blade is formed. There is a hollow formed in the center of the blade so that the cutting edge is much thinner at the center of the blade, allowing a sharper edge 4.} Hair Blades - come in two sizes (1M" & 3/8") ,and are generally used for "hair" textures in carvings. 5.) Double Edged' Blade- A straight blade that has twin cutting edges separated by 3/32" to allow cutting parallel lines. Materials 1.) Steel- Can be sharpened and stropped so are easy to maintain. Requires more frequent attention, but can be rehoned if the edge is damaged. Is available in straight, angled and hollow-ground configurations. 2.) Ceramic.. Edge bevel is determined at the time of manufacture and can not be rehoned or shaped by conventional means. Can be stropped to true the edge. Since it is a ceramic, it is susceptible to chips, cracks and breakage if dropped or hit. 3.} Ruby.. As far as I know these are no longer manufactured because of cost, but can occasionally be found. They have the same disadvantages as the ceramic blade, but are a little tougher to damage and, with proper stropping, can carry the keenest edge of all materials that I've used. Sharpening Honing - Shaping the blade. Done with a fine grit whetstone. Since the angle of the bevel is critical and must be perfectly straight down the center of the blade, this will be discussed at a later date. Most blades should not need honing unless there has been damage. Stropping - This is actually polishing of the cutting surface to remove slight burrs and to remove striations that build up friction and cause the blade to drag. Stropping is always done by pulling the blade across the strop and dragging it away from the cutting edge. NEVER strop into the cutting edge because this will destroy the edge. 1.) Strop - Using contact cement, glue a piece of leather, flesh side down, to a piece of wood. Once glue has completely set, wet the leather thoroughly with honing oil and set it aside to soak in overnight. After the oil has had a chance to penetrate the leather, rub the grain side down well with jeweler's white rouge. Don't worry if the rouge appears to clump or doesn't seem to coat the strop evenly. Once you start using the strop, the blades will even this out. 2. Strop the blade whenever you can feel any drag, or hear a noticeable "crunch" while cutting. Use Hold the knife in a way that is comfortable, but will allow you to roll the barrel between the thumb and fingers. This rolling motion is what enables you to cut curves. Downward pressure from the finger lying in the yoke is what controls the depth of cut so the usual fashion is to lay the first knuckle of the index finger in the yoke. If your knife has a height adjustment for the yoke, use this until the holding posture is comfortable. The actual cuttng is done with the point of the blade and a small portion beyond the point, so the shape of the blade that you are using will determine the way that you hold the blade. A straight blade will require you to angle the knife away from you, while an angled blade will allow you to hold the knife perpendicular to the work. Always hold the knife straight. Don't allow it to lean left or right as you cut or you will "undercut" the leather. This is a shallow cut that will cause a thin raised edge. It will create a loss of depth in the pattern and can even deform the pattern. Undercutting is usually the fault of unconsciously leaning the hand to improve your view of what you are doing. Install good lighting, and turn the leather; notyour hand. Never try to force your wrist or forearm into an unnatural position or motion. These joints were meant to move mostly in a straight line or slight, slow curve. If you need to make sharp curves or angles, hold the knife still and turn the leather with your free hand. The resulting cut will be more even and tight. Once you start actually start cutting the pattern, CUT the leather, don't just scratch it. I usually cut at least the depth of the blade's bevel if the leather is thlck enough to allow that without weakening it, Then cut from the foremost objects and work toward those design elements that are more detail oriented. Bevelers - Used to bring the pattern into relief and create a 3-D effect. The bevelers come in several styles and textures, but the use is essentially the same for all of them. The tool is wedge shaped and the point of the wedge is called the toe, and the rounded higher part is called the heel. The part that is perpendicular to the toe is called the face. Textures a. Smooth - the beveling surface is polished smooth to create a polished looking unbroken surface. b. lined - Has a series of lines etched into the polished surface (available either horizontally or vertically) and are usually used to create a special effect. c. Checked - The surface is checkered and is used to give a darker burnish to the leather and for slightly textured effects. Styles a. Regular - Available in smooth, lined and checked. b. Undercut- Smooth only. This is a special purpose beveler designed to undercut the leather and forcing the surface upward. This gives a slightly embossed effect as that portion is raised above the plane of the project. c. Pointed - These are especially designed for figure carving to allow access to tiny areas to bring them into sharp relief. They are available in all three surface textures. d. Matting - These were designed for figure carving. The purpose is to mat large background areas fading away from the central figure element to give the illusion of greater depth. The can also be used to remove a ridge around a design that doesn't have a border line. Use a. All of the bevelers are "walked"; tap & move, tap & move. b. The toe of the beveler is placed against the cut line, with the handle held straight up, but leaning slightly away from the direction of travel. This will reduce the tool marks in the bevel and minimize the point of the toe from digging into an unbeveled portion. The toe of the beveler is placed against the cut line, with the handle held straight up, but leaning slightly in the direction of travel. This will reduce the tool marks in the bevel. c. The face of the beveler should always be against the cut line. It is easier to control and judge how your work is progressing if you turn the project as you work so that you are always looking at the tool face. d. Depth of the impression is determined by the shading required by the project as would be determined by light and shadow. The depth of the impression