Gene Noland, a History of the Leather Craftsman

[Deno]

I’m starting this thread to honor the memory of a great Leather Craftsman. My name is Dennis Noland, and Gene (Geno) was my father. He pasted away on May 8^th, 2008. This will be an ongoing thread where I will be posting from time to time many of the works that he did. I will also try and give any history that I can on each one. Comments and questions are encouraged; please tell me your thoughts. If anyone has attempted or completed any of the works that he did for Tandy, please share your work and comments on them. I will also be posting many works that he did that many people do not know about and are one of a kind. They will not be in any particular order, just posting as I put things together. I want to thank everyone for the opportunity to share this with all, and for this forum allowing me to do so. My best to everyone, Dennis.

[King's X]

Man, I am really sorry for your lost. I have collected (or attempted to collect) a lot of your late father's work (patterns) off ebay, but I was unsure whether he was still alive. He was truly a great leather artist. I have an increasing passion for old western floral designs. There are few Dootle pages that I have collected and some that are your father's work. Please share his work here, I would love to see it. Also, on our guild website, we have published Ben Moody's Rules and we would be willing to share some of your father's pointers on there as well (with your family's permission). So please share any tips or other information. Since I am artisically challenged, I depend on artists like your father and many others here to provide me with design concepts.

Our guild also has a monthly newsletter that we would love the opportunity to highlight your father in an article with pictures...please share. More leather artisans need to know how your father had a part in shaping leathercraft.

PM me your contact information, and we can communicate further. I appreciate you posting this thread.

Best Regards!

[craftsman827]

Hi Dennis,

Sorry to here about your dad.

He was a great asset to our trade.

I use to love his " Craftool Corner " he wrote in every issue of , Make It With Leather

magazine. Beautiful projects! I couldn't wait for the next issue.

For you who don't remember " Make It With Leather", it was a magazine in the 1970's

devoted to leathercraft like the current "Leathercraftman & Saddlers Journal"....

Can't wait to see some of Geno's work...

One question Dennis, How old was dad when he passed ?

PS: He also use to entertain the troups over seas with his wife.

They did magic tricks etc. Am I correct, Dennis if I remember correct ??

[Deno]

Gene was an avid nature and wildlife enthusiast. Though he gave up hunting with a gun in the 60's, he still went out with his new weapon, the camera. He was a big supporter of the Pennsylvania Game Commission. The original Training School for Game Wardens and officers was only 5 miles from our home in Brockway PA. All through the 60's and 70's he produced one of a kind Album Covers for each graduating class. These photos depict the front cover of the June 1979 Game News cover, which is a tooled and died portrait that he did, and an article about him and the Album Covers being held by the 17^th graduating class.

[Deno]

Thank you King's X. Sent you a PM. Craftsman827, he was only 75, and he did not go over sea's and entertain, not sure where you heard that, but he did play in a band when he was in the Marines in the early 50's. He played a Martin Guitar, which I still have.

[Deno]

Doodle Pages, OOOHH so many Doodle Pages he did. I and my brother Dan did a few ourselves. As I put things together over time, I will share some with you. Here is one set: Series 12B, pages 3,4,5,6, called Season's End. The first photo is of the pages that I just took. The second is a photo that he took of the original portrait that he did. There was a whole lot of Beveling going on in this one. Has anyone tried to do this one?

[Deno]

This one almost makes me cry. Through out the 60’s, Craftsman Magazine held a yearly contest for their Cover Art. Leather Craftsman from all over submitted their work for the contest. Gene was no different, submitting 4 to 6 works of art every year. Though in 1963 he did not win, the Editors of the magazine were impressed with this piece of work. Called “Winken, Blinken, and Nod” which ran as the cover of the May-June issue in 1964. The tracing pattern is on the inside cover. On page 3 they talk about Gene and have his picture, he was about 31 years old at the time. This one is very special to me because I still remember touching this when I was a kid. This is amazing because I would have been only 1-1/2 years old at the time.

[rdb]

Lately, I've run into a crowd doing a lot of black powder, both modern and old school. Guess whose book I've had to refer back too, this past week....

The picture of him on the back...he looks about 35 or so..can't be sure.

[Deno]

Yes he loved Black Powder. He made his own pistols and long rifles. If I can find our old Black Powder book I can nail down the year, he was probably about 40 at the time.

[Billy P]

Hey Craftsman827, the people you're thinking about, that traveled over to Vietnam and such were Ken and Roberta Griffin. Ken was a really good leather carver himself, and Roberta wrote a column for MIWL during the 70's. Billy P

[Deno]

Billy P, Thanks for the info, I did not know that. I will be posting more soon. Thank you everyone.

