5x8 Organizer

[hidepounder]

Absolutely gorgeous! I'm finding myself in awe of well applied swivel knife cuts. I really have to start practicing that technique! Where do you get inspiration for the knife cut designs?

Thanks Schno! Finger cutting has been around a long, long time...a lot of western saddle toolers use it frequently on cantle bindings, latigo carriers and other places where they want to decorate but there's not much room to tool. Mostly on higher end saddles. Whenever I get stuck, I go back and look at other guys work. Rick Bean and Troy West both do a lot of finger cutting. Al Gould is another good place to look...just recently Al has been doing some one page articles in LC&SJ which have been very good.

[Hilly]

Hi Hidepounder!

Your work is very nice - can't find any falt with it. In fact it's quite inspiring! I would like to say that although I'm generally not a fan of dyed backgrounds, I really think it makes your work takes on a 3D appearance. I also like your background work. What tool did you use around the initials?

I'm curious how long it took you to make this?

[Colman]

HP,

That is one good looking organizer!

On the spine, I like the way the boarder intertwines turning into a leaf.

Johnny

[ArtS]

Man you do beautiful work!

Art

[hidepounder]

Hi Hidepounder!

Your work is very nice - can't find any falt with it. In fact it's quite inspiring! I would like to say that although I'm generally not a fan of dyed backgrounds, I really think it makes your work takes on a 3D appearance. I also like your background work. What tool did you use around the initials?

I'm curious how long it took you to make this?

Hi Hilly...thanks for your kindness! There's always room for improvement though, I see things that I did in the tooling that I really would like to fix. That particular pattern really needs the dyed background to look right. Other patterns I tool, don't. The backgrounder used in the field is a small ribbed pear shader. I'm trying to get an effect similar to hewn wood there. I appreciate your comments!

[hidepounder]

HP,That is one good looking organizer! On the spine, I like the way the boarder intertwines turning into a leaf.Johnny

Thanks Johnny, I appreciate it! That detail is F.O. Baird influence.

Man you do beautiful work! Art

Thanks Art, I appreciate it!

[ArtS]

I find myself coming back just to admire your work, especially the knife work on the inside.

Art

[BearMan]

Outstanding!! You are an inspiartion to us all. Maybe one day,,,, if I practice Real Hard & Often,,, maybe I'll get there.

Ed

Here is a project just completed for a customer. It's a standard 5-1/2"x 8-1/2" organizer with a 1" three ring binder and a tab closure. It's constructed with 7/8 oz Herman Oak for the front and back, 2 oz for the interior and a piece of 7/8 was split down to 5/6 oz for the binder. Stiffeners were installed under the lining to give it more rigidity.

After the tooling was completed and the background was dyed, it was oiled, antiqued and sealed with Neat-Lac. The interior is finger carved and sealed with Tan-Kote.

I used a French edger to "let in" the tab to the back leaf so that it is sandwiched between the back and the lining and does not create an annnoying bump on the back of the organizer. I also buried the snap inside the tab for a little cleaner look.

Everything was glued and then sewn with Rice #99 Nylon thread, top & bottom, at about 9 stitches per inch.

I appreciate all critiques and comments!

[LarryB]

Turned out really nice. Very nice in fact. thanks for sharing

[hidepounder]

Outstanding!! You are an inspiartion to us all. Maybe one day,,,, if I practice Real Hard & Often,,, maybe I'll get there.Ed

Thanks Ed!

Turned out really nice. Very nice in fact. thanks for sharing

Thanks Larry!