Instruction sheet from introductory leather class by John Henry

[Johanna]

Introductory Carving Class Part One

Tools

Swivel Knife - Used to cut the outline of the pattern into the leather and for decorative and accent cuts.

Blade Styles

1.) Straight Blade - Used for general duty work. Has 2 cutting points ready

2.} Angle Blade. Usually used for fine detail and figure carving or filigree work.

3.) Hollow Ground Blade - A type of straight blade, the difference being in the way the blade is formed. There is a hollow formed in the center of the blade so that the cutting edge is much thinner at the center of the blade, allowing a sharper edge

4.} Hair Blades - come in two sizes (1M" & 3/8") ,and are generally used for "hair" textures in carvings.

5.) Double Edged' Blade- A straight blade that has twin cutting edges separated by 3/32" to allow cutting parallel lines.

Materials

1.) Steel- Can be sharpened and stropped so are easy to maintain. Requires more frequent attention, but can be rehoned if the edge is damaged. Is available in straight, angled and hollow-ground configurations.

2.) Ceramic.. Edge bevel is determined at the time of manufacture and can not be rehoned or shaped by conventional means. Can be stropped to true the edge. Since it is a ceramic, it is susceptible to chips, cracks and breakage if dropped or hit.

3.} Ruby.. As far as I know these are no longer manufactured because of cost, but can occasionally be found. They have the same disadvantages as the ceramic blade, but are a little tougher to damage and, with proper stropping, can carry the keenest edge of all materials that I've used.

Sharpening

Honing - Shaping the blade. Done with a fine grit whetstone. Since the angle of the bevel is critical and must be perfectly straight down the center of the blade, this will be discussed at a later date. Most blades should not need honing unless there has been damage.

Stropping - This is actually polishing of the cutting surface to remove slight burrs and to remove striations that build up friction and cause the blade to drag. Stropping is always done by pulling the blade across the strop and dragging it away from the cutting edge. NEVER strop into the cutting edge because this will destroy the edge.

1.) Strop - Using contact cement, glue a piece of leather, flesh side down, to a piece of wood. Once glue has completely set, wet the leather thoroughly with honing oil and set it aside to soak in overnight. After the oil has had a chance to penetrate the leather, rub the grain side down well with jeweler's white rouge. Don't worry if the rouge appears to clump or doesn't seem to coat the strop evenly. Once you start using the strop, the blades will even this out.

2. Strop the blade whenever you can feel any drag, or hear a noticeable "crunch" while cutting.

Use

Hold the knife in a way that is comfortable, but will allow you to roll the barrel between the thumb and fingers. This rolling motion is what enables you to cut curves.

Downward pressure from the finger lying in the yoke is what controls the depth of cut so the usual fashion is to lay the first knuckle of the index finger in the yoke. If your knife has a height adjustment for the yoke, use this until the holding posture is comfortable.

The actual cuttng is done with the point of the blade and a small portion beyond the point, so the shape of the blade that you are using will determine the way that you hold the blade. A straight blade will require you to angle the knife away from you, while an angled blade will allow you to hold the knife perpendicular to the work.

Always hold the knife straight. Don't allow it to lean left or right as you cut or you will "undercut" the leather. This is a shallow cut that will cause a thin raised edge. It will create a loss of depth in the pattern and can even deform the pattern. Undercutting is usually the fault of unconsciously leaning the hand to improve your view of what you are doing. Install good lighting, and turn the leather; notyour hand.

Never try to force your wrist or forearm into an unnatural position or motion. These joints were meant to move mostly in a straight line or slight, slow curve. If you need to make sharp curves or angles, hold the knife still and turn the leather with your free hand. The resulting cut will be more even and tight.

Once you start actually start cutting the pattern, CUT the leather, don't just scratch it. I usually cut at least the depth of the blade's bevel if the leather is thlck enough to allow that without weakening it, Then cut from the foremost objects and work toward those design elements that are more detail oriented.

