CaptGrant Report post Posted February 8, 2010 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! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
UKRay Report post Posted February 8, 2010 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 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CaptGrant Report post Posted February 8, 2010 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?? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Storm Report post Posted February 8, 2010 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 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
UKRay Report post Posted February 8, 2010 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 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CaptGrant Report post Posted February 8, 2010 Okay Ray..here you go!! Simple scratch carving with a stitch groover......horrible to use.....I'll try Storms idea!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Celtic Maiden Report post Posted February 8, 2010 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. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Storm Report post Posted February 9, 2010 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! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CaptGrant Report post Posted February 9, 2010 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!!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
UKRay Report post Posted February 9, 2010 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 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Logans Leather Report post Posted November 9, 2011 I have duplicated several of t he holsters from Packing Iron. I prefer to do incised work with a swivel knife, rather than scratching with an awl or groover. The swivel knife allows much better control. When I want a wider line, I trace inside the cut from the swivel knife with a stylus or a dull pencil, which opens the cut up nicely. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
katsass Report post Posted November 10, 2011 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! FWIW: This type of embellishment is also called 'finger carving'. Basically it's a shallow cut with a fairly wide blade, like a standard swivel knife. The cut can easily be expanded with a ball stylus. Mike Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
