Stetson912

Thanks everyone. I was using a 3/8 thin hollow ground and switched to my 1/4 angle blade. It helped keep my cuts more uniform and it turns better in the leather for me. This leather doesn't burnish very well either. I'm thinking of ordering some Hermann oak bellies for tooling practice. I will work on my beveling. I'm good with the larger beveler, the smaller one needs practice, as does my bar grounding haha. Thanks for the veiners tip too. I'll post more when I can give it another go.

Had sometime tonight. I think it's better but still needs work. Still not "popping"like I want it too. The next step will be better leather. The stuff I'm using isn't good by any means haha. And the new tools I'm still getting used too. Let me know your thoughts. Thanks!

This works for that method of stitching. This method uses a groover though. When you stitch in a groove the stitches are flat, which is why running your overstitcher over the stitching helps define them better. But the op is asking about stitching without a groove to get a more angled stitch. As Billy bopp mentioned, you'll have to use thinner thread to do this. I believe 0.6mm thread requires about 3 ml thick leather for it to angle on both sides of a piece (that are double pricked that is). And I believe but am not certain 100% that the backside of a piece, or whichever side doesn't have priority, will lie just a bit flatter than the other side without the double pricking method.

Thanks @9tpi, not nearly as nice as your work, but I'm trying haha. She likes it a lot (my mother in law that is)

Google boot top stitching patterns.

@terrymac, you were right. My knife wasn't sharp enough so it made cutting deep enough difficult. After a quick sharpening it is looking better with the practice cuts and bevels I did. I'll post another picture of some tooling when I have time to do it. Thanks everyone!

Thanks terrymac. I thought I was cutting deep enough but it's very possible I just thought I was haha.ill try to cut deeper next go.

Yeah, i do try too much. I think I might be a bit heavy handed too, smashing tools into the leather haha. Maybe I'll get it one of these days.

Yeah I just chose the textured tools. I don't like my beveler either because it's coarsely checkered. I do have a smooth shader somewhere I'll have to try it. I didn't think of the texture interfering but now that you mention it I think that's exactly what I don't like. It does get miluddy and loses definition. That's a good point. I feel like I just have the wrong tools. I got some coming though so we will see. I'll also try the modeling spoon idea. Sounds like a good thought to me. I struggle with backgrounding and knowing how deep to cut in my pattern. My knife skills seem to be ok, but I don't have anyone to show me how to do this or tell me when I'm doing it wrong. Haha. Thanks for the ideas!

I've been trying to practice my floral carving. It's getting better but I'm just not getting the smoothness and depth I want. This piece is 8/10oz skirting. My tools are limited but I've ordered a few that hopefully will help (not that my technique is flawless or anything). Any insight on what I can do to improve, technique wise, is greatly appreciated.

Interesting

Is it even top grain? Almost looks like a finished split. But I'm not sure about these things. Curious to know myself.

Very cool

Another beautiful piece. I wish I could get to that point haha. I know ecoflo gets a bad rep, but I do like the saddle tan gel antique.

Thanks @JeannieH, I used the same pattern for my liner as the main bag. It is a little large. But with the turned lining I thought it had to be (I put the main bag inside the liner then turned the liner ect) but this may not be the case. I'll be doing a smaller one coming up and I might be able to get the liner to fit better. Thanks for the tip!

Thanks @crfiremech, that's a good philosophy. The canvas is easy to work with. Cutting can be a bit tricky (I recommend a rotary cutter) if you have even a fabric seeing machine it would make the liner look nicer, but the way it's put together the seamsare on the outside of the liner and are unseen. I more or less used the technique in one of Arthur Porter's videos on YouTube about making a bag with fabric lining. I like the technique and style, just needs some refinement haha

That's true, but too much for me haha. I think I'd rather make my own or get one from Andrew anyway haha. As you said, I'm not sure you can trust "veg tant" leather

Haha it's a play on the horween leather I used. It's Parisian blue. I just thought Parisian pink had a nice ring to it. The pink is an italian lamb skin of some kind (i think veg tan but most certainly could be something else). It's super soft and supple, that's why it's just trim. The bottom I had to glue to a piece of veg tan to give it structure. The bottom, bottom trim, pocket and two side pannels have rolled edges and we're stitched first then put together. Then when the main bag was done I made the liner. It's a turned lining so the top edge is also rolled. A lot of stitching as you know. But I really like this style bag. My stitch lines are wonky because my bound edges at the top weren't very good because i didn't skive thin enough, but you learn from these things. Next one will be better haha

Says the minimum order is 100? Or did I see that wrong. Lol.

Thanks. It's pink duck cloth aka canvas I got from Joann's I think. A yard was a lot more than I needed for the project haha. But it'll get used somewhere

So this project isn't close to perfect. I've been working on it for a long time. It was frankly a bit too much for me. But that's ok, I've learned a lot from this. Mainly, my stitching and skiving need work. I've ordered better stitching irons (KS blade) and in the future I will know how to plan out my project better. That said I'm still kinda proud of it. It is a 3 part panel tote with a zip. It's my second bag ever, first with a fabric lining (duck canvas), first from my own pattern. All edjes except the zip gusset are rolled and the liner was also (poorly haha) hand stitched. I kept it simple with a single pocket. Straps are mystery braid. Excuse the photography, best I can do right now. Thanks for looking.

I'm not real sure, but I'm thinking that tools were far less advanced during that period. Therefore the tooling would be far less detailed than what we can achieve today. I'm not a carver per say and certainly no saddle maker, but I believe the stohlman/Porter style would have been closer to what was used for ornamentation. I would think depth of tooling would have been similar, but again, just speculation.

@JMixx, some people just stick toothpicks to a board or something. There are a bunch of ways you do it lol.