AlexOstacchini

Looks like a nice piece of wet forming to me

Very tidy work. I always think clean designs like this are very unforgiving, in that mistakes really stick out, but this is excellent. Fourth project you say? Wow. Great Stuff

Hi all, Here are a couple of commissioned pieces ready to be sent off to their new homes on opposite sides of the world. These are custom cases for vernier and digital callipers. I didn't own a digital pair the correct size so initially turned the job down, but it turned out the client worked in 3D printing and was able to create a mock up, which was then sent to my friend and printed locally. Bam, it could now be made. I am normally a bit of a luddite and carve formers out of wood when I need them but this is an application I had never really considered and has got me wondering about other projects. It certainly did the job. Technical rundown: These are both 2.5mm veg tan, hand tooled and stitched, and closed with sam browne buttons. Initials were requested along the gauge on the larger case and so these have been taken from a Western style alphabet and carved in. I hope you like them! Alex

Great stuff as usual

Just watched the video, really good stuff. The close focusing on the work is excellent, nice and clear at every stage. Just personal preference but I also find craft videos like yours much better without music (particularly ukulele- sorry anyone who plays!). All round neat work too. I can't think of anything to critique Alex

Thanks again Cheers, I'm at the beginner stage of making knives and judging by your forge looking profile picture I assume you know much more about this than me. To be honest the main reason I started leatherwork 7 years ago was so I could eventually do scabbards and quivers and medieval things, I mostly post Western stuff here but that has never been my main interest. Finally set up my forge last year so playing catch up in terms of skills and it will be a while before I feel as comfortable making knives as I am with leather! I'm certainly no blacksmith at the moment. Alex

By charging a fortune! Only joking, to be brutally honest I didn't really make any money on it, I underestimated both time and materials and my quote was way off. Not sure what my hourly rate worked out as but below minimum wage for sure. Live and learn I suppose, though with this particular project as long as it hit the deadline and the customer was happy I wasn't really too fussed. Cheers! Alex

Some very flattering comments, thanks everyone. This was my first big commissioned piece really and I was a little apprehensive going into it, so this is all very nice to read Cheers! Alex

Thanks for the compliments all, happy that it is finally finished and I'm glad you like it! Nothing wrong with plain! All just personal preference really, but thanks Alex

Hi all Just completed a commission for a personalised set of braces (or suspenders if you are American I believe), so thought I would share. I have done lots of belts before but never these, so took a little working out to get right. These were built to the clients specifications, and have a tooled oak leaf pattern, carved initals on the strap connector, brass fittings, and an elastic adjuster at the back.. The straps are lined and all stitching has been done by hand. Hours of fun I'm sure you'll all agree. Any comments welcome and I hope you like it! Cheers Alex

Excellent piece of work, colours look great and i'll echo everyone else about the crest tooling

Thanks for the comments all, very nice to read. Thanks for these suggestions- I have never used mink oil before but have both resolene and beeswax in my big box of bottles so will give these a try. Your anecdote has given me some confidence Yintx, how is the poor coaster looking today? Cheers Alex

Hi all Have spent most of quarantine making non leather stuff but have tried in the evenings now and then to keep up practice, so here is a batch of tooled coasters. These are all just a single square of 3.5mm veg tan, so a good way to use up thicker offcuts. I wanted to have them backed and with a stitched border but as I do not have a sewing machine this would simply take too long and the extra time and material would have made the prices a bit ludicrous for coasters I think. I hope you like them anyway, it was a good exercice in consistant batch production as far as tooling goes. I have posted these in a few craft groups I am in on facebook and someone brought up finish for coasters. My go to standard is two layers of tan kote for tooled stuff, so I just did the same for these without thinking about it and am pretty sure all will be fine, But does anyone have any thoughts/advice on this? Would perhaps a spray of lacquer be better? Always a bit hesitant with finishes on tooling as it is very easy to clog up the recesses and make a mess. I have never had problems with tan kote but happy to learn something new if anyone has experince with coaster finishes. Cheers Alex