[Johanna]

Deno- Your dad was an expert with rocks.

If I remember correctly. he did several series with themes for Tandy Doodle Pages. The bear was my favorite in the rocks.

Johanna

[King's X]

Probably most of us currently reference his alphabet book now and again. I know that I do. Thanks for sharing.

[Deno]

Johann, see post number 6 of this thread, there is the picture of the original portrait for Season's End. king's X, I beleave you are refering to this book. Here is a Pic of the original Book that he made, leather bound and embossed.

[King's X]

Johann, see post number 6 of this thread, there is the picture of the original portrait for Season's End. king's X, I beleave you are refering to this book. Here is a Pic of the original Book that he made, leather bound and embossed.

That's it!!

[Deno]

Talked with my mom yesterday, and we believe that this was his first published portrait. It's called The Eagle's Nest. It was on the front cover of The Leather Craftsman, July-August 1961 addition, Vol. 5, No. 5. The tracing pattern and his writeup were in September-October 1961 addition Vol. 5, No. 6. Page 4 had the tracing pattern and page 5 was his writeup. This was over a year before I was born. I asked her when he started working with leather, and she said the he already was doing it when they go married in 1955. So we both think he got started when he was in the Marine's between 1952 and 1955.

[Deno]

Hey Johanna, guess you could say this is when he started on rock's, lol.

[Deno]

Here is the inside cover of his Black Powder Book. The picture was taken in 1977, so he would have been just shy of 45 years old at the time. He is wearing his custom made outfit and sporting his somewhat famous Goatee and Handel Bar Mustache. The Goatee and Handel Bar Mustache he started in the mid to late 1960's, and except for the Handel Bar's he remained the same till the day he passed on. Sure am missing him right now.

[King's X]

Deno:

I just finished the pattern from the "Beer Stein" project found in the Make it with leather magazine (Crafttool Corner). Nice pattern. BTW, can I ask you what your father's pattern of tooling was? After the swivel knife for a simple foral pattern, belt or wallet? I tried F.O. way and found it really hard to do it. I was just wondering.

Thanks for sharing.

[Deno]

His style was a combo of Stohlman / Baird and a GREAT deal of his own nuances. My father, after all, was an artist. His full time job was a Graphic Artist, and what many people did not know was that all the projects that he did for Tandy he did the complete layouts and sent them the final copy and the completed projects. Tandy kept all finished works so I don't have any of the original projects to reference too. The third picture is some of the artwork for the Beer Stein that I still have. The first picture is of the completed project, and the second I enlarged it to try and get you a better look at his tooling techniques. Hope this helps you out. My Best.

Edited July 2, 2009 by Deno

[King's X]

I guess I should have asked the question more specifically. What was your father's tooling process? I didn't keep the handles and I turned mine into a Koozie cover. But I kept your father's design. It was really cool. Let me get some 'other' work done here and I will snap a photo to show you.

[Johanna]

Here is a detail of the horses and all those rocks...

Deno- we are enjoying this glimpse of your father as a man and as an artist. Please thank your mom for allowing this tribute and sharing her memories. I wish I would have met your dad- I knew "of" him, but not much about him, and I am sure I would have been delighted to know him. Thank you!

Johanna

[Deno]

Thank you Johanna, I'm glad that so many remember my Dad. It's helpful for me also, cause it brings back so many wonderful memories, and I'm the type that chooses to remember the good ones and not dwell on the painful ones.

[Deno]

King, I've started a thread here: http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=17704, following the step's that my father showed me, as best as I can remember. Swivel cuts were always the first, and if I didn't get that right he always said, ( Here is another piece of leather, start over). Next he always, always, did the beveling. Beveling always sets the depth and flow of a project. If I didn't get the right depth and smoothness by walking the beveler he always said, ( Here is another piece of leather, start over). Next was putting in the Stops and Seeders. Next was Pear Shading. This was the next critical step as it set not just more depth, but contour and flow of the piece. If I didn't get the right depth and flow from walking the Shader he always said, (Go away and stop bothering me and come back in a few days when you can focus on what your doing) lol. Next was Camouflage (which he used the most) then Veinering, then Mulefoot, then Background (cause if you had a lot of it it took a lot of time and if you messed up anything else you had to start over), then anyother tid bits like flower centers, foliage, etc. Always last was Decorative cuts, which make or break all of your final work (and which is the hardest of everything to get good at). Hope this helps. My best, Dennis.

Edited July 2, 2009 by Deno

[King's X]

Thanks.