Drawing With The Swivel Knife?

[Amadea]

Hi all!

I'm really new to leather craft and I appreciate all the help I can get. I've tooled a few practice pieces, but not nearly as many as I'd like. I live in an apartment and my neighbors on either side work 3rd shift and sleep during the day. I can't bring myself to tap away when I know they're home and trying to rest. So, being the thoughtful neighbor I am, I've been experimenting with different, quieter, ways of decorating leather. My primary method had been to use my swivel knife, to "draw" on the leather, using crosshatching for shading. Kind of like pen and ink drawing. This technique suits my subject matter well, because I'm into old timey etchings and stuff like that. It's pretty nontraditional stuff, but I like what I've done so far. Just have some questions:

1. Does anyone else do this?

2. I try not to cut too deep, but I know that all the closely spaced and crossing lines have to weaken the leather. Is there anything I can do, like backing the leather or using a specific finish, to offset this?

3. Would this method work for a belt? It doesn't seem bold enough, like the fine lines would get lost unless you were right up on it. My friend wants me to design a belt with animals on it, and she wants me to do an original design. I'm having trouble coming up with anything, because I feel like a belt wants to be tooled, so you can see whats going on. Trouble is, I haven't done enough tooling to know how to begin designing a tooling pattern.

4. Any advice for tooling in a quiet zone?

These are some examples of what I've been up to:

Thanks!

[Ferg]

Personally, I like your approach. You done a good job, make your own niche!!!.

Why don't you try a belt using 8 or 10oz cowhide with no backing leather. That thickness would give you plenty of depth. Don't cut more than halfway through whatever thickness leather you use.

Farm animals?

ferg

Hi all!

I'm really new to leather craft and I appreciate all the help I can get. I've tooled a few practice pieces, but not nearly as many as I'd like. I live in an apartment and my neighbors on either side work 3rd shift and sleep during the day. I can't bring myself to tap away when I know they're home and trying to rest. So, being the thoughtful neighbor I am, I've been experimenting with different, quieter, ways of decorating leather. My primary method had been to use my swivel knife, to "draw" on the leather, using crosshatching for shading. Kind of like pen and ink drawing. This technique suits my subject matter well, because I'm into old timey etchings and stuff like that. It's pretty nontraditional stuff, but I like what I've done so far. Just have some questions:

1. Does anyone else do this?

2. I try not to cut too deep, but I know that all the closely spaced and crossing lines have to weaken the leather. Is there anything I can do, like backing the leather or using a specific finish, to offset this?

3. Would this method work for a belt? It doesn't seem bold enough, like the fine lines would get lost unless you were right up on it. My friend wants me to design a belt with animals on it, and she wants me to do an original design. I'm having trouble coming up with anything, because I feel like a belt wants to be tooled, so you can see whats going on. Trouble is, I haven't done enough tooling to know how to begin designing a tooling pattern.

4. Any advice for tooling in a quiet zone?

These are some examples of what I've been up to:

Thanks!

[Amadea]

Personally, I like your approach. You done a good job, make your own niche!!!.

Why don't you try a belt using 8 or 10oz cowhide with no backing leather. That thickness would give you plenty of depth. Don't cut more than halfway through whatever thickness leather you use.

Farm animals?

ferg

Thanks! I have a belt blank lying around that's a bit thicker than what I've been using, probably 8 oz. I'm going to try my technique on the belt and see how it goes. I'll post a photo when I"m finished.

[pete]

WOW!!!!! What a great technique! Like scrimshaw on leather! Keep at it- it's not something that you see every day.

Ferg's critique is about as encouraging as a hostess ding-dong, but I think that you have a talent!

How big are the pig and crow, , and would you sell them?

pete

[Suicide]

4. Any advice for tooling in a quiet zone?

Absolutely great stuff! Respect.

As for quiet zone you can try out any of embossing techniques as well, just google for "repoussee leather". All you need for that are swivel knife, stylus, modeling tools (spoons and balls) and optional paints either dyes or acrylics (and finish of course as usual).

[Bluesman]

Very nice, and I agree with Suicide. Try embossing and keep on going.

[Amadea]

Personally, I like your approach. You done a good job, make your own niche!!!.

Why don't you try a belt using 8 or 10oz cowhide with no backing leather. That thickness would give you plenty of depth. Don't cut more than halfway through whatever thickness leather you use.

Farm animals?

ferg

[Amadea]

I'm new on here and apparently I'm accidentally quoting people for no reason. Sorry about any computer weirdness.

Thanks everyone for the encouragement!

Pete, you're right about the scrimshaw. I hadn't thought about that. The pig and crow are on envelope style iPad sleeves I made for myself and my brother, so not for sale...yet.

Suicide, I did try repousse on one piece and it came out alright, but it was hard to get it puffy enough. I'll keep trying.

[Suicide]

Suicide, I did try repousse on one piece and it came out alright, but it was hard to get it puffy enough. I'll keep trying.

It depends on leather you are using (and mostly thickness I guess) but anyways "puffyness" can be added later with coloring.

[TwinOaks]

Quiet zone tips: Hang foam or fabric on the walls between your neighbors. Any type of sound baffle will help quiet it down. Don't stamp/tool on a table as it will transmit the sound through it to the floor. If you can, get a stone slab at least 18" wide and hold it on your lap, using your legs as dampeners.

As far as the art work- Very nice. There are quite a few styles of leather work, and some techniques associated with them. There are also some physical limits you'll have to learn about leather...but they're a LONG ways away from what you might think.... Verlane D. embossed a horse's head ~ 6 inches out from a piece of leather, and Peter Main has made 3-D figures in the waaaaaaay tiny range. The single most important concept for you to remember is this : NO RULES. Nobody ever did Sheridan style carving...until they did. Nobody thought to inverse carve a figure, or emboss, or anything else.....until they did. You've got a unique style, and that may be all that you need to push your bounderies and go in a totally new direction, one that no one considered going down....until YOU did.

[Northmount]

If tooling (stamping) on your lap is difficult due to how low the work surface is, try placing the slab on 2 to 4" of high density foam like for chair cushions on top a table or desk to get some height back.

CTG

[Bob Blea]

Hi all!

I'm really new to leather craft and I appreciate all the help I can get. I've tooled a few practice pieces, but not nearly as many as I'd like. I live in an apartment and my neighbors on either side work 3rd shift and sleep during the day. I can't bring myself to tap away when I know they're home and trying to rest. So, being the thoughtful neighbor I am, I've been experimenting with different, quieter, ways of decorating leather. My primary method had been to use my swivel knife, to "draw" on the leather, using crosshatching for shading. Kind of like pen and ink drawing. This technique suits my subject matter well, because I'm into old timey etchings and stuff like that. It's pretty nontraditional stuff, but I like what I've done so far.

Hi Amadea,

I think what you're doing looks really cool! You should definitely do more of it, and I look forward to seeing the belt. As for weaking the leather, yes the cuts with the knife will weaken the grain side of the leather some. Your final finish might help with this, but I'm not an expert on finishes yet. I would think that something like Neat-Lac applied as a final coat would protect your artwork pretty well.

Keep it up!

Bob