Elegant

Wear the mask while house cleaning, washing the dog and the car, and going grocery shopping!

Putting pics of products on the internet does have it's drawbacks. But if there is contact information with or on the pic then one should make contact with the artist so that we can share our methods.

Care & Feeding Of Topgrain Leather Floggers

Honor and integrity are key factors. I discovered this very site when a friend let me know that someone here had posted a pic of one of my custom items and was wanting input from other members on how to make it themselves (for a family member who did not want to pay my price evidently).

Some info about care of snakeskin. The article is specific to snakeskin boots but much of the info is good for general snakeskin care. Snakeskin Care

I've used it a few times in the past but not enough to get any viable results.

Other Comments LEXOL I do not use Lexol products. These products have been emulsified and the company will not provide information as to how they do this. Until I know what emulsification process is used I will stick to other brand products. MOTOR OIL Most engine oils contain anti-acid ingredients, stabalizers and detergent agents. In addition, some contain metallic addatives. Why put all those extra damaging things into your leather? ECO-FLO DYE This is a low VOC (Volatile organic compound) product. It contains glycol ethers which do not evaporate and volitalize like other dyes. The glycol ethers don’t allow the carbon black to penetrate the leather fully before the dye dries so the carbon black remains somewhat suspended.

What do I use? That depends on the tanning method of the leather, the finish, what the article is, use etc. General Examples: Oiltanned Leather (harness boots, some heavy leather coats): Huberd's Boot Grease Chrometanned leather (garments, uphoulstery etc): Aussie Leather Conditioner, Huberd's, Pecard's VegTan: Aussie, Huberds or Pecards Exotics: Pecard's Exotic Leather Dressing I prefer non-animal based products, not for the stereotypical reasons (I am a carnivore..we hunt....vegetarian is an ancient native american word meaning 'bad hunter') but because animal fats are not as stable as other products, tend to go rancid quicker and are a good medium for bacteria growth. The only animal based product I personally use for some leathers is a dubbins but the fats are rendered in dubbins which makes them more stable and less likely to be a medium for bacteria. Bee's do not qualify as animals in this case as beeswax is very stable. It's difficut to suggest a particular conditioning product without knowing what it is being used on.

A "neat" is a beef animal, and this oil used to be made out of the oil from boiled cow shins, hence the name. Now it is made from a variety of animal fats. It is heavy oil that has a residue that can attract dust. It does oxidize and can embrittle the leather. If mixed with mineral oils it can break down stitching or adhesive materials. It can stain lighter leather and has been know to become rancid quickly. Some cheaper neatsfoot oil is made with added lard and still called Pure Neatsfoot Oil. If mineral oil or other petroleum product is added then it is called a Compound Neatsfoot Oil or Prime Neatsfoot Oil. As a professional bootblack, leather care specialist and leather crafter I do not use Neatsfoot oil for anything.

Another custom map case.....for a Steampunk pirate. It's suppose to look a bit distressed. Pic

Double sided tape!

Is he planning to beat up on someone? grin They are fairly stable. This particular gauntlet does not have a pinky finger stall...just gets in the way. But we have made ones with all five finger stalls.

My first posting of some of my work. I made this articulated gauntlet about 5 years ago. Pic on Flickr

This particular map case was the first one I made, the prototype. It is 3 oz vegtan that was wet molded around a PVC pipe (then pipe was removed). The entire thing is put together with 2 part epoxy. I tried contact cement but the epoxy makes it more durable. My newer ones use a combination of epoxy and brass rivets and have a strap to attach the cover to the case.

There is a watermark website on the pic. Perhaps if you went to the site and asked there..... ..oh wait, that's MY creation. Regards, Elegant