TomSwede Report post Posted December 8, 2009 (edited) I got totally free hands with this one. It was ordered by end users mom for his birthday. She couldn't provide me much info his prefs so had to guess on dimensions and such. It is 4"+ wide (12 cm). Tha adjusting strap has some additional trickery with a neat but not so fast adjustment by string solution and blinged with a Tandy iron cross/skull concho. I made one row with the triweave stamp wich gives almost a little spine structure I think and brushed off my old tecnique with antique color on a red bottom. This time I decided to try it with eco-flo black antique and previously I use Tandys mahogany for this effect. Sealed with some leathersheen from Fiebings. The main strap is Fiebings pro oil black with a rich coat of Fiebings Aussie leather conditioner and two topcoats of Fiebings leather balm. It's the first time I try both techniques on the same item but think it works fine since I clearly wanted the smaller strap to complement the main strap in it's own style. Owner loved it...phew. Just gunna replace the adjustment strap with a longer one, apperently he likes to play the guitar on his knees!!! What else?? Dunno...just too darn tired..oh I had a hard time to keep it totally free from scratches...soo big and had to flip it over several times, punching lots of holes, measuring, setting eyelets...phew. Lowered the price some to compensate for it. There are some really big scratches to the side of adjustment strap...those are big scars. I love scerred leather, makes it look like the live material it is and with heavy metal customers you won't hear many complaints abut it..promise!!! The skull was painted with diluted black dye to create shadows. Very hard to get it even. Comment and criticize...The best way to learn!!! Thanks for looking! Tom Edited December 8, 2009 by TomSwede Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Storm Report post Posted December 8, 2009 Very nice Tommy..... your carving is really looking very good. Love the skull!! Storm Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ClayB Report post Posted December 8, 2009 That's pretty awesome looking Tom!! I like the color, and the way the adjusting strap looks and the skull is pretty cool too. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ETW Grumpy Report post Posted December 8, 2009 That's very cool Tom. The tri weave does give it a spine-ish look. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomSwede Report post Posted December 8, 2009 Thank you very much Storm and ClayB!!!! Glad you liked the skull. I found it in a tattoo flash art magazine and fell in love immedietly. Erik allways has a cap that is similar to this cap and off course long hair and loves skulls so it was just sooo fitting. Natural leather looks very nice against black. I try to convince my heavy metal brothers to buy this solution instead of white on black but they just go...-no no no!! Hope this can change some minds. Would save me some agony with acrylics and spare some money on customers pocket (for future orders, lol). Tom Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomSwede Report post Posted December 8, 2009 Thanks ETW!!!! Yeah I thought the tri-weave had a spine-ish look too so perfect for anything with skulls and bones!!! Tom Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dscott Report post Posted December 9, 2009 great work love the design and the color great job know he will love it David Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sodapop Report post Posted December 9, 2009 tom Just gunna replace the adjustment strap with a longer one, apperently he likes to play the guitar on his knees!!! kinda like johnny ramone or something...he always rocked his guitar hella low... looks schweeeeet brudda!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Luke Hatley Report post Posted December 9, 2009 YOU ARE THE MAN..........FINE WORK..still proud to know you....... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
particle Report post Posted December 9, 2009 Yeah, that's pretty flippin' awesome! Love the coloring on the narrow strap. And the adjustment feature is way cool - nicely done!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CitizenKate Report post Posted December 9, 2009 Love the way you did that strap adjustment - very original. Kate Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MADMAX22 Report post Posted December 9, 2009 Thats one kickass looking strap dude. Great job all around in construction, style, and carving. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GirlFromScandinavia Report post Posted December 9, 2009 I got totally free hands with this one. It was ordered by end users mom for his birthday. She couldn't provide me much info his prefs so had to guess on dimensions and such. It is 4"+ wide (12 cm). Tha adjusting strap has some additional trickery with a neat but not so fast adjustment by string solution and blinged with a Tandy iron cross/skull concho. I made one row with the triweave stamp wich gives almost a little spine structure I think and brushed off my old tecnique with antique color on a red bottom. This time I decided to try it with eco-flo black antique and previously I use Tandys mahogany for this effect. Sealed with some leathersheen from Fiebings. The main strap is Fiebings pro oil black with a rich coat of Fiebings Aussie leather conditioner and two topcoats of Fiebings leather balm. It's the first time I try both techniques on the same item but think it works fine since I clearly wanted the smaller strap to complement the main strap in it's own style. Owner loved it...phew. Just gunna replace the adjustment strap with a longer one, apperently he likes to play the guitar on his knees!!! What else?? Dunno...just too darn tired..oh I had a hard time to keep it totally free from scratches...soo big and had to flip it over several times, punching lots of holes, measuring, setting eyelets...phew. Lowered the price some to compensate for it. There are some really big scratches to the side of adjustment strap...those are big scars. I love scerred leather, makes it look like the live material it is and with heavy metal customers you won't hear many complaints abut it..promise!!! The skull was painted with diluted black dye to create shadows. Very hard to get it even. Comment and criticize...The best way to learn!!! Thanks for looking! Tom The previous comments pretty much sum it up!!! Fantastico!