pabloz

MadMax22, Yes, oiling and sealing it is fine. The limitation to just one color is so that it keeps it simple and people don't go way over and take away from the beauty and simplicity of their swivel cut design. This is an exercise in swivel knife artistry. You can also seal it first to act as a resist/blocker and then apply the antique etc. over the resist to get into the cuts and bring them out...just limit it to one color over the entire design. Thanks, keep the questions coming, we are learning a lot as well. PZ

Mike, you can use the beveler, mule track or crowner, and veiner any way you wish. Again, the idea is so you can be as creative as you can with your swivel knife. The cuts should be the dominant feature of your final entry piece(s) and the tools can be used to bring out your finger-cut artistry. The other three tools are optional - swivel knife is the primary tool. You can make your own beveler, crowner, or veiner if you wish, just as long as they resemble a comparable, traditional tool of the same type. Thanks, PZ

Major, The 3 tools listed are the only 3 that can be used to enhance your swivel knife carving or what most call "finger cut" design. The idea is to make a piece of art using primarily your swivel knife and your creativity. For examples and ideas you can view the previous contest results at: http://www.leatherwranglers.com/contest.html . THANKS, PZ

That's a very good question and the answer is Yes! you can send us your entries and they will be on display for public judging at the Wickenburg show. We will add wording to the entry form for those that want to submit by mail... to make sure you get your entries to Leather Wranglers by no later than March 5, 2009. Thank you for your interest and we're looking forward to providing another fun opportunity. Meanwhile... keep on carving! PZ

There is no substitute for pratice, but it must be practice with the intent to improve. If someone does the same thing over and over again in the same way without trying to improve they will stay at the same level indefinitely. With that being said and having invested innumerable hours studying the work of many of the "GREATS" such as Jim Resley, Billy Wootres, Brad Martin, Al Gould, Don Butler, Chan Geer, Pete Gorrell, Jimmy Jackson, Peter Main, Keith Seidel, and I could go on and on, but one thing that always floats to the surface is their total committment to providing the highest quality work they can deliver. They also combine their exceptional talent with the best tools they can find to achieving this goal. My dad had two sayings on this topic: "the best of tools in the worst of hands can't do what the worst of tools in the best of hands CAN" and "the difference between a professional and an amateur is all in the details." There is definetly much that can be said on this topic, but what I can say in all confidence is that having the RIGHT tool for the job makes the work an absolute JOY and having the best tools you can afford also contribute to your pride of ownership and builds confidence in one's ability to deliver a quality product and/or service. I whole heartedly encourage the pusuit of excellence in all one does and having quality tools makes this most worthy endeavor all the more FUN. I think a great example of this is the unsupassed quality of this site that Johanna et.al. have put together we all enjoy. Pabloz

Allen, I've been at this stuff since '73 and my current collection of swivel knives (not including the ones I make) is 17.....which is why I started making them. Then heres the rest: 7 round/head knives 6 Xacto 5 skivers 4 filigree 3 Utility 2 scalpels 1 hook bill ......you could almost make a song out this. PZ

Another item to consider is what kind of material you are cutting on top of. If it's wood such as plywood, solid oak, pine, alder, etc. that has a grain - then the grain itself will pull the blade in an undesireable direction that is impossible to control. I make all of my straight cuts on a long piece of formica counter top and make multiple shallow cuts until I cut through. If it is a relatively short cut, less than 36" I usually do that on 1/4" plate glass on top of my poundo covered work bench. This is what works for me... give it a try. PabloZ

Great Cutting Bobocat.....you will definitely have to enter one of our contests. Here's the results of the swivel knife shootout we had at the CSMA seminar in Salida, CO. Here are some other examples of really great work. http://www.leatherwranglers.com/contest.html pabloz

Shane, The last one in Salida was great fun. Will this one you are planning be instead of Grand Junction or in addition to? Hope you're enjoying your winnings...also we posted the results of the Swivel Knife Shootout and what a phenominal work yours was!!! Just in case you didn't get to see it here it is: http://www.leatherwranglers.com/contest.html Lets Talk Soon. PZ

There is a really long story behind this contest but it's in honor, not memory, of a mentor of Clays and mine.

Hey Marlon, YOU ARE ONE SNEEKY MUG....you got a great picture of us and we would have loved for you to stop by the booth and chat. It would have been nice to meet and greet. PZ

I've always used plain old contact paper that already has the sticky back on it. Cut it over size, peel off the protective paper, stick it on from the middle and smooth out to edges, then trim off excess. If you have to take a break during tooling, spritz it w/ water and cover it w/ 1/4 plate glass. Comes right off after tooling. If you get a residue give it light dusting of talc powder then contact cement, etc. as usual.

trastu: I'm glad you found our information and that it was of value to you. We appreciate you posting it as an available download for others. Pabloz

Here are some swivel doodles...a little inspiration or food for thought. Top row L to R... Al Gould, Chan Geer, Deeter Middle Row...Kathy Flannagan, Billy Wooters, Jimmy Jackson Bottom Row...Don Butler, Bob Klenda, Jim Linnel Have fun with it. Pabloz

Here's all I know....Just use high quality calf skin or roo lace and pull both sides over a bar of glycerine saddle soap to lubricate (Ivory soap works well too). This will make the lace slide through the slit instead of drag. Pull it snug...then when your all done lightly wet it and use your slicker to smooth it out.

Dale, Please forgive my very late response to your question - Clay had copied me on some posts & now I'm figuring this site out. Here's my 5-part answer to your question. 1st: UNCOMPROMISED QUALITY - I use only the highest quality materials & there are no seconds; it's either the best, or it hits the trash bin. I apply this to the yoke, bearing, shaft, barrel, & most importantly, the blade. 2nd: it's the LIGHTEST SWIVEL KNIFE IN THE MARKET - a 1/2" barrel with 1/2" blade, & a large yoke weighs about .9 ounces - yet it's strong enough to handle even the most abusive carvers. 3rd: my SWIVEL KNIFE GOES OUT SHARPENED, STROPPED, & READY TO CUT - it's totally up to you as to whether you strop it after that. I've had some customers tell me that they don't even need to strop, but still do it out of habit - reinforcing that it doesn't need frequent stropping. I've tried over 22 different alloys, hardened & tempered to everything from RC-67 down to RC-45, which has resulted in approximately 220 different combinations of alloy & tempering techniques. This blade will cut as smooth on the best-of-breed top shelf leathers, as it will on the bottom-of-the-barrel cheap leathers. 4th: It's CUSTOMIZED TO FIT YOU – you can adjust the height so it fits to your hand, you get to choose between yoke styles & barrel sizes. Once the right combination of components is put together, you can carve effortlessly, all the while enjoying ultimate comfort. 5th: COLOR CHOICES - not that color makes a swivel knife perform any better, but color just adds that one more touch that makes this knife customized for you. I've been carving leather since 1974 & the only tool I've ever been passionate about as far as improving & getting it to work the way I want it to work, is the swivel knife. This is the best available today, but I'm always looking towards continuous quality improvement. So, if you ever end up owning one of my knives & you find a way to improve it, call me & let's talk about it... call me any way! 505-269-8563. Paul Zalesak http://www.leatherwranglers.com/products.html