How To Emboss A Coat?

[Alexsis]

Hi all,

I am totally new to leather craft, and have been tasked with making a coat from The Hobbit;

http://www.cosplayhouse.com/images/D/1-1811608061.jpg

My problem is I am unsure how to achieve the print which is at the bottom of the coat.

I have spoke to a tanner over the phone and he says it is not suede(I thought it was suede at first since I'm not familiar with leather) as you cannot emboss it, and he's not sure it's a veg tan leather either as it's not generally something you use to make coats apparently? I am fairly certain it IS made of some kind of leather, because of the look of it and how it reacts with light in some shots, but could anyone please give me some advice on what might be a suitable leather to use or just how I could emboss this pattern? I suspect that it's not been done by hand, where as I will have to do it by hand, which I don't mind doing. It doesn't seem very deep either.

So yes, could anyone please advise me on this? Also, since this is a fairly long coat, leather wise, am I better going for a side? Since those tend to be longer pieces?

[electrathon]

I doubt it is suede, but likely is chrome tanned. You can emboss it with a heated metal plate, pressed into the leather.

[Alexsis]

Thank you for the reply, I appreciate it.

That sounds like a viable option for sure! I am assuming that trying this on chrome tanned may not work so well?

[electrathon]

It will work well on chrome tanned. The metal embossing plate, heated, is the trick. It is done all the time to put names and logos on jackets.

[DavidL]

Besides the heat stamping (costs a couple hundred for a machine then a couple more hundred for a pattern that size)

you could glue stiff 5 ounce veg tan in between the liner and the outer. Use contact cement and glue the pattern so that the inner and outer leather contacts the pattern piece. Use a bone folder, fix up the impression lines. An extra step is to either stain it like you would a sheridan carving or use a heated tool and try to burnish lightly.

OR

cut out the pattern in foam glue in-between the liner and outer and stitch around the pattern.

Simplest way would be to cut out the pattern and stitch it on.

[electrathon]

You do not need a hot stamp machine, you can use your oven to heat the plate. Also you do not need a plate big enough to do it all at once, you could do it with a 6"x6" square. Not production work, but for a one time, at home job it would work.

[Alexsis]

Thank you for the suggestions guys, it's much appreciated.

I had debated doing something similar with veg tan and gluing it between the lining and leather, my only concern was that it would become very stiff and the coat would not keep it's ? I did briefly look into laser etching/engraving as well, but trying to find someone in the UK who would do large pieces is quite difficult, as I've since found out that laser etching is how the pattern was achieved in the film.

The hot stamp method sounds like it might be viable, more so if I could heat a plate in the oven as it'd achieve a really similar effect as the engraving I've no doubt.

ETA: I have just been told the leather used on the coat is called Dakota leather? I have no idea if that changes how it might be stamped or anything.

Edited October 30, 2014 by Alexsis

[electrathon]

If you attach veg tan to the jacket it will be very stiff and hard. The jacket would be stiff and basically unwearable. Laser etching would be an option. Embroidery would work similarly, but would look different than the picture.

[DavidL]

replace the stiff leather with foam or stretchy chrome tan.