TwinOaks

Be aware that the addition of wax to the edge before coloring may prevent the dye from getting into the leather. And you are very welcome.

I've tried it and most of the time the result was that the kydex doesn't punch smoothly which resulted in cut threads. Perhaps some other members had better luck, but after half a sheet of kydex and all the variations I could think of, I stopped trying to sew through it. Now, you CAN sandwich the kydex between two thin layers. It takes a little more layout/design, but it's doable. I've found that kydex can be heated to 'flexible' by heating the kydex and having the leather very damp.

The front slot also needs to be brought in closer to the weapon, which gives the weight of the gun more support from the belt and less mechanical advantage in stretching the holster or belt. 3rd vote: Straight belt slots. By straightening the slots, they'll actually make less of a hole in the leather and leave more leather to support the piece.

First off, here is the best tutorial on edges that I've seen: http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=18101 I follow this method and use a q-tip that's dipped in spirit dye, then pressed on the inside of the bottle to remove excess dye that could run or drip. When I've done a proper job of slicking and burnishing the edge, the q-tip will dye 8-10 inches before needing to be refilled. If I'm making something that has the same color edge as the rest of the piece (holster) I just slick, burnish, and dye with the airbrush as I spray the rest of the piece.

Very nice carving! You can oil it or whatever else if you choose. However, I'd prefer this challenge to focus the versatility of the knife, augmented with an additional tool, instead of other things like oils/dyes/and finishes.

Campbell Randall has a two part video series on Youtube showing how to set up the ULS. I'm sure it's not as good as having someone go over it in person, but it's better than just the manual.

Thank you for taking the time to let us know a little about him, Clay. His inspiration was a gift to us all, and will be missed. We've lost another one of the greats. Please extend our condolences from those of us he's helped even though we've never met him.

Nothing wrong as far as I can see! Still looks like an eagle, and it's more than just swivel knife cuts.....ya done good.

One thing to keep in mind....you are LEARNING. If you choose to not do this with the current piece, just tuck the info away for use on another project. Here's an example of a 2 tool background. The C834 is used (though you can do the same thing with a camo tool) with many light, overlapping strikes to give a 'choppy' appearance for the 'meadow' in the center of the piece. Full strikes are used in the tree to suggest some foliage, and in the foreground for 'clumps' of grass. There's also one or two places where I drug the tool to suggest some longer reeds. The A104 (small backgrounder) is used for the mountains in the way-back background and for the trunk/branches of the tree. Nothing is actually drawn with 'hard' lines. Instead the piece uses shading/backgrounding and especially varying depth of the tooling, to make the image. If you don't have a backgrounding tool, you can make one out of a stick/dowel. Just take it outside and 'stamp' it on a sidewalk. The concrete is a rough enough texture to give you some pattern and is hard enough to imprint the softer wood, making a negative image of the concrete on the end of the wood. Anyway, here's the pic: P.S. I antiqued it to give it a little more definition for the picture.

I meant that the tree should be between the horse and the hill.....visually. And I was mentioning using a backgrounder to create a pointillist type image where you have the image, but you've actually drawn no lines. I'll whip up something here in a few minutes, and post it...but it'll take a few minutes because after making it, I've got to take the picture and then get my wife's computer to get the image - because I can't find my cheap little camera that I just transfer the memory chip from the camera to my computer. BRB.....

Bill, I usually stay away from floral patterns because I've never understood how to get the 'flow' right. Thank you so much for the design explanation!!! This thread is getting pinned because I don't think I've seen it explained so well before.

Cheryl, do you know what pointillism is? If so, and you have a backgrounder, stamp in the outlines of a hill in the distance with maybe a tree in the foreground. Use heavier blows from the mallet to set these impressions a bit deeper and likewise with any details like clouds or tree branches. Then fill the areas between - sky has no tooling except for clouds. Meadow has some tooled in tufts of grass. You can do what I call "friction burnishing" by rubbing the face of the leather with a tight weave cloth and a good bit of pressure. You're giving the leather a friction burn, and it will keep the slightly darker color. Use that method to shade the area of the meadow. Use the beveler like a pencil and just drag in some lines suggesting taller grass. The key to doing this in leather is to think in terms of negative space. All the elements of the composition are at the same level...you need to push everything BUT those elements 'back' to make them stand out. You can push the open space back through tooling, color, shading, etc. OR You can pull the elements you want 'forward' by stretching the leather (from the back) to make the elements stand above the surface of the leather- this is done by embossing, the use of lifters, and undercuts.

