BillB

Ginny, With what you plan to do in mind, here are some books you might want to look for: F.O. Baird Design Artistry Leather Secrets Al Stohlman How to Carve Leather Craftool Tech-Tips How to Make Holsters Belts Galore Coloring Leather Picture Carving Finesse Leather Animals The Art of Making Leather Cases Volumes 1,2,3 Leathercraft Tools - How to use them, How to sharpen them Peter Main The Peter Main Technique of Coloring Leather Unknown Author How to Lace (my version, the 22nd edition has a 1947 copyright) Reference Books, videos and discussion on this forum are just as important as the tools. The one thing to remember is that they will provide a strong foundation on which to begin to exploring with. In doing the North American Native American Totems, I use many tools in unusual ways in order to obtain the look and the feel I am tempting to create. It is this exploration of the Art Form that I find most enjoyable. I would surmise from the width and breadth of the work presented on this forum that most on this site feel the same way. I look forward to seeing some of your work. BillB

Dave284, Welcome t the forum. The book that I use most as a reference is Leather Secrets by F.O. Baird. It covers a lot of topics including holsters and belts. The other book would be Al Stohlman's Belts Galore book. My copies of both books are fairly old so I don't know if they are available any more. BillB

yehagirl, Welcome to the forum. This my suggestion. Don't rush into buying a lot of tools and things and don't rush into projects. Set aside in a savings account some money, if you can I recommend about $1000. Use this as your seed money and as you gain experience and confidence you will begin to understand which tools fit YOUR Style of carving and most importantly fit YOUR HANDS. I would also recommend that you read some of the posts on this forum about prepping your leather (Called Casing) since even properly cased Tandy Leather carves nicely, good leather does not make poor carving better. If you can carve on low grade leather, carving on high grade becomes a snap and you don't end up spending a lot of money on leather while you are learning and practicing. I save all my old and scrap leather and use it to try out new techniques. I would also recommend that you look through this forum and understand the different styles of carving and the different end results of the various art forms. Since you did not mention the style of carving you intend to do or the types of projects you want to eventually do, it is not clear which tools to recommend. For example I do Bi-Fold for 8-10 inch writing tables and purses. For the most part I don't need oblong punches since the hole can be formed with a hole punch for each end and two line cuts and now I can make any size oblong hole when and if I need to which isn't very often. Is your ultimate goal to do saddles or is it to do leather masks or leather armor??? Do you plan to do Sheridan style tooling? The answers to these questions will change the tool selection. Again this is my opinion Again, welcome to the forum BillB

apex, Welcome to the forum. Do not under value your contribution to this forum. Sometimes the value is not in the years of experience or the beauty of the work one can do, but in the fresh ideas and new ways of looking at a problem that add value to this forum. We have all arrived here by different paths and experiences. Hopefully we will all share and gain value from this forum as we all continue on in our journeys. (sorry about the old age philosophizing) I hope you got an answer to your question and will continue to participate and contribute. BillB

Just thought I would add some thoughts from my experiences. 1. Leather, after all, is the skin from some animal that has been removed and gone through a preservative process called tanning; 2. It is no longer receiving the natural oils that would keep it supple; 3. Dyes, Stains, finishes can remove what ever oils, e.g. alcohol base, are present regardless of age and make the leather brittle; 4. Aging will also cause the leather to become brittle as the liquid component of the oil evaporates; 5. Some dyes, stains and finishes may added oils back into the leather, e.g. oil based; 6. Water will provide a temporary substitute but will evaporate as well and return the leather to its previous state; 7. Prior to working with any leather, new or old, it needs to be prepared, e.g. casing if being tooled, saturation wetting if being folded or bent into a form that is be be retained, deglazed to remove oils prior to dyeing or staining; oiled to increase flexibility if being used like a strap or belt, etc. 8. Sometimes normal use will keep the leather "oiled", e.g. our hands produce oils. I just finished a holster using 50 year old leather. I spent as much time preparing the leather as I did tooling and working the leather, but the natural color that the leather had due to its aging was worth it. BillB.

