BearMan

Hi Everybody, Looks like I'm getting in late to this,,, but I thought I'd add in my formula. It's similar in a lot of ways. I've been using this formula for about 30 years now, & it works wonders. Basically it's: 4 Tablespoons of Lexol,,, 3 Tablespoons of Glycerin, 2 Tablespoons of Brown Listerine, about 40 drops of Dawn, or Joy , Mixed in 7 cups of warm Distilled water. Living in areas where Mold is a problem, the Listerine really seems to help. I either submerge the leather for a few seconds, until the bigger bubbles stop,,, or on thinner leather I spray it on. After the leather has come back to almost "tooling color", I put the leather under a sheet of heavy glass. I've has pieces under glass like this for over 2 weeks, & it comes out cased very nicely. I hope this helps somebody. It works for me... Ed the"BearMan"

Hi Everybody, If you've had any ideas about getting,,, or giving a Maul for Christmas,,, it's time to get your order in!! It looks like I have enough time to get about 3 or 4 more Mauls done, before Christmas. Just let me know what You need, & I'll do my best to get it to you as soon as possible! Thanks Again,,, Ed the"BearMan"

Hi Adam, One thing you can do to save that piece, is to get some Glycerin Soap,,, & lather up a wet sponge with it, & then rub the lather into the leather, all over evenly. Then let it re-case over night, & you'll be able to use it. BUT,,, next time, get some better leather to start with. There are a few good brands out there, & each has thier own characteristics, but Herman Oak, Wicket & Creig, cut, tool, & finish Very nice! I hope this helps. I use the Glycerin soap on all of my tooled leather,,, makes the knife glide through very nice. Take Care,,, & Good Luck!! Ed the"BearMan"

Hi Ray, & All, What I use, I actually have to buy,,, but I feel it's worth it. What I use is, the Puppy Training Pads, they are about 20" square, & are waterproof on the back, & Very absorbant on the top. I've been pretty lucky lately, & have been able to use the same one for the last several projects. They cost about $8.00, for 15 of them. When you are done with them, either throw them away, or re-use them. They have saved my bench a couple times, from spillage. Although, I do use a dye bottle holder, to support the bottle while open. I hope this helps some,,, Ed the"BearMan"

Hi Ben, & Everybody, Yes, being my Brother,,, I do get to pick on him for the hair loss,,, hehehe We pick on eachother all the time. He is going to be putting an Old Colt 45 in there. A cpl years ago, one of his best friends died, that happened to be a gunsmith. He left my Brother several highly worked over guns. The 45 is a stainless, engraved one, with antler grips,,,, very nice. I'm sure somewhere down the road, I'll be making a case for the Weatherby 460, he was left also. Now THat's a NICE gun!! Take Care,,, & Thanks for looking.

Hi Everybody, Here is a Gun Case / Gun Rug, that I just finished. It's another Christmas present. It's a little different than my usual designs, but it was still fun to do. Keeping the basketweave pattern aligned wasn't as hard as getting the correct diameters for the cutouts. Somehow, the mathematics just didn't work, so it took a couple tries, on some scrap, to get them right. It's 6/7 oz on the outside, with some gray ultrasuede on the inside. The inserts are hair on cowhide. Same color as my brothers hair,,, Hmmm My brother is loosing more & more hair,,, so I thought I'd give him some for Christmas,,, hehehe There is some 1/4" padding between the two. Thanks for lookin,,, Ed the"BearMan"

Hi Jana, The tabs on the inside slide down into the spine of the bible, the area between the biding & the outside covering, to securely hold the Bible in place. I put those in every book cover I make. I also make the spine area of the cover just wide enough, so that the spine of the book, is kind of "Clamped" in by the edges of the cover where it is sewn in by the spine cover. By doing that, the cover is very secure, & not "floppy". Beautiful work! I love the depth you are able to get with your tooling. A question about your construction, what are the tabs on the inside spine area for? Do they help with keeping the cover in place? I have a job for a bible cover coming up soon and your construction of this one interests me. Absolutely beautiful! I haven't thought about trying it until now but Blemishes do give the Leather more character! And if it's not a Bearman Secret, How do you make Your own Lac' Finishes? I've been looking for alternatives since it's Far too Expensive for my liking. Good Morning, No, You aren't the only one who's asked what "BearLac" is. I really shouldn't have mentioned it, as it usually starts up un-wanted discussions. Back a year or so ago, when "NeatLac" was pulled from the market, I was left without a good replacement. So, after lots of research, I was able to get the formula, for the original "NeatLac" from about 20 years ago. A lot of people never knew that "NeatLac" was re-formulated a few times, to keep up with ever changing regulations. Anyway, I have re-made the original formula, & it works great. NO,,, I won't make any for sale, & I won't give out the formula. There are too many liabilities, & I just don't want to get into those kinds of problems. I hope you understand. If you are in need of a good finish, I understand that the "RTC" finish is very nice, & there are a couple other companies making replacements now. Take care, & good luck. Ed the"BearMan"