is controlled by the impact of the mallet. Notes a. Tool marks can be smoothed by lightly running a modeling spoon over the beveled area. However, the best cure for tool marks is to practice so you don't generate them. b. There is a smooth nylon blade that can be used in a swivel knife called a "beveling blade". Backgrounders - Used to depress any background area and so enhance the prominence of the design and give the illusion of greater depth. They are available in a number of sizes and textures. There is another type of tool called a matting tool that can also be used for uniform texture backgrounding. In addition, other tools can be used to create unusual or special effects. Use - These are usually walked to avoid a choppy or repeating pattern, and care must be exerted to insure uniform impact of the mallet for an even depth of impression. Some styles of background tools a. Backgrounder - Usually a checkered tool with a small tooling area having sharp points to the checkering. This insures a deep penetration with minimal impact on the tool. b. Bargrounder - These tools have a series of tiny holes in a straight line and are perhaps the most difficult to use. Proper use requires exact alignment of each impression along a perfectly straight line. Due to the structure of the tool's pattern, you can not overstrike if the design deviates from the direct line. c. Seeds - These tools actually look like tiny seed pods. There are half seed tools that are exactly half of the seed impression for use in tight areas or along cut lines. d. Matting tools - These are textured figure carving tools that can be used for interesting or unusual backgrounds. ModelingTools Spoon - Used to smooth out hammer marks in beveling and as a beveler in tight areas. Ball- Used mostly as an embossing tool from the rear of the leather. Stylus - Pointed tool that can be used to scratch in accent lines or to trace carving lines. Deer Foot - Beveled rod that can be used as an undercut beveler or to lift cuts for contour effects. Leather - Only vegetable tanned feather is suitable for carving and stamping. A. The tanning process doesn't destroy certain proteins in the skin that are used in making glue, nor does it fill the interstitial area in the fiber. These open areas allow the absorption of water that essentially reactivates these proteins and creates a kind of cement within the leather. When an impression is made upon the leather, that impression is in effect glued in place. That's why the water content of the 1eather is so important; too dry and no glue, too wet, and water has filled the interstitial gaps. To achieve deep clear impressions, it is necessary that the work surface is non-yielding. (No bounce!) If it gives way under the impact of the mallet, the leather will move away from the tool's surface. This can have several consequences. One is the possibitity of a tool bounce giving a double impression, end a second that the tool mark isn't deep enough to give a good effect. The best surface upon which to tool is a good thick slab of smooth marble, or stone. Casing Leather - Applying water to vegetable tanned leather to prepare it for carving or molding is called "casing". There are several ways to accomplish this, but the best results are achieved using a spray bottle. This allows an even application of the water without water spotting. Spray the flesh side of the leather evenly and heavily, after you see it penetrate the leather, turn it over and spray the grain side. After several minutes, the leather will look as though it is beginning to dry. It may be, but the water is also penetrating deeply into the fibers. When the leather is nearly its original color, it should be ready to carve. The leather may look dry, but dry leather will feel warm the touch. Properly cased leather should look dry but feel cool to the touch. Because this leather, is made to absorb water, it requires finishing to seal it after the project is complete.This is accomplished by the application of a finish or sealer. Pattern Transfer - There are several ways to accomplish this. Tracing film. This is a thin translucent film of plastic. The pattern is drawn or traced onto the film, then the film is placed over the cased leather with the marked side up. Once it is positioned properly, the pattern is traced over using a ban point stylus. This transfers an outline onto the cased leather. Tracing paper - Used in the same fashion as tracing film, but is much more fragile. If tracing paper is used, it should be covered, front and back, with clear packing tape. This reinforces the paper and may allow more than one use before it is cut through. "Craftaid" (trademark of the Tandy Leather factory) is a plastic template having the design elements formed by raised ribs of plastic. It is positioned on the leather, then rubbed briskly with a spoon to transfer the design to the leather. John L. Henry 1998 Macon Georgia

The South Central Leather Guild is another guild dedicated to preserving and sharing leatherworking information in friendship. Their mission statement reads: (I like that!)Jerome Warburton (Grayhawk Leather) is the president of the guild, and with the help of Dave Howell, an old time Tandy Manager, has put together quite a collection of educational resources. A Yahoo forum is associated with the guild: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/flasah/ And they are working on an online leathercraft course. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/olhscleather/ Membership information is available on their website. Johanna

Reproduction of the Early Medieval Knight's Saddle by Sir Armand de Sevigny This well explained and illustrated article is very complete, and tells some history of saddles, their uses and their modifications over the years. Johanna

http://www.ssrsi.org/sr1/Textile/leather.htm Lots of interesting articles here...from medieval to Native American styles, tanning info, period shoe construction, various stitching techniques, brain tanning, tanning small pelts and deer hides, building your own smoke house, history of leatherworking, making tools, making things from hooves and claws, old time leather chemicals and dressings, whipmaking, lots of LARP and period info, and more... Enjoy! Johanna

I know what you mean about the absurdity of the fees, Holly- I paid $20 to be a leader of 8 Tiger Scouts (first grade boys!) I have more BSA leatherworking info on the way. I hope it helps someone else, too. Johanna