bowtie basket stamps

[Romey]

I got some of those bowtie basket stamps, should they be patterned like a standard rectangled stamp? I tried sampling peices and anyway i went looked goofy so im trying to figure out if its my skills or how im laying it out

[bruce johnson]

Romey,

Those stamps are not very forgiving. If you get off in either dimension, the legs don't follow the prescribed curve and the pattern looks bad. On smaller pieces it is not as obvious, on a briefcase it looks like an apology is necessary to the steer who donated his skin. The more you go the worse it looks. I gave up on them. I don't particularly like the finished patterns with the globby looking weaves, anyway. Being harder to use made it pretty easy to get rid of them for me.

Bruce Johnson

[pepin1948]

Would you show a picture of what basketweave you're referring to? I'm curious.

[bruce johnson]

Holly,

I am assuming here we are talking about the TLF X513/X514 style baskets. The legs have a curve to them, so when interlocked the weave is slightly oval. I have alternatively heard them referred to as "flare" basket stamps or "Mae West" basket stamps. Some makers put more curve in the legs than the impressions in the TLF catalogs. Mine did have more flare than the TLF ones.

My problem with running them is the curve in the legs. If you slightly lose alignment in the right to left aspect or the up and down alignment, the legs do not form a graceful curve. There is a "stair step" in the margins of the weave. With a normal straight basket, you can fudge a bit on the horizontal alignment and bring things smoothly back in line. Likewise if the vertical alignment gets off.

These flared baskets can be used successfully, but it takes me about twice as long as with a normal basket. The extra care needed for perfect alignment is the issue. My eye is trained to "run" with a straight basket by aligning 3 points. On the flares I need to see all 4 corners, plus the center.

Bruce Johnson

[Romey]

Thanks Bruce, yes thats the style I am talking aboutand the issues you describe is exactly the trouble I was having. Alining the curve, matching the previous stamp ect was so screwed up I began to wonder if i was doing somthing wrong as I was assuming it was applied like a standard basket stamp. I wasnt sure if a fella was supposed to match the edges or slightly run into each other, either was looked like whats on my boots. Ill probably play with it somemore and maybe grid some leather and see if that helps.

Holly this would be the stamp I beleive altho i think mine is even more arched, perhaps not. I called it a bow tie for lack of better term, now I have a MUCH better and more suited name for it but we arent in the adult section so ill keep it to my self.

[Brandon]

Hello,

Here is a checkbook cover I did for a friend few years ago using that X514.

That was my first and maybe my last, kind of funny feeling while stamping, oh like blur hope you know what I mean.

Ok, I'll try again to attach the pic cos I did that a few mins ago and after clicking here and there it said time expired!

Wish I know more with this kind of forum.

Ok.now tell me how come the attachment is at the top and not at the bottom?

Edited March 21, 2007 by Brandon

[Romey]

Brandon , I had same trouble posting the pic, i just clicked the mouse oat bottom of my posy and it added it there.

[wolvenstien]

I dont like any of the basket weave.... I can never keep them straight, even with a line on the leather....

that cbc looks good.

Mike

[pepin1948]

Ahhh, yeah that looks like a tough one, and I can see why you'd call it a bowtie. I have one I call the "basketweave from Hell". It's listed as "X502 Craftool Tri-Weave Stamp 6502-00" on the Tandy site.