New Notebook Folder

[electrathon]

I both like and am impressed with your tooling. Your knife cuts are great. I personally love antiquing when applied correctly, which you did.

As for a critique: The two things I would point out- A stiffener in the leather would have helped with the inside flap. I also would recomend a larger thumbprint (or horrors, a pear shader) on the leafs. There is a lot of "flat" area between the wiggly edges.

Aaron

[Double U Leather]

Aaron,

Those are two very good suggestions. I'd never even thought of a stiffener for the inside flap. I'll have to try that the next time. As for the thumbprint, I agree. Unfortunately, at the moment that size is the only size I have. I'm hoping that I've been a good enough boy this year that Santa may drop of some more Barry King tools!! I guess time will tell.....

[Big Papa Leather]

Don't take this wrong, I think you got a nice lookin' project there. I just think that for LESS money and LESS time, it would look EVEN BETTER.

TO be clear, I don't mean you did the antique wrong, I meant that antique should never be used. By anybody. Ever.

JLS-- I am always willing to learn and am interested in seeing some examples of your work without antiquing. Not questioning if it can be done, just wanting to see examples that I can make an informed decision.

I think there are times that designs lend themselves to be done a certain way. In florals and especially sheridan style I think antiquing is required or the sheridan police will pull your carving card and suspend you from the club till you show you can follow the rules.

Hook us up with some photos so we can see for ourselves!

Allen--Big Papa

[Chief31794]

Like others I like antiquing most of the time. As for whether it should always be one way or the other, my ole' daddy used to say, "If everybody liked the same thing, there would only be one flavor of ice cream!". I think this is a beautiful project, really like the stitching and the tooling.

Ken

[JLSleather]

In florals and especially sheridan style I think antiquing is required or the sheridan police will pull your carving card and suspend you from the club till you show you can follow the rules.

Allen--Big Papa

Tha's just funny !

I don't have photos of two of the same thing where I used antique on one and not on the other. Much of that stuff gone in the computer theft (hard to back up files when they took the computer AND the disks). And I can't even "do one up" , cuz I don't HAVE any antique finish.

But I can sorta make the point here with a couple of other things.

THING !:

Here's about as close as I've come to that sort of thing (personally) in quite a while.

#1 dyed and oiled, then tan-kote. No "resist", no buffing, no problem. Just put the dye where it goes and be done.

#2 dark brown leather STAIN (which I felt compelled to try). applied to the basketweave design ONLY (deliberately NOT on the dark brown dyed border OR the oak leaves) wanted to see the distinction. This effect I can live with, though not my personal favorite. Even with this, you can see how the natural leather "lifts" more than the stained area, though nothing is actually lifted.

The rest of my point can maybe be shown best from the original post, though a larger pic would have been easier .... More in a bit...

Okay, thing 2:

I've copied, enlarged, and cropped the original photo. This is the lower left of the front panel of the notebook, and I hope it was okay to do this

Notice the line of "slime" left behind along the outside of an otherwise very nice border. NOT good. And you can't miss the "puddles" left in pretty much every depression on the project. I call them that because we've all seen a mud puddle - then the sun comes out and leaves behind this sludge sitting in the holes. Is that ribbed "thumbprint", or lined, or smooth? Or checked? You can't tell - the effect he was getting is now buried in the puddles. And all the cuts he spent so much time putting in are now filled in with cake.

This "finish" serves to darken the deep spots - it's that simple. So, instead of "resisting", then antiquing, then buffing, then finishing again - only to have your entire project darkened (ruining the subtle colors, if you used them, and blending subtle shades and natural leather) why not just put the dark where it goes and leave the rest alone ?#$@&*! In fact, back up just a bit ... if the leather's moisture is right, then the tools will create their OWN darkening (fancy folks call it "burnish").

SO -- here's the thing for any English speaking folks. I think we all appreciate ( I know I do) your injected humor taking the edge of what was supposed to be a helpful suggestion. Guess I should have put it this way in the first place ....

I think the guy's carving looked TOO GOOD to go dumping that stuff on it.

Edited December 17, 2010 by JLSleather

[JLSleather]

Oh, forgot I had this one (some days I wouldn't recognize my mind if I saw it). No antique.

[JLSleather]

And these from yesterday are kinda "floraly" ... still no antique.

[electrathon]

Oh, forgot I had this one (some days I wouldn't recognize my mind if I saw it). No antique.

I think this is definatly a preferance issue. My Dad taught me how to tool origionally (he has been doing it since the 1950's). I learned from him to "background color" as you are describing. Then I learned how to antique! WOW, what a differance in appearance. I love the look. Complements of my work skyrocketed in how great it looked. My Dad saw my work and had me teach him how to do it.

Another old timer I know antiques without any form of resist or finish between the leather and the antique. His work looks like he took the finished project and rubbed mud on it, hidious! He likes the look and tells me that people like the dirty, muddly antiqued look on leather.

Bottom line I guess is that it really depends what you are used to seeing and have learned to like. In all of your examples above I personally think they would be far more attractive if you had aniqued them. It is the final pizaz that gives carvings a WOW factor.

Aaron

[LNLeather]

Really Nice Notebook folder! If I had made that I would be feelin like I had really come a long way

with my leather working skills. That is definitely something to be proud of!

Some things I make get Neatsfoot oil & a Sun Tan,

Somethings get dye, or a combination of dyes.

somethings also get antique. It is all a learning experience and I learn something new every day.

What we do to leather is a lot like being an artist, painting a picture.

Nothing Exactly the same...

kind of like how we all have different personalities.

I am always amazed at what others like and even though I might have a large selection to choose from

that they often want something I don't have or haven't done yet. If I have made something with a

wolf or a bear they want a blackbird.

If it is Saddle Tan they want Mahogany. It is hard to please everyone..

My favorite color right now is Fiebings British Tan...

What can be made with leather is as endless as there are stars in the sky.

I probably wont ever make a saddle, or be a Master Leather Worker...

...... but I Really enjoy what I make, and it makes me feel Really Good to know that

others are really enjoying Having and Using something I have made.

My father used to say "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all"

But there's got to be a way to express one's opinions without hurting someone's feelings.

If those comments had been made about something I had made - I wouldn't be feelin' so good right now.

It is not what you say....... but how you say it

"Nothing is either right or wrong, but thinking makes it so"

Edited December 18, 2010 by LNLeather

[Double U Leather]

Thanks for all the kind words. I appreciate them greatly. I also appreciate the suggestions on how to improve. I will say that JLS took the time to send me a private message about the antiquing, and by no means was critical. I appreciate the insight JLS offered. Thanks again. Be Blessed.