CitizenKate

That is a very handsome piece of fly-fishing gear, Tom! Kate

Art, I have been able to get this effect very easily without any resist, by doing the following: - dye the entire piece with a light-colored wash. (Light tan, or yellow) - take a small wood block, cover it smoothly with some paint rags, pour some darker-colored dye over one edge of the covered block (don't want to saturate it) - wipe the edge of the covered block over the piece. The dye will only touch the raised portions of the leather, and leave the depressions untouched by the darker color. Kate

Ooooo... that is clean as all get-out! Kate

How could anyone not like that? It was awesome. Hope you keep posting your work, Tom. It's a walk on the outside of the mainstream of leather work, and we do need that. Thanks for the inspiration... Kate

Can't wait to see it. Is it the same one he posted a week or two ago? Kate

I would only recommend a Preval sprayer to someone who doesn't plan to do a lot of spraying. I bought a few of them when I was just experimenting to see how well spraying dyes or finishes works on my projects. It's a very cheap way to go for a small number of projects, but if you're going to spray a lot of projects, there is a point of diminishing returns where it is actually cheaper to get a small compressor and either a single-action sprayer or an air brush. Also, if you're spraying spirit-based dyes near a furnace, make VERY sure you have good ventilation. Hmmm... now that I think of it, you should do that anyway, but just be aware that a furnace and solvent fumes are a very hazardous mixture. Kate

A Preval sprayer should have no problems spraying very thin liquids such as dyes. I did get one once that I think had a leak in the dip tube or the seal where it connected to the nozzle, and that caused some splotching to occur. I bought another "power unit" (a whopping 2oz. of propellant), and used it with the same liquid and it sprayed fine. Kate

Here's the contact information to order from Henley direct: http://gemosphere.tripod.com/GEMOSPHERE/Swivel_Knivesx.html Kate

Nice, Roger, very nice. As always. Kate

Nice! What kind of leather is that in the middle? Kate

There is also quite a bit offered on ebay: Look here... Kate

You saddlemakers are just freaking amazing. Kate

Are you talking about something like Minwax gel stain? I did not know these came in a clear color. I tried a gelled wood stain awhile back, and even with a resist, it really absorbed into the pores of the leather quickly and gave it a very "grainy" look. But the stuff is wonderful to work with, so if I could solve the "grainy" problem, I would probably use it for a lot of things. Kate

I'm not giving up mask-making, no way, not with all these great ideas coming forth! That tape idea was an approach I had never thought of, which I think could be applied to other types of projects. Thanks for sharing that, Tom. Kate

Ken, it's funny you should mention this... I just came across the story about the "red paper clip" guy this morning through another site I visit frequently. It's an amazing story! (For those of you who have never heard this story, about it.)Kate

Kimber, what type of paint did you use for this project? Kate

Heheh! Right, racks, chains, whips, etc. In other words, overkill. I'm not really into whips and chains, so what I really meant was, it's going to be a challenge to outdo that. But I think I've come up with something pretty good. Kate

Yup, that's goth, alright. (At least in the modern sense, not necessarily the kind of "gothic" that was in vogue when the original Goths roamed the earth.) First time I've seen a unicorn with fangs, but as you point out, the customers get to call the shots. (Most of the time, anyway.) Kate

Okay... I sent the photos of the PIF I got from Beaverslayer to Johanna, per her request. I think she plans to put together a page to show all the work that was done as part of this event. But since others are posting photos of their PIFs, I have to post these. The Beav sent me this beautiful(!) carved wood box of maple, walnut, and purpleheart, which is now sitting in a prominent location in my office, and a "little" something he found at a garage sale, of all places... a set of 3 basketweave stamps from Barry King. What a wonderful PIF!!! I'm so grateful to have gotten this. Thank-you so much for this Beav! Grumpy, I'm still working on yours, and I hope to do medieval justice to Beav's generosity, and who knows, you may find some interesting basketweave stamping in it. Kind regards to all, Kate

Thanks for the update, Marlon. I'll be eagerly awaiting the time when they get their operation up to speed. Kate

Do they have an ETA on the new web site, then? I tried to place an order with them a couple of weeks ago, and couldn't get anyone on the phone to take my order. Kate

I'd say the design is very true to the legend. Thanks for sharing! Kate PS: I've been a fan of that song since the 70's.

Here's a little something from Vaughn Monroe to add some background to this... Enjoy... Kate

Love the precision of your drawing, David. Here's one done in Illustrator, not quite as complex, but I love how much control I have over the curves and lines, and I also like being able to modify my drawings without having to start all over again: Kate

Some of us had been discussing possible ways we could share our work, and this sounds like a great way to do that. I would also like to participate. Kate