Scratch Carving

[CaptGrant]

Hi All

There are some beautiful holsters in Packing Iron that are scratch carved. What tool could I use to do it?? Ive tried using a stitch groover but it dents the surrounding leather!!! Any info gratefully received!

[UKRay]

  On 2/8/2010 at 6:56 PM, CaptGrant said:

Hi All

There are some beautiful holsters in Packing Iron that are scratch carved. What tool could I use to do it?? Ive tried using a stitch groover but it dents the surrounding leather!!! Any info gratefully received!

Possibly because I haven't seen 'Packing Iron', but I don't know what you mean by 'scratch carved' can you - or anyone else enlighten me?

Ray

[CaptGrant]

Packing Iron is my Bible at the moment!!! Scratch carving...incised carving.....not tooled just lines scratched into the leather. I was thinking of an adjustable V groover or something??

[Storm]

Leather Scratch Carving: Primative way of incising a design into the leather. Preceded our modern day swivel knife and tools. The method goes back to Medieval times.

Dull/Scratching Awl/Round Awl - A round cross section, blunted tip. This is not intended to punch a hole in the leather, and therefore should not be sharp. It is meant to mark the leather, or, perhaps, to widen a previously made hole. It is also entirely probable that some form of Marking Scriber, or Scratch Awl was used in the Middle Ages, but I have no solid documentation for it (although the "horn" on the half moon knife might serve such a purpose.

Hope that this helps.

Storm

[UKRay]

  On 2/8/2010 at 7:39 PM, Storm said:

Leather Scratch Carving: Primative way of incising a design into the leather. Preceded our modern day swivel knife and tools. The method goes back to Medieval times.

Dull/Scratching Awl/Round Awl - A round cross section, blunted tip. This is not intended to punch a hole in the leather, and therefore should not be sharp. It is meant to mark the leather, or, perhaps, to widen a previously made hole. It is also entirely probable that some form of Marking Scriber, or Scratch Awl was used in the Middle Ages, but I have no solid documentation for it (although the "horn" on the half moon knife might serve such a purpose.

Hope that this helps.

Storm

Most informative, but:

okay, not exactly worthless, but it would make a lot more sense to me!

Ray

[CaptGrant]

Okay Ray..here you go!! Simple scratch carving with a stitch groover......horrible to use.....I'll try Storms idea!!!

[Celtic Maiden]

  On 2/8/2010 at 7:52 PM, CaptGrant said:

Okay Ray..here you go!! Simple scratch carving with a stitch groover......horrible to use.....I'll try Storms idea!!!

I use a number 21 exacto blade for that type of work. Cutting in very slightly from both sides.

[Storm]

  On 2/8/2010 at 7:44 PM, UKRay said:

Most informative, but:

okay, not exactly worthless, but it would make a lot more sense to me!

Ray

Oh Really! Might I suggest the you buy or borrow "Packing Iron" and you will find a wealth of images!

[CaptGrant]

The Book is available on e bay for about £27. Its a fantastic book with pictures of holsters from all the famous makers..well worth buying. In regards to Celtic Maidens idea of using a craft knife....I wouldnt have the patience!!!!

[UKRay]

Is it necessary to cut through the surface of the leather for a piece to be 'scratch carved'? Or does the technique perhaps involve scratching away a 'resist' or a dyed surface to reveal the plain leather below?

I ask because much of the decoration on medieval leatherwork was done using a simple creasing tool and a selection of very basic embossing tools which were sometimes made from bone. In the pieces I have seen, lines were generally embossed into the leather rather than cut with a sharp tool. You might find that a simple modelling tool would do this kind of job well enough if it were used on well cased leather - and if a 'cut' isn't essential.

The technique you describe isn't confined to the old West, I have seen similar looking work on both traditional North-African leatherwork (also using very similar hand-cut bone tools) and work from the Indian sub-continent done with hardwood embossing tools.

I believe it is also used as a background technique for some of the early, highly detailed, Moorish leatherwork. Perhaps the influence behind this type of decorative work on gunholsters is Moorish - carried to the New World by the Spanish conquistadors.

I'd be very interested to hear what Chuck Burrows has to say about the history of this technique.

By the way - I thought " Packing Iron" was a film! LOL

Ray