Bevelers - Used to bring the pattern into relief and create a 3-D effect. The bevelers come in several styles and textures, but the use is essentially the same for all of them. The tool is wedge shaped and the point of the wedge is called the toe, and the rounded higher part is called the heel. The part that is perpendicular to the toe is called the face.

Textures

a. Smooth - the beveling surface is polished smooth to create a polished looking unbroken surface.

b. lined - Has a series of lines etched into the polished surface (available either horizontally or vertically) and are usually used to create a special effect.

c. Checked - The surface is checkered and is used to give a darker burnish to the leather and for slightly textured effects.

Styles

a. Regular - Available in smooth, lined and checked.

b. Undercut- Smooth only. This is a special purpose beveler designed to undercut the leather and forcing the surface upward. This gives a slightly embossed effect as that portion is raised above the plane of the project.

c. Pointed - These are especially designed for figure carving to allow access to tiny areas to bring them into sharp relief. They are available in all three surface textures.

d. Matting - These were designed for figure carving. The purpose is to mat large background areas fading away from the central figure element to give the illusion of greater depth. The can also be used to remove a ridge around a design that doesn't have a border line.

Use

a. All of the bevelers are "walked"; tap & move, tap & move.

b. The toe of the beveler is placed against the cut line, with the handle held straight up, but leaning slightly away from the direction of travel. This will reduce the tool marks in the bevel and minimize the point of the toe from digging into an unbeveled portion. The toe of the beveler is placed against the cut line, with the handle held straight up, but leaning slightly in the direction of travel. This will reduce the tool marks in the bevel.

c. The face of the beveler should always be against the cut line. It is easier to control and judge how your work is progressing if you turn the project as you work so that you are always looking at the tool face.

d. Depth of the impression is determined by the shading required by the project as would be determined by light and shadow. The depth of the impression is controlled by the impact of the mallet.

Notes

a. Tool marks can be smoothed by lightly running a modeling spoon over the beveled area. However, the best cure for tool marks is to practice so you don't generate them.

b. There is a smooth nylon blade that can be used in a swivel knife called a "beveling blade".

Backgrounders - Used to depress any background area and so enhance the prominence of the design and give the illusion of greater depth. They are available in a number of sizes and textures. There is another type of tool called a matting tool that can also be used for uniform texture backgrounding. In addition, other tools can be used to create unusual or special effects.

Use - These are usually walked to avoid a choppy or repeating pattern, and care must be exerted to insure uniform impact of the mallet for an even depth of impression.

Some styles of background tools

a. Backgrounder - Usually a checkered tool with a small tooling area having sharp points to the checkering. This insures a deep penetration with minimal impact on the tool.

b. Bargrounder - These tools have a series of tiny holes in a straight line and are perhaps the most difficult to use. Proper use requires exact alignment of each impression along a perfectly straight line. Due to the structure of the tool's pattern, you can not overstrike if the design deviates from the direct line.

c. Seeds - These tools actually look like tiny seed pods. There are half seed tools that are exactly half of the seed impression for use in tight areas or along cut lines.

d. Matting tools - These are textured figure carving tools that can be used for interesting or unusual backgrounds.

ModelingTools

Spoon - Used to smooth out hammer marks in beveling and as a beveler in tight areas.

Ball- Used mostly as an embossing tool from the rear of the leather.

Stylus - Pointed tool that can be used to scratch in accent lines or to trace carving lines.

Deer Foot - Beveled rod that can be used as an undercut beveler or to lift cuts for contour effects.

Leather - Only vegetable tanned feather is suitable for carving and stamping.

A. The tanning process doesn't destroy certain proteins in the skin that are used in making glue, nor does it fill the interstitial area in the fiber. These open areas allow the absorption of water that essentially reactivates these proteins and creates a kind of cement within the leather. When an impression is made upon the leather, that impression is in effect glued in place. That's why the water content of the 1eather is so important; too dry and no glue, too wet, and water has filled the interstitial gaps.

