BillB

Decades ago I shot filed archer and made my own quiver. I ended up with using two straps for hanging it from my belt. They were off set so that the quiver hung at an angle. I wore it on my left side since I was right handed and could draw my next arrow by reaching across my body to grasp the nock. I found that hanging it straight up made it difficult to draw the next arrow. Other than that it looks good.

In June of 2023 I suffered a stroke that has affected the nerves on the left side of my body including my left hand. This has caused me to rethink how I do my hobby of leather carving. I began looking into laser engraving to assist me so I may continue to enjoy leather carving, at least at some level. I recently purchased an xTool D1 Pro 2 with a 10 watt diode laser. Since I do leather writing folios (outer shell measures 13" H x 20" W) this device provides me an open frame that I can slide the leather under when I do the front design or the back design as seperate engravings. I also do purses and custom holsters (Western Style). So far I have used the laser on two purses and two writing folios and a 'round to it'. For the two purses, I used the laser to provide the tooling lines as well as adding some enhancements to the design. In the case of the writing folios I only engraved the design to maintain the level of details in the design. In the future I am looking at doing some tooling to enhance that type of design, i.e. tooling the outline and possibly major components. Also, it has opened a whole lot of fonts that I can using on my leather projects. In the past I have used the letter stamps and two sets of metal print type to do the lettering. For the engraving I am running the laser at 35% power and 100 mm/sec. I am using the software that comes from xTool since it has all the capabilities I currently require. I have looked at "Lightburn" and will reconsider it if the "xTool Creative Space" no longer supports my needs. I have also purchase the D1 Pro enclosure kit, Air assist to keep the laser head clean, and the smoke purifier so I can run the system inside the house in our craft studio. One of the things I have realized is that I can rely on the laser to add details as shown in the two writing folios that I cannot achieve with tooling. I have also found that although I can continue with my leather craft it now takes me twice as long to complete a project. Living with a new normal.

Another way to design the belt loop is to extend the leather above the top of the knife to about the same length as the handle is. Then fold it over backwards to form the loop and stitch it at the end. This reduces the number of stitch seams and provides a belt loop that will not pinch the belt at the top making it easier to get on and off the belt.

What is interesting is the "A" in the uppermost "Shovelhead" is revers from the other "A"s.

Chris, welcome to the forum. Yes, there is a lot of information available on the forum. Glad to see that you have taken the plunge and decided to try your hand at a belt. Just remember that everyone of us had a first project. I am looking forward to see yours.

Welcome to the forum. You may want to check out the fabrication section of the Leatherworker Board. There you will find a forum on Sewing leather. There used to be several good postings on how to finish the edges of a project to improve the finished product. Since I can not see the edges, it is hard to tell if they are finished. Other than that it looks pretty good.

Colt, I have done colorized bi-folds and carved initials. There are many factors that I use when deciding if and when I will colorize the tooling or carve the initials. Some times it is the preference of the end user, some times it is artistic license. I do, however, prefer the natural beauty of the leather as it ages and changes color.

Jerry, As long as I do not rush things come out clean. So I have to watch myself since I tend to rush when: 1. I get near to the end of the project; 2. I have been working too long and need to take a break. Learning how to pace one self is, I think, one of the hardest things to do in any craft.

Great that you added the tie downs. My first bike was a Kawasaki 350 back in 1971. Then a Moto Guzzi 750 Eldorado which I had the bags on. The flapping of the bags might be a result of the way the Guzzi engine sits and the turbulence that comes up from below. After two wrecks I laid off bikes until 1991 when I purchased a HD Tour Glide Ultra. I had it for over 100,000 miles and then got a 2001 Road Glide with add-ons to make it an Ultra. The HDs came with fiber glass bags so no need to make leather ones. Last year we sold the 1959 Triumph Roadster I had restored and recently purchased a 2012 Miata. Too many trips on the HD and hitting hail storms. As for leather work, I do writing bi-folds (posted some pictures the other day in the Show Off forum), purses and miscellaneous bags. Yeah, it is about a 3 hour trip from the Twin Cities to our house, but I have a 400 acre lake for a front yard. I am looking forward tor seeing more of your work.