Get a string longer than the longest cut you'll need. Make a loop on one end and push a thumbtack into the leather, with the loop around the tack. Stretch the string out along the side as close to the edges as you can, getting the most useable leather out of the side that you can. When you find the right line, insert a second tack and wrap the string around it. Moderate tension is all that's needed. Once the string is in place, you can mark the hide with whatever you like...just be sure that you don't bend the string. I like very soft pencil or 'woodless' pencils on the flesh side. Then, go back and cut along your line.

Excellent! Using the grips to make the background is EXACTLY the kind of innovation I was hoping to see. Thank you for posting!

That was the ruling from the booth. I opened the challenge and I'm saying the hammer is 'okay'....you're not really using the hammer to do anything to the leather. You're hitting a stamp with it. The stamp is what's doing something to the leather.:D

If your second tool is a stamp, then I more or less presumed that you'd have to hit it with something. The idea behind this is to learn the versatility of the swivel knife, in a carving role. I opted for the second tool to try and open it up and avoid nothing but finger cuts...not that there's anything wrong with them. Paul Z has done a few contests to promote the SK-3 knives and the contests were dominated by finger cuts and scroll work. Examples of knife + 1 tool: Swivel knife, and back grounder; or beveler; or modeling tool, etc. I went with knife + burnishing cloth to take it to the extreme degree...it didn't HAVE to be burnished. Everything else was done with the swivel knife. Looking forward to seeing what y'all come up with.

Correct. Only the actual tooling.....though that would make an interesting aspect!

At the time of this posting, there have been quite a few views, and I hope just as many members trying this out. Since I started this, it's fair that I post up first, so..... This was carved with my old Tandy swivel knife (after a quick stropping, of course), and my second tool was the scrap of denim shown in the pic. The denim was used for burnishing around the head for more contrast. All carving, beveling, and lifting of the feathers was done with only the swivel knife. Let's see what you've got!

The issue is probably with the type of walking foot machine being used. Machines like the TuffSew, Sailrite, etc., table top or portable models are not designed nor set up for leather. They are canvas, sail, and tarp machines. A good machine, like the 441 clones, when set up for leather doesn't have teeth on the feet. Tracking in the leather is caused by too much pressure on the feet...or teeth. A properly adjusted walking foot (or unison feed) machine can be used to sew just about any design. As far as intricate patterns....look up some of Kevin King's wallets. All of his work is sewn on a Juki walking foot (the model escapes me at the moment) and he has no problem with very intricate multi-layered patterns. AFAIK, the 31s are a favorite of boot makers, used for the fancy stitching on the uppers.

Well, if you had a recipe for a product that you sold to hundreds of thousands of leather workers (millions?) as part of your business..........would you willingly just give the recipe out to anyone who asked for it? Ingredients? It's called "Trade Secret", and is the reason why people who invent products can make money by selling those products...instead of spending the time and money to develop the product and give it away, or have someone undercut your costs and start selling a knock off on ebay.

have you considered just ordering them from that site with a request for simplification/customization?

If you're handy with tools, you can make your own stamps out of SS bolts. Grind, sand, cut, file, and polish to get what you want. Being made out of SS bolts means that they'll last considerably longer than cast or sintered metal with a poor chroming job. Checkered matters/bevelers and back grounders are a little more difficult, but for most of the items, basic work shop tools and some files will take care of the job.

If you're going to be shopping at a Tandy (or Springfield Leather) you should pick up a copy of "The Art of Hand Sewing" by Al Stohlman. I think it's also available as a download from Tandy's e-book section. The type of hand sewing Aaron described is also called "saddle stitching" and produces a superior stitch because even if one thread breaks, the other still holds the leather in place. I use waxed linen when I hand stitch, purchased at Hobby Lobby (brand: 'On-a-string') For your awl, you'll want a diamond awl....which refers to the cross sectional shape of the blade. For starting out, I recommend the Osborne model sold at Tandy...preferably you can look at them and pick the best available. Either way, plan on sharpening and stropping it to polish the blade. We have topics on this site covering the proper sharpening, care, and maintenance of a multitude of tools.

Welcome to Leatherworker.net! We'll try to answer your questions as best we can, so feel free to ask them.

Take a look at the left toe/right toe feet available. With the right set of feet (choice of outer + the center foot), you should be able to sew to within 1/16th" of a vertical surface.....provided there's room above it for the needle bar stroke. The direction of sewing would determine which side you'd use.