To achieve deep clear impressions, it is necessary that the work surface is non-yielding. (No bounce!) If it gives way under the impact of the mallet, the leather will move away from the tool's surface. This can have several consequences. One is the possibitity of a tool bounce giving a double impression, end a second that the tool mark isn't deep enough to give a good effect. The best surface upon which to tool is a good thick slab of smooth marble, or stone.

Casing Leather - Applying water to vegetable tanned leather to prepare it for carving or molding is called "casing". There are several ways to accomplish this, but the best results are achieved using a spray bottle. This allows an even application of the water without water spotting. Spray the flesh side of the leather evenly and heavily, after you see it penetrate the leather, turn it over and spray the grain side.

After several minutes, the leather will look as though it is beginning to dry. It may be, but the water is also penetrating deeply into the fibers. When the leather is nearly its original color, it should be ready to carve.

The leather may look dry, but dry leather will feel warm the touch. Properly cased leather should look dry but feel cool to the touch.

Because this leather, is made to absorb water, it requires finishing to seal it after the project is complete.This is accomplished by the application of a finish or sealer.

Pattern Transfer - There are several ways to accomplish this.

Tracing film. This is a thin translucent film of plastic. The pattern is drawn or traced onto the film, then the film is placed over the cased leather with the marked side up. Once it is positioned properly, the pattern is traced over using a ban point stylus. This transfers an outline onto the cased leather. Tracing paper - Used in the same fashion as tracing film, but is much more fragile. If tracing paper is used, it should be covered, front and back, with clear packing tape. This reinforces the paper and may allow more than one use before it is cut through.

"Craftaid" (trademark of the Tandy Leather factory) is a plastic template having the design elements formed by raised ribs of plastic. It is positioned on the leather, then rubbed briskly with a spoon to transfer the design to the leather.

John L. Henry 1998 Macon Georgia

[meg1517]

This is GREAT. Thanks for posting it!

Meg

Introductory Carving Class Part One

Tools

Swivel Knife - Used to cut the outline of the pattern into the leather and for decorative and accent cuts.

Blade Styles

1.) Straight Blade - Used for general duty work. Has 2 cutting points ready

2.} Angle Blade. Usually used for fine detail and figure carving or filigree work.

3.) Hollow Ground Blade - A type of straight blade, the difference being in the way the blade is formed. There is a hollow formed in the center of the blade so that the cutting edge is much thinner at the center of the blade, allowing a sharper edge

4.} Hair Blades - come in two sizes (1M" & 3/8") ,and are generally used for "hair" textures in carvings.

5.) Double Edged' Blade- A straight blade that has twin cutting edges separated by 3/32" to allow cutting parallel lines.

Materials

1.) Steel- Can be sharpened and stropped so are easy to maintain. Requires more frequent attention, but can be rehoned if the edge is damaged. Is available in straight, angled and hollow-ground configurations.

2.) Ceramic.. Edge bevel is determined at the time of manufacture and can not be rehoned or shaped by conventional means. Can be stropped to true the edge. Since it is a ceramic, it is susceptible to chips, cracks and breakage if dropped or hit.

3.} Ruby.. As far as I know these are no longer manufactured because of cost, but can occasionally be found. They have the same disadvantages as the ceramic blade, but are a little tougher to damage and, with proper stropping, can carry the keenest edge of all materials that I've used.

Sharpening

Honing - Shaping the blade. Done with a fine grit whetstone. Since the angle of the bevel is critical and must be perfectly straight down the center of the blade, this will be discussed at a later date. Most blades should not need honing unless there has been damage.

Stropping - This is actually polishing of the cutting surface to remove slight burrs and to remove striations that build up friction and cause the blade to drag. Stropping is always done by pulling the blade across the strop and dragging it away from the cutting edge. NEVER strop into the cutting edge because this will destroy the edge.

1.) Strop - Using contact cement, glue a piece of leather, flesh side down, to a piece of wood. Once glue has completely set, wet the leather thoroughly with honing oil and set it aside to soak in overnight. After the oil has had a chance to penetrate the leather, rub the grain side down well with jeweler's white rouge. Don't worry if the rouge appears to clump or doesn't seem to coat the strop evenly. Once you start using the strop, the blades will even this out.

