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I'll have to try the tracing film and paper and maybe get a thinner modelling tool too. The laser image transfer is simple: 1. Print a mirrored image to plain copy paper, only the outlines to be traced. The ink comes of from glossy papers easier and heavier papers don't stretch so much but usually if your paper starts stretching you're using too much acetone. 2. Tape the paper printed side facing dry leather. 3. Trace the lines using makeup remover pads or soft cotton soaked in acetone. Usually just a small amount of acetone is enough. I found it easiest to use nail polish remover because it's easy to get the right amount from the bottle. If you're doing it correctly you should see how the ink fades away from the paper and moves to the leather. 4.Remove the paper and case the leather. 5. Do your carving. Notes: -I've never had any problems with acetone damaging the leather. You're applying the acetone to the paper, not the leather and because it evaporates so fast, the small amount that ends up to the leather doesn't do much and you're going to oil the leather after carving anyway. -Getting the lines the right width takes some testing. If the lines are too thin they don't transfer nicely but if they are too thick they might show after carving. If you're lines are the correct thickness they basically disappear in the carving process. If you dye the leather or use antique paste it will mask any remnants of the toner. However if you intent to leave the leather natural you might see some traces of the lines after carving. If you try this let me know how it went! My inkjets ink seems too colorfast :D It doesn't come of with acetone, alcohol, deglazer, water, heat, you name it. I've already tried almost every chemical in the household and we have a lot It smudges a bit with Tokonole and Fiebing's Atom wax but doesn't transfer. I have to check but it's probably archival grade ink, maybe using a low quality ink would be easier

I haven't tried the carbon copy paper but I often do small details and the ball point modelling tool is too big for them Also thinner leathers seem prone to stretching when wet and tracing with ball point. Maybe my technique is off but with the laser image transfer I've always gotten much better results.

I have previously used a laser printer to print reversed images to transfer trace lines to leather for carving. This works nicely with acetone but I recently changed my printer to a new A3 inkjet and acetone doesn't dissolve its ink. Does anyone what I could use instead?

Yes it’s 5oz veg tan. Given that, it’s surprisingly soft and the bag is quite big and I have already cut the main piece and from that I think it will need some stiffening. Smaller bag would be ok without one. Usually I would make a test piece but this time it would need to be really big and this leather is pretty expensive :) On the base I will use Texon and it would probably be ok on the gussets too but the sides will in my opinion need something a bit softer.

I'm making a bag similar to this from Tempesti Maine Liscio 1.8/2.0mm and I'm wondering what stiffener to use. The main options I have are: Decovil Light, Texon/Bontex 0.4mm, Texon/Bontex 0.9mm, Salpa 0.6mm. I was thinking Salpa might be the best option with it's natural feel but I'm not sure if it's rigid enough? And if I use it, can I glue it in before turning the bag - will it lose some of it's properties or is it too rigid to turn?

Well actually I do all my stitching by hand That's sounds like the order I was about to use but the thing that is really puzzling me is how to add the stiffener. Gluing it after dropping it inside seems a bit complicated and prone to errors. How do I do that easily and accurately?

I'm planning on making a bag similar to this. I will make it from Tempesti Maine Liscio 1.8/2.0mm but since the bag is quite big I think I will need to use stiffener (Bontex, Texon) to keep it in the desired form. I find the project otherwise quite straightforward but because the bag will be turned after stitching, applying the stiffener will be quite difficult. What would be the easiest way to do this?

I've done a something similar a few times. By looking at the edges of the color I would say that they used the same method. Basically after carving I dyed the leather and then did the highlights with acrylic paint on top and then sealed it with Resolene and so far it still looks ok. The only thing to look out for is the edges and with that piece you can see that the edges are slight choppy so I think they are hand painted. Doesn't matter when looking from a decent distance but really close you tend to notice.

I've been trying to duplicate the European filateuse method for doing edges. On veg tan I do it more traditionally but I explore this mainly because with chrome tan it seems sometimes like the only good option. Anyway, most of the products needed are acrylic and so basically water based and because I live in Finland there's a period of 4-5 months when I can't order these products because they render useless upon freezing. Sadly no one sells them here so going to a brick and mortar store is not an option. To bypass this I started testing with Fiebing's Acrylic Paint and it gave good results when heated on the edge. It smoothes nicely after the first application and heat and after that I just add more paint and maybe sand it a bit. Skip to today and we have winter again so I can't order even these and so I wondered if I could use traditional acrylic art paint which is readily available. It's a bit thick so I tried to thin it with water and then with Acrylic Resolene and it's ok to apply but it doesn't melt with heat the way the Fiebing's does. Does anyone have any idea what is the difference between the acrylic paints meant for leather and the other ones? Is there something I could add to make it more suitable? Maybe something that melts when heated?