My First Foray Into Leatherworking

[Buddahcjcc]

Im cosplaying (for the first time ever) as a Death Eater from Harry Potter or my version of one (as he has a staff I carved myself and they dont use then that I know of in HP). Ill include pictures of the whole costume so you can see what Im going for.

https://www.etsy.com...search_type=all for the cloak

http://www.ebay.com/...y-/141139507630 the mask (Im thinking of painting the silver bits a lilac to match the cloak, and maybe making the bracers (well the next one I make) with either a lilac/purple trim or not painting it and haming the bracers with a silver trim

http://www.ebay.com/...=item4acf96586c as the pants

http://www.ebay.com/...=item460bbe32d6 as the shirt

http://imgur.com/a/baSd1#0 thats the alblum for the staff I carved

Then making black dyed bracers/wand sheath

What Im looking to do in a leatherworking vein is making bracers and on one of those bracers, placing a friction sheath for a wand, Ive started work on that sheath already, and have the top part drying atm.

I havea rotary hole punch, hand punches as well, but most of my other tools are just a utility knife.

Sorry about the huge picture, I didnt realize it was formatted so big -.- but thats the top part of the friction sheath and the want that will be going in it.

http://youtu.be/SIOGDykXJFQ

is the tutorial I used on that.

As for the bracers, this alblum (to avoid posting lots of gigantic pics) has my attempts at making bracers so far:

http://imgur.com/a/Pu94t#0

The tutorial I used for the bracers is here: http://www.geocities...er_tutorial.htm

Im using a big (to me anyways) sheet of leather, it was marked 7/9 dunno what that means but the guy who was their bracer maker suggested it for my work - mind you he also tried very hard to get me to not buy anything at all and in fact had me talked out of the whole idea at one point, but I decided I know how my creative process works better than he does (he was saying that I basically CANT make a bracer without having detailed plans laid out in advance to what Im going to do. MY process on creating things doesnt work like that lol). Also, my process works best if I do things to learn them if that makes sense. ALSO; I tend to do things way outside of my experience range because thats HOW I learn. When I suggested that I was going to make a bracer with a friction sheath wand holder as my first ever leather working wroject, my friend (who has much, much more experience with this than I fo - so he knows what he's talking about, it just doesnt work well for me) suggested I try things WAAAY easier first, but that never appeals to me. Im a jump in with both feet kind of guy.

The main issues Im having atm is how do I finish the ends of the leather and barring actually having the tool (the nearest leatherworking shop to me is about a two hour drive so I have to do as much as I can without the tools before I think of going all the way out there to think of getting them), how can I finish them? Ive had a friend tell me a bit about endging but Im finding I have no idea what he's talking about and was hoping for some help on that part. Im also having a bit of an issue with getting the bracer to fit "right". Im a big guy, my wrists are smaller around than my forearm pretty significantly (hey, Im workin on it, I lost 8 pounds recently) how would I adjust that to the fit?

Also; Im torn between making the bracers look traditional (here meaning how I see them in other pictures) and having eyelets with laces or buying some smaller buckles and having three or so straps that secure the bracer to my wrist (Im leaning heavily on that one because another part of the costume are Tanker boots and they "lace up" without laces, they are leather straps and buckles, so it would go together

Lastly; I have no idea how to stitch leather. I got the rotary tool because when I went to Lowe's looking for an awl, the guy there (who said he was a leatherworker) said the punch would be better for the holes for the stitches.

Any help/assistance in all this would be amazing!

Edited February 23, 2014 by Buddahcjcc

[camano ridge]

First of all you said you don't follow advice because you do things your way, yet you asked for advice First of all the guy at Lowes sold you a rotary punch, if he is a leatherworker I would like to see some of his work. The punches smallest hole would probably let you pull a very large thread through. A diamond awl is your best bet to get the cleanest looking stitching holes. You can learn to stitch on your own, however if you want to learn to do a clean proffessional job watch Nigel Armitage's video on saddle stitching.

