Some Bicycle Saddle Bags

[slipangle]

Hello,

New to the forum, though I check in now and again and learn a great deal from you folks.

Leather work is not my specialty. I dabble in leather, as well as many other things. I really love to make tools and will post some awl hafts I've been working on too.

Most of what I'm been doing has been for the guys over on a Classic & Vintage bicycle forum

I participate in. Here's a couple of pics of some saddle bags I've made.

These seams are beveled at 45 degrees and then saddle stitched. But I'm still learning. Particularly how to finish the edges of this black chrome tanned leather.

Thanks for looking,

Scott

[slipangle]

Here's one more. The first one I did. With custom logo cut outs. This was sized to a particular length, to fold a folded up tubular tire, as well as tool kit, lunch, etc. But it came out ungainly looking. Sort of like an old Rollei camera case.

more pics….

[slipangle]

Not certain how to add pics from a hosting site. I'll see if this works.

[benlilly1]

Those look great, Slipangle!

[slipangle]

Thank you, Benlilly1.

[papadanny]

your stitching looks very good. Nice work!!!

[Rohn]

Really nice! Excellent craftsmanship.

[slipangle]

Thanks folks. Very frustrating trying to get edges on this softish leather to look good. This winter I'll try some in veg tanned tool rolls.

Though I've never quite liked the look of dyed leather. Maybe because I'm not that good at it and consider it a true art when done really well. And would like to try that fancy edge paint I've learned about here on this black material.

[MakerUnknown]

Very nice looking bags.

[slipangle]

Thank you, M. U.

[Basically Bob]

They look great! Thanks for sharing,

[Wild Bill46]

All of them, are nice looking bags, Nice Job ----------------------- Wild Bill46

[MonicaJacobson]

They all look very nice. If you get into veg tanned, you don't necessarily have to dye them... I happen to really like the look of undyed (though sealed) leather as it ages. You can also get pre-dyed veg tanned leathers that are thicker. There are a few things you can do without having to get into dye. I know what you mean, though. Sometimes the dye looks really great, and sometimes it really doesn't look as good.

[slipangle]

Thanks all,

And Monica. I too like the look of un-dyed veg tanned. Takes on a nice glow and color.

I do get requests for bags to match guys' leather saddle, however. And it is usually Brooks "honey",

a difficult color to match. Or brown. Still trying to come up with a suitable dye mix for honey.

I have never tried working with colored veg tanned but should check it out. Thing is…does it have the same temper and firmness as standard veg tanned? Of course, I'm not doing tooling but having the ability to cut clean 45's with a French edger and do box-type construction at the edges is important. Which veg excels at, I've found. The black chrome tanned above sucks in that regard, but it's sort of workable.

I need to practice becoming better at dyeing. I do have an airbrush but so far haven't tried it with leather dye yet.

Thanks

Slip

Edited October 15, 2014 by slipangle

[capsterdog]

I really like them. You are doing a great job.

[slipangle]

Thank you, Capsterdog!

[MonicaJacobson]

Thanks all,

And Monica. I too like the look of un-dyed veg tanned. Takes on a nice glow and color.

I do get requests for bags to match guys' leather saddle, however. And it is usually Brooks "honey",

a difficult color to match. Or brown. Still trying to come up with a suitable dye mix for honey.

I have never tried working with colored veg tanned but should check it out. Thing is…does it have the same temper and firmness as standard veg tanned? Of course, I'm not doing tooling but having the ability to cut clean 45's with a French edger and do box-type construction at the edges is important. Which veg excels at, I've found. The black chrome tanned above sucks in that regard, but it's sort of workable.

I need to practice becoming better at dyeing. I do have an airbrush but so far haven't tried it with leather dye yet.

Thanks

Slip

I'm not sure... But I haven't been able to try very many dyed veg tanned leathers. I've got a Horween Dublin black that is veg tanned and predyed, and it's like working with butter. It burnishes beautifully, but mine is only 4-5 oz. It is softer than normal veg tanned, and more supple, but still sturdy-ish. I don't really know how it would do at 9 oz or if it would suit your purposes, but I hope to find something like it at some point, since I like using heavier weight leathers.

[oscar621]

Your work looks very nice. I think you might want to try to some drum dyed veg tan leather. Springfield leather company sells it by the square foot - price is a bit steep but it would let you try it without buying a lot. I use it for making holsters and it is almost the same as undyed veg tan (seems to be a bit stiffer/dryer which is probably a result of the dying process) but it takes oil great and has a nice uniform color. Colors are going to be limited too - usually just black and brown is what I've seen....

[slipangle]

Thanks Monica. And Oscar621.

I'll take a look at the offerings from Springfield.

I notice my local guy, Waterhouse Leather, doesn't seem to offer

drum dyed veg tanned.

Slip

[silverwingit]

You are on a very good path! Keep it up.

I myself am fascinated by your super-clean cut outs. Would you mind telling us how you do them?

Many Thanks,

Michelle

[slipangle]

Hi Michele, and thank you,

By cutouts, I presume you mean these. This one I did with a half inch hole punch, and freehanded the rest.

On this one, I made a paper pattern cutout of them Motobecane "M", then attached it temporarily to the leather with rubber cement. Then used a scalpel to cut it out.

[silverwingit]

Thanks for the reply, slipangle!

One more question arises. My hole punches always leave a bit of a "chamfer" or slope to the cut edges. Do you use a special sharpening technique or perhaps you know of an especially sharp punch?

My jaw is still dropped over your super clean cutouts!

Michelle

[bigorange]

Handsome work !, I also love the classic Brooks saddle w/ rivits !

[slipangle]

Hi Michelle,

If I understand correctly, you are referring to those large holes I punched, as in that bag with the clover leaf. (logo of Colnago bicycles). Mine too have a sort of a "chamfer" to the finished hole. That is, the grain side and the flesh side exhibit not quite the same size hole. Close but, the flesh side exit hole is always is a tiny bit smaller. When the hole is punched from the grain side.

That is the nature of hole punches, Michelle. They have a bevel ground to the cutting edge. Like any cutting tool, that edge must be strong enough to withstand the force of punching and still have the edge hold up. You can, however, sharpen a hole punch with a more acute, or sharper, bevel, but the more acute angle you grind, the more you run the risk of the edge collapsing.

The bevel-shaped hole edge is more noticeable, of course, the thicker the leather. If you are working with thinner leathers, you can always make a very thin-walled punch out of steel tubing with an edge ground on to it. I've got one I made. Of course, you need various sizes of steel tubing to do that.

Hope I've understood your question correctly.

By the way, the chamfer to the hole's edge can be lessened somewhat when burnishing. Flattening it out a bit, effectively.

Although I couldn't do this much on this 8 ounce black chrome tanned. But a little.

Slip

Thanks for the reply, slipangle!

One more question arises. My hole punches always leave a bit of a "chamfer" or slope to the cut edges. Do you use a special sharpening technique or perhaps you know of an especially sharp punch?

My jaw is still dropped over your super clean cutouts!

Michelle

[silverwingit]

Yes, slip, you understood perfectly. And I understand your reply. I think I'll try to sharpen my hole punches so that they have a bit steeper bevel on their edges.

Thank you so much for your detailed and thoughtful reply!

Michelle