TomSwede

Very nice looking tube and without tooling it should be easier to match up the pieces to sew it together, my recent experience tells me so anyway. I got some skewing towards the edges when it dried up. The button tie down provides a much neater design than using a buckle I think. Glad to see this one now that I finished my tube. I wasn't sure about putting a decorative groove where the cap meets the body. Afraid it'd mess up the long sleek design I was after but after seeing this I'm having second thought's about that. Maybe for the next one. Tom

Nice wallet and good work with the backgrounding. I like the simple wood effect on the letters, clean and uncompromised yet delivers alot of wood feeling. Tom

Thank you Scouter! Glad you liked it! Tom

Thanks alot you guys! Myriam, did you try this red/black theme yet? Planning to make a tutorial on that with the ladies purse project I have on my desk. Just gotta figure out how to di it first. Another from the scratch project I have. Hedge, Thank you so much. I actually thought I'd be getting more coverage over the top braid but here we are. In the initial stage I did consider to bring the chord into the cap like you say with two holes but I wanted a big fat border for that fish so I just went on top with it. Going reversed is a good idea. Next cap will have a completely different type of solution and the one after that will have no cap at all I think. Won't be posting much on that before getting to the makings but i got some idea of how it'll b done and a customer for it. Back to this one, i got some good money for it even though a friend price tag on it. Considering the time I got into I'd be be better off doing overtime at the papermill, lol. Well first items and developing stuff is lot's of time at the drawing table. Lining up the 500+ holes on the spinal braid took some time, ehh. I did consider a turks knot but haven't got any good explanation of it. Found one on a pdf sheet posted here but it showed just one strand so I didn't figure it out (I suppose one takes all four strands together as one) and also gotta check with my friend before putting any more into the knot to see where he'd like to take it. Thanks for your input I really appreciate it, you're a wise man I think! Tom

Looking good Colman! Figures is not easy so keep it going and you'll get there. Don't know what he's toes are supposed to look like but seems ok to me with this one. Beveling between he's toe and body is a bit tight so in areas like that I usually go light and work it more with the modelling tool, nowadays I mostly use checkered bevels and with those I go lightly with my smallest pearshaped checkered backgrounder for tight areas, sometimes tilting it to reach in and sometimes using modeling spoon before. Tom

Thank you Mudman and all of you for nice responses! Now I have worn out the reload button, lol so time to hit the sack. Just thought I'd mention something I forgot about erlier and that is how y'all fel about the tie-down cord entering out the back on the top. Neat, doesn't matter, ugly?? My concern is that it to some might look a bit unfinished. I left it as is (with a roband knot and brass pearls) and gonna reason with my friend of what he'd like to do with it. I have had totally free hands in making this one (name in gold was only demand). It can be used as tie-down on the other side but that wasn't part of the original plan at all so it's a bit short but with some good will and stubborness it can be done. Credit to Hedge for encouraging me to make the roundbraid wich led to the idea of the tie-down top. Tom

Hey Regis almost missed your post, it got sueezed between answers. Thank you for your kind words. Actually I'm not very happy with my tooling here..but..tooling an very large leatherpiece that can't be spun around as I'm used to proved to be very difficult. Sometime I had to put the beveler backwards from me, not funny. Well valuable experience I can say. I have adde lot's of experience with this one so hopefully I can improve on coming ones. A handmade rod should have a nice case like this, go for it!! Tom

Thanks John and Kate! Yeah fly fishers is alot into their gear! Glad you liked and were not disappointed! Tom

Thanks Ken! I just love the way braids open ne doors when it comes to decoration. One can stick with decorative braids ot add other cool stuff . You showed me that among others, Davids braided seat tops has also had an huge impact on me and I actually made the roundbraided tiedown from an impluse when Hedge made some nice comments on my mexi braids and, voila the tie down was born. Credit to Hedge for that one is in place I think. Tom

The finished piece is awsome and I love the shape of it. The Shirley mexican gives a nice flow around the edge. Stunning seat! Tom

Thank you guys! Spider, I'm blushing ha ha!! RDB, I was thinking that the devil is in the details but wanted to keep it a clean and elegant design though having those brass strap fittings. One thing most other makes have is a tendency to just bolt a big clunky lether topcap on the the tube with some standard so that's the area I worked alot with, backdraw is it's a bit weaker construction. Tom

