Obeliske

Hey Mike I'm not sure what your referring to but it sure sounds like something out of saw >.< LOL

That's a great idea! I had thought something with a fabric elastic would work well but hadn't thought of a squeeze thinger I know exactly what your referring to :D

So a buddy asked me to make him a unique bag for a larp character he's running and I thought of an interesting design I'm just unsure of how to go about making the opening. He asked for two things, first that it be navy blue (easy thing) second that it be super fast to get things in and out of. I've settled on a tube design using two metal rings for the top and bottom with some thicker leather for the body. What I was thinking was a simple elastic band style opening on top, kind of a diaphragm opening so you could push your hand in and pull it out but it will squeeze itself closed the rest of the time. For the top and bottom of the tube I've settled on some old pigskin I have lying around which has almost the consistency of cloth it's so soft I'm just not sure how to affix it to the elastic to create an easy to use diaphragm movement and I'm wondering if anybody has any advice or a guide of some sort that would help. Any advice would be greatly appreciated I'll be starting the project in a day or two and if I haven't gotten any advice by then I guess it will be trial and error

I have considered it and while I'm sure it would make it easier I've decided at least at the start I'd rather not. That may change in the future when I see just how hard it is but right now I have no interest in it. I've seen some good videos on the Tandy site at this point about how to make and transfer a picture for designs but I have yet to find anything on how to make/get patterns. I'm sure they are out there but just having a heck of a time getting them! I met a guy on Kajiji getting out of the hobby he's selling me all his metal (rivets, buckles etc.) at 2/3 Tandy prices as well as a bag of scraps and a few pieces of leather (especially excited about the white as I wont have to dye it myself). He's also going to show me some basic stuff which I will then take home to practice. Tomorrow I will be going in to Tandy to pick up a much thinner piece of leather for sheathing/decorating my heavier stuff. As well as the tools I'm missing (rivet setter, 2-4 hole sewing punch) and then it's off to Micheals for tracing paper and hopefully paraffin wax and beeswax. A few things I'm wondering about is there a way to make a soft inner liner (removable) so people don't have to wear cloth inside it if wearing it for larping but can pull it out and put in something thicker for winter? I have a group of people I'm going to join that larps year round and it gets to -40 here I'd like people to be able to use the same armor summer and winter. Are extreme colds something I will have to worry about if I harden the leather? Is it a good idea to buy a form for making pieces and is there a form I can buy that's adjustable? I myself and 6.5 feet tall 300lb monster and I'm fairly certain if I make a form of my chest it wont fit my 130lb 5'8 roommate. Are there any books I can/should pick up on how to make leather armor for cosplay or really anything? Any help would be appreciated as I'm hoping to get started by the weekend. Obeliske

I picked up the 500$ tool set at Tandy (it's on sale half price) as well as 2 strips of 9oz leather (on sale again). I do want to pick up a smaller gauge say 3-4 for decorative purposes and that didn't occur to me until I'd already left. I've already picked up cases one and read it front to back as well as hand sewing. I don't want to use glue so I need to manufacture or get my hands on a leather clamp of some sort. The kit didn't come with a 2 or 4 hole punch for sewing so I have to pick up one of them. I picked up some dyes and wax for sealing some heavy gauge thread and needles. I'm good on the marking, cutting, and sewing but the designing and drawing out I'm completely at a loss for. I've looked at some designs people have drawn out online and to be quite frank many of them look like a 4 year old drew them and many more don't have sizes/measurements it's just a crude drawing. I've decided to start with a gladiator outfit and with the pauldron as I have some very good ideas and it should be fairly simple to do. I think I'm in a pretty good spot but if somebody could direct me to a step by step or something of that nature for the starting stuff as well as some easy to make designs I'd appreciate it. As well I need some help on finding a guide on the proper way to transfer/draw out the pieces and how to design a piece. I want to start with something a little more advanced then a bracer as I think multiple small pieces is a better way to go if I screw up its easy to fix a new one

I'm attempting to get into leatherworking to make leather armor for a number of reasons and for a number of different uses -Larping - In this use it must be durable as people will be wearing and using it. I'd like to be able to do fantasy based and historically accurate (two different categories) as people request it. -Cosplay - This would be purely cosmetic things. Primarily fantasy oriented pulled from games. -Steampunk - This one's kind of my baby it falls into both the previous uses mostly I'd like to know how to affix the heavier objects (gauges and things of this nature that are "top heavy") without having to worry about them falling off I'm having several issues getting into it. I visited my local Tandy merchant he was less then useful not knowing how to go about nor having any ideas on how to go about making armor (though I did pick up a few books on treating and sewing leather as well as making cases). I havn't been able to find any information on how to actually get or use a pattern. The cosplay info I've found has used many different materials which I should be able to sub for leather in most cases but it's not all that helpful anyway. I cannot find any real information on making historically accurate leather armor at all. Ultimately I'm just looking for information and some patterns with some how to's to get me started. A few questions. Do I need to go about getting forms and if so how do I get them? I'm a larger guy is there an adjustable form somewhere I can get as I can't really use my body to make armor for other people what with being six and a half feet tall and I'd love to be making the armor for other people. I've got lots of ideas for spaulders and pauldrons, bracers and shin guards but nothing for how to do a helmet, body, or feet where can I find some info on these? Are there any really useful odd's and ends that I aught to be looking for to grab that aren't strictly leatherworking ie. I've seen references to vacuuming for masks? How do I go about taking measurements for the various body parts of a person? With a form it's not as hard but it is generic and I'd like to be making custom things for my friends so how do I do this? I'm especially worried about the female form esp. around the chest area. How do I know what kind of leather (both animal and gauge) to use on a specific project? Are there any books I aught to look at getting that would be helpful? A couple good things. I'm very close to a Tandy store and several tannery's so leather isn't an issue. Money isn't a big issue as this is something I've wanted to do for a long time and have no problem spending money to get into the hobby.

Absolutely gorgeous! I'm just getting into this hobby and like jkoal I'm more interested in the torso and pauldrons/spaulders and I can't wait to start the more I look the more likely it looks like I'll be able to make something awesome! Primarily I plan on what I make to be either usable for some local larp groups or cosplay and for myself some steampunk stuff. I have to say your stuff looks amazing thank you for sharing but where did you find your patterns? I can't seem to locate any for armor and I'm positive they are right in front of me and I'm just missing them