Pilotmill, Welcome to the forum. By now you have probably already figured out that there are lots of friendly folks around here willing to offer advice on heir experiences with leather crafts. You will also find that leather crafts is a pretty broad subject area covering everything from classical tooling of saddles to leather masks, art work, armor, belts etc. Since you are into archery I hope you have found the forum at: Leatherworker.net > Specialty Leatherwork > Other Specialties > Archery Quivers and Bow Cases You will also find a quick reference chart that maps out the website and the various topic areas. Leatherworker.net > Leather is tanned animal skins, and is a byproduct of the meat industry. > Board Ambassadors Again, Welcome to the forum BillB

TexasJack, Let me restate what I wrote in my reply. I did not state that lead poisoning was found in ducks. What was found was an elevated level of lead in the ducks. Since lead is an element that the human body will not remove it builds up over time. Over time, if enough lead builds up in the human body, then the effects will become evident no matter what one calls it. This has been proven by medical science and is not "Popular Science". It has also been proven that high level of lead in the water supply and, oh yes, paint chips consumed by kids can have the same effect, e.g. raising the lead level in the human body until there are adverse affects. We don't see much of the paint chip issue today since all of the paints used in houses today do not contain lead. One would hav to go back to the 70's to really get a feel for what was happening. Here on the East coast where some of the water infrastructure is over 100 years old, this has become a problem. I do agree with you that the mass hysteria drive politicians to extremes. But then again in a democracy if more than 50% of the people what something done, then that is the way a democracy works and it is also the risk of a democracy. The fact that it would take a person eating a duck with elevated lead levels every day for a number of years before the affects are apparent is lost in todays ZERO tolerance for such things (mass hysteria). Here in the DC area we call it FEAR MONGERING since it is the fear of the consequences that is being used to get things done. Look at the bailout of the auto industry "If you don't pass this bill this week the whole economy of the US will collapse". Now it is "If we don't bail out the Financial Industry the whole economy will collapse." Fear sells, fear motivates people, fear is what is being used by the politicians and others. Time to stop rambling 8-) I will be sooooo glad to retire and move away from all the Hype here in the DC area and get back to the Heart Land where real people live and take responsibility for their lives and their decisions. BillB.

TexasJack, I guess it all depends on where you live. Here on the east coast, especially in Maryland where duck hunting was big for ages, there was a study done back in the 90's that did find lead in ducks that were being consumed by humans. It was not the lead that killed the ducks, but the lead shot the ducks would eat from the bottom of the ponds and water areas to add to their gullets to help food digestion. Evidently it is hard to teach a duck to determine the difference from spent shot and plain sand or gravel. This then raised the lead level that was in the ducks muscle and thus would get into the humans that ate the ducks. So there was a great debate on banning lead shot. I live near Washington DC and I am proud to say I am a Government Civil Servant working in DoD. I have always found it interesting how Political Appointees can take something with sound science behind it and twist it to fit their purposes, e.g. banning lead bullets from hunting all sorts of animals where a single shot is envolved by using the data from a study on duck hunting and what happens to the spent buck shot that never hit anything. 8-) They also tend to Jump to conclusions without fully understanding the Root Cause. When you have a government that is supposed to be "For the People and By the People" and the People opt out, then it is left to the folks that Opt In. A democracy/republic does not run is the public does not participate. The US Government was structured so that we had "revolutions" every 2 to 4 years, but if we continue to vote in the same people year after year, then there is no "revolution". I wold like to get back to the original thread and say that the law is getting questioned here in and around DC. We need to have our voices heard and we do that by sending emails and letters to our representatives in congress. The President can only try and set the Theme, it is Congress that writes and sets the law. BillB

chestercheeto, Welcome to the Forum. We have a great group of folks here that are willing to help. We have all had our "First Project" so when you feel comfortable, share some of your work with us. If I may ask, what type of leather work did your Dad do? BillB

