chip carving on leather

[leatheroo]

i have often admired chip carved woodwork and wondered if it could be applied to leather....so i bought a chip carving knife this morning, watched a few youtube videos and set knife to leather.... i think the results maybe worth exploring a bit more...and a lot more practice!!

this is what i produced one hour later.... i really wanted to burnish the little triangles but couldnt work out how to do it....anyway just a quick practice piece.

Edited November 21, 2008 by leatheroo

[TwinOaks]

Seems kinda like cheating....not having to use the mallet to stamp the leather down, and all. Interesting idea, and I can see where it could be used in a limited way, utilizing the different texture for emphasis. I just have to wonder if that much removal of leather would negatively affect it in anyway.

[ClayB]

It's always fun to see new ideas used on leather. Your first try looks good. I hope you do some more work like this and let us see what you come up with.

[Rawhide]

Roo,

This is basically applique embossing, without the top layer of leather added. It may be easier for you to use a scalpel. Another thing to think about is burnishing the cutout areas to smooth out the finish.

Looks good, I hope to see more. Always love your work!

Marlon

[TomSwede]

I love a new take on things Roo!!

I'm sure you can come up with some great ideas with this technique because your ideas are allways good.

Tom

[MADMAX22]

i have often admired chip carved woodwork and wondered if it could be applied to leather....so i bought a chip carving knife this morning, watched a few youtube videos and set knife to leather.... i think the results maybe worth exploring a bit more...and a lot more practice!!

this is what i produced one hour later.... i really wanted to burnish the little triangles but couldnt work out how to do it....anyway just a quick practice piece.

Hey Roo I think for the triangles that a dremmel may be the trick. Not sure of what attachment would work best but thats about the only way I can think of getting those smaller spots burnished and not burnish everythign else around it.

Good idea by the way, I think it will look really cool when you get it applied to a project.

[WyomingSlick]

i have often admired chip carved woodwork and wondered if it could be applied to leather....so i bought a chip carving knife this morning, watched a few youtube videos and set knife to leather.... i think the results maybe worth exploring a bit more...and a lot more practice!!

this is what i produced one hour later.... i really wanted to burnish the little triangles but couldnt work out how to do it....anyway just a quick practice piece.

Honestly? I don't see the point. What you have produced there looks like a bad piece of tooling, or to be more generous; what they call in the art world; "primitive art". A much more attractive representation of the design could be created using regular leather tools. Much of what is produced in leatherwork is functional in nature, ie; saddles, tack, belts, etc.. For these, chip carving the leather would not be practical since you are cutting away from the top grain structure which is the strongest part of the leather. One of the main reasons we don't see too many filigreed cinch straps on bronc saddles! Hey, don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with creativity and experimenting, that is the way of progress. My sister, who teaches pottery, has used leather stamps for years to make designs on pottery. I just don't see that your hour of creativity produced anything that couldn't be better done in ten minutes.

[Hilly]

Hey Roo, it's always nice to see someone try something a little different. Thanks for sharing.

And don't listen to people who don't offer constructive criticism.

Edited January 18, 2010 by Hilly

[leatherman1457]

Roo.my leather sensei had a techanique where he chip carved the leather and then embossed it with a 1/2 or 2/3 oz and use it for his 3-d leather mirrors and boxes and it was amazing what he created. I wish I had pictures. Those who say it is no good for anything or it is too primative has never broke out of the al stolhman carving phase and are still doing the samething 30 years later and have never advanced beyong hobby leather work.. they have never looked out of the box and they read a 50 year old book that said that their way was the only way to do leather and they took it to heart. the leather greats thought out of the box and that is why they have gone on to become the masters and future masters. those who can only do al stolhman work or sheridan work only are only limited by there limited imaganition. don't listen to them and don't be discourged by them ,.they are just purist that have no clue as to what you can do with leather .I feel sorry for them for they are being left behind in the 19th century. keep up the good work and if I can get pictures I will post them. Gary

[Peter Ellis]

Honestly? I don't see the point. What you have produced there looks like a bad piece of tooling, or to be more generous; what they call in the art world; "primitive art". A much more attractive representation of the design could be created using regular leather tools. Much of what is produced in leatherwork is functional in nature, ie; saddles, tack, belts, etc.. For these, chip carving the leather would not be practical since you are cutting away from the top grain structure which is the strongest part of the leather. One of the main reasons we don't see too many filigreed cinch straps on bronc saddles! Hey, don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with creativity and experimenting, that is the way of progress. My sister, who teaches pottery, has used leather stamps for years to make designs on pottery. I just don't see that your hour of creativity produced anything that couldn't be better done in ten minutes.

That "primitive art" has quite a substantial following. It's your opinion that the design could be better presented with conventional tooling techniques. The thing is, you can't get the effect 'roo achieved with conventional tooling techniques.

She's done something different, adapting techniques from another medium to leather and exploring the possibilities, That's a good thing, something to be encouraged, not stomped on.

We wouldn't have the techniques we do if someone had not explored and experimented before us.

I look forward to some more experimentation along these lines.

Roo.my leather sensei had a techanique where he chip carved the leather and then embossed it with a 1/2 or 2/3 oz and use it for his 3-d leather mirrors and boxes and it was amazing what he created. I wish I had pictures. Those who say it is no good for anything or it is too primative has never broke out of the al stolhman carving phase and are still doing the samething 30 years later and have never advanced beyong hobby leather work.. they have never looked out of the box and they read a 50 year old book that said that their way was the only way to do leather and they took it to heart. the leather greats thought out of the box and that is why they have gone on to become the masters and future masters. those who can only do al stolhman work or sheridan work only are only limited by there limited imaganition. don't listen to them and don't be discourged by them ,.they are just purist that have no clue as to what you can do with leather .I feel sorry for them for they are being left behind in the 19th century. keep up the good work and if I can get pictures I will post them. Gary

Gary, what you're describing sounds like inlay work to me. Another technique brought over from working in wood