can anyone show me.....

[scooby]

I'm sure it is covered somewhere else but I can't seem to find it if it is!

I need to add some initials to a leather knife sheath for my daughter so when her sister gets an identical knife they don't squabble which is which

however.....

I have no tools bar a small sharp scalpel

Can anyone show me (preferably in simple pictures) how to carve a simple letter J and B

I could create a simple stamp if necessary from mild steel bar if you can show me what i need to end up with

so all you masters of leather art - can you help me?

[TwinOaks]

I can't 'show' you, but I can certainly help. First off, welcome to LW.net. Second, if you haven't looked at the tutorials on the main page, it's time to check them out. They are a wealth of info, and shouldn't be overlooked. Top left of the screen is a "button" that will take you there. They start about the center of the page.

Now....Since you have a computer, you can get the letters you want in just about any font you want. Taping some tracing paper to your monitor to trace a letter is perfectly okay- especially if you don't have a printer.

Trace the letter onto the leather once the leather is cased (dampened and slightly dried so that it will take tooling).

With a scalpel, it's going to be really easy to cut way too deep. I have used an old pocket knife for some carving and it worked out okay- the key is the blade geometry, and controlling the depth of the cut. For a scalpel, the width of the bevel on the blade will be deep enough for anything you need to do......but too deep for a lot of light leathers. Sorry, but that's something you're gonna have to practive at.

On to carving: Always cut away from corners, be carefull to keep the knife vertical, don't cut too deeply, and at the end of a line lift the blade out while moving, it gives a nicer line.

Now that you've cut the outline, it's time to bevel. Hmmm, no leather tools....you can make a simple beveler by taking a bolt and shaping the shaft into a slightly rounded wedge- cut off the head of the bolt, grind the shaft at ~25 degrees. The pointy part is the 'toe'. Grind four flat sides, keeping the toe and heel 'squared' to the grinds. Polish well and you've got a beveler. Now refer to the tutorials on how to follow a line, make a bevel, and remove the halo around the piece. That should take care of 'the beveling in a letter' part of your project.

If you can, check into Michael's and Hobby Lobby- they both have small leather craft sections, and you should be able to find a "basic 7" set ( a beginner's tool pack) for not too much $$. That will give you the right tools for your beginning projects.

[scooby]

Thanks for the Info Mike! I have been around for a while though my post count is low as I haven't felt I have the experience to share yet. I have been making leather sheaths and pouches for a couple of years now but never got round to having a go at tooling (fuelled by the fact I'm not that artistic....)

I think what you have said is going to be a great help and I'll pop out to the workshop and make myself a beveller...

Would I be correct in guessing that I'd be best off choosing a 'chunky' font and cutting around it's outline then going around it with the beveller.

[OutBackP]

heres a link to a post that shows how Peter Main does some of his lettering

http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=8208

[scooby]

Excellent! - thanks OutbackP - I knew there was probably something already on here but I would never have found that this side of Christmas!

This is just what I was after

[Stan]

Consider a swivel knife for your cuts and a modeling spoon for the beveling. Add damp leather and some practice and its a start. Personally, I often use Barry King medium checkered bevelors with my letters. I like the effect, esp. when usng antique creams. Practice on scrap first, of course. Stan