Since you asked for my opinion here it is: If I have manufactured the product in question from scratch and tooled it by hand, even if I used an electric burnisher to finish it, I would advertise it as "custom designed" and "Hand Tooled" If I used a manufactured belt blank and hand tooled it I would advertise it as "Hand Tooled". If I used an embossing machine (hand or electric) to press the patter onto the belt blank I would advertise it as "Embossed". If I used a Laser Engraver to Engrave the pattern on the leather I would advertise it as Laser Engraved or Etched. That is the only way I can stay true to my Heart and my convictions. I can only judge myself to my own rules, and let the "Great Spirit" judge the rest. BillB

All, I have found this thread to be very interesting and it raises more questions than I could even begin to answer. The problem for me begins with the basic definition of a "tool". The knife I use and the carving tools I use are tools and I use my hands. There are several ways to do embossing starting with a Hand embosser, to a mechanical embosser powered by hand to a mechanical embosser powered by an electric motor, but it is still just a tool. If I tool belt blank (probably punched out by a machine) with Hand Tools and then use the motorized edger to finish it, is it Hand Made, Machine Made, Hand Tooled ????? With the introduction of the Laser into the mix, what additional confusion will be created? I like the idea of fully explaining how one makes the article under consideration since I can then stay true to my heart and spirit. It is then up to the buyer to decide if they want to buy or not, and that has always been up to the buyer. BillB.

I have been very happy with the Tandy Store in Richmond, Va. The owner knows the work I do and when I call in an order they always look for and send me quality hides. To keep the record straight, I work in the 3,4,5 oz range. Even when I have gone to the store, the owner has been very help full by pulling out all the hides of the weight I am looking for and personally going through each one to find the highest quality hides for me to choose from and then worrying about the mess later. I don't know if there is a regional difference going on here since I don't know which of the tannery's Tandy is pulling from. One thing I have learned over the years is not to buy from the "On Sale" racks from ANYONE since that is usually the "Left Overs" that no one else wants. The other thing I have never looked into but have a feeling may apply is which store is Tandy owned and which Tandy store is a Franchise owned store. One final comment is in regards to any large corporation with stores/dealers: there will always be good stores and bad stores and mediocre stores whether they sell leather products or Cars or Motorcycles. BillB

Dave, I agree with an earlier comment in the thread that the birds look Disneyish. If you had used some Celtic Bird designs I think you could get the same affect and have a unique look. BillB

Tom, Under "Critique My Work" is a thread I started on a Slim Jim Holster I made. It includes a set of photos starting with the pistol from which I drew an outline of the pistol on a piece of paper. I then made a set of marks 1/2 inch from that outline around the barrel, finger guard etc that then became the pattern. This is a simple folder over pouch design that is the basis for many of the western style holsters. The belt loop is a simple piece of leather sew to the back prior to sewing the main seam where the folder over meet. To extend this pattern to the common western design with the integrate belt loop and leather behind the pouch you extend the top of the back side to form a second fold over that folds backwards thus forming the belt loop and the leather behind the holster. This flap is held to the holster pouch itself in a number of ways, e.g. a separate leather strap around the pouch through slots in the leather back and snapping behind everything. I hope this helps to get you started in doing your own patterns. BillB

Raven, Welcome to the forum. You will find lots of friendly folks here with lots and lots of experience. Look around and sample all the various sections of the forum and join in. BillB.

