Western Purse (work in progress)

[Cattleman]

On 9/11/2024 at 9:26 PM, Herbie said:

Very nice work!  Something I can aspire to!

Thank you, but I'm still aspiring myself. Believe it or not ive only been doing leather work for about 4 years. Completely self taught, with many hours of watching true masters either in person or on YouTube. It all started with a simple belt I made my young son out of chap leather. I had posted some pictures on trucking forum, that I'm a member of, where someone noticed the very even hand stitching. They wanted a good heavy duty working mans belt, I offered to make it in exchange for some materials. From there its just gone up, slowly but steadily.

 

Apply yourself and you can make anything you set your mind to. I love to see customers eyes light up when I can personally hand them thier finished order. And then when they give me feed back like, "I'll never buy another belt from a store again. Yours is just so much more comfortable." Or, "I will use this until I'm gone, then my son will have it... Probably until he's gone. You really do make a quality product." Thats what I strive for... A usable product that will will become something that is passed down.

[MarshalWill]

10 hours ago, Cattleman said:

Apply yourself and you can make anything you set your mind to. I love to see customers eyes light up when I can personally hand them thier finished order. And then when they give me feed back like, "I'll never buy another belt from a store again. Yours is just so much more comfortable." Or, "I will use this until I'm gone, then my son will have it... Probably until he's gone. You really do make a quality product." Thats what I strive for... A usable product that will will become something that is passed down.

This is what quality leather is about. It's the real reward.

[JH837]

@Cattleman First of all you did an AMAZING JOB Tooling and making this Purse!!!! I just bought this pattern pack from DG and I’m about to start making it for my wife for our anniversary as a gift but I will be hand sewing it as I don’t have a sewing machine. Tandy manager told me I can always bring a project in and she will be happy to let me use the demo machine but I just feel like bettering my hand stitching as I enjoy it and will not be able to afford a machine for a long time anyways so I may as well keep focusing on bettering my saddle stitch technique so I’m consistent with the results. What weight did you use for the main body panels 9/10oz? I have some 9/10 and also some 6/7 and plan on using 10 for the rear panel with flap and front panel and then I was going to use the 6/7 on pocket sections and I have some nice 5/6 pebbled grain chrome tan dark brown with a lighter brown pull up that’s somewhat waxy I was thinking I’d use for the gusset. It looks like you used veg tan for gusset as well am I correct? Your build turned out so so nice and it will definitely last many many decades when cared for and I’m sure the customers wife will absolutely treasure that purse !! I really hope i can accomplish results even half as nice as you did. My main concern is having the proper moisture content when I start cutting my lines in. I wet the leather grain and flesh side until water doesn’t absorb very fast on grain side then I let it sit until color starts to get back to somewhat original color then put in a sealed bag in the fridge overnight and then take it out and let it sit until it’s fully back to its normal color and put it up to my cheek and when it is dry to the touch but cold from the moisture inside I start working on it but still my cuts at first look like it’s too wet so I’m kind of nervous about the casing but the tooling not so much just going to do the best I can and be happy with the results yet strive to keep getting better each time I carve.

[Cattleman]

On 12/7/2024 at 12:21 PM, JH837 said:

@Cattleman First of all you did an AMAZING JOB Tooling and making this Purse!!!! I just bought this pattern pack from DG and I’m about to start making it for my wife for our anniversary as a gift but I will be hand sewing it as I don’t have a sewing machine. Tandy manager told me I can always bring a project in and she will be happy to let me use the demo machine but I just feel like bettering my hand stitching as I enjoy it and will not be able to afford a machine for a long time anyways so I may as well keep focusing on bettering my saddle stitch technique so I’m consistent with the results. What weight did you use for the main body panels 9/10oz? I have some 9/10 and also some 6/7 and plan on using 10 for the rear panel with flap and front panel and then I was going to use the 6/7 on pocket sections and I have some nice 5/6 pebbled grain chrome tan dark brown with a lighter brown pull up that’s somewhat waxy I was thinking I’d use for the gusset. It looks like you used veg tan for gusset as well am I correct? Your build turned out so so nice and it will definitely last many many decades when cared for and I’m sure the customers wife will absolutely treasure that purse !! I really hope i can accomplish results even half as nice as you did. My main concern is having the proper moisture content when I start cutting my lines in. I wet the leather grain and flesh side until water doesn’t absorb very fast on grain side then I let it sit until color starts to get back to somewhat original color then put in a sealed bag in the fridge overnight and then take it out and let it sit until it’s fully back to its normal color and put it up to my cheek and when it is dry to the touch but cold from the moisture inside I start working on it but still my cuts at first look like it’s too wet so I’m kind of nervous about the casing but the tooling not so much just going to do the best I can and be happy with the results yet strive to keep getting better each time I carve.