Thanks you Grunt and Luke! Yeah I hope I get some attention from fishers with theese first two ones. They are going to Norway to fish in some really exclusive waters in June. I have a third one planned, totally different and thinking some exclusive sealskin lining would be a nice touch. I have no plans of making two of the same but if I get orders I can do it. Tom

Cool, I look forward to that and steal away all you want to, I see that as enhancement (and then steal it right back, lol). I shoot in raw so the originals are never touched but make copies of your original file and make changes there (and keep backups). Raw is a lot of work. To get the copy I have to do like a digital development from the file but gives me more control of end result. For the tube pics it's not really necessery, the environment itself is so screwed up but for nature for example it gives alot and studiopics to (I think). Good luck with your new camera and beep if you need advice, maybe I can help. Now I gotta go and still my appetite for seeing what stuff youll come up with. Tom

Tackar så myket Tina och Kevin (thank you sooo much, I think it means alot coming from both of you). I probably skive the bottom edge of the topcap down a bit, too much stress on the string even though I measured this carefully before lacing. Tom

Well, got lining the tube left but next tube has shorter deadline so I'm gonna get started with that.Lacing came out a little crooked on the top cap bends and when applying leathersheen some reds came off and mixed in to sheen causing the tooled golden details to get a bit dirty, maybe I try remove the sheen with some alcohol and re-paint the gold. Direct spotlight causes some nasty glares in the sheen, looks better in reality. Tom

My perception of things is of course my individual preference. I do have odd taste in alot of things but try to apply what I think is a general view upon things and from stuff I learned about eye and mind perception. I studied this a bit as an amateur photographer, bla bla..however, when you think it's done it is done but I just wanted to raise the question about "when do we make the call in making an item" about wether should I do stuff to fit a general public perception or do I push my own style. Once again I state about the purple string, it's just scrutinizing but by doing that, in the end one has narrowed down all of the elements in a composition and that is good for a competition for instance, hint hint. The string just distracted my eye a little bit but not enough to not enjoy your fabolous bag in general. It is lovely just like all your other stuff. Oh, one other thing. I haven't seen the bag IRL and there's a good possibility it does look a lot better for real, leatherstuff has a strong tendency with that. Photomodels is the other way around, those type of photos is ALOT of fake! I've got a couple of lousy product pic's coming up in a while. I hate photographing stuff like that. Tom

That is one fancy vest and I think it'll look even greater when you get that tan to it. That's some serious braiding you've done there. Great stuff! Tom

Nice stuff all of them but I think it was a neat touch with matching watchband and the last one was really neat and look good with the black loops. Tom

Almost looks like small spiders there. You're artistry with playing theese type of stamps is just stunning Sojourner! Tom

Oh yes, you're right! Looks interresting to put in that pattern. Seeing just one stamp impression seldom makes me see the use of it. Maybe some people have an eye for this or perhaps it develops after using this types more and more. Jordan seems to have "the eye". Thank you Hedge! Tom

Very good gummisnodd! Wonderful theme with those deep purple colours. I think the purple string is a tad to much in colour and steals some attention from the bag and it being so beautiful that is not necessery. The stirrup I did (Strömsländan) I used some metal fittings on the string in order to draw some attention off the bag since there were some parts there in the details I was not happy with. Hope you get my general idea here, kinda hard to explain. The eye and mind has some issues with sticking to stuff that is out of the ordinary so things like theese can be used to work with or against you. All in all this is just scrutiny but good stuff to be aware of, especially when planning out new stuff (or perhaps entering a contest, go girl, go girl). That is a very beautiful bag! Tom

This is the one http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/product...?number=6445-00 This is the overview page http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/products.asp?dept=407 Comes in different sizes. Tom

Nice as usual Beeza! I'm with the rest, nice blend of styles. This one really shows how great you are with the backgrounding, so nice and makes the whole theme just pop right out at ya'! Black with outlined red contours might look good with it but it's a lot of time painting involved with that. Check for my Ozzy bracer to see what I mean. Tom

That's a nice quiver, has a proffessional look to it! I like that USMC thing, fits perfectly. Tom

Ha ha why not some doublesided tape and slap it on!! Looks really cool and authentic! Tom