Thanks, 2.5mm for all pieces, and the flaps have a 1.2ish milled veg tan liner I thought so too but turns out I have no group photos of the other sides... whoops. I do however have them for each individually, so here you go. the loop looks too tight but a nice chunky double layered belt fits through no problem Cheers, Alex

Thanks all Well spotted, this has been pointed out elsewhere too and now is starting to bug me every time I look at them- I have ordered a new setting tool and I think I will drill out and replace the caps when it arrives Cheers! Alex

Thanks Lined, I am nowhere near neat enough to leave them natural lol, in fact part of the reason I line this kind of thing is to cover up splodges of antique/dye etc...

Hi all, Not a repost I promise. I made one of these for myself a couple of weeks ago and had some spare time, so made a small batch as stock pieces with a few design changes. I was not particularly happy with the stitching first time round so went for a much tighter stitch on these, which goes around the bottom corners much better and is generally more appropriate for a smaller case anyway I think. The overall proportions have also been very slightly tweaked. These are all wet formed directly around the knife, and hand tooled/stitched etc. Colours are fiebings pro, black, mahogany and dark brown, with natural veg tan liners. I hope you like them Cheers Alex

These both look great, very cleanly executed and all those piped edges are very nice

lovely stuff, have just recently got into knife making too so very interested in this kind of build Not leather related but how do you go about heat treating the o1? Would like to try it but have read mixed things regarding the importance of soaking time during hardening so don't know how appropriate it would be for a noob like me Great looking knife and sheath Alex

Thanks all Fiebings pro dark brown, with tan kote, then leather balm/atom wax and buffed Alex

Hi all This is a leather Swiss army knife belt pouch, made to replace my old faithful victorinox one bought around 10 years ago. The case has been wet formed directly around the knife, hand stitched, and tooled with a little bit of western acanthus stuff. The main reason the old one failed was because of the velcro flap, so this one has a press stud instead, which I think is better. The back piece has a veg tan liner, I always tend to do this and it is as much to hide any horrible dye blotches as it is to make a nicer product... Not the greatest stitching in the world on this one, the main offenders being the horrible spacing around the bottom corners, but as this was for me and not a customer i'm not too fussed about that. Also please ignore the business card, this is not an advert, but these are the photos I have. I hope you like it, Cheers Alex

lovely stuff, echo everything that's been said really. Looks like a good few hours of lacing there Can definitely relate to the rabbit hole feeling... Also very jealous of workbench setup I want one

In all honesty I suspect you are right, and it isn't the most optimal design really, but with a little care after use I don't think it should be a problem. As these are carbon steel rather than stainless they already need a bit of extra attention, so it's just another step to the cleaning process I suppose. Originally I had wanted a sharper bend on the brass but the thickness made it difficult. Cheers! Alex

Yup, that's exactly right, it's just a personal preference thing really. This one was Fiebings Spanish brown. cheers, the folded sheet bolsters were actually a design element stolen from 14th-15th century eating knives, and in this context at least is very common, though in the originals they tended to end after the first rivet rather than extend all the way down the tang. I don't think I have seen it in any modern application but was something i'd wanted to have a go at for a while. Thanks all!

Hi all, Here are a pair of kitchen knives and sheaths, made as Christmas presents for my parents. Originally I had planned for them to have different sheaths but simply ran out of time to design something new, so they are the same except for a subtle colour change on the borders. For an outdoor belt knife I would have added a welt or put the seam down the centre on the back, but as this is just to protect the edge while they sit in a drawer or something I think the simpler design shouldn't be a problem and I doubt there is much chance of them slicing through the stitches. The tooling is of course some Western swirly acanthus stuff, and due to the lack of belt loops is on both sides. Stitching is by hand and is with waxed linen. For anyone interested in the knives themselves, they are both hand forged from 1080 high carbon steel, with cocobolo grips and sheet brass bolsters which extend down the tang. A little more time would have been preferable really but overall quite happy with the end results. I hope you like them and Happy Christmas everyone! Alex