I used 6/7 oz veg tan for all the body and pockets. The gusset and lining is out of 6/7 chap leather.

[Brokenolmarine]

I had to come back and look at the post again.  Impressive work.  I like your reply to the pricing issue.  I used to make custom woodworking items... Medal and flag boxes for military members, jewelry boxes, or custom bandsaw boxes in unique shapes or designs.  I'd hear, "$300, I can get a jewelry box at K-mart for fifteen bucks."  The box they are looking at is made of Curly Cherry and Black Walnut, and contains no metal, no screws, nails , or staples.  Dovetails and dowels.  The trim is handmade.  Like you, I told her there was plenty of parking at K-Mart. (The curly cherry board alone was nearly $100.)

People don't understand craftsmanship.

Congratulations  on a piece of artwork.

[Cattleman]

On 12/12/2024 at 8:52 AM, Brokenolmarine said:

I had to come back and look at the post again.  Impressive work.  I like your reply to the pricing issue.  I used to make custom woodworking items... Medal and flag boxes for military members, jewelry boxes, or custom bandsaw boxes in unique shapes or designs.  I'd hear, "$300, I can get a jewelry box at K-mart for fifteen bucks."  The box they are looking at is made of Curly Cherry and Black Walnut, and contains no metal, no screws, nails , or staples.  Dovetails and dowels.  The trim is handmade.  Like you, I told her there was plenty of parking at K-Mart. (The curly cherry board alone was nearly $100.)

People don't understand craftsmanship.

Congratulations  on a piece of artwork.

Yep, folks just dont understand anymore what goes into a finely made item from a quality craftsman. Its a shame really. But folks that do appreciate the craftsmanship will always prefer it over atore bought... Store bought just dont last.

[JH837]

@Cattleman here’s the part of the pattern I’m working on now for the wife’s gift. Just got the lines cut and flower centers in and I’m done for the night. Keeping it cased in the fridge till morning. I really enjoy Don Gonzales Patterns they are fun to carve even for a newb like me.

 

[MoJurphy]

This is motivating. 

[Cattleman]

On 12/19/2024 at 10:09 PM, JH837 said:

@Cattleman here’s the part of the pattern I’m working on now for the wife’s gift. Just got the lines cut and flower centers in and I’m done for the night. Keeping it cased in the fridge till morning. I really enjoy Don Gonzales Patterns they are fun to carve even for a newb like me.

 

How's that purse coming along?

[JH837]

7 hours ago, Cattleman said:

How's that purse coming along?

so far I haven’t got too far, she decided she’d rather have just a makeup bag so I’m making that and it will have a flap with a magnet enclosure. I have some geometric work I’ll be doing on the other panel and possibly a little more floral. Also need to either antique the floral here or dye background areas and antique. It’s coming along Slowly but surely. Bruce Johnson had a good bit of advice and told me to keep tooling this pattern over and over to get the muscle memory down and get better at running the tools to get my work where I want it to be. I messed up shading a few spots and had my mules foot facing the wrong direction but my wife doesn’t even know what direction they are supposed to be going so that won’t be a problem. She loves what I’ve done so far. It is nowhere near as good as the work you’re producing but it gives me motivation to get better with every carving and I think I have done that so far in my leather craft journey.