Leather Fire Helmet Shield Tooling Tips

[108LeatherWorks]

Good morning all,

My name's Cody, I'm a newbie to the forum. Before jumping into the questions, I wanted to drop a brief introduction. My interest in the leather industry was sparked when I joined the fire department in 2009. I've always been intrigued with the beauty of a hand tooled helmet shield. I've always been a fan of the shields crafted by smaller leather shops over the mass produced models. The level of detail and effort is amazing. 

I started dabbling in leatherwork around 2011 when I was in my very early 20s. I made simple stamped radio straps, glove straps, and tried my hand at some shield designs, but didn't really understand the technique.

Fast forward to now, I've invested some money into restarting the business. I purchased a laser cutter/etcher to help cut out and lay the foundation for the hand carving. I've been reading into and watching videos on many different techniques, basically anything I can get my hands on to start improving upon my skill set. 

My question is, what are some recommended tools and techniques to produce a beautiful 3 dimensional design such as the pictured one? What types of beveling tools should I look into for something along these lines? This pictured shield is my style goal for my line of shields. Any informational material, knowledge or tips would be greatly appreciated! Feel free to drop some of your designs in the comments for inspiration!

[chuck123wapati]

a swivel knife

a creaser or groover whichever you prefer.

a smooth beveller

two sets of letter stamps

a sharp knife to cut the leather 

one of several ways to form the stitch holes.

Needles and thread to hand sew it up. or a sewing machine

dye and paint and glue 

it looks more complicated than it is. 

 

[Gezzer]

I can't help but I will say that whatever  bevel was used , it was one masterfully  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[chuck123wapati]

2 hours ago, Gezzer said:

I can't help but I will say that whatever  bevel was used , it was one masterfully  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

yup even beveling takes a lot of practice I wish I were that good.

[Handstitched]

9 hours ago, chuck123wapati said:

a sharp knife to cut the leather 

Thats a beautiful example of a shield. I have a set of craft knives, just a cheapie set  I got from a hardware, but it has several ( razor sharp)  blades in different shapes etc. , ideal  for doing just that. 

My beveling is good, but not that good . 

HS