MaxxEmpire

Very nice. I like the cutouts on the black top.

I enjoy all types of leatherwork but I found I just could not compete in the general market. That I needed something truly different to stand out, something Wal-mart just does'nt have and would not bother to ever have. Althogh ironically I made a mask for a wwf wrestler that ended up mass produced and sold in Walmart..that was cool/weird. I have sold at very high end art shows where I might make a sale to a single collector but I found them not to be worth the steep entry fee. I have sold at lower end craft fairs where everybody was sticker shocked at my least expensive items. So now I never sell at a venue that carries low end items as the crowd mentality gets in the "we expect it cheap" mode. I have sold on ebay but found that ebay is best for either mass produced cheap items or collectables. But quality art and craft -not so much... Where I found success was my own web site and specialty shows where people come to spend money and expect some quality. Sci fi conventions, Renaissance faires (the larger established ones) Mardi Gras in New Orleans..etc -Maxx

Yes, thanks for building such a great leather resource! On the tech side; I am about to rebuild my website yet again and while I know what I want in my minds eye making that work on the computer is a whole 'nother ball of wax... I would love a page as you speak of. -Maxx

First off let me say; I am not much of a hand with upholstery leather. But I think it is often chrome tanned and I don't think you can over-dye or strip that pink. I have always found saddle soap and then Dr. Jackson's Hide Rejuvinator to work wonders on dried out leather but again not sure about on chrome tanned. -Maxx

I agree that Hermann Oak leather makes a huge difference. I use nothing but Hermann Oak for my masks which must be self supporting in their stiffness. I also coat the interior with a thinned tanners bond.

I have found that such leather will not even take black well either. What I do is use brown and intentionaly mottle the dye thus using the different varients in color absorbtion to create abstact patterns.

Hi John, Welcome to the forum! -Maxx

Welcome Jeff, Great work and really nice molding. -Maxx

Hi Rob, welcome and I am also looking forward to pics! -Maxx

Welcome Ferret! Careful, I have heard bad things about the doughnuts.

WOW! I love these notebooks, very cool.

Hi Troy, I wish my stuff looked that good when I started! On your edging you might want to put a curve where the two 90 degree angles are as they may wear better. -Maxx

Your works are stunning! I really enjoyed waht you said about your MET experience as well.

Hi Art, I have done several masks for guys in bands and it is really cool to see them in action on stage and in their videos. -Maxx

Thank you all for the very kind words! My style of mask making is a bit unorthadox from the traditional wooden face mold method. Here is a very basic description of my method. All my molding is done by hand and a few simple tools; Awl, ball point stylus, two different rounded ended handles of old paint brushes (one broad & one narrow) and a ball peen hammer. I cut out the basic shape I want -including the eyes (this takes some practice to know just where they should go) I case the leather. I use my hands as the negative mold and the various points of the tools as the positives. If I roll the edges I use the hammer for a little added umph. I then twist, pull, stretch, compress, pinch, fold, etc. the mask into the desired shape. As it dries I try it on for basic comfort and adjust as nessessary. For example; the eyebrows are raised by pinching the leather, then laying the raised ridge in the furrow of two fingers I clean up the line with the stylus from behind. I do lots of detail work in addition and there is of course the dyeing and painting where I use both hand brushing and airbrushing for both. But that's the basics. -Maxx PS-William, I am often in Fairburn for the faire there in the Spring.

Beautiful saddle! I am going through much the same with my girl, she is now at the age where horses are still cool as long as there is a parade ride in. However when it's time to clean the trailer out suddenly they are not so cool anymore....

Thanks for the kind welcomes! I am sure I will be asking many questions as well. I am really looking to doing more stiching on some heavier pieces as I have been having some fun doing some armour pieces. I wont get into in this post as I have yet to read all the posts already here on handstiching and machines. I have added my web site link and here are a few more shots of what I have done in the past; On my wife is a Mardi Gras mask/headdress it consisits of two pieces of leather. (2002) The full face was made for the WWF wrestler "Dr. Death" for a single scene on the show RAW. (1999 I think)

I was quite pleased to find this board today. It was a crappy day in general as I was just feeling a bit jaded in the shop; unartistic and unmotivated. Not good when its your own business. So I thought I would look around for some like minded folks (leatherworkers mind you, not uninspired slackers as was my mood) Voila, I find this forum. I have already enjoyed browsing the catagories and have seen some beautiful works here. Mainly I have been a mask maker although that was never my intent. I have always enjoyed working with leather and found out I especially enjoy sculpting and molding leather which lends itself well to masks. I also dabble in horse tack (mostly for my own horses) some apparel and the odd set of bracers now and then. Leather work has been my sole source of income now for 10 years and if I can keep my sanity will be so for years to come. I have attatched a few samples of my work.