Scottishshoemaker, Welcome to the forum. Here is what worked for me when I got into leather carving or leather tooling depending on which term you want to use: 1. Got a beginners kit from Tandy with the basic tools (Swivel Knife, bevel, shader, etc.) some easy projects and some directions. 2. Practice 3. Bought some scrap leather from Tandy to practice on. 4. More Practice 5. Bought some books by F.O.Baird and Al Stolhman 6. More practice 7. Bought some simple project kits (purses, quivers, etc.) to make things for my family and friends That was 1970s and I am still learning. When I started, there was no web or network of associates, there was only Tandy and Western tooling. My experience was all on the east coast of USA. This forum has shown me that there are lots of different ways to use leather and some very artistic folks. Look around, there are several sub forums that have pinned topics that will walk you though making that object. Most important, Have Fun. BillB

I found the proceeding discussion rather interesting. It is hard to fix blame when there are so many to blame: The Government (Past, present and future administration); Businesses and their Executives; the population that demands cheaper and cheaper goods without wanting to address the consequences; or the folks who want to belong to a democracy (in our case a republic) yet don't want to take the time to get involved with the responsibilities of living in a democracy/republic like not just voting, but understanding what they are voting for. IMO I plan to mark all my work as ART. Where they want to display it (on the wall, on the shelf, on their person) is their choice. BillB

Rachael, I sew things that are from 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch thick and are single layer leather to 5 to 5 layers of leather. I use a walking foot, needle feed machine that works will with #277 or #207 thread using #25 or #24 size needles. It came with a roll around adjustable stand to which I added the work table since I sew a number of flat items. I chose the Artisan 3000 and I have been very happy with it. I recommend that you make a list of what type of sewing you want to do, the thickness of the leather stack and the number of layers you will be working with. Then look around to find out which, if any are supported in your neck of the woods. Service and Support do count for something. Ask folks here about their experiences and recommendations, but remember, this is going to be your machine and your investment. You have to make the final decision and live with it not me or anyone one else. Sometimes it is better to spend a little more in time and money to get a good investment. BillB

Rawhide, Neat-Lac is still available from Tandy, at least here in Virginia. #21984-00 is the Pint and #21985-00 is the Quart. Don't know how much longer it will be here with the move towards those eco-friendly things. BillB

Tandy sells a book by Al Stohlman called Belts Galore. Tandy #6039-00 cost is $6.49. I find it a very useful books since it is from a time when folks found inventive ways to do things. For example, Al shows how to make your own edge dyer using a cloths pin (if you can find one) and a piece of felt. I counted 58 different patterns. BillB.

Chris, Welcome back. Sorry, it is a long drive from Manassas, Virginia to Ohio. Are there any Tandy Stores nearby? They often offer classes. I also found a class down in the Smoky Mountains down near Ashville if you want to go that route. There are also a number of walk thrus around on the site. For example, under Leatherworker.net>Leatherworker Board> How Do I do That at the top is a thread on "How I make a belt" with a link to a web site that has the pictures. Or under Leatherwork.net>Tooling, Stamping & Carving>Floral & Sheridan Carving is a thread "Floral carving step by step" at the top of that page. Or under Leatherwork.net>Tooling, Stamping & Carving>Figure Carving there is a thread at the top of the page on "Bear paw lesson" Or under Leatherwork.net>Tooling, Stamping & Carving>Stamping there are three threads Angled Basket Stamping no template Basket stamping curves Angled Basket Stamping and making a template I hope this helps BillB

Bondo Bob, Nice work. Good pictures too. BillB

Bob, Thanks for reminding me about the spaces. I did get several with the set and will use them in the future. I was able to superglue the fragment back onto the W and with support from a space block I should have no trouble. I have also contacted Letter Preservation to see if they have the 36pt Cheltenham in just Bold. He was going to check his inventory and get back to me. Thanks for the info on the other dealers. BillB

Rusty - I used Fiebings Leather Dyes. Greybeard - I have done carved letters and could not get the clean lines or the consistency I get using the letterpress type. I would rather spend my time on the art work anyway. BillB.

Punchy379, If you have not already done so, you might consider posting this question in the "Fabrication" sub forum in the "Leather Sewing Machines" section. If you click on "Leatherworker.net" in the character string "Leatherworker.net>Leatherworker Board>How Do I Do That?" at that top of this page it will take you to the top of the forum. You can then scroll down to the Fabrication section and find the area on Leather Sewing Machines. BillB.