Hi Everybody, Here is a Christmas present I just finished. It's another Bible Cover. It's made out of some 5/6oz leather,,, with the most wrinkles, fat marks, scars, & other so called blemishes, I've seen in a while. I like using leather with Lots of "Blemishes". I feel that the "Blemishes" give the final product a lot more character,,, & I also just like the look. Also, I like the challenge of making something out of what most people would discard, or use in another way. If you look at the spine, & back, You'll be able to make out the blemishes easier. The front was done with the same leather. All of the colors are done with Spirit Dyes. The final finish is my own "BearLac". Any questions,,, just ask. Thanks for looking,,, Ed the"BearMan"

Hi Max, & Jana, I usually use a 5oz leather for the eyeglass cases, & then line them with some 2oz pigskin. I'm glad your mauls are working out so good for you,,, Jana, Thanks for the very nice words!! I needed something to practice on,,, & had though about making one for a long time... I'll probably wind up using it on the top of a box. Thanks again,,, Ed the"BearMan"

Hi Paul, & Thanks!! It's always nice to learn,,, or re-learn things. These lessons will help Lots of people,,, way to go Paul!! Ed the"BearMan"

Hi Dawn, What that is ,,, is the dry brush method. Basically, as the brush dries out, you get further away from the design. It just takes some practice, & patients. I only use spirit dye. I don't know how well any other dyes would work using that method. Thanks for asking,, Here's a my latest project,,, Lots of dry brushing here!! Ed Bearman, I am new at tooling the leather and am trying to figure out what method you use when you outlined the carving on your eyeglasses cases. Is your leather wet? When I use the dyes, I get a very definite color change. Your's seems to have a soft transition from one color to the other. Thanks, Dawn

Hi Everybody, Thanks for all the wonderful comments!! I use Spirit dyes for all the color work. As far as the colors I use, that gets a little difficult, as I usually will use about 2 to 3 shades,,, or values of each color. They are all applied with the dry brush method,,, somewhat. As you can tell, I will use different values of a different color, to darken, or change the base color somewhat. I am working on a procedure to get almost "neon" bright colors. Once I get closer, I will share. I can say, that I have a white, that is a Lot more forgiving than the Fiebings, I've used in the past. As far as the tooling,,, that takes some time to describe,,, but it's not all that difficult. I'll try to post that tomorrow. Some of the depth, is an illusion,,, but it is pretty deep. More tomorrow,,, Thanks Again,,, Ed the"BearMan"

Hi Everybody, Here is something I've been wanting to do for a while,,, as soon as I got a "Round 2 IT". Well, here it is,, my Round 2 IT. This was completely inspired by Peter Main's Round Tuit. I hope I've honored Peter with my attempt. Of course I had to put my own twist on things. Eventually, it will be part of a box, as soon as I,,, well you know the rest. hehehe It's 8 1/2" in Dia. & made out of 10oz WC leather. All the colors are Spirit dye, with the exception of the shadows, which are a water based dye I'm trying out. It was a fun, somewhat challenging project. I hope Ya'll like it. Thanks for looking,,,

Hi Storm & Ben, I wish I could say that I did the Scrimshaw myself, but I didn't. It was one of those things that I've had sitting around, saying "someday" I'll find a good use for it. I don't know if this was the best use, but I like it. Thanks,,, Ed

Hi Everybody, Here is a box, I finished a couple days ago. The box is Poplar, stained with diluted "Light Brown" spirit dye, finished with Lacquer & wax. It has an inlaid Scrimshaw disc, covered with 5-6oz leather. The Basketweave is done in a circular pattern. The leather is colored in the dry brush technique, with diluted "Light Brown" spirit dye. I used the center cutout for some inside decoration. I just couldn't throw that part away! The disc isn't real Ivory, but the Scrimshaw is genuine. Thanks for Lookin',,, Ed the"BearMan"

