TomSwede

IT's awesome Rickey Love the skulls and the whole feel of it. The blueish tone of that grey makes it looks really really cool. Nice lacing and the the added touch with a different leather on the outside. Excellent!!! How will you seal it?? I'm thinking the grey may be acrylic and watersoluble?? Tom

Thank you very much ShirleyT!!! Ah that's what cuffs are for I used this one for about 8-10 months now and the fastener seem to hold up well alltough it is a very tiny strip of leather where I made the notch. This is also the main reason I choose to line thise one, to get more strength by adding the top grain with a thinner leather. Thin cow is what I used. MAkes it really smooth and nice against the arm. Read through the post I did with this one, I think I answered alot of questions there and if you still wonder about anything just PM me. http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?a...p;hl=&st=25 I'm a bit caught up with something called life at the moment so I'm a bit on and off with the leatherwork but try to check in here daily. Tom

Gorgeous!!! Why is yor nick "Rookie" ??? Tom

Wildrose put my thoughts to words about beveling. This reminds me alot of my early work where I did many celtic and viking themed bracers. You'll make improvements on carving and beveling with each and everytime you do it so you'll get the hang of it really soon. Allready you figured the importance of a border wich for me is more important than the beveling on this bracer and the antiqued look fits it perfect. Good looking bracer, waiting to see more from you!!! Tom

This bracer with a mexican basket weaved edge was made to fit really really snug at my wrist as I figured it would stretch some. Even tough the snug fit I didn't experience any particular discomfort during the first weeks or afterwards so I definetly recommend you have a go at it. I haven't tried with big bracers and laced edges but a bigger bracer has more of a tendency to push downwards against the wrist/hand in my experience. Yeah, I mostly use the third word, bracer for my armbands even tough cuff and wristband is commonly used. I would also like to know the difference between those (if there are any??) Tom

Very nice David!!! Clean and smooth carving!!! Tom

Abolsutely gorgeous seat and i haven't even looken at what kind of braid you used yet!!!! I love the motif and the composition of the whole graphical layout!! STUNNING!!! Tom

Jim!!! I hope you have a great day and celebration!! Tom

Thanks for the historical briefing and your generosity!!! History is interesting and I hope one day I'll have time to read up more on leatherworking history so thankful for bits and pieces I can find here now and then. Tom

Those two are excellent!!!! Love the lettering on the Cochran case!!!! The stamped border looks great, have you used it before?? Feels new to me. Maybe I borrow that border someday. Tom

Lovely sheath!!! Very nice rich and warm colour! A classy well made product that your dad will take pride in to wear!! Tom

I'd cut down in length just a little bit and round off the corners. Tom

For me I kinda developed a sense for holding the leather I will be using under the tap and just bag it when I feel like it is wet enough. Then I may put it in the fridge overnight overnight. However sometimes when I'm more in a hurry I use the method described by Rawhide, I put under a piece of glass for an hour or so. Works fine with me. Most times I cut to final shape before casing and for bracers I seldom use backing tape. I make sure casing is right before I trace the pattern because I want a good burnished visible pattern. Too moist and the lines will deteriorate when it dries up IMHO. I do a first rough slicking after carving and tooling and if needed I wet the edges a little bit. Then when my object is about finished with colours and all I wet the edges and do the final slicking. Slicking is still something I'm not very good at but most times I'm pretty happy with it. Tom

Purse looks very good!! The colour them is nice and well matched with the dualtone braid! Nice carving too! Tom

Great looking seat Chris!!! The colour is very nice and the backgrounding in the star is smooth and looks so good. Nice pinup too and the skirt adds a fine touch to your seat!! Looks like you may attract more paying customers in the future!!! Tom

Good looking sheath and sweet stitching. I like it better with the grommet. Tom

You've done it again Clay!!! That wren is so lifelike and beautiful!!!! Tom

Great looking seat Beeza!!! You have been working hard so you earn it. I'm with Johanna on the tri-weave, it looks very good. Tom

Very hot and sexy straps Hammerhead!!! I really like the touch with inverted flames at the top. Great looking guitars too!! Tom

I buffed the heck out of a black guitar strap wich had white elements on it but still I got black crocking mix into the sealer when I applied it and so the white tooling elements came out a bit greyish so be very careful and be on the watch for crocking. Tom

The art of making leather cases by Al Stohlman is a very nice book to learn more about the engineering side of leathercrafting. The art of Sewing leather might come in handy as well alltough I haven't read that one myself. Tom

I was just answering a question in another thread about a certain bracer with a scene depicting the devil throwing people into hell. It was done with swivelknife and modelling tool only so check that out and maybe it will help you a bit. It would have looked a lot flatter without the modelling tool and too much relief if I had tooled it like I usually do. I wanted wood carving feel to it. Also, without using the modelling tool it would have looke a lot ruffer with the massive amount of carving I put into it. http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?s...pic=4141&hl= Tom

Hi Ken, thank you very much!!! Like Patrice says the sorce i probably some old codex and I think I found this one in a book by Robert Muchembled and the title translated from Swedish is: The history of the devil. Thank you very much Patrice!!! The bracer with the hell scene is just carved with swivelknife AND slight impressions done with the modelling tool. I wanted to keep the look from a possible old woodcarving. I have a funny story behind this bracer and maybe I'll share it some day but now is not the right time all I can say that it has a funny link to my most recent work posted here and so does a certain archers bracer with a golden Thors hammer and copper dragons. Tom

Nice skullie wallet!!! He's gonna love it!! Tom

Great looking holster Josh!!! Tom