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TroyS Report post Posted December 9, 2009 Tom, That is fantastic! The detail is awesome and I love the colors! Hell, I wanna make one and I can hardly even play the guitar! Troy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OdinUK Report post Posted December 9, 2009 Amazing work Tom! Do you teach courses on your style of leather work? hint hint Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomSwede Report post Posted December 9, 2009 (edited) Thank you so very much all!!!! Iam very happy to see how well received it is and that you all like the adjustment. I thought alot about overall design and to keep the tooling simple and a simple elegant border that was not beveled and not stiched. This is a basic design and if I sell more customer can choose between stitched or beveled border for a standard fee as extra option and with the extended strap for Erik I can also work out standards for that as an extra option. He really likes it Joey Ramone style!! Courses....would be fun ;-) Tom Edited December 9, 2009 by TomSwede Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sasquatch Report post Posted December 9, 2009 Great work as usual Tom. I love the way you did the adjustment strap in this piece. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
McJeep Report post Posted December 10, 2009 Awesome as always - always enjoy seeing your work guy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndyL1 Report post Posted December 10, 2009 Dude that is so BAD-ASS! i love the colors and the skull and the lettering and the... and the...on and on! HAHA! Makes me want to go out and buy a guitar just to have you make me one. -Andy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomSwede Report post Posted December 11, 2009 Thank you very much!! Andy, save your bucks and make one yourself!!! Tom Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theherje Report post Posted December 11, 2009 TOM... from one swede to another... that is a great strap! even the detail on the letters.. good work! now make yourself a shirt!!! haha!~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomSwede Report post Posted December 13, 2009 TOM... from one swede to another... that is a great strap! even the detail on the letters.. good work! now make yourself a shirt!!! haha!~ Ha ha another Swede!!! Cool, tjenare!!! Thank you very much!!!! I have a shirt but apperently don't use it ha ha Friggin hot day that was...eventually had to plunge into the Gävlebay. Where are you hanging around...my instinct with no clue at all tells me NordUppland?? Tom Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hidepounder Report post Posted December 13, 2009 Hey Tommy....I missed this one! Great job. I like the colors, the tri-weave, the skull, the lettering...everything is neat and clean. I like the adjusting strap, although I hope it won't have to be moved very often. Very nicely done. Bobby Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomSwede Report post Posted December 13, 2009 Hey Tommy....I missed this one! Great job. I like the colors, the tri-weave, the skull, the lettering...everything is neat and clean. I like the adjusting strap, although I hope it won't have to be moved very often. Very nicely done. Bobby Thank you Bobby!!! I tried to keep it clean but also had to meet with budget so not too advanced patterns and tooling was demanded. Right about the need to adjust it. This one is not for anyone that need to adjust on the fly BUT I have never ever seen a guitarist that does that efter finding the right position with a certain guitar model. Dude needs another strap next time he gets a guitar. Pretty common to see guitarists change guitar on stage though and allways has a strap that is specific to that guitar. Tom Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rhona Report post Posted December 16, 2009 I got totally free hands with this one. It was ordered by end users mom for his birthday. She couldn't provide me much info his prefs so had to guess on dimensions and such. It is 4"+ wide (12 cm). Tha adjusting strap has some additional trickery with a neat but not so fast adjustment by string solution and blinged with a Tandy iron cross/skull concho. I made one row with the triweave stamp wich gives almost a little spine structure I think and brushed off my old tecnique with antique color on a red bottom. This time I decided to try it with eco-flo black antique and previously I use Tandys mahogany for this effect. Sealed with some leathersheen from Fiebings. The main strap is Fiebings pro oil black with a rich coat of Fiebings Aussie leather conditioner and two topcoats of Fiebings leather balm. It's the first time I try both techniques on the same item but think it works fine since I clearly wanted the smaller strap to complement the main strap in it's own style. Owner loved it...phew. Just gunna replace the adjustment strap with a longer one, apperently he likes to play the guitar on his knees!!! What else?? Dunno...just too darn tired..oh I had a hard time to keep it totally free from scratches...soo big and had to flip it over several times, punching lots of holes, measuring, setting eyelets...phew. Lowered the price some to compensate for it. There are some really big scratches to the side of adjustment strap...those are big scars. I love scerred leather, makes it look like the live material it is and with heavy metal customers you won't hear many complaints abut it..promise!!! The skull was painted with diluted black dye to create shadows. Very hard to get it even. Comment and criticize...The best way to learn!!! Thanks for looking! Tom WHOA!!!! Respect! Respect! You're THE MAN, dude!! Tomswede, you never cease to inspire!!! rhona Baguio, Philippines http://rhonacarantes.multiply.com rhonacarantes@yahoo.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