Hi James, The material I use is something that took me years to track down. I've tested probably 25-30 different types of polymers,,, most were too soft,,, some were too hard,,, some were just about right except the flaked off easily,,, some dented,,, some defformed... & so on. As far as I can tell,,, this polymer has the best charcteristics, of anything available right now. It's quite a bit more expensive than what I believe the other makers are using,,,, But it's well worth it for a striking surface that doesn't shed, doesn't dent with normal heavy use,,, anything will dent with enough force, doesn't ring,& doesn't bounce. I have a cpl mauls that are over 8 years old now, that about the only way you can tell that they aren't new,,, is because of a kinda dirty grey color, I think is the residue left from the stamps. I know this doesn't help you,,, but you can make something that will work by cutting discs out of an old plastic cutting board. It won't be the best,,, but it will work,,, plus you'll have the pride of making it yourself. Ed I love the maul design!! Very nive indeed!!! If you don't mind me asking what kind of material u use for the striking face??? Any sources out there?? I would love to build one for myself!!! Thanks so much!! James

Hi Hilly,,,, The brown is done using Light Brown Spirit dye, reduced to about 50/50, then applied using the dry brush method. Thanks for everything!!

Thanks Dustin, Storm , & King's X, for all the nice compliments. I've been making mauls for about 10 years now, & have gone through a few design changes, during that time. Each change for the better, I hope. I believe this design, will be hard to improve on. The way that a maul "feels" while using is as important to me, as the durability of the stricking surface I use. In comparisson, this one feels like a "Rolls Royce" , compared, to all the others. Of course there will have to be some minor changes, to accomodate, the different weights. I may limit this "Elite" design to a weight range from 15oz to 19oz, which would cover just about everybody's tooling needs. Thanks Again for looking,,, Ed the"BearMan"

Hi Everybody, I've been extreamly busy here lately, but here are a few things I've been making lately. There is a Craft show coming up at the Lions Club, & I was asked to participate. So I thought I'd make a few Eyeglass cases, since they deal with eyeglasses, as part of thier mission. Here are a couple more, & hopefully the last of the bunch for the show. They are made fron 5oz leather, lined with brushed pigskin. All of the colors are from spirit dyes. As for the new Maul design,,, I'm constantly striving to improve everything I make, & it's the same with my mauls. With some Very Thoughtful & Insightful suggestions from Bob & Ben, here's what I've come up with. It's 18oz, with a Redwood Burl Handle. A couple of the main differences are,,, that the balance is about 10-15% more toward the head, which gives it more impact. Visually, there's not much difference from my old "Smooth" design, except now, there are no un-finished edges exposed. What do you think?? Thanks for looking,,, Ed the"BearMan"

Hi Everybody, I just happened to look at this thread, especially when I saw the reference to Bob Beard. I would love to get my hands on one of those also,, if for nothing else,,, just for another good comparison. While it is true that most Nylon flakes & sheds over time, I believe I've found a particular type that doesn't. I've been using this type of polymer for about 10 years now, & I've never had anybody tell me of any flaking or shedding. My personal maul that I started making mauls with, is slightly older, with no degrade of the surface, other than looking a little dirty. I can't say exactly why this particular type works so well, but it seems to. I do know that the type I use, is somewhat more costly than the types I think others are using. Marlon, If you'd like, I'd be happy to send you my old maul, to try. I believe this one is about 7-8 years old now. Kind of old & ugly,,, but it might be worth checking out. Just let me know. Ed the"BearMan"

Very Nice!! Clean & Precise. Very nice layout!! Ed the"BearMan"

Hi Everybody,,, Thanks for all the compliments!! It's been a little while since sitting down to do some tooling,,, & it shows to me,,, that I need to get doing some more tooling!! Pete,,, here are a couple pictures of the cut out patterns,,, hope they help. Ed the"BearMan"

Hi, Would anything like these work for you? Ed

Hi Ray, I would just use the Fiebings Spirit dyes to color them,,, & then either some spray Lacquer,,, or something like NeatLac. I prefer the spray lacquer,,, then when it's dry,,, wipe it down with some 4 Ought ( 0000 ) steel wool,,, then apply some wax. That works very well,,, & makes them super smooth!! Ed the"BearMan"

Hello everybody, I was asked to participate in the local Lions Club craft show. So I figured that since the Lion's club does a lot of work with eyeglasses, I would make some eyeglass cases. Here are just a few of the ones I have planned to take there. By the time I get done, I will have about 3 times as many,,, with about that many more designs. They are all lined with soft pigskin, & the fold over style uses a magnetic catch. It's been so long since I've had any of my things for sale,,, I have no clue what to charge for them. I hope you like them,,, let me know!! Thanks for looking,,, Ed the"BearMan"