2. Strop the blade whenever you can feel any drag, or hear a noticeable "crunch" while cutting.

Use

Hold the knife in a way that is comfortable, but will allow you to roll the barrel between the thumb and fingers. This rolling motion is what enables you to cut curves.

Downward pressure from the finger lying in the yoke is what controls the depth of cut so the usual fashion is to lay the first knuckle of the index finger in the yoke. If your knife has a height adjustment for the yoke, use this until the holding posture is comfortable.

The actual cuttng is done with the point of the blade and a small portion beyond the point, so the shape of the blade that you are using will determine the way that you hold the blade. A straight blade will require you to angle the knife away from you, while an angled blade will allow you to hold the knife perpendicular to the work.

Always hold the knife straight. Don't allow it to lean left or right as you cut or you will "undercut" the leather. This is a shallow cut that will cause a thin raised edge. It will create a loss of depth in the pattern and can even deform the pattern. Undercutting is usually the fault of unconsciously leaning the hand to improve your view of what you are doing. Install good lighting, and turn the leather; notyour hand.

Never try to force your wrist or forearm into an unnatural position or motion. These joints were meant to move mostly in a straight line or slight, slow curve. If you need to make sharp curves or angles, hold the knife still and turn the leather with your free hand. The resulting cut will be more even and tight.

Once you start actually start cutting the pattern, CUT the leather, don't just scratch it. I usually cut at least the depth of the blade's bevel if the leather is thlck enough to allow that without weakening it, Then cut from the foremost objects and work toward those design elements that are more detail oriented.

Bevelers - Used to bring the pattern into relief and create a 3-D effect. The bevelers come in several styles and textures, but the use is essentially the same for all of them. The tool is wedge shaped and the point of the wedge is called the toe, and the rounded higher part is called the heel. The part that is perpendicular to the toe is called the face.

Textures

a. Smooth - the beveling surface is polished smooth to create a polished looking unbroken surface.

b. lined - Has a series of lines etched into the polished surface (available either horizontally or vertically) and are usually used to create a special effect.

c. Checked - The surface is checkered and is used to give a darker burnish to the leather and for slightly textured effects.

Styles

a. Regular - Available in smooth, lined and checked.

b. Undercut- Smooth only. This is a special purpose beveler designed to undercut the leather and forcing the surface upward. This gives a slightly embossed effect as that portion is raised above the plane of the project.

c. Pointed - These are especially designed for figure carving to allow access to tiny areas to bring them into sharp relief. They are available in all three surface textures.

d. Matting - These were designed for figure carving. The purpose is to mat large background areas fading away from the central figure element to give the illusion of greater depth. The can also be used to remove a ridge around a design that doesn't have a border line.

Use

a. All of the bevelers are "walked"; tap & move, tap & move.

b. The toe of the beveler is placed against the cut line, with the handle held straight up, but leaning slightly away from the direction of travel. This will reduce the tool marks in the bevel and minimize the point of the toe from digging into an unbeveled portion. The toe of the beveler is placed against the cut line, with the handle held straight up, but leaning slightly in the direction of travel. This will reduce the tool marks in the bevel.

c. The face of the beveler should always be against the cut line. It is easier to control and judge how your work is progressing if you turn the project as you work so that you are always looking at the tool face.

d. Depth of the impression is determined by the shading required by the project as would be determined by light and shadow. The depth of the impression is controlled by the impact of the mallet.

Notes

a. Tool marks can be smoothed by lightly running a modeling spoon over the beveled area. However, the best cure for tool marks is to practice so you don't generate them.

b. There is a smooth nylon blade that can be used in a swivel knife called a "beveling blade".

Backgrounders - Used to depress any background area and so enhance the prominence of the design and give the illusion of greater depth. They are available in a number of sizes and textures. There is another type of tool called a matting tool that can also be used for uniform texture backgrounding. In addition, other tools can be used to create unusual or special effects.

Use - These are usually walked to avoid a choppy or repeating pattern, and care must be exerted to insure uniform impact of the mallet for an even depth of impression.