Here Here is a method for measuring your arm for bracers and laying out the patten. http://www.geocities...er_tutorial.htm

I see no reason you could not use buckles you are not trying for any period correctness or 100% accuracy in your costume. If you pinterest Bracers or making bracers you will find all the examples and information you need.

Nigel does a good job of showing how to stitch no knots needed.

Edited February 23, 2014 by camano ridge

[Buddahcjcc]

First of all you said you don't follow advice because you do things your way, yet you asked for advice First of all the guy at Lowes sold you a rotary punch, if he is a leatherworker I would like to see some of his work. The punches smallest hole would probably let you pull a very large thread through. A diamond awl is your best bet to get the cleanest looking stitching holes. You can learn to stitch on your own, however if you want to learn to do a clean proffessional job watch Nigel Armitage's video on saddle stitching.

Not that I dont follow advice, the guy was trying to not sell me anything until I came back to thew place with drawings, a layout, all kinds of planning (this is a place two or more hours away). If I said that in a way that made it look like I dont take any advice, that wasnt my intent. I just tend to tackle things probably tougher than I should to start something. Thats how I learn.

Um maybe the better way to explain it is he was trying to get me to work with a plan when my creative method works best without a plan... Dunno how to explain it though. Ive tried drawing up plans and such, it tends to kill my interest.

Ill look at the video. I find it hard to learn to tie knots or anything from pictures lol

Like the sheath video. He says to put the leather in the oven as low as it gets. Im assuming thats why it became that dark brown. Im dying it black so that color may not matter. But Ive read elsewhere that putting ikt in the oven it a bad idea. I decided to try it out to see as I didnt have a place to ask anyone their thoughts.

Its less that I wont accept advice. Im asking because you all are more ecperienced than I am. Im just really bad at communicating from what Ive heard in the past and now lol

Thx a lot for your ideas and advice!

Edited February 23, 2014 by Buddahcjcc

[JDTagish]

I'm going to have a go at this...

I think I get what you mean about taking project on, so no need to get into that. Personally, I'm having a hard time imaging a "death eater" in BDU's, but that's my issue. All the death eater wizards in HP wear robes that are black, rather than capes so you wouldn't need clothes under them at all. (Which is a recurring joke in the books, btw.) You can take whatever artistic license that you want to and are comfortable with.

However, a bracer with a sheath attached with a stick in it (or wand) sounds like a recipe for poking your own eye out inadvertantly when moving your arm, but again, that's just me.

You're taking enough creative license with a death eather character, that making your bracers away from how other people do it shouldn't really be of concern. If you want them with laces or buckles, then do so. I think one of the basic tenents of leatherworking is that leatherworkers all bring their own style and preferences to their designs. You're not making something to sell, so it doesn't have to appeal to the masses, it needs to fit you and you alone.

As for the "ends" and edging leather, I looked at your pictures. It seems that you got some advice about how to burnish, as it appears you've burnished at least one of the edges of your bracer. When I hear "end" I tend to think of the end of a belt, or strap versus an edge of something. Are you trying to finish an end or an edge?

If it's an edge, then burnish as you've already done. You can use water and your jeans to do it, a bit of wax and canvas, or really anything to wet or slick the edge of the leather and rub it hard enough and fast enough on denim, canvass or wood to create friction, and you'll burnish the edge. You can dye a burnished edge just fine, and it will seem "finished" enough for you. I know plenty of hobbyists who never do anything at all to an edge and are perfectly happy with their creation, so it's all a matter of taste.

Really, I'd suggest more that you talk with the people that you're cosplaying with sand ask them how they've put together their costumes, and if THEY are comfortable with your designs. They're the ones you'll be standing next to or interacting with, so it's really their opinions that should matter regarding the appearance.

[Buddahcjcc]

Ive gotten a lot of advice so far And other than buffing to a nice shine the bracers am all but done. Ill post pictures of the thing when Im completely done to get the full effect. Thanks to all who contributed XD

As for the others Im going with, Im the only one in my group cosplaying HP. Theres actually only one other person I know cosplaying at all and she's doing Wreck it Wralph - vannellope

Edited March 1, 2014 by Buddahcjcc