Very First Stamping Project...need Help!

[Bobby hdflame]

OK, I just bought a round knife and got it really sharp. So I figured I needed something to keep me from ctting myself and to protect the blade. I stitched together a sheath for it and decided to use it to practice so stamping.

I cased the leather and tried a new stamp I just got from Tandy yesterday. I think it's called a tri-weave basketweave. Boy is it hard to keep everything straight! Should I scribe a straight line to get my first row started?

I'm going to try to post a couple of pictures for critique and suggestions. Keep in mind this was a quick throw together and the stamping was an after-thought. I can truthfully say I've got a long way to go and I have a new found respect for the work I've seen on here! BTW, I stamped the back side first. Now I can practice on the front after you guys give me some tips!

[dragonspit]

OK, I just bought a round knife and got it really sharp. So I figured I needed something to keep me from ctting myself and to protect the blade. I stitched together a sheath for it and decided to use it to practice so stamping.

I cased the leather and tried a new stamp I just got from Tandy yesterday. I think it's called a tri-weave basketweave. Boy is it hard to keep everything straight! Should I scribe a straight line to get my first row started?

I'm going to try to post a couple of pictures for critique and suggestions. Keep in mind this was a quick throw together and the stamping was an after-thought. I can truthfully say I've got a long way to go and I have a new found respect for the work I've seen on here! BTW, I stamped the back side first. Now I can practice on the front after you guys give me some tips!

well Im totally new. so new all I have done is practics. the funny thing is, I was planning on making one of these as my first little project so it caught my eye. I like the design of the stamp. all I have seen for weaving says yeah, scribe you a light line first and alternate on either side of the line. but you will find much more experience here then me to find that right solution. I would say that, I probably would have done the stamping prior to assembly. then if you muff, you can get another piece. my design is going to be alittle different, but I got go get some real leather. the cheat scraps I been using quality wise isnt very good, but its a start.

[EricDobson]

I don't have any tips as I'm even more of a beginner than you. Just wanted to say I think you're doing well and keep at it!

I imagine you have to apply whatever the leather equivalent of "measure twice, cut once" is. If you take your time and exercise patience, the more you practice I'm sure you'll have a feel for whether or not your next move is the right one.

I look forward to seeing the results when you finish the front!

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

Here are my thoughts on this.

1-do the basket weave in straight lines , don't try to follow the curve.

2-put a border around the rivets like you did around the edge .

When you get near an edge you tip the stamp enough that you only make a partial impression that comes up to the edge of the border, or you do the border after the weave,and stamp over it.

[EricDobson]

Sounds about right Doc. It definitely seems like trying to follow the curve caused most of the alignment problems, and something definitely needs to be added around the rivets.

I was going to comment that he could've stamped the weave pattern over the whole thing before cutting the snap holes, so it went seamlessly behind it... which is what I'd probably try, but as he said, the stamping was an afterthought on this project so, maybe next time.

[Bobby hdflame]

Thanks for all of the good suggestions.

You are ALL correct in that I should've done the stamping first. I had just spent a lot of time getting a razor edge on my new knife and mainly just wanted to protect the new edge....and ME! I was in a hurry.

The stamping was an after thought, but figured I might as well get a little practice in. I would have made the sheath a little different too, if I hadn't been in a hurry. One thing I learned is DON'T GET IN A HURRY if you want to do a good job. With that being said, I don't guess I could've expected any better outcome!

I will use the suggestions to practice some more on the front, and I'll hopefully post some better results when finished! Thanks again for the help...THIS SITE REALLY DOES ROCK!

[Mick]

Thanks for all of the good suggestions.

You are ALL correct in that I should've done the stamping first. I had just spent a lot of time getting a razor edge on my new knife and mainly just wanted to protect the new edge....and ME! I was in a hurry.

The stamping was an after thought, but figured I might as well get a little practice in. I would have made the sheath a little different too, if I hadn't been in a hurry. One thing I learned is DON'T GET IN A HURRY if you want to do a good job. With that being said, I don't guess I could've expected any better outcome!

I will use the suggestions to practice some more on the front, and I'll hopefully post some better results when finished! Thanks again for the help...THIS SITE REALLY DOES ROCK!

Here's a thought, not that I know anything....but won't you have to put your knife somewhere other than in your sheath for a while? You case it in water, right? I wonder how long it takes for the leather to fully dry, so it won't rust the blade?

[Bearns]

If I remember right, there is a video on using those basketweave stamps at the tandy website that suggests using a line and working both sides of it. I know I watched one somewhere before I gave it a go... mind I am a newbie, NOT an expert.

This barrette on scrap leather was my first go at using a basketweave stamp and it is messed up, even the edge stamping is a mess... but, see where I added the HERE and NOT HERE? Where the HERE is, I went back over it with a swivel knife trying to make it look more like a basket weave. The NOT HERE is where I missed a couple spots with the knife. I don't know if that's proper or not, but it's more to my liking. Guess you can experiment different ways to see what works best for you.

Of course, it is a different kind of basketweave... I just clicked on your photo and got to see it large enough to see that. (old lady eyes here) and I don't know if a line would work well with that style stamp.

Edited September 25, 2010 by Bearns