Ian

Thanks everyone for the generous welcome. This site is awesome - I just spent the good portion of the day reading all the informative posts. Man, does that saddle that Troy posted make me want to be an all-around better human being - it's out of this world beautiful. Art, I made that set as a showpiece for a bike show, so I'm not even sure that the tank panel is practical, but when I get the tank back from the painter, I'm going to attach it with contact cement. I think it should stay on pretty good, but would definitely be a problem washing the bike. My first idea was to mount it on a magnetic backing like was they use for vehicle signs, but I'm not going to take any orders for them just in case they turn out too problematic. Anyway, I'm happy I found this site. It's going to make a huge difference in my work. Ian

The grass IS always greener on the other side. Fortunately I live on the other side

Hey Duane, you're a legend. I've seen quite a bit of your stuff up close - fantastic!

Thanks Drac, Funny thing is, i had a hadful of tools that I'd never used. A guy came into the shop and asked me if I do tooled seats. Hell yeah, I told him. Then I had a couple of weeks to figure out how to use them. I should have gotten a book or something, because it's all been trial and error. Heck, I didn't even know about casing leather overnight until today - I've just wet it and started carving. I think I'll learn a lot here. The new upload is of the first tooling I ever did. I did the matching bag later. Ian

Just stumbled into this site - lots of good information. I started some years back as a harness maker, but business took another direction. Now I do about anything related to motorcyle leather but tooling is new to my arsenal within the last couple of years. Although this has become something I'm really getting into. The picture I have posted is of my most recent seat along with a matching toolbag and one of the poanels made to attach to the side of the tank. Thanks Ian

If you have a skiver, split only the part that you are going to round - leaving the ends full thickness. Choose a core that will give you at least 1/4" flange to sew. Soak the leather in warm water before sewing around the core. Once you've sewn the length of the handle, let it dry, then trim close to your stitching, then edge and burnish. If you have a rein rounder, that does the best job of all, which is how those perfectly rounded collars and handles are made.