A Serious Question For Leather Carvers.

[KnotHead]

I have a serious question for all the leather carvers.

If given a choice in how many tools and which tools to use for leather carving; How many tools and which tools would you pick? My end goal is to do Sheridan carvings.

I am interested and ready to start my own carving for belts and wrist straps. I also realize that like with anything else this takes time and patience to learn and develop a good hand and eye for the work and project at hand. I understand this because I am braider ready to take my skills to the next level and be able to offer my customers a higher quality product. Any help is much appreciated.

Brian...

[wareagle]

The Basic 7, swivel knife, seeder, camouflager , beveler, rawhide hammer, backgrounder, and pear shader those are all you really need to do any carving, all the other tools do is make it easier to do.

as for me never enough tools .... never!

[DoubleC]

Brian I was going to say the same thing as Wareagle. If you have the basic 7 you have everything you need to carve, the rest just make it easier. The way you braid and the beautiful work you do with that, I don't think you'll have any problem with a little practice. Cheryl

Edited August 19, 2012 by DoubleC

[Sylvia]

Basic 7 for the stamps

A good swivel knife(or 2) with good blades

A 14-16oz mallet or maul.

Granite slab. (sink cut out work great)

[KnotHead]

Thank you both for your replies to my question. This will help a great deal when picking tools out to start with and then move up as I progress. Turns out I already have two of the tools in the list.

Hammer & Swivel Knife.

B...

Granite slabs not a prob. I have a granite place near by that should have some decent scrap pieces laying around for cheap.

B...

[terrymac]

If you are serious about Sheridan carving, then go with tools made for that purpose. As far as I am concerned, Barry King has the best value in these tools, and if you go to his website, he has a recommended tool list depending on what you are doing. IMHO. Craftools don't really work that well, as the bevelers aren't steep enough, thumbprints are too wide, and veiners are too thick, and they no longer have bargrounders. Start out with the best stuff, and you won't have to worry about replacing at some point in time. If will purchase the "Sheridan Style Carving Book" you will see the author does the big majority of his work with some 20+ stamps. As far as a swivel knife is concerned, there is none better than the SK3 by Leather Wrangler. It is pricey. but well worth it. They use a special alloy in the blade that holds an edge better than anything I have ever used.

Hope this helps,

Terry

[KnotHead]

What weight of maul do you all use the most? I am at Barry Kings now and looking at the mauls in both sections and wondering which weight is the most common to use.

Brian...

[bones59]

What weight of maul do you all use the most? I am at Barry Kings now and looking at the mauls in both sections and wondering which weight is the most common to use.

Brian...

From a total noobie who has serched here fot the same thing, it looks like 16 oz. is prefered by many for all aroung tooling. Biger/heavier for punches etc.

[KnotHead]

Thanks for the reply bones. I have noted that in my note pad.

B...

[WinterBear]

I'm learning too, and I ruin more leather than anything at this stage. I do like the maul more than a mallet. I get better impressions with fewer strikes on a big stamp. But I do have to be careful with a seeder and a maul--the greater (or rather, more focused) impact you get from a maul can drive a seeder too deep. I've learned I have to be delicate with seeders and other small-ended stamps.