battlemunky

Looks really nice Yin. I don't have a round knife yet but I see where cutting 1/4 in thick leather it would be nice to have. Sweet sheath dude!

@ScoobyNewbie, the pro dye is more consistent and penetrates better for the leather stuff I do. I have the waterstains and like the colors but they do tend to wear off with abrasion and don't ever seem to seal well against water and end up losing dye and staining surrounding things when they get wet/sweated upon. If you like the worn look, cool, but I don't. The Fiebing's alcohol dyes leave behind a lot more pigment on the surface which require a bit more elbow grease to remove to keep it from transferring onto clothes/skin, also they tend to leave behind a metallic sheen on some stuff that I have yet to figure out how to control. I'm not sure if the question was for me but that is my answer

Welcome!

I've seen that with some of the non-pro dyes they will leave a metallic haze behind sometimes and I couldn't figure out when it would or why it did so I opted to stay with the pro stuff since it is far more predictable. Tooling and wet forming is always iffy when I've tried it. You can lose all your definition if you form where you tooled and at the same time if you form first it becomes really difficult to tool on curves. Because of that, if I'm wet forming I don't tool and I don't tool something I've wet formed. I have seen it done, it is just outside my skill set/level of patience at this point in my leathery adventures. By all means, if you do, please post your stuff.

I always dye after the forming is over and completely dried. I follow a similar path as you but I leave the size of the leather quite a bit larger than usual since it always seems to shift or move some and the edges don't always line back up so the generous slop is welcome. Fiebing's Pro Dye is about all I use anymore. I have a little bit of their other dye but am almost out of it and I really like the Pro Dye better.

I meant mine! I wonder if its too late. They could just send you an email.

All three look really nice. I really like your edge work on the southie.

Looks really good!

This is one of them times when you question your parents skills to pick your god parents... Great looking work Mike!

Welcome to LW.net. Glad to have you.

So, I was back admiring this....two things came to mind. funori seaweed burnishing--can you please tell us more about this as a burnishing agent. I couldn't find anything online other than using it as a haircare thing is that button leather wrapped and if so, did you do it and how Sorry for stalking but this is a really nice piece.

lol, it took me a year to make my first one...it was a lot of stitching and I haven't started my second, lmao. I know that doesn't help, just more for fun. Mine wasn't carved either, just lined. Most of that time was getting past the intimidation I felt, for some reason belts scared me. One little mistake on an inch isn't bad but propagate that sucker out 40-50 inches and you have a lot of scrap leather. That was my thinking anyhow. My next one won't be lined and I'll probably knock it out in a few hours, again, no decor though.

Really awesome stuff!

I'm guilty of a bit of over confidence and offering advice while not really being an expert on anything. I have done a lot of the techniques we use in the craft but have mastered few of them and I always try to qualify my answers to questions with my level of skill and to "wait a bit longer and others who know far more than I are likely to come along". I try not to step on any toes but still offer up advice on stuff I have some knowledge of. I try to never be definitive in anything I say though because there are usually at least a few ways to skin the cat and likely I don't even know all those ways. I appreciate most folks' opinions on this forum though. Yours especially Mike because you do put your money where your mouth is.

Great looking work @Boriqua! Clean as a whistle!

Really beautiful stuff you got going on. Lucky dogs (and perhaps people?)!

Pretty nice IMO, the fact you did it for practice makes it all gravy.

Nice carving!

Man I'm glad you a back Gray, I've missed your "youness". Yet another great bit of work. Did you always do that fine line work or is that something new you picked up? The knuckles on the girl's hand and the ruffling, specifically. I don't recall seeing it on your other works. @GrayHallidayJr

That looks about flawless. Kudos on near perfection!

Some bevelers. A few good ones and you'll be set.

Buckskin lining for the win! Looks like a great idea and I don't know if I've ever seen the hinge that way before. Pretty cool.

Coolness! Glad it worked out for you and them.

That is damn nice @c2369zulu. Love those TKC scales too..beats the hell out of those grivory ones from the factory.

Pics may help us tell you what leather it was too.