Hi people! So I have a few questions. But before I ask them I would like to apologise for my bad English and my long text. Also: I am not very good in transforming my thoughts into some good questions. But I still hope that people will understand what I am trying to say/ask, so they can give me the correct advice. So here goes nothing! Allright, First let me introduce myself. My name is Paul. I am male, I am 31 years old and I live in The Netherlands and I love leather motorcycle jackets. A few years ago (when I was on a trip to london) I bought some of these leather jackets. example 1: http://www.leatherjacketmaster.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/600x/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/r/e/red-bull-leather-jacket-1.jpg example 2: http://sky-seller.com/image/cache/data/Biker_Jacket/BMW_Blue_and_White_Racing_Motorcycle_Leather_Jacket-750x1100.jpg I like the models of these leather motorcycle jackets. The leather is heavy, thick and tought (although I am not a big fan of the bright colours and the advertisement on the jacket). Now I was looking for a new jacket. In my online search I came across these badass jackets that Logan Riese made, and I fell in love with the possibilities. example 1: http://pre02.deviantart.net/2504/th/pre/i/2012/306/2/f/logan_riese_leather_jacket_with_skulls_and_cross_by_loganriese-d5jsnv1.jpg example 2: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/c8/58/23/c85823a0864d4cda0230377584a2ac27.jpg example 3: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/be/05/e2/be05e2eb81f64114a920550770e73aaf.jpg So I contacted this great artist. But 26000 dollar is a little too much for me (although I really think it is worth every penny) After that I have put the idea of buying a badass leather jacket on a hold for a few months. But a few days ago it came back into my mind and I decited to start another online search for great badass motorcycle jackets. During my search (I did find several great badass leather motorcycle jackets), I came across the art of leather carving/crafting. It is the same skill that mr riese used for his jackets. But the examples I found were more made for ehhh holsters/wallets/horse saddles ect ect...(pretty much what ur making on this forum) Suddenly I got this idea of carving/crafting leather pieces myself and then make a leather jacket of it in the same model that I already have. I mean: wouldnt it be great to make this myself and later pass it on to my son, he passing it on to his son, ect ect. Making it a real family piece. The upside is that I can personalise it. I am also not in a hurry. I wanna make it within 3 to 5 years. And it doesnt really matter if it is gonna be awesome or not. Because I made it myself and I can pass it on to my offsprings. After some research I can say: Yes it is not easy to make this! Yes it is better to have this made by a real professional who has got many years of experience. But still, it does not look entirely impossible. I mean, just like the craftsmans I am also human. And was planning on only using some specific techniques. Most techniques I was planning on using are well described on the internet (youtube). I know that the tools are very expensive. But I just wanna make 1 jacket and will only need some specific tools that doesnt have to be made of top quality. So I did some googling and found a few webshops in China where I can buy the leather craft tools that I need for low prices (offc the quality wont be great, but I will only use them once). And in The Netherlands I can buy leather pieces, zips, cement, kevlar wire and more... So after some more research I decited I wanna make this jacket out if cow leather (same material as the jackets I already have). I found our that the common thickness of cow leather for motorcycle jackets are between 1.2mm and 1.6mm and are usually sewed together with kevlar wire. A ladyfriend of mine has got a sewing machine for leather. Sure I wanna use that, but moss of the pieces I wanna ehhh braid? with leather wire. Oh and she is also willing to make a lining/inside jacket (she has experience with that). After some more research I found out that they advice a minimum of 4mm thick leather if you wanna carve/craft leather. I dont think that will be a big problem for me since most areas will be stamped?/beaten down/made less thicker because of the carving. But still I have loads of questions about my project (ofcource I do. I am a total noob/newbie at this) - is it possible to sew or braid 2 different thickness of leather pieces together. For example 1.2mm and 4mm thick leather? Or is it better to only sew/braid pieces of leather together that have the same thickness? (because not all the leather will be carved, some non carved pieces can be 1.2mm. - Is it better to first carve the 4mm thick leather pieces and then stick it onto a 1.2mm thick leather piece? Or can I just carve/craft away and then later sew/braid them on the sides (instead of sticking it on top)?. - Is 4mm thick leather not way too heavie for a leather jacket? Will I be able to move my body when I am wearing it? - Is it preferrable to ehh scrape the bottom of the 4mm leather after I carved the leather pieces (to reduce the thickness of the leather) Or will the stamping/beating down of the leatrher already result in a thinner piece of leather (is what I expect) - Can I pick any color of leather and then paint it afterwards? Or is it better to pre pick a piece of leather that already has the color I want it to become? - Is it a fact that you need a minimum of 4mm leather to start carving? Of did I misread this on the internet? - Do I need specific pieces of the cow hide (for example I read that that cow butt is ehh less flexible compared to the pieces that came from the belly or shoulders), of can I just walk into the store and pick any piece of 4mm cow leather? - Do I need untreathed cow hide of just pick a random piece that has already been treated? I really hope that there is someone out here who can and is willing to answer my questions.
Ofcource I still start with practicing carving/crafting leather with smaller projects first. Like a belt or a knife holster/holder. Many thnx. Paul from The Netherlands
