my attempt at a "green" wallet

[abn]

A few years back, I visited Colonial Williamsburg's Harness Shop and was inspired by the leatherworkers who were producing really beautiful work without the benefit of electricity and modern technology. Since I'm a hobbyist doing leatherwork more for fun than for profit, I decided to ditch my Dremel tool, forego a sewing machine, and try my hand at doing things the old-fashioned way.

Lately, I've been able to make my projects even "greener" by trying Tandy's new Eco-Flo line. I think this is my first wallet where I've used 100% Eco-Flo products. The color is Ranger Tan, the finish is Satin Shene, and it's held together with Leather Weld. One thing's for certain, I don't miss the strong fumes of spirit dyes or contact cement!

So, I guess this is my attempt at a "green" wallet: handmade using no electricity and finished with environmentally friendly dye, finish and glue. The only synthetic component is the nylon thread, and since my workshop has no windows, I used some electricity in lighting (although, I recently changed most of the bulbs over to CFL). I'm not gutsy enough to do leatherwork by candlelight yet. :biggrin:

If you have any comments, questions or criticism, please fire away!

Regards, -Alex

[bustedlifter]

Looks good! But as far as the "green thing is concerned check this site out; www.junkscience.com

[randyandclaudia]

very nice Alex. Very clean. Awesome stitchin' . . . no matter what type of light you are using.

Randy

[pepin1948]

ooooh, I like that color! I don't have that one yet...got a bunch of the others for my youth group...

[abn]

Looks good! But as far as the "green thing is concerned check this site out; www.junkscience.com

Thanks for the nice comments, everyone. And thanks for the link, B.L. I'm afraid I'm not very political, though, and certainly not the poster child for the "green" movement. But for those of us who spend nine hours a day looking at a computer screen and call it "work", it's kind of nice to have a hobby that doesn't require technology to enjoy!

[Kevin King]

I love looking at your stuff. very clean

[Warren]

I agree with Kevin. Nothing fancy, just smooth clean lines. Good job!

[abn]

I love looking at your stuff. very clean

I appreciate the kind words, Kevin. It's nice to get praise from one of Leatherworker.net's wallet masters.

I agree with Kevin. Nothing fancy, just smooth clean lines. Good job!

Thanks, Warren. I've lived my entire life in the Southeast hill country, and most of our craft work, whether it's leather, pottery, or furniture, is clean and simple. While I love admiring ornate leatherwork with brilliant colors or extensive carving, it's just not in my blood to do it that way. I just try to keep my lines straight, my stamping minimal, and my stitching even, and that way I don't get into trouble. :biggrin:

[freak]

Well Alex i'm a big fan ( i don't mean cause i weigh 255 either ) . Your work is always very tight , clean and professional looking. Just now looking at KK's card holde, i immediately thought of your work.

Sidenote- i did a few things with the ranger tan when they first came out. After they sit around the house for a month or so the color really gets rich and nice. Again nice work man and thanks for sharing !!!

[bcurrier]

Nice workmanship. Crisp lines and stitching. I don't care for the color, but that's individual preference. I'd be interested in knowing how the water-based finishing materials work out in actual use.

[abn]

Well Alex i'm a big fan

Hey, Freak, that's nice of you to say. BTW, it was this badge you posted that originally got me interested in the Eco-Flo dyes. I was blown away by the colors you were able to achieve!

Nice workmanship. Crisp lines and stitching. I don't care for the color, but that's individual preference. I'd be interested in knowing how the water-based finishing materials work out in actual use.

Yes, it's definitely a nice, vivid orange. This was Ranger Tan right out of the bottle. On some test pieces, I've found you can knock down the orange tone by adding a few drops of Java Brown to produce a nice saddle tan.

If you're curious about the Eco-Flo dyes, you should definitely give them a try. In my experience, they're easier to apply (i.e. - get the correct color) than spirit dyes. Plus, there's no buffing required, since the dye pigment is liquid, not suspended pigment particles, as with the spirit dyes. On the downside, Eco-Flo dyes are more sensitive to water and some finishing products, like Lexol.