cwa11is

Very well done. I get inspired by Mucha's work and use his influence in my iron work all the time. You did him justice and proved your own craftsmanship in this piece. Chris

Very nice. Excellent craftsmanship in the construction of the bag and rendering of your subject matter for ornamentation. Do you do any dragons? Chris

Thanks Tom. Anybody who posts something here can usually get some appreciated input from you. ...........as a sidenote,You being from Sweden (my ancestry is from Norway), Do you know of any people producing authentic replications of Viking helmets? I'd like to make a riding helmet with horns....ha ha..seriously.

I just posted this on the members gallery, but it is more appropriate here. I know I'm being an attention whore, but here it is again. Chris

Rick, Thanks for signing my guest book.....I have found that the leather grows significantly after casing. I have adjusted my technique as to not lay my pattern out untill after the raw veg tan has been wet. After the tooling is done and the piece is dry, I then cut out panel pattern and punch lacing holes. I appreciate your advice. Chris

I just finished this tank panel. I'm really liking this leatherwork stuff. I find that many skills have to be incorporated into a finished piece. People think leatherwork is one specific skill, but I am learning quickly that it involves so much more..... Design, illustration, sculpture, fabrication, sewing....and more. Anyway here's what i just finished. i have much to learn about lacing.

Finished. Installed. I did the seat and sissy bar as well.

Whoa!! Okay, okay..The "you suck" was a bad generalization of several types of comments made in a college typography class that I took in the 80's before computers, when professional graphic design was created by hand with a pencil and eraser shields. A bunch of us were 23 and thought we were the creme of the crop and this instructor would say things like "The top curve of that S looks like the Hunchback of Notre Dame when he's drunk" First of all, it put us all in the mindset that we were not masters and made us work really hard to achieve a higher level of perfection. Secondly this a class of people that were trying to become professionals and needed to know that they either had potential to succeed or whether they needed to go back a few steps and learn some basics. Thirdly, it was extremely entertaining if you had thick enough skin to deal with it. Skill level for those going into that class jumped tremendously by the time we came out. That is why I suggested a separate subforum for such things. "That Sucks" was a bad generalization because there was never any personal insults, but it felt that way hearing negative criticism of something you thought was good enough.

Tooled, but still wet. I hope it shrinks as it dries. Do any of you experts know if leather expands and contracts when wet and dry?

I have seen the most beautiful work here and have learned a library full of information, but I have also noticed that nobody ever says one negative "needs to improve" comment. In art school, we had weekly critiques that included "that sucks" type of comments, and why. It really helped to strive for perfection. I know that this site does wonders to promote the craft of leather working for beginners(myself included) and answers to questions to many technical difficulcties for others that actually know what they are doing, but I am suggesting that a sub forum be created for serious and dedicated people that could be judged harshly and honestly in order to achieve the utmost level of excellency....competition breeds supremacy ha ha. "Submit your work if you dare" sort of thing. Of course I don't think it should be used to spark anger or start arguments....just a place to accept criticism that points out one's inferior aspects for the porpose of strengthening our primary weaknesses...........and certainly NOT discourage anyone from picking up a swivel knife!!!! Enter at your own risk . Just a thought?! Chris

My addiction is in full swing. After my 1st attempt with leather, making a custom 2-up seat out of a chap side, and the high level of inspiration I gained from all of you, I had to dig deeper and buy some veg-tan and a few tools. I need a sissy bar pad and I wanted to make it myself. Here is the result of some quick practice: Then the real project begins: I will use a 3/32 single loop lace and I know that will be the weakest part of the finished piece, but it it's time to just dive in and gain some experience. One mental block that I encounter is the translation from paper to leather. The paper wrinkles and I try to keep it to a minimum, but it seems to be a leap of faith to expect the leather to fit the same way as the paper. Is there a more precise way of making a pattern that you can trust? Thanks, Chris

Wow! Thanks for the positive responses. I thought I would get a shrug from the plain design and maybe some tips on embellishing. This honestly was the first time I ever put a pair of scissors and a needle to leather or any other upholstery-type material for that matter. I have to admit that I do have an extensive background in graphic design, illustration, and sculpture though. I am greatly inspired from what I have seen here on these forums and I want to incorporate leather work into my iron work. I will contribute advice as soon as I think I know anything about what I am talking about as far as leather is concerned. I'll be heading to Tandy first thing in the morning for some stamps, swivel knives and veg tan. Thanks again. Chris

Hello from Texas, I'm not a leather person at all. My specialty is steel forging and fabrication. I started making custom iron for my motorcycle and found the need for a custom seat that did not exist for my bike in the style I wanted (at least for a price I was willing to pay). I researched and researched and finally got up the nerve to try my own hand at making a seat. I made this seat pan from fiberglass, carved my own foam, finally broke down and bought a side of chap hide from tandy and dove in aimlessly at an attempt to produce a Corbin-style 2-up seat for my 2007 softail. I stumbled across this site while researching how to sew leather and found examples of work from some of you master craftspeople. Here is my first attempt at covering a 3-d shape with leather and I am truly inspired to do a real "from scratch" tooling and dyeing project for the sissy bar pad and eventually more seats. Anyway, here is my start and thank you all for the knowlege shared here. I think I just found a new addiction. seat3 seat4