Some styles of background tools

a. Backgrounder - Usually a checkered tool with a small tooling area having sharp points to the checkering. This insures a deep penetration with minimal impact on the tool.

b. Bargrounder - These tools have a series of tiny holes in a straight line and are perhaps the most difficult to use. Proper use requires exact alignment of each impression along a perfectly straight line. Due to the structure of the tool's pattern, you can not overstrike if the design deviates from the direct line.

c. Seeds - These tools actually look like tiny seed pods. There are half seed tools that are exactly half of the seed impression for use in tight areas or along cut lines.

d. Matting tools - These are textured figure carving tools that can be used for interesting or unusual backgrounds.

ModelingTools

Spoon - Used to smooth out hammer marks in beveling and as a beveler in tight areas.

Ball- Used mostly as an embossing tool from the rear of the leather.

Stylus - Pointed tool that can be used to scratch in accent lines or to trace carving lines.

Deer Foot - Beveled rod that can be used as an undercut beveler or to lift cuts for contour effects.

Leather - Only vegetable tanned feather is suitable for carving and stamping.

A. The tanning process doesn't destroy certain proteins in the skin that are used in making glue, nor does it fill the interstitial area in the fiber. These open areas allow the absorption of water that essentially reactivates these proteins and creates a kind of cement within the leather. When an impression is made upon the leather, that impression is in effect glued in place. That's why the water content of the 1eather is so important; too dry and no glue, too wet, and water has filled the interstitial gaps.

To achieve deep clear impressions, it is necessary that the work surface is non-yielding. (No bounce!) If it gives way under the impact of the mallet, the leather will move away from the tool's surface. This can have several consequences. One is the possibitity of a tool bounce giving a double impression, end a second that the tool mark isn't deep enough to give a good effect. The best surface upon which to tool is a good thick slab of smooth marble, or stone.

Casing Leather - Applying water to vegetable tanned leather to prepare it for carving or molding is called "casing". There are several ways to accomplish this, but the best results are achieved using a spray bottle. This allows an even application of the water without water spotting. Spray the flesh side of the leather evenly and heavily, after you see it penetrate the leather, turn it over and spray the grain side.

After several minutes, the leather will look as though it is beginning to dry. It may be, but the water is also penetrating deeply into the fibers. When the leather is nearly its original color, it should be ready to carve.

The leather may look dry, but dry leather will feel warm the touch. Properly cased leather should look dry but feel cool to the touch.

Because this leather, is made to absorb water, it requires finishing to seal it after the project is complete.This is accomplished by the application of a finish or sealer.

Pattern Transfer - There are several ways to accomplish this.

Tracing film. This is a thin translucent film of plastic. The pattern is drawn or traced onto the film, then the film is placed over the cased leather with the marked side up. Once it is positioned properly, the pattern is traced over using a ban point stylus. This transfers an outline onto the cased leather. Tracing paper - Used in the same fashion as tracing film, but is much more fragile. If tracing paper is used, it should be covered, front and back, with clear packing tape. This reinforces the paper and may allow more than one use before it is cut through.

"Craftaid" (trademark of the Tandy Leather factory) is a plastic template having the design elements formed by raised ribs of plastic. It is positioned on the leather, then rubbed briskly with a spoon to transfer the design to the leather.

John L. Henry 1998 Macon Georgia

[Chaka Zulu]

Sorry to comment on a really old post, but I'm a touch confused:

"The toe of the beveler is placed against the cut line, with the handle held straight up,but leaning slightly awayfromthe direction of travel. This will reduce the tool marks in the bevel and minimize the point of the toe from digging intoan unbeveled portion. The toe of the beveler is placed against the cut line, with the handle held straight up, but leaning slightly in the direction of travel. This will reduce the tool marks in the bevel."

So do I lean it towards or away from the direction of travel?

[LeeTy Leathers]

If you use a beveler that has a flater face you may want to lean slightly in the direction of travel, as it is the back edge of a beveler that will cause the marks.

[Mel Llama]

Thanks for posting!