Chief Filipino

If he wants individual chambers/pockets for each pen I would recommend using an overly large piece of leather, do all your dying & sealing of the backer piece for the piece except for edges. Then use some pens/pencils to wet mold over each pen, working the leather in between each pen repeatedly as it dries. You could clamp one side to use as a starting point, then just continuously working the leather to mold it to shape. I've done it a couple times before and found that it is easier to use a larger piece over trying to figure out an exact measurement. Once it has been molded well enough, and seems to hold its shape, I let it dry then stitch it up and then wet mold it one more time with sample pens/pencils in place and allow it to dry. I hope that makes some sense... it's been a long week and a long night so I may be too tired to be coherent.

Thank you all! I'm stoked to finally be able to wear this one pretty much every day!

I had a custom karambit made for my big ol' meaty hands by a local knifemaker, I made a vertical sheath for it when I first got it but I've come to prefer/love horizontal carry. I also love/prefer friction fit sheaths for ease of access and don't like straps for retention. While perusing the interwebs I came across the idea of magnets for retaining a blade that kydex sheath makers have been using, I also read a topic here on this forum too. So I decided to try my hand at using magnets and so far I love the results! So far it is holding very well for my use, I don't think it would hold should I fall down a mountain but that would be the least of my problems if that came to be . I used 8/9oz leather, 2/3oz for the inlay ring, rattlesnake skin, Fiebings Oxblood dye, acrylic resolene and Tandy's super waxy 1mm thread (which I prefer for sheaths to add some life-length to the thread in my sheaths). I cut a circle from the 8/9oz, filled with rattlesnake skin and 3 neodymium magnets, and covered it with 2/3 oz leather on the inside to hold the magnet and protect the blade. I tried with 1 magnet which didn't hold, two did but I found that three fit the width better (and perhaps holds stronger). I jogged in place and jumped up and down with the sheath and didn't really feel it shifting or coming out so I think that it will work for my lifestyle. Feel free to critique my work too (I haven't figured out how to get my stitches to look great when saddle stitching two layers together and NOT going over the upper layer instead going off to the side to not cross over the upper layer and having the thread cut into it, if that makes sense). Oh and the edges in many of these pictures were taken before finishing the edges. The last picture is of the original sheath I made at first. All thoughts and comments welcome

Sounds good! I'll tan them myself too if you want to sell them for a lesser price.

Are you interested in selling some?

Walang anuman! I hate it when things don't fit due to a measurement error (I've done it and a customer has done it too) sigh... at least it came out though!

Very nice!

A lot of people poopoo Tandy Leather but when I first started it was a great place for me to pick up decent enough tools and people who have some knowledge of leather working to get me started. Looks like there is one in Seattle: 14713 Aurora Ave N, Seattle, WA 98133 I wet formed my skull mask and used my face to help me form quite a bit of it. I used a bunch of cloth and wrapped it around to hold it on my face and would work the leather into shape every few minutes. I think within about an hour (or less) it was dry enough to hold the shape I wanted and then I just left it to dry for 24 hours. Though I live in Arizona the air will suck all the moisture out quickly. If you are making armor for yourself I'm sure you could just use your own body as the form. Take this with a grain of salt because I have NO experience making a full suit of armor: For thickness, that could depend upon whether or not you wanted to wear it into combat, with groups like the SCA there are specifications it will have to meet to be allowed. I am planning on making my own armor some day and will be using 10/12 oz for the torso area, 8/9 oz for the bracers/arms/shoulders. For straps I would recommend 8/9oz for straps supporting a lot of weight and thinner for straps the smaller areas. As for tips you should absolutely know... find the method that works for you. On this forum you will get a dozen excellent methods from experienced leatherworkers who make amazing stuff, you need to find what will work for you. Along those lines there are a LOT of specialized tools for this craft, but many of them can be recreated using other tools you may already have you do not have to have all the tools find a way to make it work for you. With that being said the specialized tools make it MUCH easier and quicker to get work done. If this is something that you see yourself doing for years and/or trying to sell the expense of quality tools is well worth it!

I have not made one but I do have several in mind that I want to make. I bought some bison scrap awhile back and made a key wallet out of it. It is flexible but at the same time can hold its shape fairly well. I would recommend the bison. I also really like how it is darkening up on the surface but the many skin grooves stay the lighter brown, creating eye catching contrast! I really like the look of this one and I've been wanting to make myself a backpack for work. Do you happen to know where I could some ready made templates like this one? I've been meaning to make my own but the template design process would take just about as long as making it (at least for me).

I have a limited work space and have found that gluing a couple 8/9oz or higher pieces of vegtan scrap together gives me a great punching surface. When it gets too many holes I just make another one with more scrap. I use it on top of my granite slab.

On the python skins I tanned with glycerin/denatured alcohol they came out of the bath still kind of stinking. It took a week or so to stop smelling. When I hold it up to my face now and give a whiff it doesn't smell rotten but it has that tanned smell.

Thanks! Is it shiny? From the pictures it doesn't look that reflective. I have some Fiebing's edge coat but don't like how reflective it looks.

Nice! I did ten strokes on each side on my strop and it cuts like a new blade! Thanks for the money saving tip! About how many times do you think I could do this with each blade?

I don't know why it would you couldn't do the alcohol/glycerin, they both just preserve it. I think if you washed the salt off it would be alright.... hate to say experiment with it but sometimes that's the only way to find out.

Keep in mind that the buyer doesn't know the full context of your mind. The buyer doesn't know your intentions, your desires, your perfect outcome. They interpret what they see in their own way. Sell at full price, a buyer may come along and it's the right piece for them. If it sits for along time then consider selling cheaper. Art is subjective, price is subjective, life is subjective.

Nice! Did you wet mold the larger one?

Nice! What did you do for your edges? I'm trying to find an alternative to edge painting leathers that don't burnish well.

How did it come out? looks good!

Did you stretch yours? I just thought that maybe it would help both of us. I didn't stretch mine but from the videos I've watched of skinning mammals they stretch it... maybe I'll try that on my next one.

Wow that's beautiful! Was there a lot of meat left on the skin after getting it off? Did you cut it while still on the snake or peel it off? Just curious if it is a common thing with all snakes. There was a ton of flesh left on the python skins I did.

I've had the same issue and depending upon what I am making I've actually started using the adhesive tapes and depend instead upon my saddle stitching to hold the piece together. The adhesive tape holds it together well enough to get it stitched. I mainly use it on smalls (wallets, key chain/fobs, etc) and use contact cement on things like my knife sheaths. Doesn't solve the glue squish problem on my big items.

You're welcome. Ya it is fairly simple. with python there was A LOT of meat that was stuck on and extremely difficult to get off, I think because it is a constrictor and their muscles are different than vipers (?). I have not taken on a rattlesnake yet so I don't know what the de-meating process is like. The only issue I had was the scale shield thingy sloughing off over time. I've heard some people say to use resolene on it after it's dry but I didn't do that, maybe I should on the next one.

I used this technique with some python skins and it came out pretty well. I used vegetable glycerin and denature alcohol. The only issue I had was the scale covers popping off over time. I haven't used them on a project yet so no customers were harmed, but they are tanned.

I have been using Etsy to sell my items with a fair amount of success. I have also tried farmers markets with some success as well. Etsy takes a small percentage of each sale but they give some security to selling online. I feel that whatever path you choose word of mouth will help you the most so make sure the quality is there but more importantly make sure your customer service skills are as honed as your swivel knife!

All metals will corrode, even stainless steel, in certain conditions. I would go with brass but I also recommend doing your own research. Use both and put them through the same conditions and observe the results.