Welcome to the forum JGray, Having ridden motorcycles in the past (@200,000 miles) the one problem I had with the leather saddle bags I had back in the 70s was that they would start to flap up and down at high speeds if they were empty, which most of the time one of them was. I eventually had to add a way to tie them down, either forwards to the passenger pegs or in the middle to some other structure. The tie downs near the front worked best since they kept the leading edge close to the bike. Other than that they look great. Although I live in Minnesota, I am almost to Fargo, so it might be hard to get together.

Hello and welcome to the Forum einwindir, I have been doing leather work as a Hobby for over 40 years and still have some of the Tandy tools I bought back in the 70s. The type of project I would recommend would depend on which way you are leaning. For example, a tooled belt is a good way to start since it does not require many tools. For example a belt tooled with a basket weave would require a belt blank, the belt buckle, an tool for the edge and a tool for the basket weave and a mallet. If you want to assemble things in leather, then a pair of Indian style moccasins might also work. That would require the moccasin pattern (free from a number of web sites), some good deer hides, a good pair of scissors, sinew (artificial or real), a good sharp needle. Good luck on that first project.

Hi Fordpkup, I have been doing leather work as a hobby for over 40 years. My grandfather taught me and I have some of his tools. Looks like you have a good start at it. Welcome to the forum. I think you will find that most of us think that the only stupid question is the one you did not ask.

Hello Ebbtide, glad you finally decided to join in. Since you have already been "lurking" you should know your way around the place. What type of leather work do you do? Got anything to show?

Nicely done.

Here are some of the writing tablet bi-folds that I have recently completed. The first one is for a friend who graduated from High School this year and will be attending North Dakota State University. The second is for a nephew who is attending the Military Academy at West Point and is his class crest. The third one is for a friend who is the Music Director at our church. The last two are for pastors at Hebron Ministries with Hebron's logo on the front and a Compass Rose on the back with the symbol for Christ where the compass needle would be. Since the inside is basically the same for all the bi-folds, I only included on example. I also only included the back when I did any carving on it. As always, comments and suggestions are welcome.

It has been a while since I posted any of my work. This is a hunting bag I did for a friend of mine who does black powder hunting. It is made from buffalo hide. Comments / suggestions are always welcome.

Hi Pete, I have found that even the light oils from my hands can cause streaking of oil and spirit dyes by disrupting the absorption of the dye. I use Fiebing's Deglazer Cleaner first to make sure all surface oils are removed. This has helped me get a more consistent absorption of the dye.

Looks nice. It would be good for carrying items that should not be crushed.

VDY, Welcome to the forum. Yes, there is a lot to learn, I will never stop learning. As you have already seen there is a lot going on in the world of Leather Crafts, from different products, to styles and artistic endeavors. Yes tools are important but not as important as the ability of the person wielding the tool. You are correct for wanting to start with small projects. Make sure you establish good techniques, because bad habits are hard to break. Just remember that all of us had a "First Project". Good luck and hope to see some of your handiwork in the future.

Welcome to the forum Mike. Glad you are enjoying the experience. Looking forward to seeing some of your work.

How about a Hand Truck?

Welcome to the forum. Yes, there is a lot going on in the world of leatherworks. There are several sections of the forum that go into the "How To's" of things. Look around, explore, find a few projects to try. and have fun,.

Nice first project. We all have had our "first" project, some of us have had more then one. You have already gotten good advice from TwinOaks, so there is no need to add anything there. Have you decided on the type of finish you will use on the leather? I tend to use Carnauba Crème to protect from stains and dirt and then let the leather age and color naturally from use.

Welcome to the forum. I agree with OdinUK. I have some of my grandfather's tools. Some I no longer and and regret not keeping them. The newer tools do not match the quality of the older tools. Have you considered a POD to load everything into? There are also moving systems where you rent a portion of a trailer. We did that when we had to move our daughter from our house to Texas. The trailer was delivered to our house. We loaded stuff into the front of the trailer, then used plywood sheets and expandable braces to build a temporary wall. The shipper then picked up the trailer, loaded the rest of the material to go to the destination where the process was reversed. PODs are similar, but you get the whole POD.

Looks good from what I could see. Is there a picture that shows the full item on which it was carved? I like to see at least one picture of the full item to see how it fits in total context.